Isolation and characterization of free haem from the shell gland of quail and hen

A Gorchein; G Lord; C K Lim

doi:10.1002/bmc.1665

Isolation and characterization of free haem from the shell gland of quail and hen

Biomed Chromatogr. 2012 Mar;26(3):355-7. doi: 10.1002/bmc.1665. Epub 2011 Jun 16.

Authors

A Gorchein¹, G Lord, C K Lim

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK. abel.gorchein@talktalk.net

PMID: 21678459
DOI: 10.1002/bmc.1665

Abstract

Free haem was isolated from the shell gland of the quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica, and of the fowl, Galinus domesticus, and characterized by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Quantification by HPLC gave values of 1.17-1.40 nmol/mg quail shell gland protein for haem, 1.66-2.17 nmol/mg protein for protoporphyrin and 0.25-0.40 nmol/mg protein for biliverdin. Possible implications of this previously unreported finding are discussed but they are not considered incompatible with the conclusion that all eggshell pigments are endogenously synthesized in the oviduct system.

MeSH terms

Animals
Biliverdine / analysis
Chickens
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
Coturnix
Egg Shell*
Heme / analysis
Heme / chemistry
Heme / isolation & purification*
Protoporphyrins / analysis
Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods

Substances

Protoporphyrins
Heme
Biliverdine