Abstract
The content of hemoglobin and myoglobin in meat-beef, horse and whale-as estimated simultaneously by the spectrophotometry on the extract saturated with carbon monoxide. Hemoglobin and myoglobin were extracted from the homogenized meat with acetate buffer pH 4.5 as described by de Duve. The absorption spectra of the mixtures of carboxyhemoglobin and carboxymyoglobin were plotted by Beckman DK self-recording spectrophotometer or Hitachi EP U-1 spectrophotometer. The content of hemoglobin and myoglobin was obtained from the absorbancy at 560, 570, 576 and 580mμ by the nomograph made by Tsushima and Okazaki.
The rate of hemoglobin and myoglobin was also calculated by other methods such as that of de Duve and that of Poel. The sum of these proteins was also checked by cyanide-methemoglobin method.
The rate of hemoglobin and myoglobin as observed to remain constant in spite of the difference of the animal species and the localization in the body, accordingly in spite of the difference in the total content of the extractable heme-proteins. The content of hemoglobin was estimated to be approximately 10% of the total heme. No remarkable difference in the hemoglobin content was observed between whale and the other meat, although some difficulties in removing the blood might be conceivable in the former.
The hemin content of dark muscles of bonito and tuna was also determined.
