Novel sulfur and selenium containing antioxidants: synthesis and evaluation of their GPx-like activity

New linear and cyclic chalcogen-containing compounds have been synthesized exploiting the reactivity of bis(trimethylsilyl)selenide with strained heterocycles. A simple and efficient procedure allowed a selective access to β-functionalized selenides, diselenides, and dithiaselenepanes undermild conditions. Antioxidant catalytic activity of these compounds was investigated in the reaction of hydrogen peroxidewith dithiothreitol (DTTred). According to this assay, some of the synthesized structures exhibited a remarkable glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like activity.