Biotin, also known as vitamin H or vitamin B7, is an essential water-soluble vitamin found widely in plants, animals, and microorganisms. In foods, most biotin is bound to proteins and is released during digestion as biocytin, which can be readily absorbed. Once processed by the enzyme biocytinase, free biotin becomes available as a crucial prosthetic group for several biotin-dependent enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and glucose regulation. Although gut microbiota can synthesize biotin, adults still require dietary intake, and supplementation has shown benefits in individuals with metabolic or neurological complications, such as chronic hemodialysis patients.
Biotin deficiency, though uncommon, may occur due to impaired intestinal flora, genetic defects such as biotinidase deficiency, severe malnutrition, or conditions like short-gut syndrome. Symptoms include dermatitis, hair loss, appetite reduction, muscle hypotonia, depression, and reproductive dysfunction. Because biotin is essential for enzyme function across multiple metabolic pathways, assessing biotin status is valuable in both clinical and research settings, particularly in cases of suspected malabsorption, metabolic disorders, or neurological symptoms.
The Biotin test kit uses a microbiological assay in which Lactobacillus plantarum grows in response to available biotin. After incubation, bacterial growth is quantified turbidimetrically with an ELISA reader and compared to a standard curve, producing accurate serum biotin measurements. This method supports diagnostic evaluation in human and veterinary medicine as well as research applications investigating nutritional status, metabolic health, and enzyme function.
This product is manufactured in USA by Immundiagnostik AG.
