Anti-cataract agent discovered

An investigation, published in Inorganic Chemistry, has revealed that the reaction of pirenoxine (PRX) with selenite or calcium ions could be adapted as an anti-cataract agent. Seleneite and calcium ions have been associated with the formation of lens cataracts.

Dr Jiahn-Haur Liao, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, ld the study that found theoretical evidence that the interactions most likely occur at the bezoquinone (ring I) π-system.

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), UV and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) were used to demonstrate that PRX can bind a maximum of six selenite anions.

Peripheral binding occurred first and was followed by the π−π interactions with the aromatic moiety. The calcium ions were chelated by the 3-carboxylate and 8-ketomine functional groups for calcium cation interaction.

The results could provide the foundation for further studies involving the use PRX as an anti-cataract agent.