Elabscience® Mitochondrial Isolation and Functional Detection Complete Solution

As the powerhouse of cells, mitochondria are core organelles regulating cell metabolism, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and the development of various diseases. High-quality mitochondrial isolation and accurate functional detection are key prerequisites for research in metabolism, tumor immunology, neurodegenerative diseases, and drug screening. Relying on a mature R&D system, Elabscience^® has launched a complete solution of mitochondrial isolation kits and mitochondrial functional detection kits, covering from sample pretreatment to multi-dimensional functional verification, providing stable, sensitive, and easy-to-use experimental tools for researchers worldwide.

Table of Contents

1. Mitochondrial isolation kits for cells and tissues

2. Key mitochondrial functional detection indicators

3. Integrated solution advantages and application areas

01 Mitochondrial isolation kits for cells and tissues

The purity and activity of mitochondria directly determine the reliability of downstream detection results. Elabscience^® has developed dedicated isolation kits for cell and animal tissue samples using an optimized differential centrifugation system. No ultracentrifuge is needed to quickly obtain structurally intact, highly active, and low-impurity mitochondria, which can be directly used for ATP detection, membrane potential detection, respiratory function detection, Western Blot, enzyme activity determination, and other experiments.

1.1 Cell Mitochondrial Extraction Assay Kit

Cat. No.: E-BC-E006

Applicable Samples: Adherent cells, suspension cells

Features:

• Easy to operate, completed in about 1 hour

• Low residual impurities such as cytoplasm and nucleus

• Ready for immediate use or cryopreservation after extraction

1.2 Animal Tissue Mitochondrial Extraction Assay Kit

Cat. No.: E-BC-E001

Applicable Samples: Liver, brain, heart, muscle and other animal tissues

Features:

• Dedicated tissue lysis system adapted to different tissue hardness and characteristics

• Efficiently removes interferents such as tissue debris, muscle fibers, and fat

• Stable extraction yield and good repeatability

02 Key mitochondrial functional detection indicators

Mitochondrial function can be comprehensively evaluated from energy production, oxidative stress, membrane integrity, channel opening, respiratory capacity and other dimensions. Elabscience^® adopts high-sensitivity fluorescence and chemiluminescence methods, compatible with microplate readers, flow cytometers, and fluorescence microscopes. No large-scale special equipment is needed, with simple operation and reliable data^[1].

2.1 ATP Detection (Chemiluminescence)

ATP is the core product of mitochondrial energy metabolism, and its concentration directly reflects the efficiency of mitochondrial energy production.

Principle: Based on luciferase-luciferin reaction; luminescence intensity is positively correlated with ATP concentration.

Cat. No.: E-BC-F300

Advantages:

• Sensitivity up to 0.002 μmol/L.

• Wide linear range, suitable for cells and purified mitochondria.

• Rapid detection of large quantities of samples.

Fig. 1 ATP Kit (E-BC-F300) for detecting ATP levels in various cells.

2.2 Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Detection

Mitochondria are the main source of reactive oxygen species within cells. Excessive accumulation of ROS can lead to oxidative stress damage and is an important inducer for apoptosis, ferroptosis and cuproptosis.

Principle: DCFH-DA probe is hydrolyzed to DCFH and oxidized by ROS to green fluorescent DCF.

Cat. No.: E-BC-K138-F

Advantages:

• High versatility, suitable for most cells and tissues.

• Detectable by flow cytometer, microplate reader, fluorescence microscope.

• Low background and high signal-to-noise ratio.

2.3 Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨm) Detection

ΔΨm is the core of the proton-driven energy potential that drives ATP synthesis, and it is also a key indicator of mitochondrial function health - abnormal membrane potential often indicates impaired mitochondrial function.

Principle: JC-1 forms J-aggregates (red) at high potential; monomers (green) at low potential^[2].

Cat. No.: E-CK-A301

Advantages:

• Intuitive results, visible to the naked eye.

• Accurate quantification for drug toxicity and protection evaluation.

• Suitable for live-cell real-time observation.

Fig. 2 Detection principle of JC-1.

2.4 Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore (mPTP) Opening Detection

The opening of mPTP will lead to the disintegration of mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome C, thereby initiating the apoptotic pathway.

Principle: Co²⁺ quenches mitochondrial calcein when mPTP opens, reducing fluorescence.

Cat. No.: E-BC-F064

Advantages:

• High specificity, directly reflects mPTP opening degree.

• Simple operation, suitable for high-throughput screening.

Fig. 3 Fluorescence microscopy data of Hela cells using the mPTP kit (E-BC-F064) (1×Calcein, 1×CoCl2, 1×Ionomycin).

2.5 Cellular Oxygen Consumption Rate (OCR) Detection

Oxygen consumption rate directly reflects mitochondrial respiratory function and can evaluate key parameters such as basal respiration, ATP-related respiration, and maximum respiratory capacity.

Principle: Oxygen-sensitive phosphorescent probe; signal inversely proportional to oxygen concentration.

Cat. No.: E-BC-F070

Advantages:

• No expensive metabolism analyzer required; fluorescence microplate reader is sufficient.

• Compatible with metabolism inhibitors to analyze respiratory chain function.

• Suitable for drug screening and metabolism mechanism research.

Fig. 4 Detection of OCR in A549 cells after treatment with 2 μM FCCP, 1 μM Oligomycin, and 1 μM antimycinA using the OCR fluorescent kit (E-BC-F070).

03 Integrated solution advantages and application areas

3.1 Core Advantages

• Complete product line: one-stop from isolation to five functional detections.

• High sensitivity: capture subtle functional changes, more reliable data.

• Easy to operate: ready-to-use reagents, simplified steps.

• Strong compatibility: adapts to microplate readers, flow cytometers, microscopes.

• High stability: low batch difference, good repeatability for large batches.

3.2 Typical Application Scenarios

• Cell metabolism and energy regulation mechanism research.

• Exploration of apoptotic, ferroptosis, cuproptosis pathways.

• Research on tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases.

• Drug screening, efficacy evaluation, toxicity detection.

• Mitochondria-targeted drug R&D.

Elabscience^® mitochondrial isolation and functional detection solution features high-purity isolation, multi-index accurate detection, easy operation, and strong compatibility, fully meeting the needs of mitochondrial basic research and drug development. Covering from sample preparation to functional analysis, one complete solution effectively improves experimental stability and data reliability, helping researchers achieve high-quality results faster.

Related Products:

Table 1. Overview of Elabscience^® mitochondrial function & related assay kits

References: 

[1] RICKARD, B. P., OVERCHUK, M., CHAPPELL, V. A., et al. Methods to Evaluate Changes in Mitochondrial Structure and Function in Cancer. Cancers, 2023, Apr 29; 15 (9):2564.

[2] SIVANDZADE, F., BHALERAO, A., CUCULLO, L. Analysis of the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Using the Cationic JC-1 Dye as a Sensitive Fluorescent Probe. Bio-protocol, 2019, Jan 5; 9 (1):e3128.