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Updated: May 31, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Dietary Vitamin A Metabolites in Murine Ocular and Non-Ocular Tissues Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Published on: December 27, 2024
An acetate prodrug of a pyridinol-based vitamin E analogue
Omar M Khdour1, Jun Lu, Sidney M Hecht
1Biodesign Institute & Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Arizona State University, 1001 South McAllister Avenue, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.
Purpose:
To investigate of an approach to stabilize a novel pyridinol based α-tocopherol analogue (1) as a prodrug by acetylation of its phenol moiety.
Methods:
Biochemical indicators of oxidative stress in mitochondria were utilized to gain insight into the cytoprotective mechanism(s) of compound 1 acetate. Oxygen free radical scavenging activity was measured using DCF probe in a cultured cell model system that had been placed under oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation was examined both in a cell-free system and in oxidatively stressed cultured cells. The bioenergetic parameters of mitochondria were evaluated by measuring mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ(m)) and the MPT.
Results:
The present results suggest strongly that the antioxidant efficacy of compound 1 can be improved by using it as a prodrug. The tested prodrug has shown to be activated as a function of time, presumably due to susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis, and exhibits an antioxidant effect in time-dependent manner, providing a compound that is more effective than α-tocopherol acetate with regard to all protective properties studied.
Conclusions:
An effective approach to stabilize compound 1 was realized by using its acetate as a prodrug.
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