How does bacterial testing of endotoxin work?

Endotoxin bacterial testing usually involves the use of agents that, when mixed in a solution with a possible contaminant, causes a reaction, which means the presence of endotoxin. Chromogenic testing, gel clot test and turbidimetric test testing are methods that scientists commonly use to test bacterial endotoxin. Technicians use these evaluation methods on different substances and objects to check the contamination of endotoxin. The water, the raw materials used in the production of medicines, equipment and packaging must go through the standotoxin standards.

Bacteria, fungi and viruses have protective external membranes consisting of lipopolysaccharides, also referred to as LPS. The lipid part of these chains contains endotoxins. These substances generally remain inside the membrane, but are released during the cell division process and during cellular destruction or lysis. In humans, these substances cause fever, abnormal coagulation, septic shock and other symptte. Although unlike exotoxins in the cell, endotoxins withe do not overwhelm the toxoid. Generally, microbiologists control the presence of endotoxins associated with various gram -negative bacteria, including e. Coli .

The gel clot test or the Limulus Amebocyte Lyzate (LAL) test includes the use of chemical substances derived from amoebocytes of horseshoes, which are also referred to as Limulus polyphys. the subject or substance in question. Microbiologists usually use this method of bacterial endotoxin testing in conjunction with chromogenic and turbidimetric testing for convincing results.

Chromogenic testing of bacterial endotoxin uses specially treated LAL. When this lysate contacts endotoxin, the reaction creates a specific color. The latest test process includes measuring the turbidity or clouding of the solution. Technicians expose a solution created in the test of the gel clot of the spectrophotometer that emits a beam of light.By measuring the loss of light intensity in the beam, when it passes through the solution, microbiologists can determine whether endotoxin is present.

Lab Associates generally complete these three bacterial endotoxin tests twice or three times to ensure accurate results. The gel test is not used solely, as its lowest detection limit is 0.03 units of Ehrlich per millilitr (EU/ml). Chromogenic and turbidimetric testing detects endotoxins in the range of 0.005 EU/ml. Safety parameters differ very much depending on the tested substance. While sterile water used for injection or irrigation purposes cannot contain no more than 0.25 EU/ml, sterile water for inhalation purposes may contain up to 0.5 EU/ml.