Preparation of selenohypotaurine
Fadda, M.B.; Pellegrini, M.
Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 51(15-16): 947-950
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-8771 PMID: 1218116 Document Number: 85899
A series of chemical reactions by which a number of disulfides, e.g., cystine, homocystine, cystamine and homocystamine undergo alkaline degradation in the presence of Cu2+, leading to the formation of sulfinic acid derivatives, was previously described. Hypotaurine and homohypotaurine were synthesized using these procedures. In the present study the same procedures were used to synthesize the corresponding seleno-compounds. Selenocystamine hydrochloride was heated in NaOH CuCl2 in a current of O2. One of the fractions chromatographed was selenohypotaurine, which in turn could be oxidized with H2O2 to selenotaurine.