Biotin

What is Biotin?

Biotin, also frequently referred to as vitamin H or vitamin B7, is an essential component of enzymes in the human body that aid in the breakdown of certain dietary substances, including fats, carbohydrates, and protein. This soluble B-complex vitamin is pivotal for several metabolic reactions related to fatty acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and amino acid catabolism. Since it is water-soluble, it is not stored in the body and needs to be replenished daily. It's commonly found in a wide array of foods such as eggs, nuts, whole grains, meat, and fish.

Biotin is critical for many bodily functions, but its starring role is to support the health and growth of hair, skin, and nails, leading to its widespread incorporation in personal care products and dietary supplements. It also plays a role in gene expression, nervous system function, and embryonic development. Notwithstanding its importance, biotin deficiency is rare owing to the widespread presence of biotin in food, but if it does occur, it can result in hair loss, skin rashes, and brittle nails.

Biotin Detection Methods and Principles

The detection of biotin in biological and clinical samples is crucial for assessing biotin status in individuals. The methods engaged in the measurement of biotin are categorised into microbiological assays, biological assays, and chemical assays, each bearing different principles and applications.

Microbiological assays utilise bacteria that depend on biotin for growth. These commonly involve the use of Lactobacillus plantarum or Lactobacillus casei. The growth of these bacteria in culture media supplemented with test samples provides a measure of the biotin concentration present.

In biological assays, the principle revolves around the activity of biotin-dependent enzymes such as pyruvate carboxylase or propionyl-CoA carboxylase. By measuring the changes in activity of these enzymes upon supplementation with test samples, the biotin content can be estimated.

Chemical assays include high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ultraviolet detection or mass spectrometry. Here, samples are processed to extract biotin, commonly followed by derivatisation to enhance detection and then analysed by HPLC with the particular detector.

Biotin Assay Kits

Given the essential role that biotin plays in the human body, the need for reliable and effective tools for its detection is vital. Over the years, several biotin assay kits have been developed to cater to diverse research needs and applications. These kits have been devised to determine biotin levels in various samples like serum, plasma, urine, and even food products.

The Fluorescent Biotin Quantitation Kit allows for the precise measurement of biotin in different samples within a range of 1-10 nmol. It utilises a fluorescent reporter that emits fluorescence upon forming a complex with biotin.

The Biotin Assay Kit (Fluorometric) is another widely used kit that provides a simple and direct procedure to measure biotin concentration in biological samples. Through fluorometric methods, it can detect biotin concentrations as low as 0.1 µM.

The Biotin ELISA Kit offers a sandwich ELISA method for the quantitative detection of human biotin levels in serum, blood, and other biological fluids.

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