Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Inc.

Aya Takaoka

Masakazu Tsuchiya

Kazuaki Harada

Haruhisa Ijiri

Keiko Kawabe

A process for measuring the amount of endotoxin or (1.fwdarw.3)-.beta.-D-glucan (referred to hereinafter as .beta.-glucan) contained in a sample, which comprises mixing the sample with amebocyte lysate of horseshoe crabs in the presence of at least one water-soluble polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyethylene glycol, a polyvinyl alcohol, a methyl cellulose and a hydroxypropyl cellulose, applying a light to the resulting mixture, measuring the time required until a degree of optical variation of the resulting mixture reaches a predetermined value after the mixing of the sample with the amebocyte lysate, or after the lapse of the predetermined time from the mixing of the sample with the amebocyte lysate, and determining the amount of endotoxin or .beta.-glucan contained in the sample on the basis of the relationship between the said time and the amount of endotoxin or .beta.-glucan; and also a reagent for measuring the amount of endotoxin or .beta.-glucan contained in a sample, which comprises amebocyte lysate of horseshoe crabs and at least one water-soluble polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyethylene glycol, a polyvinyl alcohol, a methyl cellulose and a hydroxypropyl cellulose.

Process for measuring amount of endotoxin or

A solution containing at least one of albumin and globulin is effective for extracting endotoxin adhered to or adsorbed on a surface of a solid such as containers, medical devices, disposable needles, etc., and thus useful as a cleaning agent for these containers, medical devices, etc.

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Amagasaki, Japan

Aya Takaoka