Corrinoids are a group of compounds based on the skeleton of corrin, a cyclic system containing four pyrrole rings similar to porphyrins.
Compounds containing the "Cob-" prefix (not corrin) are cobalt derivatives, and may include an oxidation state, as in "Cob(II)alamin".
A solution of aquacyano-corrinoids, such as cobalamin or cobinamide, reacts with free cyanide in an aqueous sample.
The binding of cyanide to the corrinoid cobalt center leads to a color change from orange to violet.
[8][9] Furthermore, this technology is non-toxic and considerably less prone to interference than the pyridine-barbituric acid colorimetry method.