This paper presents the first structural model of the oxidation products of biliverdin. Biliverdin dimethyl ester, extracted from Emu eggshells, was shown to be oxidized by singlet oxygen, and the oxidation products were structurally characterized. While the role of biliverdin as a biological antioxidant is long known (albeit its role is Emu eggshells may simply be as a color to camouflage the eggshell from predators) and its reactivity with singlet oxygen was also shown before, the nature of the reaction products remained hitherto unknown.  Thus, this study helps to understand the molecular mechanism of the antioxidant action of biliverdin.

Dorazio, S.; Halepas, S.; Fleming, K. M.; Zeller, M.; Bruhn, T.; Brückner, C. ‘Singlet Oxygen Addition Products of Biliverdin IXα Dimethyl Ester’ Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2015, 23, 7671–7675 (DOI:10.1016/j.bmc.2015.11.012).

For Sarina’s AudioSlide presentation of the papers, see:

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