2-Carboxy-1-naphthyl phosphate as a substrate for the fluorimetric determination of alkaline phosphatase

A new substrate, 2-carboxy-1-naphthyl phosphate (CNP), was developed for the fluorimetric determination of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. The product of the enzyme reaction is 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (HNA), which is a strong fluorescent product. The amount of HNA generated is proportional to ALP activity. Optimal conditions for the determination of ALP were investigated. The linear range and detection limit for the determination of ALP are 0.01-4.8 U/L and 7.44 mU/L, respectively. This method is simple, practical and can be successfully applied to assess ALP in human serum with good accuracy and precision. The results were evaluated by comparison with a standard colorimetric assay using p-nitrophenyl phosphate as ALP substrate.