Title: Units, weights and concentrations: the botulinum toxin dilemma

Authors: Andrew Pickett

Addresses: Toxin Science Limited, Wrexham, UK

Abstract: Over the years, scientists have worked with BoNT as crude and purified complexes, both in solution or crystalline. They have also used purified neurotoxins, again in solution or crystalline, either as true crystals or so-called |crystalline| precipitates from purifications with ammonium sulphate fractionations. They use protein concentration measured by one of several methods, LD50 units measured by one of several methods and now also concentration itself, expressed in molarity to describe the quantities they use. There are even signs that extinction coefficients are starting to appear in the literature. However, the community of BoNT scientists is not good at indicating what their measurements refer to when they cite these values. That is the dilemma briefly discussed in this commentary.

Keywords: botulinum neurotoxins; BoNT; units; weights; concentrations; measurements.

DOI: 10.1504/TBJ.2011.041834

The Botulinum Journal, 2011 Vol.2 No.1, pp.4 - 5

Published online: 06 Aug 2011 *

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