Authors: Thomas J Simat Kim K Kleeberg Burkhardt Müller Arne Sierts
Publish Date: 2003/01/16
Volume: 216, Issue: 3, Pages: 241-252
Abstract
In 1989 a new autoimmune disease the eosinophilia myalgia syndrome EMS was traced back to the intake of Ltryptophan Trp of a single manufacturer Showa Denko SD In an epidemiological study six minor contaminants 10–1000 mg/kg Trp were related to the occurrence of EMS In this study the pattern of contaminants in pharmaceutical and feedgrade Trp was investigated in a market survey of 21 lots of Trp raw materials of six different manufacturers as well as one bioconversion broth and four tablets For total Trprelated impurities all UV220 nm detectable substance peaks separated from Trp by RPHPLC were calculated as N acetyltryptophan In all samples 45 6 and 7OHTrp 1234tetrahydroßcarboline3carboxylic acid THCC 1methyl1234tetrahydroßcarboline3carboxylic acid MTHCC and 13indolylmethyl1234tetrahydroßcarboline3carboxylic acid IMTHCC as well as 223dihydroxy13indolylpropyl L tryptophan dhPIT were determined since the last four are known to be major contaminants in biotechnologically manufactured Trp Additionally four EMSrelated substances were been analysed 3ahydroxy1233a88ahexahydropyrroloindole2carboxylic acid PIC 23indolylmethyl L tryptophan IMT 11ethylidenebis L tryptophan EBT and 3phenylaminoalanine PAA EBT was only detectable in a single SDTrp sample known to be EMS associated Low amounts of PAA 20 mg/kg were detected in feedgrade Trp of one manufacturer as well as in SDTrp IMT was found in small amounts in recent pharmaceuticalgrade Trp 10–25 mg/kg Trp but in higher amounts in feedgrade Trp samples 120–1400 mg/kg as well as in pharmaceuticalgrade Trp and Trp tablets manufactured prior to 1989 70–660 mg/kg PIC is a primary oxidation product of Trp thus we detected 4–50 mg/kg of the earliereluting PIC diastereomer in recent pharmaceuticalgrade Trp and up to 2500 mg/kg in feedgrade Trp NonEMS correlated THCC MTHCC IMTHCC and dhPIT proved to be the main contaminants in amounts of 10–13500 mg/kg
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