Boric acid and boronic acids inhibition of pigeonpea urease

Abstract

Urease from the seeds of pigeonpea was competitively inhibited by boric acid, butylboronic acid, phenylboronic acid, and 4-bromophenylboronic acid; 4-bromophenylboronic acid being the strongest inhibitor, followed by boric acid>butylboronic acid>phenylboronic acid, respectively. Urease inhibition by boric acid is maximal at acidic pH (5.0) and minimal at alkaline pH (10.0), i.e., the trigonal planar B(OH)₃ form is a more effective inhibitor than the tetrahedral anionic form. Similarly, the anionic form of phenylboronic acid was least inhibiting in nature.

Keywords::

• Urease
• pigeonpea urease
• boric acid
• boronic acids
• inhibition

Acknowledgements

Reddy K R C is thankful to the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi for financial assistance in the form of Junior Research Fellowship.