L-Glutathione Clinical Study

Preparation of N-(t)Boc l-glutathione dimethyl and di-tert-butyl esters: Versatile synthetic building blocks.

Falck JR, Sangras B, Capdevila JH.

Departments of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9038, USA.

The title l-glutathione derivatives, containing acid- and base-labile esters, respectively, were obtained in good overall yields. N-(t)Boc l-glutathione dimethyl ester was prepared via Fischer esterification of l-glutathione disulfide (GSSG) using HCl in dry methanol, protection of the amine with (t)Boc(2)O, and tributylphosphine cleavage of the disulfide in wet isopropanol. Alternatively, Fischer esterification and (t)Boc-protection of l-glutathione (GSH) also furnished N-(t)Boc glutathione dimethyl ester accompanied by a small amount of S-(t)Boc that was removed chromatographically. The di-tert-butyl ester was obtained by S-palmitoylation of GSH in TFA as solvent, N-(t)Boc-protection, esterification using (t)BuOH mediated by diisopropylcarbodiimide/copper(I) chloride, and saponification of the thioester. These l-glutathione derivatives are versatile synthetic building blocks for the preparation of S-glutathione adducts.

PMID: 17070060 [PubMed - in process]

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