title: Cyanate causes depletion of ascorbate in organisms.
abstract: Ascorbate-dehydroascorbate redox cycle plays a key role in protecting organisms from an excess of oxidants. Recently, we found a novel reaction of dehydroascorbate with cyanate under the conditions of neutral pH and ordinary temperature. In this report, we demonstrated that through this irreversible reaction, cyanate causes the depletion of ascorbate in the matrix, where the ascorbate-dehydroascorbate redox cycle revolves. When the leaves of weed (Erigeron canadensis) were soaked in sodium cyanate solution generally used as a herbicide, the depletion of ascorbate as well as dehydroascorbate in them was observed, followed by the change in color from green to brown. These results suggest that a possible way of cyanate toxicity is to inflict oxidative stress on organisms.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inage, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koshiishi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imanari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003485:Cyanates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003683:Dehydroascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006540:Herbicides; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D003485:Cyanates; D006540:Herbicides; C009281:sodium cyanate; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C020666:glutathione dehydrogenase (ascorbate); D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D003683:Dehydroascorbic Acid