Raman spectroscopic determination of inosine nucleoside in nucleotides

Raman spectroscopy has been applied to the analytical determination of inos ine nucleoside in nucleotides. Spectral characteristics of aqueous solution s of lithium, potassium and magnesium salts of inosine 5'-monophosphoric ac id are described. Two characteristic bands located at 1553 and 1593 cm(-1) whose frequencies are not sensitive either to the nucleotide concentration or to alkaline cations present in the medium, have been used for this purpo se. The concentration ranges over which the method was applicable were 2.5- 80 and 11.5-80 mg ml(-1) of inosine using the 1553 and 1593 cm(-1) bands, r espectively, with relative standard deviations of 2.5 and 4.0% and detectio n limits of 0.25 and 1.16% (w/w). As the above bands are not generated by t he standard nucleobases, this method can be applied to the quantitative det ermination of inosine in transfer ribonucleic acids. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.