Iodometric Assay Method for Beta-Lactamase with Various Beta-Lactam Antibiotics as Substrates

Abstract

The rapid fixed-time assay for penicillinase was modified for measuring β-lactamase activity with twelve substrates, i.e., benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, cloxacillin, methicillin, carbenicillin, cefazolin, cephalothin, cephaloglycin, cephalexin, cephalosporin C, 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, and cefoxitin. The method depends upon the reduction of iodine by the hydrolyzed substrate. Determined experimentally, 1 mol of hydrolyzed penicillins consumed 3.4 to 4.0 mol of iodine (I 2 ). Iodine consumption of hydrolyzed cephalosporins varied widely from 1.7 for cephalothin to 3.7 for cefazolin. The method is useful for routine assay of β-lactamase activity with various substrates.