| Abstract: | A specific and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for nattokinase, a subtilisin-like fibrinolytic enzyme in the fermented soybean food, natto. The assay method was developed using a combination of a murine anti-nattokinase monoclonal antibody coated on the microtiter well as a catching antibody and rabbit anti-nattokinase polyclonal antibody as a peroxidase-conjugated detecting antibody. The assay sensitivity was 0.1 ng/ml and cross-reactivity with subtilisin BPN′ and subtilisin Carlsberg was 0.0002% and 0.00002%, respectively. The ELISA value reflected the fibrinolytic activity of nattokinase. The correlation coefficient between nattokinase measured by a fibrinolytic assay and by the ELISA in 14 commercially available natto extracts was 0. 967, suggesting that nattokinase is the only fibrinolytic enzyme in natto. |
