Detection of taurine in biological tissues

Lamb and calf heart, lamb brain and different molluscs have been examined, as intact tissues or as homogenates. A 33S taurine spectrum in vivo has been obtained from L. lithophaga, due to its cylindrical shape, in about 8 min with a 10 mm probe (S/N = 3). Particularly important is the possibility of performing a quantitative determination of the taurine content. In this case, the major problem is to measure the intensity of the signals with good accuracy. 

The results demonstrate that 33S NMR spectroscopy can be a valuable and easy to use technique for observing sulphur metabolites in biological tissues and in living organisms. The method could be extended to the detection of other naturally occurring sulphonates, such as isethionate and coenzyme M. 

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