An automated analysis for superoxide dismutase enzyme activity.

The pyrogallol autoxidation assay for superoxide dismutase was adapted for analysis by centrifugal analyzer. The precision of the enzymatic assay was estimated using bovine blood superoxide dismutase. Specific activity determined for human erythrocyte superoxide dismutase by the procedure agreed with previously reported determinations. Recovery of bovine blood superoxide dismutase from hemolysates provided a measure of proportional analytic error. Difficulties inherent in attempting to spectrophotometrically assay an enzyme catalyzing a reaction requiring a free radical substrate cannot be eliminated by an automated method. However, the centrifugal analyzer method makes routine enzymatic analysis for superoxide dismutase in numerous samples technically feasible. Moreover, automated analysis can conveniently include a standard such as bovine blood superoxide dismutase when enzyme levels in tissue extracts are assayed. These advantages make the method for assay of superoxide dismutase enzyme activity a useful procedure.