“Anti–moine; Anti–biotique”: The Public Fortunes of the Secret Properties of Antimony Potassium Tartrate (Tartar Emetic)

Molecular recognition properties of tartrates and metal‐tartrates in solution and gas phase

“…Even so, the demonstrated effectiveness of this compound class for the separation of a wide range of analyte types, from amino acids to metal complexes, warrants further investigation. With the relatively few reports, additional experiments would certainly be required to gain better mechanistic insight into their enantioselective recognition properties, and may also shed some light on their reported medicinal indications [12]. , and mer-[Co(dien) 2 ] 3+ (en = ethylenediamine, trien = ethylenetriamine; u = unsymmetrical, s = symmetrical, fac = facial, mer = meridional) has been examined using potassium antimony(III)-D-tartrate [K 2 (Sb 2 -D-tar 2 )] as the chiral selector in HPLC using SP-Sephadex C-25 as the stationary phase [43].…”

“…The history tells of its variable indications as an emetic-drug, an anti-parasitic drug, and a therapeutic agent for widespread inflammatory conditions, like bronchitis and pneumonia [12]. However, due to a large number of deleterious side effects, its use has been substituted by other less toxic substances.…”

New structural insight for antimony(III)-tartrate

“…The long history of tartar emetic traces back to medieval times [1,2]. The term "emetic" signifies its original use, a medicine that was taken to induce vomiting [2]. As a drug, it was also used in the 17th and 18th centuries to treat widespread inflammatory conditions, like bronchitis and pneumonia.…”

“…According to the Carter center, schistosomiasis is the second most socioeconomically devastating parasitic disease after malaria; approximately 200 million people in 74 countries are currently affected [4]. Bactericidal activity of tartar emetic at higher concentrations (compared to penicillin) has also been reported [2]. Further, the asymmetric nature of this economical and easily synthesizable anionic metal complex has prompted its use as a chiral resolving agent [5].…”

Antimony(III)-D, L-tartrates exhibit proton-assisted enantioselective binding in solution and in the gas phase

“…Antimony(III)-L-tartrate, known as "tartar emetic" when administered as a dipotassium salt [9], is believed to exist primarily as a doubly-charged binuclear tartrato(4-)-metal-bridged complex as shown in Figure 1. Antimony(III)-L-tartrate has enjoyed an especially turbulent history as a therapeutic indication, but it has shown significant utility as an analytical separations reagent, as an antifilarial drug for treatment of schistosomal blood flukes (schistosomiasis), and as an antibiotic [9,10]. Despite these uses, the mechanistic basis for understanding the modes of enantioselective molecular recognition by antimony tartrates has remained somewhat a mystery.…”