抄録
TATD was reduced easily by excess amount of glutathione to liberate thiamine quantitatively. The reaction was accelerated according to the elevation of pH from 3.8 to 7.5. On the reaction with excess of TATD the molar amount of liberated thiamine was equivalent to that of added glutathione. Treatment of TATD with glutathione in equimolar concentration, in neutral or weakly acidic medium, resulted in the formation of a new ninhydrin-positive compound (X) possessing biological activity corresponding to that of lipoic acid. When TATD was replaced by lipoic acid in similar condition the formation of such a product has not been observed. From the results of qualitative investigation X substance appears to be mixed disulfide between glutathione and lipoate moiety of TATD.
