Yellow pigments in the wings of Papilio xuthus (papilionid butterfly).

Y Umebachi

Acta vitaminologica et enzymologica 1975

filter terms:

The yellow pigment (Papiliochrome II) of the wings of Papilio xuthus (papilionid butterfly) were extracted, purified with column chromatographies, and examined for chemical and physical properties. Furthermore, the decomposition-products of the pigment were isolated with columm chromatographies and identified. It was found that the pigment readily decomposed on heating to a DOPAmine derivative (SN-1) and kynurenine and that the SN-1 substance was broken down into a DOPAmine derivative (SN-1a) and beta-alanine by hydrolysis in 1 N HCl. These results were confirmed by the injection-experiments of 14C-tryptophan, 14C-DOPAmine, and 14C-beta-alanine. It has been concluded that Papilio-chrome II contains a beta-alanyl DOPAmine derivative and kynurenine as constituents.