Assay of cholinesterase using a pro-enhancer of the luminol-H2O2-horseradish peroxidase reaction.

2-Naphthyl acetate acts as a pro-enhancer of the luminol-H2O2-horseradish peroxidase reaction. Cholinesterase hydrolyses the bound acetyl group and produces 2-naphthol, and this compound is an enhancer of the chemiluminescent reaction. We studied the kinetics of chemiluminescent emission and the influence of 2-naphthyl acetate and cholinesterase enzyme concentrations. The cholinesterase concentration versus chemiluminescence intensity maximum was linear for cholinesterase between 0 and 181 microU/mL, with a detection limit of 8 microU/mL and a relative standard deviation of 9.5% (n = 3), for a sample containing 90.67 microU/mL of cholinesterase.