Compound instability in dimethyl sulphoxide, case studies with 5-aminopyrimidines and the implications for compound storage and screening

The oxidation reactions of 5-aminopyrimidine derivatives in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) were studied. The DMSO solutions of the studied compounds became deeply coloured within a few hours or days. The oxidation products can undergo further condensation reactions with the starting pyrimidines to yield bipyrimidines and/or pyrimidopteridines. The reaction mechanism of the oxidation-condensation reaction was also supported by reactions of the 5-aminopyrimidines with alloxan (2,4,5,6-tetraoxopyrimidine). DMSO is often used as the solvent in in vitro tests of biological activities, but it is also an oxidising agent and may react with solute molecules and significantly affect the quality of the generated biochemical data.

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