Selenium-Catalyzed Reduction of Hydroperoxides in Chemistry and Biology

Among the chalcogens, selenium is the key element for catalyzed H₂O₂ reduction. In organic synthesis, catalytic amounts of organo mono- and di-selenides are largely used in different classes of oxidations, in which H₂O₂ alone is poorly efficient. Biological hydroperoxide metabolism is dominated by peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases, which balance hydroperoxide challenge and contribute to redox regulation. When their selenocysteine is replaced by cysteine, the cellular antioxidant defense system is impaired. Finally, classes of organoselenides have been synthesized with the aim of mimicking the biological strategy of glutathione peroxidases, but their therapeutic application has so far been limited. Moreover, their therapeutic use may be doubted, because H₂O₂ is not only toxic but also serves as an important messenger. Therefore, over-optimization of H₂O₂ reduction may lead to unexpected disturbances of metabolic regulation. Common to all these systems is the nucleophilic attack of selenium to one oxygen of the peroxide bond promoting its disruption. In this contribution, we revisit selected examples from chemistry and biology, and, by using results from accurate quantum mechanical modelling, we provide an accurate unified picture of selenium's capacity of reducing hydroperoxides. There is clear evidence that the selenoenzymes remain superior in terms of catalytic efficiency.