HPLC determination of pheophorbide a and pyropheophorbide a in dried laver product implicated in food poisoning

• Published in: Food Hygiene and Safety Science (Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi) Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 45 - 48
• Main Authors: Hwang, D.F.(National Taiwan Ocean Univ., Keelung), Tsai, Y.S, Chou, S.S, Liu, S.M, Wu, J.T, Lin, S.J, Tu, W.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Japanese Society for Food Hygiene and Safety 01.04.2005
• Subjects: Adult; ALERGENOS; ALLERGENE; ALLERGENS; allergic symptom; Chlorophyll - analogs & derivatives; Chlorophyll - analysis; Chlorophyll - poisoning; CHLOROPHYLLE; CHLOROPHYLLS; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; CLOROFILAS; Disease Outbreaks; DRIED PRODUCTS; dried purple laver product; Food Hypersensitivity - etiology; Foodborne Diseases - etiology; HPLC; Humans; Male; nori; pheophorbide; Photosensitizing Agents - analysis; Photosensitizing Agents - poisoning; PORPHYRA; PRODUCTOS SECOS; PRODUIT SECHE; pyropheophorbide; Seaweed - chemistry
• ISSN: 0015-6426; 1882-1006
• DOI: 10.3358/shokueishi.46.45

In an outbreak of food poisoning involving a dried purple laver product (called nori), four persons had allergic-like symptoms such as inflammation and red rash on their face, mouth and belly the causative nori was extracted and smeared on the arm-skin of five volunteers. Three out of five volunteers had a slight allergic reaction after 5 to 30 mm when they were exposed to sunlight The levels of the chlorophyll derivatives, pheophorbide a and pyropheophorbide a, measured by HPLC were 851-906 and 5,460-5,624 mug/g, respectively, m the causative samples Judging from the high contents of pyropheophorbide a and pheophorbide a and the symptoms of patients and volunteers, the causative agents were concluded to be the photosensitizers pyropheophorbide a and pheophorbide a.