Nitrocefin
Nitrocefin (CAS 41906-86-9) is a chromogenic cephalosporin substrate commonly employed in biochemical assays to detect β-lactamase enzymatic activity. β-lactamases, enzymes prevalent in microbial species, catalyze the hydrolysis of β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins, causing antibiotic resistance. Upon cleavage by β-lactamase enzymes, nitrocefin undergoes a measurable colorimetric shift from yellow to red, enabling visual or spectrophotometric detection in the range of approximately 380–500 nm. Nitrocefin prominently serves in microbiological and clinical research to evaluate resistance profiles of bacterial isolates and in assays for inhibitor activity toward β-lactamases. Its reported IC50 varies depending on β-lactamase type, concentration, and assay conditions, with typical values ranging from approximately 0.5 to 25 μM.
Reference:
[1] O'Callaghan, Cynthia H et al. Novel Method for Detection of B-Lactamases by Using a Chromogenic Cephalosporin Substrate. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 1972 Apr; 1(4):283-288.
- 1. Ren Liu, Yang Liu, et al. "Biochemical properties and substrate specificity of GOB-38 in Elizabethkingia anophelis." Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 2;15(1):351. PMID: 39747310
- 2. Liu X, Ma L, et al. "Synergistic antibacterial mechanism of Bi(2)Te(3) nanoparticles combined with the ineffective β-lactam antibiotic cefotaxime against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus." J Inorg Biochem. 2019 Jul;196:110687." PMID:31004991
| Physical Appearance | A crystalline solid |
| Storage | Store at -20°C |
| M.Wt | 516.50 |
| Cas No. | 41906-86-9 |
| Formula | C21H16N4O8S2 |
| Solubility | insoluble in EtOH; insoluble in H2O; ≥20.24 mg/mL in DMSO |
| Chemical Name | (6R,7R)-3-((E)-2,4-dinitrostyryl)-8-oxo-7-(2-(thiophen-2-yl)acetamido)-5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic acid |
| SDF | Download SDF |
| Canonical SMILES | [H][C@]1([C@@H]2NC(CC3=CC=CS3)=O)SCC(/C=C/C4=CC=C([N+]([O-])=O)C=C4[N+]([O-])=O)=C(C(O)=O)N1C2=O |
| Shipping Condition | Small Molecules with Blue Ice, Modified Nucleotides with Dry Ice. |
| General tips | We do not recommend long-term storage for the solution, please use it up soon. |
Quality Control & MSDS
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Chemical structure
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