“…Assay of5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid Samples (0.5 ml) taken from an incubated reaction mixture (for details see the Figure and Table legends) or from a standard solution of 5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid were mixed with 0.1 ml of 1OM-HCl, capped and heated at 100°C for 30min. Tubes were cooled and, after the addition of 0.1 ml of 10M-KOH, 0.3ml of 4M-sodium acetate/acetic acid buffer, pH5.0, and 1.0ml of ninhydrin reagent (KH2PO4, 0.5g; Na2HPO4,12H20, 9.8g; ninhydrin, 0.5g; fructose, 0.3g, in 100ml of water) (Mickelson et al, 1976), were heated at 100°C for 10min, cooled and 2.Oml of K103 solution (0.2%, w/v, in 40% ethanol) was added. The A570 was recorded after 30min and, where necessary, a correction was made for the absorbance contributed by the ninhydrin-positive products of hydrolysis as determined in separate controls.…”