Free radical scavenging properties of alacepril metabolites and lisinopril.

Alacepril is an inhibitor of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and is commonly used as an antihypertensive. In this study, the effects of alacepril, its metabolites, desacetylalacepril and captopril, and also lisinopril, which has no sulfhydryl group in the structure, on free radicals were examined in vitro, using an ESR method. Superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of alacepril metabolites, desacetylalacepril and captopril, were observed, whereas lisinopril hardly scavenged the superoxide or the hydroxyl radicals. Alacepril and its metabolites did not scavenge nitric oxide, but lisinopril showed slight scavenging activity. These findings suggest that the biological action of alacepril may be partly due to the antioxidant effect of its metabolites, having a sulfhydryl group.