Major royal jelly proteins as markers of authenticity and quality of honey.

Until now, the properties of honey have been defined based exclusively on the content of plant components in the nectar of given plant. We showed that apalbumin1, the major royal jelly (RJ) protein, is an authentic and regular component of honey. Apalbumin1 and other RJ proteins and peptides are responsible for the immunostimulatory properties and antibiotic activity of honey.

New homogeneous HDL-cholesterol assay without the influence of high TG sample using the selective detergent to lipoproteins.

Homogeneous HDL-cholesterol assays have been developed and used widely in routine analysis, but they have been reported to give inaccurate results in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Recently, a new assay based on a new principle without the influence of triglycerides has also been developed and commercialized. We evaluated the basic performance of this new homogeneous HDL-cholesterol assay and compared it with the conventional polyethylene glycol/cyclodextrin-modified enzyme (PEGME) method using high-triglyceride (TG) samples (TG>8000 mg/L).

New enzymatic assay for serum urea nitrogen using urea amidolyase.

We established an enzymatic assay for measurement of serum urea nitrogen using urea amidolyase (EC 3.5.1.

Enzymatic assay for determination of bicarbonate ion in plasma using urea amidolyase.

Background: One of the important buffering systems to maintain blood pH is carbonic acid-bicarbonate. Together with other clinical tests, the measurement of bicarbonate ion concentrations is widely used for the diagnosis of the acid-base balance. We developed a kinetic assay for measurement of bicarbonate ion in plasma using urea amidolyase (EC 3.

Relation between iron content of serum ferritin and clinical status factors extracted by factor analysis in patients with hyperferritinemia.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to develop a new technique for determination of iron content of serum ferritin (ICF, micromol Fe/mg protein) and to investigate relations between ICF and clinical status in patients with hyperferritinemia.

Methods: ICF values were determined by a combination of immunoprecipitation of ferritin and direct colorimetric iron assay. One hundred fifty patients with hyperferritinemia were screened.

Modification of fully automated total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) assay in serum and comparison with dimension TIBC method.

Background: We previously reported the development of a fully automated assay for total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) in serum, using a multipurpose automated analyzer. However, this method requires four different reagents and is thus useful only with a limited number of available analyzers. We simplified our original assay and compared the analytical performance of the modified method with that of a commercial, fully automated TIBC assay (Dimension TIBC assay).