Chemical reactivity and uses of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP), also known as edaravone

1-Phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone is a reagent, known as PMP, used to derivatize monosaccharides for the study of polysaccharides composition and structure, and for the dosage of carbohydrates in complex media. The same molecule is also known as edaravone, a drug approved for the treatment of stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is also a reactive molecule susceptible to form stable adducts with aromatic aldehydes, such as formylpterin and vanillin. In addition, the molecule serves as a scaffold to design of edaravone analogs and drug conjugates, with various pharmacological properties (antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral). We have analyzed the multiple usages of PMP/edaravone to highlight the reactivity of the molecule and its wide range of applications. This phenyl-pyrazolone compound, considered by many as a biochemical reagent and by other as a clinically useful drug, has not yet revealed the full extent of its capacities and benefits.