Methylene Salicylicacidyl Hexamer (MSH) Has DNAse Activity.

Salicylic acid and formaldehyde form heterogenous methyl/methylene salicylicacidyl oligomers and polymers in presence of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2). One of the oligomers as aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA), methelene bridged salicylic acid trimer, has been identified and explored in biochemical research, which is a potent inhibitor of many biological processes. A very few reports are also available on dimer, trimer, and tetramer of methelene bridged salicylic acids from same reaction mixture. Herein, we report the isolation and biochemical screening of partial purified low-molecular component as methylene salicylicacidyl hexamer (MSH) from the above reaction mixture. The interaction of methylene salicylicacidyl oligomer with DNA was studied by agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which suggest that methylene salicylicacidyl oligomer has DNAse activity. So far, no such significant reports are available on low-molecular oligomer of methelene bridged salicylic acids. In further, we also attempted to investigate the nature of nuclease activity, which clearly indicates DNA exonuclease type of activity. Further studies are needed to establish the mechanism of actions.