Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives
| dc.contributor.advisor | Jardine, Anwar | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Baldini, Laura | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ballerini, Anita | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-06T11:48:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-06T11:48:27Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2026-07-06T11:47:14Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Ergothioneine (EGT, Figure a) is a naturally occurring sulfur-containing amino acid derived from histidine, known for its antioxidant properties in living organisms and its significant potential in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. The objective of this study is to establish an effective protocol for the synthesis and purification of EGT derivatives that could lead to high purity sustainably produced product. A key challenge was balancing reaction efficiency with selective thiolation which required a systematic refinement of experimental conditions free from chromatography. Purification strategies were adjusted throughout the project to achieve maximal purity. Since column chromatography have proven to be limiting due to the high polarity of the target compound, solid-liquid and liquid-liquid extractions were employed as alternative methods. These methodologies not only enabled the efficient separation of the target compound from related impurities but were also more appropriate for large-scale applications. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of L-(+)-ergothioneine was compared with cysteine using the ABTS decolorization assay. The ABTS assay is a widely employed method for quantifying radical scavenging activity relative to Trolox, a vitamin E analogue, used as the standard antioxidant. We found that L-(+)-ergothioneine is efficient at scavenging ABTS•+ radical cations, similar to that of Trolox and cysteine. These results provide important information about the free radical scavenging activities of these derivatives and their potential nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Ballerini, A. (2026). <i>Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Chemistry. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43468 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Ballerini, Anita. <i>"Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Chemistry, 2026. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43468 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Ballerini, A. 2026. Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Chemistry. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43468 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Ballerini, Anita AB - Ergothioneine (EGT, Figure a) is a naturally occurring sulfur-containing amino acid derived from histidine, known for its antioxidant properties in living organisms and its significant potential in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. The objective of this study is to establish an effective protocol for the synthesis and purification of EGT derivatives that could lead to high purity sustainably produced product. A key challenge was balancing reaction efficiency with selective thiolation which required a systematic refinement of experimental conditions free from chromatography. Purification strategies were adjusted throughout the project to achieve maximal purity. Since column chromatography have proven to be limiting due to the high polarity of the target compound, solid-liquid and liquid-liquid extractions were employed as alternative methods. These methodologies not only enabled the efficient separation of the target compound from related impurities but were also more appropriate for large-scale applications. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of L-(+)-ergothioneine was compared with cysteine using the ABTS decolorization assay. The ABTS assay is a widely employed method for quantifying radical scavenging activity relative to Trolox, a vitamin E analogue, used as the standard antioxidant. We found that L-(+)-ergothioneine is efficient at scavenging ABTS•+ radical cations, similar to that of Trolox and cysteine. These results provide important information about the free radical scavenging activities of these derivatives and their potential nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. DA - 2026 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - ergothioneine KW - amino acid LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2026 T1 - Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives TI - Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43468 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43468 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Ballerini A. Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Chemistry, 2026 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43468 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.language.rfc3066 | eng | |
| dc.publisher.department | Department of Chemistry | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Science | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.subject | ergothioneine | |
| dc.subject | amino acid | |
| dc.title | Synthesis and Optimization of Ergothioneine Derivatives | |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | MSc |