Hemin
chemical substance
Hemin (haemin; ferric chloride heme; ferriprotoporphyrin IX chloride) is an iron-containing porphyrin with chlorine that can be formed from a heme group, such as heme B found in the hemoglobin of human blood.
Chemistry
Hemin is protoporphyrin IX containing a ferric iron (Fe3+) ion with a coordinating chloride ligand.
Hemin is a dark brown solid that is almost insoluble in water, but soluble in alkaline aqueous solutions to form a dark green aqueous solution of hematin.
Chemically, hemin differs from the related heme-compound hematin chiefly in that the coordinating ion is a chloride ion in hemin, whereas the coordinating ion is a hydroxide ion in hematin. The iron ion in haem is ferrous (Fe2+), whereas it is ferric (Fe3+) in both hemin and hematin.
Hemin is endogenously produced in the human body, for example during the turnover of old red blood cells. It can form inappropriately as a result of hemolysis or vascular injury. Several proteins in human blood bind to hemin, such as hemopexin and serum albumin.
Hemin reacts with hydrogen cyanide in ammonia solution to form a blood-red complex.
Pharmacological use
A lyophilised form of hemin is used as a pharmacological agent in certain cases for the treatment of porphyria attacks, particularly in acute intermittent porphyria.
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