A highly sensitive assay for protein using resonance light-scattering technique with dibromohydroxyphenylfluorone–molybdenum(VI) complex

Abstract At pH 2.8 and in the presence of 0.090% p -octylpolyethyleneglycol phenylether, the resonance light-scattering (RLS) spectrum of molybdenum(VI) complex with dibromohydroxyphenylfluorone (DBHPF) has a sharp peak at 586 nm. If the micro protein coexists with Mo(VI) and DBHPF, the RLS intensity of the complex at 586 nm is significantly enhanced by protein due to the binding interaction between protein and DBHPF–Mo(VI) complex. Based on this a new assay for protein is described. The dynamic ranges for bovine and human serum albumins are both 0.05–0.75 mg l −1 with detection limits of 13 and 15 ng ml −1 , respectively. Besides high sensitivity, the method is characterized by good reproducibility, rapidity of reaction, good stability of chemical system, commonality of spectrofluorometer, few coexisting substances, especially detergents. The determinations of diluted human serum and urine by this method give the results very close to these by the Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 colorimetry, with relative standard deviations of five duplicates of 1.8–2.5%.