ABSTRACT
The bicinchoninic acid (BCA) protein assay was developed by Smith et al. (1). The plan was to substitute BCA for the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent in the Lowry assay. The advantages of the BCA method include decreased sensitivity to interferences, a need for one working reagent, and color stability. The BCA protein assay has the same sensitivity as the Lowry method. Reagents for the BCA assay are available commercially. As yet, the BCA assay does not feature greatly in the food science literature. As of June 2001, there were 16 references to bicinchoninic acid or bicinchoninate in the Food Science and Technology abstracts. General citations in the Science Citation Index number over 8500. The BCA assay is without a doubt more popular than indicated by the low number of formal citations.
