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This section provides an overview for protoporphyrin as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 9 protoporphyrin manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked protoporphyrin companies as of December, 2024: 1.Otto Chemie Pvt. Ltd, 2.Biosynth, 3.MedChemExpress.
Table of Contents
Protoporphyrin is the generic name for porphyrins, which are organic compounds consisting of a porphine ring with four methyl groups, two vinyl groups, and two propionic acid groups attached to it.
The chemical formula is C34H34N4O4. Unless otherwise specified, it refers to protoporphyrin IX, and its CAS registration number is 553-12-8.
It belongs to the porphyrin family of tetrapyrroles. Protoporphyrins combine with iron, manganese, zinc, and magnesium to form metalloporphyrins. The divalent iron complex of protoporphyrins is the pigment of hemoglobin.
Protoporphyrin is a substance used in pharmaceuticals as protoporphyrin disodium. Its indications include improvement of liver function in chronic liver disease, and it is used to treat cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, and liver dysfunction. Protoporphyrins are also precursors to heme and chlorophyll in the body.
In testing and research applications, protoporphyrins are used as standards for protoporphyrin assays, for fluorescence spectral analysis, and for processing cells in cell culture to study heme-mediated ferroportin 1 transcription. Protoporphyrin IX is also known to activate soluble guanylate cyclase.
Protoporphyrin IX is represented by the molecular formula C34H34N4O4 and has a molecular weight of 562.66. It has a density of 1.27 g/mL and is a dark purple powder at room temperature.
As a pharmaceutical product, it is used as disodium protoporphyrin. The sodium salt is a reddish-purple to blackish-purple powder at room temperature with a melting point above 300°C. It is odorless and has a weak salty taste. It is soluble in water and ethanol, and almost insoluble in diethyl ether and chloroform.
Protoporphyrin IX is sold primarily as a reagent product for research and development. It is available in volumes of 5 mg, 25 mg, 1 g, etc., which are relatively small volumes among laboratory volumes.
In addition to regular protoporphyrin, 2H6-protoporphyrin IX is also sold as a stable isotope standard. Many derivatives are also offered, including zinc protoporphyrin, protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester, hemin, etc.
Protoporphyrin is synthesized in vivo through several enzymatic reactions using δ-aminolevulinic acid as the starting material. The specific enzymatic reactions are as follows:
1. Formation of Porphobilinogen With a Pyrrole Ring Structure
2. dehydration-condensation of two molecules of δ-aminolevulinic acid by aminolevulinic acid dehydratase
2. Formation of Hydroxymethylbilane
4 molecules of porphobilinogen are combined by porphobilinogen deaminase to form 4 linearly linked pyrroles by deamination of ammonia.
3. Synthesis of Uroporphyrinogen III
Hydroxymethylbilane is condensed by uroporphyrinogen III synthase to form a ring structure.
4. Synthesis of Coproporphyrinogen III
Four acetate groups are decarboxylated by uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase to form methyl groups.
5. Synthesis of Protoporphyrinogen IX
Two propionate groups are oxidized by coproporphyrinogen oxidase to vinyl groups.
6. Synthesis of Protoporphyrin IX
Oxidized by protoporphyrinogen oxidase.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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MedChemExpress (MCE), is headquartered in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, and is a supplier of research chemicals and biochemicals for laboratory and scientific use. The company’s product range includes biochemical assay reagents, isotope-labeled compounds, inhibitory antibodies, recombinant proteins, and fluorescent dyes. These products are used in various biopharmaceutical research and development fields, including areas such as infection, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. The company is ISO 19001 certified and provides testing services within the ISO 17025 framework, offering bulk and custom product services and support for metrological traceability.
Spectrum Chemical MFG Corp. was founded in 1971, is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and has facilities in Gardena, California. Spectrum is a fine chemical manufacturing company with an emphasis on USP, NF, FCC, BP, EP, JP, and ACS grade products, and is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Spectrum primarily serves the analytical, biopharmaceutical, food & beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical chemicals industries. Spectrum has 4 product segments which are chemicals, equipment, supplies, and safety.
GlpBio Technology, established in 2016 and headquartered in Montclair, California, is a supplier of life science products covering 20 popular research fields, including epigenetics, neuroscience, and cancer. Its product portfolio has over 20,000 life science reagents, including biochemicals, tag peptides, bioactive peptides, amino acids, and nature products. Its main clients include clinical diagnostic laboratories, government agencies, research institutes, universities, and pharmaceutical companies. The company regularly increases its products to meet the latest research needs and provides custom organic synthesis and analytical services.
Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., established in 1991 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is an American manufacturer and supplier specializing in biological products for medical research. Initially providing antibodies to the research community, they expanded their offerings to include gene silencers like siRNA and shRNA (plasmid and lentiviral), targeting all known mouse and human genes. Over time, Santa Cruz Biotechnology provides over 175,000 research biochemicals under the brand ChemCruz, including protein-interacting inhibitors, substrates, and activators, tailored for studying protein functions. The company offers monoclonal primary antibodies, designed for various mammalian and non-mammalian protein targets, along with corresponding binding secondary antibodies.
Biosynth is a Swiss manufacturer of life science reagents established in 1966 and headquartered in Staad. The company sources and manufactures biochemical products such as carbohydrates, nucleosides, and enzyme substrates, as well as various peptides and biologics. They also operate as a contract manufacturer offering custom synthesis and manufacturing services for their clients in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic, food, and agrochemical sectors. Biosynth has regional sales offices and specialized facilities in Europe and North America, including in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States.
Merck, started in 1668 and based in Darmstadt, Germany, is a supplier of solutions and services for research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical and biotechnological drug therapies. The company serves the life science industry and has a broad portfolio of 300,000 products, including biopharmaceutical manufacturing, industrial microbiology, reagent, life science research, and water purification products. It is available in 66 countries, brings together six brands, and has several ISO certifications, including ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO 50001.
Millipore Sigma, formerly known as Sigma-Aldrich, was created in 175 through the merger of Sigma Chemical Company and Aldrich Chemical company and today is a subsidiary of Merck. Millipore Sigma is a life science and biotechnology company serving the industry with several products and services. Some of their product categories include peptide synthesis materials, biochemicals, building blocks, catalysts, chemical biology, chemical synthesis, flavors & fragrances, formulation, lab chemicals, lab safety, APIs, and stable isotopes. Services include characterization, contract manufacturing, custom products, software, support, testing, and mRNA development & manufacturing.
Alfa Aesar is based in Lancashire, United Kingdom. Alfa Aesar is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is a manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, metals, and life science products for research and development. Alfa Aesar’s product lines include chemicals, life science, materials & metals, catalysts, and analytical & lab ware. Chemical offerings include inorganic compounds, organic compounds, organometallic, and solvents. Life sciences include biotechnology products, cellular & molecular biology, genomics, and immunology. Materials & metal include alloys, carbon, etchants, and more. Catalysts include ferrocenes, fuel cell products, and precious metals & catalysts. Alfa Aesar also offers custom manufacturing options.
Founded in Mumbai, India in 2006, Otto Chemie Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001:2015 & GMP certified chemical manufacturing company and distributor. Otto Chemie serves customers in many industries including agriculture and food processing, pharmaceuticals, oil & gas, cement, as well as educational and R&D industries. Product offerings include antibiotics, amino acids, vitamins, detergents, ionic liquids, materials science compounds, labware, oil, metal & ceramic science compounds and tools, oils, reagents, solvents.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otto Chemie Pvt. Ltd |
28.6%
|
| 2 | MilliporeSigma |
28.6%
|
| 3 | Biosynth |
14.3%
|
| 4 | MedChemExpress |
14.3%
|
| 5 | GLPBIO Technology LLC |
14.3%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the protoporphyrin page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States of America
|
4 | 57.1% |
|
Switzerland
|
1 | 14.3% |
|
United Kingdom
|
1 | 14.3% |
|
India
|
1 | 14.3% |
