Abstract
Cobalt is an essential trace element, but it can also rarely cause cobalt toxicity. There are no approved selective cobalt chelators.
This study aimed to develop a simple and complex methodological approach for screening potential cobalt chelators and evaluating the potential toxicity. A simple spectrophotometric assay employing 1-nitroso-2-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic acid disodium salt (NNDSA) for screening cobalt chelation was standardized and the suitability of the method was verified using four known metal chelators.
The potential toxicity of cobalt-chelator complexes was also determined by employing a novel HPLC method with coulometric detection. The effect on erythrocyte haemolysis was tested as well.
The described complex methodological approach could serve as a simple yet precise tool for evaluating novel, effective and safe cobalt chelators.