ASSAY OF POLY-β-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID

Law, John H. (Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.) and Ralph A. Splepecky . Assay of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid. J. Bacteriol. 82: 33–36. 1961—A convenient spectrophotometric assay of bacterial poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid has been devised. Quantitative conversion of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid to crotonic acid by heating in concentrated sulfuric acid and determination of the ultraviolet absorption of the produce permits an accurate determination of this material in quantities down to 5 μg. This method has been used to follow the production of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid by Bacillus megaterium strain KM.