Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) is a cytosolic enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway, a metabolic pathway that supplies reducing energy to cells (such as erythrocytes) by maintaining the level of the co-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). The NADPH in turn maintains the level of glutathione in these cells that helps protect the red blood cells against oxidative damage. Of greater quantitative importance is the production of NADPH for tissues actively engaged in biosynthesis of fatty acids and/or isoprenoids, such as the liver, mammary glands, adipose tissue, and the adrenal glands. Assay Genie's glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase Assay Kit is a simple, sensitive and rapid assay detects the activity of G6PDH in a variety of samples. In the assay, glucose-6-phosphate is oxidized with the generation of a product which is utilized to convert a nearly colorless probe to an intensely colored product with an absorbance at 450nm. The G6PDH Assay Kit can detect as low as 0.04mU G6PDH per well.

Unit Definition: One unit defines as the amount of enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 1.0 µlmol of glucose-6-phosphate into 6-phosphoglucono-δ-lactone and generates 1.0 µmol of NAD+ to NADH per minute at 37°C.