High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of bilirubin and biliverdin from jaundiced broilers

A sensitive and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed and used for the simultaneous determination of bilirubin and biliverdin in pericardial fluid samples collected from broilers at a poultry inspection site. A photodiode array detector distinguishing the bilirubin (UV 450 nm) and biliverdin (365 nm) was used as an analytical detector for HPLC system. An internal-surface reversed-phase silica support column was used, and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile: 0.5 M Tris HCl buffer (20:80, pH 7.2). Bilirubin was detected from all of the jaundiced pericardial fluid samples, and a small amount of biliverdin was detected with bilirubin in some samples. These jaundiced broilers had hepatic or bile duct lesions similar to those found in edible animals. From these results, a working definition of jaundiced broilers for poultry inspection sites was suggested: bilirubin is detectable from pericardial fluid and the carcass is in a state of yellow color change.