Nycodenz AG® Cell Separation Media

Nycodenz® is water soluble off-white powder. It’s a gradient medium derivate of benzoic acid with three aliphatic hydrophilic side chains.
The density of the solution form can be measured either by the refractive index or it can be determined by spectrophotometry.
The distribution of cells in a gradient can be determined using a hemocytometer, electronic particle counter or by light-scattering measurements via a spectrophotometer.
Nycodenz® does not interfere with either the orcinol and diphenylamine reactions for estimation of nucleic acids, nor with the very sensitive dye binding assays for protein and DNA.
This density gradient medium can be used for fluorometric assays of nucleic acid and proteins.
The presence of sugars and polysaccharides can be determined via phenol/H2SO4 assay with Nycodenz®.
It does not interfere with most assays involving enzyme markers of subcellular component. Commercial scintillants are also compatible with Nycodenz®.
Nycodenz® can be removed from samples by dialysis, ultrafiltration or gel filtration.
Cells, subcellular organelles and other particulate matter can be isolated from the medium by centrifugation without the risk of contaminating the pellet.
Nycodenz® can be used to prepare non-aqueous denaturing gradients.
Aqueous solutions of Nycodenz® have a very high water-activity. Therefore, most of the particles will be fully hydrated in Nycodenz® solution and will band at a low density.

Advantages of Nycodenz® vs Other gradients:

Nycodenz® vs Metrizamide
• Less toxic
• Less viscous
• Heat stable
• Interferes less with a number of assay techniques
• Possibility to sterilize the gradient solution because stable to autoclaving
• Extremely accurate assay of protein can be carried out using either the amid-black filter assay or the Coomassie blue assay

Nycodenz® vs Percoll
• Retain a more normal cell morphology
• Mast cells appear less damaged as judged by histamine release

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