Some aspect of the relation between homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis: New prospects for using cobalt catalysts as biologically active compounds

Abstract

The connections between homogeneous enzymatic catalysis provide a promising field for investigation. Synthetic metal complexes were suggested to be used as catalysts to influence some biochemical processes. Various aspects of the catalytic action of Co chelates upon biochemical redox processes were considered. In particular, it was found that some of the cobalt catalysts can be integrated in electron transport at the subcellular level in mammalian mitochondria and bacterial chromatophores. It was shown by special experiments that the Co catalysts reacted with biochemical redox chains at the level of quinolic components (coenzyme Q, etc.), accepting electrons from them. Such a process competes with the enzymatic one. In addition, the possibility of using Co chelates as catalytic generators of active oxygen radicals aimed at various cell targets, especially DNA and RNA, was investigated. Also, metal complexes generating oxygen radicals could be a promising basis for the development of new fungicides. These compounds stimulated the formation of active oxygen in fungitoxic concentrations in a host plant and inhibited the development of disease;for example, the Co complexes investigated here have demonstrated high fungicide activity toward rice blast disease. In our opinion, these approaches provide new possibilities for the regulation of biochemical processes and should promote the creation of new compounds with high biological activity.