Optimal and stable conditions for the determination of erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient to evaluate riboflavin status.

To measure the activation coefficient (AC) of erythrocyte glutathione reductase (GR), suspended whole blood was lysed in a preincubation solution, with or without 100 microM flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Upon addition of the reaction mixture, FAD concentration decreased about 10-fold. No AC values < 1 were obtained in any of the subjects. The range of unstimulated activity per g hemoglobin (Hb) was 5 to 12 U. AC values of healthy subjects (1.3) decreased to about 1.15 after vitamin supplementation of 1 RDA for 3 wk. In healthy young subjects consumption of dietary riboflavin at levels as low as 0.5 mg/d resulted in an AC of 1.6.