Evaluation of Alternatives to Selectrazyme® s-Glucuronidase Reagent for the Analysis of Opiates

Forensic and clinical specimens that screen positive for opiates usually contain opiate glucuronide conjugates in addition to free opiates. Hydrolysis reactions can be performed to cleave β-D-glucuronic acid using an enzyme, acid, or base though consideration must be given to efficiency and the effect it may play on the drug’s chemical structure. Recently, abalone has been presenting itself as a more economical alternative for enzyme hydrolysis. This study investigates the effectiveness of UCT’s Selectrazyme® β-Glucuronidase Reagent (abalone) in comparison to other commercially available abalone derived enzymes.