Question

The end products of tryptophan degradation are indole and pyruvic
acid. Why do we test for the presence of indole rather than pyruvic
acid as the indicator of tryptophanase activity

Answer 1

Answer:

Pyruvic acid is a utilizable intracellular metabolite and therefore is not excreted into the medium. Indole is a waste product and can be detected in the medium.

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Answer 2

We prefer testing for the presence of indole rather than pyruvic acid to detect and measure tryptophan degradation as indole is a much more specific and sensitive test for tryptophan degradation.

• Pyruvic acid is a very common metabolite, produced as an intermediate in many reactions taking place in our body's somatic cells
• Pyruvic acid is most commonly formed in carbohydrate metabolism, during glycolysis
• Since it is produced via many metabolic pathways, the presence of pyruvic acid in the blood is not an accurate indicator of tryptophan degradation
• Indole, on the other hand, is produced in the body only during the breakdown of tryptophan. It is not absorbed by the body cells. Hence it is an ideal indicator of the presence of tryptophan breakdown

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