Antioxidant characteristics of some potential anticataract agents. Studies of aspirin, paracetamol, and bendazac provide support for an oxidative component of cataract

Abstract

It is conceivable that drugs with anticataract potential possess antioxidant activity. Using defined chelating agents and reducing agents in a number of assays for antioxidant activity, we have deomstrated that paracetamol, aspirin, bendazac, and its metabolite 5-hydroxybendazac possess substantial reducing and/or metal-chelating activity. We found that paracetamol and 5-hydroxybendazac reduced the dipehenylpicrylhydrazyl free radical; inhibited butyl peroxide-induced erythrocyte lysis as well as the haematin-catalyzed oxidative couling of 4-aminoantipyrine and phenol by butyl peroxide. Furthermore, paracetamol, bendazac, and aspirin competed with 3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-Diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine-4′,4′'-disulphonic acid (ferrozine) for ferrous ion. © 1990.