SIMPLIFICATION OF THE ANTHRONE METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF INULIN IN CLEARANCE STUDIES.

Abstract

Abstract The anthrone method of Young and Raisz 1 was modified by a decrease in the concentration of anthrone in the reagent from 0.4 per cent to 0.08 per cent and by a reduction of the temperature for color development from 75 °C. to 38 °C. Under these conditions, interference by glucose is minimized so that inulin can be determined directly without prior removal of glucose by incubation of samples with yeast or sodium hydroxide. The modified anthrone method was compared with a standard diphenylamine method for inulin in a series of clinical studies. The mean ratio of clearances (C In anthrone/C In diphenylamine) in 12 patients was 0.996 (S.D. = ± 0.026). These data confirm the earlier findings of Walser, Davidson, and Orloffs that alkali-stable inulin has the same clearance as alkali-labile inulin.