2-Naphthyl acetate

WHITE FLUFFY POWDER

2-Naphthyl acetate has been used as a substrate:

• in substrate sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to examine the composition of lipases in larvae and adult specimens
• in the preparation of zymograms to identify proteins with lipase activity
• to measure non-specific esterase activity and β-esterase enzyme activity

2-Naphthyl Acetate is used in the staining of gels for esterase activity in the biological laboratories. An esterase substrate.

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 91, p. 2162, 1969 DOI: 10.1021/ja01036a081

2-Naphthyl acetate/β-naphthyl acetate (BNA) is an ester substrate. It can be used in staining gels to detect esterase activity. BNA dissolved in acetone and ethanol produces a dark and very light/no background respectively. Hence destaining is not necessary if ethanol is used to dissolve BNA for esterase staining of gels.

Distil the acetate in a high vaccum and/or crystallise it from pet ether (b 60-80o) or dilute aqueous EtOH. The picrate has m 80o (from EtOH). [Beilstein 6 H 644, 6 I 313, 6 II 600, 5 III 2982, 6 IV 4267.]