Separation of cytochromes c by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Six kinds of cytochrome c of different origin, i.e., bovine, chicken, dog, horse, rabbit and tuna, were subjected to separation by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on three commercial packing materials; octadecyl-, octyl- and cyanoalkyl-silicas. The effects of reversed-phase material, mobile phase and temperature on the separation of cytochromes c were examined. The parameters of the mobile phase were the organic modifier, the pH, the salt concentration and additives. Under optimal conditions, five of the six cytochromes c were resolved in 10 min. The relative retention values cannot be explained in terms of the relative lipophilicities of the side-chains of the amino acid residues.