Quantitative determination of Zn protoporphyrin IX, heme and protoporphyrin IX in Parma ham by HPLC

We measured the contents of Zn protoporphyrin IX (ZPP), heme and protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) in Parma ham by simultaneous analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Extraction with ethyl acetate–acetic acid (4:1) was suitable for the quantitative analysis of ZPP. The contents of heme, ZPP and PPIX in Parma ham were 15.0–29.9, 27.7–47.0 and 0.4–1.1 μg/g, respectively, and total content of porphyrin was 43.7–76.6 μg/g. The amount of ZPP in Parma ham was larger than that of heme, and ZPP accounted for 60–70% of all porphyrins.