4-Nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-galactopyranoside

4-Nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-galactopyranoside is an acetamido sugar that is used as a preservative. It has been shown to inhibit the growth of tumor cells in culture by inducing apoptosis. This compound also inhibits the activity of the enzyme trypsin, which may be due to its ability to bind to actin filaments and disrupt cellular structure. 4-Nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-galactopyranoside has been shown to inhibit the growth of liver cells, but not other types of tissue such as brain and heart cells. The biochemical mechanism for this effect is unknown. However, it may be due to its ability to block glucose uptake or reduce ATP synthesis.

N-acetyl-D-galactosaminidase catalyzes the cleavage of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), the monomeric unit of the polymer chitin. 4-Nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-α-D-galactosaminide can be used as a chromogenic substrate for N-acetyl-D-galactosaminidase, generating a yellow solution upon cleavage.