Human Pancreatic Amylase ELISA

Introduction
Human amylase is a secreted enzyme that is present in saliva and pancreatic secretions in the form of α-amylase with 496 amino acids and 56 kDa (1 - 3). Salivary α-amylase catalyses the hydrolysis of 1,4-α-glycosidic bonds of starch into disaccharide maltose, trisaccharide maltotriose, and small dextrins. Pancreatic α-amylase continues the hydrolysis of starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides, which are converted by α-glucosidases to absorbable glucose, fructose, and galactose in the small intestine. The serum amylase concentration is increased in acute pancreatitis and ovarian tumors (4 - 6). By retardation of carbohydrate digestion, the amylase inhibitor has anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and can control postprandial hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes (7 - 8). Salivary α-amylase has been proposed as a stress biomarker in autonomic/sympathetic nervous system (9).

Principle of the Assay
The AssayMax Human Amylase ELISA kit is designed for detection of human amylase in plasma, serum, urine, milk, saliva, and cell culture supernatants. This assay employs a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique that measures amylase in less than 4 hours. A polyclonal antibody specific for amylase has been pre-coated onto a 96-well microplate with removable strips. Amylase in standards and samples is sandwiched by the immobilized antibody and the biotinylated polyclonal antibody specific for amylase, which is recognized by a streptavidin-peroxidase conjugate. All unbound material is then washed away and a peroxidase enzyme substrate is added. The color development is stopped and the intensity of the color is measured.