Vitamin B Antagonists

V ITAMIN B11 is a catalyst of considerable biological imimportance. Studies during time past 15 years have estai)lished a key role for thus vitanlin in protein and amiiino aci(1 mmletabohismll and, sommiewhat less firmly, in fat imletai)ohism. It would seemil, therefore, timat suitable antagonists to thus vitaillmn mllighmt be of timerapeutic inml)ortance. We are actually ill a utmost curious situation with respect to vitamimin B5 anti its antagonists-so tilat I trust time present discussion is not a mere repetition, for yet another vitamin, of furthier cxammmples of cimemical alteration of time vitamin molecule. iro i I ing substances antagonistic to time vitamin, somm e of which may possess clinical value. To possess tilerapeutic significance, sucim antagonists must have properties otimer timan mere antagonism. Time properties of time vitamin B11 group and time nature of tile antagonists have been recently and adequately reviewed.m234 I simall, timerefore, concentrate my attention upon some newer aspects of the proi)lem of vitamin B6 antagonists, particularly timose having some t imerapeut ic implications. Time field for antagonists in time vitamin B6 group, witim its mi any related mllembers, would seem to be wide enougim. I shall use the term vitammmin B5 to designate all active members, and time specific comm mmion naimmes for particular memmmhers of time grOut). As illustrated in Figure 1, at present vitamin B6 comprises pyri(ioxme, yridoxamlline, pyridoxal and their respeetive l)imospimates. Timem’e doubtless exist in nature and certainly imave been prepared in time laboratory several substances wilich, upon breakdown, yield vitamllin B6, as, for example, time pyrithoxyhidene amilines, time pyridoxyl amllines, and the pyridoxyiamino acids.#{176}’T THE ACTIVE FORM