Synthesis and Evaluation of Small Molecule Generators of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species

Abstract

Redox active reactive species derived from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur are continuously produced in physiological systems and helps in maintaining the redox homeostasis of biological systems. Based on the reactive atom involved, they have been broadly classified in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) and Reactive Sulfur Species (RSS). Historically these reactive species has been associated with their deleterious effects and considered toxic for biological systems. However, recent studies have concluded that these species are plays a vital role in numerous signalling pathways and thus are important for the vital functioning of the cell. For example, ROS and RNS are known to be generated during the host pathogen as a part of the immune response. Similarly RSS play vital role in signalling and antioxidant mechanisms of the cells. Apart from that, these reactive species can also react with each other to give rise to different new reactive species. For instance, NO and superoxide reacts at a diffusion controlled rate to give Peroxynitrite, a high reactive species than both NO and superoxide. Similarly, reaction between H2S and NO may lead to formation of HSNO. However, the role of these reactive species is poorly characterised due to their short half-life, transient nature and high reactivity. Therefore, it is important to come up with different tools in order to understand the redox mediated pathways in a better fashion. Here, we hypothesise, design and synthesised new small molecules which can reliably generate Reactive Oxygen Species and Peroxynitrite independently and give us a better understanding about their roles in physiological systems.