Flavin-grafted poly(vinyl alcohol): Preparation and properties

An NAD(P)H oxidase‐like activity was found in semisynthetic flavoadducts, prepared from an aldehyde derivative of riboflavin and commercial poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA), previously grafted with aminopropyl side chains. Both water‐soluble and water‐insoluble beaded preparations were obtained. The products showed a noticeable NAD(P)H oxidase‐like activity, converting the nucleotide substrate to its oxidized counterpart NAD(P)+ at the expense of molecular oxygen, the latter being reduced to hydrogen peroxide. In contrast to some “true” β‐NAD(P)H oxidases, the PVA adducts do not require the presence of additional flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to work; some properties of the flavoadducts were studied that make these flavoadducts good candidates for technological applications. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 2471–2477, 2002