Evidence for the possible involvement of the Superoxide radicals in the photodegradation of bilirubin.
Loading...
Date
1979-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The photodecomposition of bilirubin follows first order kinetics with a
kB value of 12·5 × 10-3 min–1. In the presence of a model system generating superoxide
anions, such as xanthine-xanthine oxidase, the kB value was 103 × 10-3 min-1
This ten-fold enhancement of kB value by xanthine-xanthine oxidase was abolished
when the reaction mixture was supplemented with a superoxide ion scavenger___
superoxide dismustase. Further, known singlet oxygen quenchers like ß–carotene
and bistidine did not prevent the enhancement of bilirubin oxidation by xanthinexanthine
oxidase, thereby ruling out the obligatory conversion of superoxide anion
to singlet oxygen. It is concluded that radical oxygen mediated bilirubin degradation
might be a natural catabolic route for the bile pigment degradation during oxygen
stress.
Description
Keywords
Bilirubin catabolism, photodegradation, superoxide anion, singlet oxygen
Citation
Kaul Ravi, Kaul Hari K, Bajpai Prakash C, Murti C R Krishna. Evidence for the possible involvement of the Superoxide radicals in the photodegradation of bilirubin. Journal of Biosciences. 1979 Dec; 1(4): 377-383.