Abstract
The use of bisulfite in food and beverage preservation, as well as in commercial goods and pharmaceuticals as antimicrobial agents is well known, but not very much is reported on its action in vivo. It has been stressed that its action is connected to the presence of NO, and the only reported/ hypothesized evidence concerns the possible interaction with GSNO (S-nitrosoglutathione), an NO releaser. In this light, we investigated the interaction between GSNO and the bisulfite in an aqueous medium at pH = 6.4; actually, a positive effect of the sulfite was evidenced. i.e., the S-nitrosoglutathione becomes a more efficient NO-releaser. But, the nitrite is the real pool of NO in vivo, therefore we investigate its interaction with the bisulfite in an aqueous acidic solution at pH = 6.4; this time, a definitely efficient and abundant NO release, 3.61 times higher compared to the GSNO, has been evidenced. Therefore, these results allow hypothesizing a fundamental role of NO in the bisulfite’s action in vivo, or most probably the bisulfite acts simply as cofactor of NO-releasers.
Highlights
IntroductionThe generally accepted term “sulfite” identifies sulfiting agents such as sulphur dioxide gas, metabisulfite, bisulfite and sulfite
The generally accepted term “sulfite” identifies sulfiting agents such as sulphur dioxide gas, metabisulfite, bisulfite and sulfite. These are all widely used in food and beverage preservation for their antioxidant properties [1] [2], in commercial goods and pharmaceuticals as antimicrobial agents, and present as pollutants in the atmosphere
Schematic illustration reflecting the interaction between bisulfite and nitrite
Summary
The generally accepted term “sulfite” identifies sulfiting agents such as sulphur dioxide gas, metabisulfite, bisulfite and sulfite. These are all widely used in food and beverage preservation for their antioxidant properties [1] [2], in commercial goods and pharmaceuticals as antimicrobial agents, and present as pollutants in the atmosphere. The mechanism of both the negative and positive actions in which the sulfite could be involved is not clear; for example, it has been suggested that the sulfite might affect some mediators such as the nitric oxide and/or its carriers [6]-[8]. As for other gasotransmitters, this hypothesized interaction seems to take place mainly in acidic condition [15] (Scheme 1)
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