Branched chain amino acids (BCAA) contain a branch structure side chain with one central carbon connected to at least 3 other carbon atoms. BCAAs in humans include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs play key roles in metabolism and the immune system, and blood levels have been shown to be elevated in obese, insulin-resistant rat and mouse models.
Our Branched Amino Acid Assay Kit is a simple colorimetric assay that measures the total amount of all free BCAAs. The branched chain amino acids are converted by Leucine Dehydrogenase into alpha-keto products plus ammonia and NADH. The NADH is then detected with WST-1 which is converted into a formazan form that can be detected by a 96-well colorimetric plate reader.. BCAA levels in an unknown sample are calculated based on a known L-Leucine standard curve.
