Local environment of iron in malarial pigment and its substitute β-hematin

The X-ray absorption spectroscopy was applied for analyzing the positions of atoms in hemozoin and reference sample of β-hematin. The XANES and EXAFS of iron K-edges were measured for the malarial pigment, hemozoin (a product of the intraerythrocytic phase of Plasmodium parasite causing malaria disease) and its synthetic homologue, β-hematin. The results were analyzed and discussed in relation to the crystallographic model of β-hematin.