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The Science Seminar Series: April 28, 2005
Gossypol: From cooking oil to anti-psoriatic agent
Dr. Paul Groundwater, Department of Organic Chemistry
Sunderland Pharmacy School - Drug Design and Molecular Modelling
University of Sunderland, UK
Room 1011 Biology/Chemistry BuildingTime: 4:00 -5:00pm
Gossypol, a major constituent of cotton seed oil, was tested as a male anti-fertility agent by the WHO in more than 10,000 healthy male volunteers. We have prepared and tested a number of Schiff's bases of gossypol with amino acid esters and shown that these compounds exhibit anti-cancer activity. We have also recently shown that these compounds are powerful anti-oxidants and anti-proliferatives and this, in conjunction with their lack of toxicity and their anti-inflammatory activity, makes them candidates for the treatment of psoriasis.