3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid
Encyclopedia
3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS or DNSA, IUPAC name 2-hydroxy-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid) is an aromatic compound that reacts with reducing sugar
s and other reducing molecules to form 3-amino-5-nitrosalicylic acid
, which absorbs light
strongly at 540 nm
. It was first introduced as a method to detect reducing substances in urine and has since been widely used, for example, for quantificating carbohydrates levels in blood
. It is mainly used in assay of alpha-amylase
. However, enzymatic
methods are usually preferred to DNS due to their specificity.
Reducing sugar
A reducing sugar is any sugar that either has an aldehyde group or is capable of forming one in solution through isomerisation. This functional group allows the sugar to act as a reducing agent, for example in the Tollens' test or Benedict's test.-Chemistry:...
s and other reducing molecules to form 3-amino-5-nitrosalicylic acid
3-Amino-5-nitrosalicylic acid
3-Amino-5-nitrosalicylic acid is an aromatic compound that absorbs light strongly at 540 nm. It is produced when 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid reacts with a reducing sugar. In this reaction, the 3-nitrate group is reduced to an amino group ....
, which absorbs light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
strongly at 540 nm
1 E-9 m
To help compare different orders of magnitudes this page lists lengths between 10−9 metres and 10−8 metres .Distances shorter than 1 nanometre*1 nm = 1 nanometre = 1000 picometres = 10 angstroms...
. It was first introduced as a method to detect reducing substances in urine and has since been widely used, for example, for quantificating carbohydrates levels in blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
. It is mainly used in assay of alpha-amylase
Alpha-Amylase
α-Amylase is an enzyme that hydrolyses alpha-bonds of large alpha-linked polysaccharides such as starch and glycogen, yielding glucose and maltose. It is the major form of amylase found in humans and other mammals...
. However, enzymatic
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
methods are usually preferred to DNS due to their specificity.