tetrazoliumsalter
Tetrazolium salts are a group of organic compounds characterized by a tetrazole ring. They are commonly used in biological research as redox indicators, particularly for assessing cellular metabolic activity. In their oxidized form, tetrazolium salts are typically colorless or pale yellow and soluble in water. However, when they are reduced by enzymes involved in cellular respiration, such as dehydrogenases, they form intensely colored, water-insoluble formazan products.
The most widely used tetrazolium salts include MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide), MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium), WST-1 (4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate),