Thiamine oxidative transformations catalyzed by copper ions and ascorbic acid

In aqueous solutions containing Cu(II) ions and ascorbic acid, thiamine was observed to be oxidized to the fluorescent products thiochrome and oxodihydrothiochrome in neutral and acid media. At high initial concentrations of thiamine, thiochrome was practically the only product of thiamine oxidation. Catalase inhibited the oxidation rate approximately by 30-fold, whereas superoxide dismutase reduced the rate by only 2.5-fold. Aliphatic alcohols, glucose, and high concentrations of ascorbic acid effectively inhibited the production of thiochrome. The yield of thiochrome was also decreased in the presence of aliphatic amino acids, histidine, and particularly human serum albumin (HSA). With complete binding of copper ions by HSA, no formation of fluorescent products was observed. In neutral and acidic media under the action of hydroxyl radicals, thiamine formed a tricyclic semiquinone form which was then oxidized to thiochrome by superoxide anion or H2O2. Ascorbic acid played the main role in the reduction of Cu(II), whereas the contribution of superoxide anions was less significant. Cu(I) interacted with H2O2 to form hydroxyl radicals. The addition of H2O2 both to thiamine and to the mixture of thiamine and Cu(II) ions did not lead to significant production of thiochrome in neutral and acidic media.