Effect of Amberlite and MgCO3 on the iron-conalbum in and iron-transferrin complexes

Abstract

The effects of MgCO3 and Amberlite IRA-401 on the iron-transferrin and iron-conalbumin complexes have been analysed. These complexes have been prepared from samples of pure proteins. Similarly studies have been undertaken to determine the effect of those materials on the valuation of the unbinding iron capacity (UIBQ of sera from various mammiferous and birds. The method followed was an adaptation of the one used by Botwell and col. (2).

The obtained results have demonstrated differences between the action of amberlite and carbonate. The amberlite only eli­minales the excess free iron and the UIBC values obtained in its utilization were in dose approximation to the theoretical ones calculated for both the proteins. On the contrary, the MgCO3 is not only capable to remove the surplus iron, but also a part of the fixed iron from the iron-transferrin and the iron-conalbumin complexes (fig. 1 and 2). A relation of the stated effect to the concentration of car­bonate and of the protein has been de­monstrated (fig. 3 and 4). The iron is more separable by the carbonate from conalbumin than from transferrin-complexes.

The assays carried out with serum from mammiferous and birds (chickens and hens) showed the described effect of MgCO3 but with inferior percentages of substraction capacity (table II).