What molecule am I?
Idoxuridine is an iodinated analogue of the nucleosides deoxyuridine and thymidine. It was by William H. Prusoff at Yale University聽(New Haven, CT) in 1958. Five years later, it became the , for topical use against herpes simplex keratitis.
Idoxuridine in solution or ointment form also has ophthalmic applications. It cannot be administered internally .
If idoxuridine is the oldest antiviral, what is the newest? One candidate is lufotrelvir1, a compound disclosed in 2020 by researchers at multiple laboratories of Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development and other institutions. Lufotrelvir is a , although, unlike some others, it must be administered intravenously. This month, Robert A. Singer and co-workers at Pfizer (Groton, CT) reported an of the relatively unstable lufotrelvir.
1. CAS Reg. No. 2468015-78-1.
Idoxuridine hazard information*
| Hazard class** | GHS code and hazard statement | |
|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity, oral, category 4 | H302鈥擧armful if swallowed |  |
| Acute toxicity, dermal, category 4 | H312鈥擧armful in contact with skin | |
| Skin corrosion/irritation, category 2 | H315鈥擟auses skin irritation | |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation, category 2A | H319鈥擟auses serious eye irritation | |
| Acute toxicity, inhalation, category 4 | H332鈥擧armful if inhaled | |
| Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure, respiratory tract irritation, category 3 | H335鈥擬ay cause respiratory irritation | |
| Germ cell mutagenicity, category 2 | H341鈥擲uspected of causing genetic defects |  |
| Reproductive toxicity, category 2 | H361鈥擲uspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child | |
*Compilation of multiple safety data sheets.
**Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.聽
Molecules from the journals
2,3,5-Trimethylpyrazine1 is a widely used synthetic flavor and aroma additive for foods. Described as imparting nutty, earthy, or 鈥渞oasty鈥� characteristics, it is used for enhancing coffee, chocolate products, and cereals, among others. This past November, Roman Lang and co-workers at Technical University Munich (Freising, Germany) described an analytical method for in human urine.
Obeticholic acid2 (6伪-ethylchenodeoxycholic acid) is a first-in-class farnesoid ester X receptor agonist used to treat primary biliary cirrhosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. It was developed by Intercept Pharma (Morristown, NJ) and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016 under the tradename Ocaliva. In November, Vijayavitthal T. Mathad and colleagues at MSN Laboratories (Hyderabad, India) reported an that minimizes process-related and diastereomeric impurities.
Europium(III) oxide3 (Eu2O3) is widely used as a color-producing phosphor in television screens and as a fluorescent component in glassware; it is also used in paper currency for counterfeit detection. But Eu2O3 and other lanthanide oxides are also constituents of radioactive nuclear waste that must be separated from actinide oxides during waste treatment. In December, Prasanta Kumar Mohapatra and co-workers at Bhabha Atomic Research Center (Mumbai, India) identified from americium and uranium oxides in a liquid鈥搇iquid extraction process under ambient conditions. The actinide oxides are poorly soluble in the ionic liquid.
1. CAS Reg. No. 14667-55-1.
2. CAS Reg. No. 459789-99-2.
3. CAS Reg. No. 1308-96-9.
Molecules from the Journals
MOTW briefly describes noteworthy molecules that appeared in recent ACS journal articles. See this week's edition.
Idoxuridine fast facts
| CAS Reg. No. | 54-42-2 |
| SciFinder nomenclature | Uridine, 2鈥�-deoxy-5-iodo- |
| Empirical formula | C9H11IN2O5 |
| Molar mass | 354.10 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystals or powder |
| Melting point | Values reported from 170 to 263 掳C |
| Water solubility | 2 g/L |
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