A rapid saccharogenic method for the determination of serum amylase.

In this procedure for serum amylase the sugars formed by enzymatic starch hydrolysis are quantitatively measured in a protein-free tungstic acid filtrate by the alkaline reduction of ferricyanide to ferrocyanide. The ferrocyanide formed is readily determined by measurement of the color produced with phosphomolybdic acid at room temperature. The reducing sugar formed, expressed as milligrams per hundred milliliters of glucose measured by alkaline ferricyanide reduction, was comparable in amount after 15 mm. incubation at 37.5#{176} to that formed at 30 mm. as measured by reduction of alkaline copper reagent. The values for 54 apparently healthy blood donors, given by the 15-mm. incubation ferricyanide technic, ranged from 24-195 U., with a mean and standard deviation from the mean of 103 ± 35 U. With the conventional 30-mm. incubation alkaline copper method, a mean and standard deviation from the mean of 101 ± 36 U. was obtained. Amylase values given by both procedures for serums in the normal and abnormal ranges are presented. The reproducibility and some of the factors affecting the sensitivity of the ferricyanide method have also been determined.