title: A note on the nature of the haematin pigments present in freeze dried and cooked beef.
abstract: Analysis of the reflectance spectra of beef samples treated to contain all the haemoproteins in one pigment form indicated that little or no change in the haematin environment occurs on freeze drying fresh, oxymyoglobin-rich meat or cooked meat. Dehydration of metmyoglobin in meat results in the water molecule at the sixth coordination site being replaced by a protein-bound ligand. On rehydration, this ligand may be replaced by water to reform metmyoglobin, but the degree of conversion depends on the rate of rehydration. The spectral similarity between cooked and freeze dried, oxidised meat indicates that the haematin environments are similar. It is suggested that in these meats the predominant pigments are di-imidazole complexes.
authors: Department of Applied Biochemistry & Food Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Ledward