Separation of human salivary alpha-amylase isozymes by high-performance liquid chromatography with a continuous monitor system of the activity.

Human salivary alpha-amylase isozymes were rapidly separated from each other by high-performance liquid chromatography with a postcolumn assay. The eluate from the HPLC column was mixed continuously with an intramolecularly quenched fluorescent substrate, p-nitro-phenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside delivered by a pump. The mixture was incubated in a reaction coil, and the fluorescence intensity was continuously measured by a fluorescence detector. The assay was based on the marked increase in fluorescence with the enzymatic cleavage of the glycosidic bond of the substrate that links the fluorogenic and quenching moieties.