Fluorimetric determination of peroxynitrite based on an enzymatic reaction.

A novel fluorimetric method for the determination of peroxynitrite (ONOO-) using hemoglobin (Hb) as a catalyst is described. The method employs the reaction of ONOO with thiamine (TM), a colorless, non-fluorescent reagent in a glycine-NaCl-NaOH buffer solution (pH 12.7), to generate a highly fluorescent product, thiochrome (TC). The fluorescent product was monitored by fluorimetry. A linear calibration graph was obtained over an ONOO- concentration range from 4.95 x 10(-7) mol L(-1) to 2.97 x 10(-5) mol L(-1), with a detection limit of 9.78 x 10(-9) mol L(-1) ONOO-. The relative standard deviation at an ONOO- concentration of 2.11 x 10(-6) mol L(-1) was 4.15% (n = 9).