Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic analysis of aminohydroxyphenylalanines from melanin pigments.

Malignant melanomas are more often seen in subjects with light colored skin who tan poorly than in persons who tan more rapidly. This has been attributed to the structure of their pigment, pheomelanin, which differs markedly from the eumelanin of persons with darker skin. To study the hydrolysis products of pheomelanin pigments a new method was developed for analysis of 4-amino-3-hydroxyphenylalanine (4-AHP) and 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylalanine (3-AHP).

HPLC analysis of pheomelanin degradation products in human urine.

A sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to quantify 4-amino-3-hydroxyphenylalanine (4-AHP) and 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylalanine (3-AHP) in urine. In degradation studies of melanin pigment, 4-AHP and 3-AHP are derived from benzothiazine units of pheomelanin and pheomelanin-related metabolites such as trichochromes. 5-S-Cysteinyldopa-derived benzothiazine products give 4-AHP while 2-S-cysteinyldopa-derived benzothiazine products give 3-AHP.