Abstract
Black pigment is a polymer derived from bilirubin, and main component of black stone. It had not been measured by the usual method because it constitutes many polymers. Recently we could measure black pigment by infrared absorption spectroscopy. We measured the black pigment and 7 kinds of metal components (Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) of 60 gallstones, and compared them. Black pigment was contained 63.3+20.1% in the black stone,43.5+21.6% in the calcium bilirubinate stone. Black stone contained large quantities of metals than calcium bilirubinate stone. Black pigment and metal content (Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb) especially Cu, were correlated. This report sustained the idea that the black pigment makes bilirubin-metal complex compounds like a bilirubin-Cu complex.
