Publications by authors named "Masahiro Takakuwa"

A colorimetric method for the glucosamine (GlcN) assay was applied for the determination of chitin, which can be hydrolyzed to produce GlcN. A 10-mg sample was mixed with 10 mL of a 5 mol/L HCl aqueous solution, and the mixture was kept at 100°C for 12 h. Under these conditions, chitin was completely depolymerized and deacetylated to produce GlcN, even when the sample was a crab shell.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are multifunctional enzymes consisting of catalytic domains. The substrate specificities of adenylation (A) domains determine the amino-acid building blocks to be incorporated during nonribosomal peptide biosynthesis. The A-domains mediate ATP-dependent activation of amino-acid substrates as aminoacyl-O-AMP with pyrophosphate (PPi) release.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A colorimetric method for monosaccharide determination (Anal. Sci., 2013, 29, 1021) was optimized for the high-throughput screening of α-glucosidase, which hydrolyzes an α-1,4-glycosidic bond of starch and related oligo- and polysaccharides, followed by the release of D-glucose from the non-reducing ends.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A colorimetric method for the reducing monosaccharide determination is optimized for the assay of glucose isomerase, which converts glucose (Glc) to fructose (Fru). Test solution was mixed with 20-fold volume of the 50 mM Na2SiO3, 600 mM Na2MoO4, and 0.95 M HCl aqueous solution (pH 4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A simple method to separate soyasaponin Bb from a soy extract is presented. This method is based on the difference in the solubility of soyasaponin Bb and Ba and other components into 3:7 and 1:1 (v/v) acetone-water mixed solvents. The crude soyasaponin consisting of soyasaponins Aa, Ab, Ba, and Bb at the 10 wt% level and other components was examined as the soy extract.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A colorimetric pyrophosphate assay based on the formation and reduction of the 18-molybdopyrophosphate ([(P2O7)Mo18O54](4-)) anion in an acetonitrile-water mixed solvent was modified and improved. The [(P2O7)Mo18O54](4-) anion is precipitated from the acetonitrile-water solution containing MoO4(2-) and HCl, and is re-dissolved in neat acetonitrile or propylene carbonate. This separation process decreases the interference by ATP, and prevents a yellow coloration of the reducing agent, ascorbic acid, due to excess Mo(VI) species.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF