A biological chemical and physical comparison of heparin from differential mammalian species

Abstract

Since improvements in the isolation procedure have resulted in heparin of high biological activity, the question of species difference has been reexamined. We have isolated heparin from dog, beef, hog, sheep and human tissue by selective fractionation with quaternary ammonium compounds. Based on our results we would suggest that heparins isolated from various mammalian species are biologically, chemically and physically similar. The biological variations previously observed may well be a result of different degree of purity in the heparin isolated.