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Rapid quantification of cellular flavonoid levels using quercetin and a fluorescent diphenylboric acid 2-amino ethyl ester probe

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Abstract

Flavonoids are abundant in fruits and vegetables and have various biological activities. A rapid, sensitive method for assessing cellular quercetin levels is necessary because cellular levels are often low. A new method for measuring cellular flavonoid levels is proposed using diphenylboric acid 2-aminoethyl ester (DPBA), a fluorescent probe, and quercetin, a representative flavonoid. This spectrofluorometry-based assay is simple and allows rapid quantification of the cellular quercetin content with high sensitivity. CHO-K1 cells were incubated with quercetin for 5 min, and then the cellular quercetin concentration was assayed using DPBA spectrofluorometry. Results, compared with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), and conventional spectrophotometry measurements, were highly correlated with HPLC data (R>0.99). The method is more sensitive than TLC and conventional spectrophotometry. Spectrofluorometric measurement using DPBA is a simple, rapid, and sensitive method for assessing cellular quercetin levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, Korea

    Ji Hae Lee, Yeojin Kim, Minh Hien Hoang, Hee-jin Jun & Sung-Joon Lee

  2. Division of Food Bioscience and Technology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, Korea

    Ji Hae Lee, Yeojin Kim, Minh Hien Hoang, Hee-jin Jun & Sung-Joon Lee

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  1. Ji Hae Lee
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  2. Yeojin Kim
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  3. Minh Hien Hoang
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  4. Hee-jin Jun
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  5. Sung-Joon Lee
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Correspondence to Sung-Joon Lee.

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Lee, J.H., Kim, Y., Hoang, M.H. et al. Rapid quantification of cellular flavonoid levels using quercetin and a fluorescent diphenylboric acid 2-amino ethyl ester probe. Food Sci Biotechnol 23, 75–79 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-014-0010-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-014-0010-y

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