Methods for determination of conjugated bilirubin in rat faeces

Conjugated bilirubin was prepared from the faeces of germ-free (GF) rats by three different preparative methods. The bilirubin conjugate preparations were coupled with diazotized ethyl anthranilate and the formed ethyl anthranilate azopigments were quantified spectrophotometrically and separated by thin-layer chromatography (tlc). The most polar azopigment was purified by tlc and subjected to ammonolysis followed by tlc of the released saccaride. As a result of this procedure, only glucuronic acid was detected as the conjugating saccaride thus indicating that the most polar azopigment prepared from GF rat faeces was the delta ethyl anthranilate azopigment. Reference azopigments were prepared from GF rat small intestinal contents and subjected to separation by tlc. The azopigment pattern was very similar to the pattern obtained with the faecal azopigment preparations and a maximum of ten separated azopigment spots were detected. The findings indicated that, in addition to bilirubin glucuronides, other bilirubin conjugates with unknown structure are excreted with the faeces of GF rats. One of the preparative methods used for the preparation of conjugated bilirubin from GF rat faeces was tested on faeces from conventional (CONV) rats. From these preparations, no ethyl anthranilate azopigments were formed, thus indicating that faeces from CONV rats is devoid of conjugated bilirubin.