Interaction of cyanocobalamin with sulfur-containing reducing agents in aqueous solutions

The kinetics and mechanism of cyanocobalamin reduction by sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate and dithionite in alkaline media are studied. It is established that the character of the rate-determining step depends on the concentration of the reducing agents: when they are in excess, it is a step of elimination of cyanocobalamin, at lower concentrations of reducing agents a rate-determining is a step of their addition to cobalamin.