New fluorogenic substrates for horseradish peroxidase: Rapid and sensitive assays for hydrogen peroxide and the peroxidase

p-Hydroxyphenyl compounds [3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid, p-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol, hordenine, p-ethylphenol, 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol, p-n-propylphenol, and p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid] were recently found to be excellent fluorogenic substrates for the horseradish peroxidase-mediated reaction with hydrogen peroxide. A very rapid and sensitive method for the fluorometric assays of hydrogen peroxide and the peroxidase was established by using 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid as the best of these substrates; hydrogen peroxide can be assayed precisely in amounts as small as 0.1 nmol, with peroxidase activity as low as 7.8 μU.