Anti-inflammatory activity selenium

The first chemoenzymatic synthesis of organoselenium containing amines was recently reported by Andrade and Silva (Figure 14.7) [10]. Compounds containing a selenium atom have important antioxidant and anti inflammatory activities. Lipase mediated acylation of amine 13 gave the corresponding chiral amides 14 and amines 13 with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). 

One way that selenium appears to act is as a non-specific stimulant of immune competent tissues and cells contributing to its anti-inflammatory, immunopotentiation and carcinostatic attributes. Additional data suggests other effects of Se upon cells of the immune system perhaps independent of GSHPx activity such as ubiquinone biosynthesis, (Coenz3one Q 10) which in turn affects host-defense mechanisms (Frost, 1975). A third possibility to explain the effects attributed to Se above is to propose that increases in levels of the selenium dependent enzyme glutathione peroxidase and perhaps other specific selenium-dependent functions in lymphocytes and macrophages is the reason for immunoenhancement. This subject has been addressed by Schauzer (1979) and is amplified here by the author. 

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