Sensitive Detection\nof Sulfur Mustard Poisoning via\nN‑Salicylaldehyde Naphthyl Thiourea Probe and Investigation\ninto Detoxification Scavengers

Sulfur\nmustard (SM), a blister agent and toxic chemical warfare\ncompound, leads to injuries in the skin, eyes, and lungs, with early\ndiagnosis being difficult because of its incubation period. Developing\nscavengers for sulfur mustard (SM) and its simulant, 2-chloroethylsulfide\n(CEES), is essential due to the severe and long-lasting toxic effects\nthese compounds have on the\nhuman body. Existing scavengers like cysteine, sodium hydrosulfide\n(NaHS), and sodium thiosulfate cannot cross the blood-brain barrier\n(BBB), rendering them ineffective for detoxifying SM in the brain\nand highlighting the need for lipophilic scavengers. In this study,\nan N-salicylaldehyde naphthyl thiourea probe (NCrHT) was developed\nfor detecting SM simulant CEES and its in vivo and in vitro imaging\ncapabilities were evaluated. Additionally, the detoxification potential\nof scavengers was tested under similar conditions, and we introduced\n N-acetyl cysteine, which is lipophilic in nature, as an effective\nscavenger for detoxifying CEES in the zebrafish brain.