A strong antioxidant and a cysteine prodrug. OTC, a 5-oxoproline analog, is metabolized by 5-oxoprolinase and converted to cysteine, the rate-limiting amino acid for glutathione synthesis. It may therefore be useful in restoring depleted glutathione stores in HIV-1-infected persons, which may in turn inhibit the progression of HIV disease.
Q-1535 may be inserted in place of Pyr. The chemical behaviour of OTC was studied by MacLaren. OTC was employed in the total synthesis of Latrunculin A.