Carbon monoxide as a degradation product of cytochrome C and of ascorbic acid.

Cytochrome c has been incubated with 4 different reducing agents at 37 degrees C for 24 h at pH 7.0, and the spectral changes and the production of carbon monoxide have been followed. Only with hydrazine hydrate cytochrome c produced some carbon monoxide. Accidentally, carbon monoxide formation from ascorbic acid was found, amounting to about 0.1 mumol from 15 mumol of ascorbic acid in 24 h under the above conditions.