On the nature of ‘haematoporphyrin derivative’

Abstract

The components of haematoporphyrin derivative (a preparation used as a photosensitiser in clinical applications, and made by treating haematoporphyrin with sulphuric acid–acetic acid) have been separated by preparative h.p.l.c. and identified by comparison with authentic porphyrindicarboxylic acids. The composition of the mixture is some-what variable but the main components are O,O′-diacetylhaematoporphyrin (6) and O-acetylhaematoporphyrin (2)/(3) with smaller amounts of the 8(3)-(1-acetoxyethyl)-3(8)-vinyldeuteroporphyrin isomers (7) and (8) and the corresponding alcohols (4) and (5).