1080-12-2Relevant academic research and scientific papers
Synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of monocarbonyl curcuminoids and their pyrazoline derivatives
Van de Walle, Tim,Theppawong, Atiruj,Grootaert, Charlotte,De Jonghe, Steven,Persoons, Leentje,Daelemans, Dirk,Van Hecke, Kristof,Van Camp, John,D’hooghe, Matthias
, p. 2045 - 2051 (2019)
Abstract: A small set of structurally different monocarbonyl curcuminoids was prepared and screened for cytotoxic activity. In particular, bis-3-methoxy-4-hydroxy- and bis-4-methoxyphenyl-substituted monocarbonyls were synthesized and transformed into the corresponding three-dimensional N-acetylpyrazoline derivatives. In addition, a non-symmetrical indole-based monocarbonyl curcumin was prepared as well. Preliminary cytotoxic evaluation revealed significant effects for 4-hydroxy (pyrazoline) monocarbonyl curcuminoids, whereas the non-phenolic variants displayed rather poor activity. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
Anti-tumor agents 255: Novel glycyrrhetinic acid-dehydrozingerone conjugates as cytotoxic agents
Tatsuzaki, Jin,Taniguchi, Masahiko,Bastow, Kenneth F.,Nakagawa-Goto, Kyoko,Morris-Natschke, Susan L.,Itokawa, Hideji,Baba, Kimiye,Lee, Kuo-Hsiung
, p. 6193 - 6199 (2007)
Esterification of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) with dehydrozingerone (DZ) resulted in a novel cytotoxic GA-DZ conjugate. Based on this exciting finding, we conjugated eleven different DZ analogs with GA or other triterpenoids, including oleanoic acid (OA) or ursolic acid (UA). In an in vitro anti-cancer assay using nine different human tumor cell lines, most of the GA-DZ conjugates showed significant potency. Particularly, compounds 5, 29, and 30 showed significant cytotoxic effects against LN-Cap, 1A9, and KB cells with ED50 values of 0.6, 0.8, and 0.9 μM, respectively. Similar conjugates between DZ and OA or UA were inactive suggesting that the GA component is critical for activity. Notably, although GA-DZ conjugates showed potent cytotoxic activity, the individual components (GA and DZ analogs) were inactive. Thus, GA-DZ conjugates are new chemical entities and represent interesting hits for anti-cancer drug discovery and development.
Small molecules interacting with α-synuclein: Antiaggregating and cytoprotective properties
Marchiani, Anna,Mammi, Stefano,Siligardi, Giuliano,Hussain, Rohanah,Tessari, Isabella,Bubacco, Luigi,Delogu, Giovanna,Fabbri, Davide,Dettori, Maria A.,Sanna, Daniele,Dedola, Sonia,Serra, Pier A.,Ruzza, Paolo
, p. 327 - 338 (2013)
Curcumin, a dietary polyphenol, has shown a potential to act on the symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as a consequence of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-protein aggregation properties. Unfortunately, curcumin undergoes rapid degradation at physiological pH into ferulic acid, vanillin and dehydrozingerone, making it an unlikely drug candidate. Here, we evaluated the ability of some curcumin by-products: dehydrozingerone (1), its O-methyl derivative (2), zingerone (3), and their biphenyl analogues (4-6) to interact with α-synuclein (AS), using CD and fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, the antioxidant properties and the cytoprotective effects in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells prior to intoxication with H2O 2, MPP+ and MnCl2 were examined while the Congo red assay was used to evaluate the ability of these compounds to prevent aggregation of AS. We found that the biphenyl zingerone analogue (6) interacts with high affinity with AS and also displays the best antioxidant properties while the biphenyl analogues of dehydrozingerone (4) and of O-methyl-dehydrozingerone (5) are able to partially inhibit the aggregation process of AS, suggesting the potential role of a hydroxylated biphenyl scaffold in the design of AS aggregation inhibitors.
Retro-curcuminoids as mimics of dehydrozingerone and curcumin: Synthesis, NMR, X-ray, and cytotoxic activity
Obregón-Mendoza, Marco A.,Estévez-Carmona, María Mirian,Hernández-Ortega, Simón,Soriano-García, Manuel,Ramírez-Apan, María Teresa,Orea, Laura,Pilotzi, Hugo,Gnecco, Dino,Cassani, Julia,Enríquez, Raúl G.
