Preparation of a novel method for screeing of cobalt chelators

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology Student: Monika Moravcová Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Přemysl Mladěnka, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Title of thesis: Preparation of a Novel Method for Screening of Cobalt Chelators Cobalt as a structural part of the vitamin B12 is an essential microelement for living organisms including humans. However, its excess is associated with pathological conditions. Cobalt poisoning can be caused for example by exposure to cobalt metal dust during the production of hard metals or follow the corrosion of metal hip prosthesis. Patients intoxicated by cobalt can develop different manifestations including neurological impairment, hypothyroidism or cardiomyopathy. The aim of this work is to prepare a standardized, rapid, cheap but precise method for the screening of cobalt chelators. For this purpose, spectrophotometric detection using 1-nitroso-2-nafphhol-3,6-disulfonic acid disodium salt as the indicator was used. Firstly, it was found that the addition of cobalt ions led to a clear bathochromic shift of the maximum absorbance of the indicator. The relationship between the absorbance and cobalt concentration was highly linear from 470 to 560 nm at all 4 tested pH conditions (4.5, 5.5, 6.8 and 7.5). The sensitivity of the method..