What is "pyridoxamine"

n. (context biochemistry English) one of the constituents of vitamin B6 that is essential for the metabolism of starch and amino acids

n. a B vitamin that is essential for metabolism of amino acids and starch [syn: vitamin B6, pyridoxine, pyridoxal, adermin]

Pyridoxamine is one form of vitamin B. Chemically it is based on a pyridine ring structure, with hydroxyl, methyl, aminomethyl, and hydroxymethyl substituents. It differs from pyridoxine by the substituent at the 4-position. The phenol at position 3 and aminomethyl group at position 4 of its ring endow pyridoxamine with a variety of chemical properties, including the scavenging of free radical species and carbonyl species formed in sugar and lipid degradation and chelation of metal ions that catalyze Amadori reactions.