Background: There are many evidences that the exposure of red blood cells (RBCs) to toxic chemical materials able to form free radicals causes formation of methemoglobinemia. One of these toxic chemical materials is nitrite, which leads to an autocatalytic reaction of hemoglobin converted to methemoglobin (Met-Hb). Methemoglobinemia is a pathological condition studied mostly under in vitro conditions, in which the ferrous iron of hemoglobin (Hb) converts to ferric iron if the oxy-Hb of RBC mixed with a sodium nitrite in supraphysiological concentrations. This report describes the synthesis of a novel Schiff base compound glycene-4-nitrobenzylidene-Ishraq (GBI), study its characterization, and test the oxidative properties of this new compound on the RBCs.

Materials and Methods: Preparation of the new compound by the condensation reaction of glycine together with 4-nitrobenzaldehyde prepared new Schiff base compound, with methanol and potassium hydroxide. The spectral data include H-NMR, infrared, and C.N.H characterized a prepared compound. Then, the GBI screened to assess its ability to a mechanism of oxidation or anti-oxidation as in vitro study on human hemolyzed blood through the reaction of the synthesized compound (GBI) with the Hb of the erythrocyte with the present of sodium nitrite as a control, which is a known oxidative material.

Results: It appears from the results an excessive oxidative effect in a dose dependent increases in the concentrations of GBI on the human blood cells through conversion of oxy-Hb into Met-Hb.

Conclusions:  The chemical reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and glycine led to the formation of the new compound (2-(4-nitrobenzylidene) amino) acetic acid which was found to be a strong oxidizing compound that caused the conversion of oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin when the compound was tested on erythrocytes in invitro study.