The pigment of the malarial parasites Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium gallinaceum

Abstract

The pigment of malarial parasites (P. knowlesi and P. gallinaceum) was extracted by a technique which avoids the use of alkali at all stages. From this material, crystalline hemin and pyridine hemochromogen were prepared. Comparison of the spectral absorption of malarial pigment and of hemin in different solvents and of the visible bands and Soret bands of hemoglobin derivatives made by combining these pigments with denatured ox globin confirms the identity of both malarial pigments with hematin (ferroprotoporphyrin).