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Quenching of excited states of red-pigment zinc protoporphyrin IX by hemin and natural reductors in dry-cured hams

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Abstract

Zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP), the major red pigment in hams dry-cured without nitrates/nitrites, is an efficient photosensitizer, which upon absorption of visible light forms short-lived excited singlet state (1ZnPP*) and by intersystem crossing yields the very reactive triplet-excited state (3ZnPP*). Using nano-second laser flash photolysis and transient absorption spectroscopy NADH, ascorbic acid, hemin and dehydroascorbic acid were each found to be efficient quenchers of 3ZnPP*. The deactivation followed, in homogeneous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or DMSO:water (1:1) solutions, second-order kinetics. The rate constant for ascorbic acid and NADH for reductive quenching of 3ZnPP* was at 25 °C found to be 7.5 ± 0.1 × 104 L mol−1 s−1 and 6.3 ± 0.1 × 105 L mol−1 s−1, respectively. The polyphenols catechin and quercetin had no effect on 3ZnPP*. The quenching rate constant for oxidative deactivation of 3ZnPP* by dehydroascorbic acid and hemin was at 25 °C: 1.6 ± 0.1 × 105 L mol−1 s−1 and 1.47 ± 0.1 × 109 L mol−1 s−1, respectively. Oxidized glutathione did not act as an oxidative quencher for 3ZnPP*. After photoexcitation of ZnPP to 1ZnPP*, fluorescence was only found to be quenched by the presence of hemin in a diffusion-controlled reaction. The efficient deactivation of 3ZnPP* and 1ZnPP* by the metalloporphyrin (hemin) naturally present in meat may accordingly inherently protect meat proteins and lipids against ZnPP photosensitized oxidation.

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Acknowledgments

This research is supported by The Danish Research Council for Technology and Production.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Chemistry, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 30, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Eleonora Miquel Becker & Leif H. Skibsted

  2. Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Trabalhador São-Carlense 400, CP 780, São Carlos, SP, 13560-970, Brazil

    Daniel R. Cardoso

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  1. Eleonora Miquel Becker
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Correspondence to Eleonora Miquel Becker.

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Becker, E.M., Cardoso, D.R. & Skibsted, L.H. Quenching of excited states of red-pigment zinc protoporphyrin IX by hemin and natural reductors in dry-cured hams. Eur Food Res Technol 232, 343–349 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-010-1392-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-010-1392-6

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