Determination of proteins by a reverse biuret method combined with the copper-bathocuproine chelate reaction.

A method of protein determination has been developed which combines the biuret reaction and the copper(I)-bathocuproine chelate reaction. Protein in the specimen forms a Cu(2+)-protein chelate complex (biuret reaction) during the first step. Excess Cu2+ is reduced to Cu+ by ascrobic acid, allowing the Cu+ to form a Cu(+)-bathocuproine chelate complex during the second step. The amount of Cu(+)-bathocuproine chelate complex formed is inversely proportional to the protein concentration. The sensitivity (epsilon = 1.4 x 10(6) 1.mol-1.cm-1 against human albumin) of this method was higher than that of the original Lowry (9.8 x 10(5)), pyrogallol red (1.0 x 10(6)) and commercially available Coomassie Brilliant Blue G.250 methods (6.7 x 10(5)). The color intensities of human gamma-globulin, human globulin (fractions IV-1 and IV-4), bovine albumin, egg albumin and horse gamma-globulin against human albumin (100%) ranged from 92 to 101%. The results obtained with the present method (y) correlated well with those determined by the biuret method (r = 0.998, y = 0.98 chi - 0.002, x = 1.31, y = 1.29 g/l) in 30 diluted sera. These results confirm that this assay is similar in sensitivity to the original Lowry method, is rapid and has similar reactivity to each of the various proteins in biological fluids.