Patent ID: 7585846

Claim:
A compound having the structural formula (I) or (II) wherein for both formula (I) and formula (II) R is glutamyl, cysteinyl, N-acetyl-cysteinyl, glycyl, an acyl moiety derived from a 2,2-dialkylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid wherein alkyl is methyl or ethyl, L-γ-glutamylcysteinyl, L-γ-glutamylglycyl, L-cysteinylglycyl, L-γ-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycyl, β-alanyl-L-histidyl, L-carnitinyl or acetyl-L-carnitinyl; Z is (i) -Z 1 -Z 2 -, (ii) -Z 1 -O-Z 2 -, (iii) -Z 1 -S-Z 2 -, (iv) -Z 1 -N(H)-Z 2 -, (v) -Z 1 -CO—N(H)-Z 2 -, or (vi) -Z 1 -N(H)—CO-Z 2 -, wherein Z 1 is an aliphatic or non-aliphatic C1 to C10 hydrocarbon group; a single, fused or multi-ring aromatic group; or an aliphatic or non-aromatic cyclic group; and Z 2 is an aliphatic or non-aliphatic C1 to C10 hydrocarbon group; a single, fused or multi-ring aromatic group; or an aliphatic or non-aromatic cyclic group; and Q 1 , Q 2 , and Q 3 are independently aliphatic C1 to C5 hydrocarbon groups, or Q 2 and Q 3 together form an aliphatic N-heterocycle group; wherein for formula (II), the aliphatic or non-aromatic N-heterocycle group bonded to variable Z by a carbon-carbon bond possesses a quaternary nitrogen.