, (2017)
Curcumin and its derivatives have been extensively studied for their remarkable medicinal properties, and their chemical synthesis has been an important step in the optimization of well-controlled laboratory production. A family of new compounds that mimic the structure of curcumin and curcuminoids, here named retro-curcuminoids (7-14), was synthesized and characterized using 1D 1H- and 13C-NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry; the X-ray structure of 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 14 are reported here for the first time. The main structural feature of these compounds is the reverse linkage of the two aromatic moieties, where the acid chloride moiety is linked to the phenolic group while preserving α,β-unsaturated ketone functionality. The cytotoxic screening of 7, 8, 9, and 10 at 50 and 10 μg/mL was carried out with human cancer cell lines K562, MCF-7, and SKLU-1. Lipid peroxidation on rat brain was also tested for compounds 7 and 10. Compounds 7, 8, and 10 showed relevant cytotoxic activity against these cancer cell lines, and 10 showed a protective effect against lipid peroxidation. The molecular resemblance to curcuminoids and analogs with ortho substituents suggests a potential source of useful bioactive compounds.
The synthesis and evaluation of vanillin derivatives as the fruit fly attractant
Prabawati, Susy Yunita,Iskandar, Damayanti,Suci, Liimroati Purwo
, p. 2197 - 2202 (2018)
The present study was conducted to synthesize 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone, a compound with similar structure to cue lure [4-(4-Acetyoxyphenyl)-2-butanone], using vanillin as a started material. The synthesis process was completed in two steps. The first step was the condensation reaction of Claisen Smidth between vanillin and acetone on alkaline conditions to produce 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-3-buten-2-one, and the second step was the hydration reaction using zeolite catalysts activated by HCl, to produce 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone. Characterization of the compounds was performed using IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The evaluation of 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone as fruit flies’ attractant was carried out in yard areas planted with guava and start fruit, in the Klidon village, Sukoharjo, Sleman Yogyakarta, with methyl eugenol as a standard. The observations were made for 24 hours. The synthesis product was obtained in the form of a white-orange solid with a melting point of 79-81oC and 60% yield.The field test showed that 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methoxy)-4-hydroxy-2-butanone was potential as fruit flies’ attractant, indicated by the presence of lured fruit flies around the test location.
Synthesis and studies of the inhibitory effect of hydroxylated phenylpropanoids and biphenols derivatives on tyrosinase and laccase enzymes
Dettori, Maria Antonietta,Fabbri, Davide,Dessì, Alessandro,Dallocchio, Roberto,Carta, Paola,Honisch, Claudia,Ruzza, Paolo,Farina, Donatella,Migheli, Rossana,Serra, Pier Andrea,Pantaleoni, Roberto A.,Fois, Xenia,Rocchitta, Gaia,Delogu, Giovanna
, (2020)
The impaired activity of tyrosinase and laccase can provoke serious concerns in the life cycles of mammals, insects and microorganisms. Investigation of inhibitors of these two enzymes may lead to the discovery of whitening agents, medicinal products, anti-browning substances and compounds for controlling harmful insects and bacteria. A small collection of novel reversible tyrosinase and laccase inhibitors with a phenylpropanoid and hydroxylated biphenyl core was prepared using naturally occurring compounds and their activity was measured by spectrophotometric and electrochemical assays. Biosensors based on tyrosinase and laccase enzymes were constructed and used to detect the type of protein-ligand interaction and half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). Most of the inhibitors showed an IC50 in a range of 20–423 nM for tyrosinase and 23–2619 nM for laccase. Due to the safety concerns of conventional tyrosinase and laccase inhibitors, the viability of the new compounds was assayed on PC12 cells, four of which showed a viability of roughly 80% at 40 μM. In silico studies on the crystal structure of laccase enzyme identified a hydroxylated biphenyl bearing a prenylated chain as the lead structure, which activated strong and effective interactions at the active site of the enzyme. These data were confirmed by in vivo experiments performed on the insect model Tenebrio molitur.
Applying an Electrophilicity-Based Strategy to Develop a Novel Nrf2 Activator Inspired from Dietary [6]-Shogaol
Du, Yu-Ting,Zheng, Ya-Long,Ji, Yuan,Dai, Fang,Hu, Yong-Jing,Zhou, Bo
, p. 7983 - 7994 (2018)
Activation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a crucial cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative stress and also an effective means to decrease the risk of oxidative stress-related diseases including cancer. Thus, identifying novel Nrf2 activators is highly anticipated. Inspired from [6]-shogaol (6S), an active component of ginger, herein we developed a novel potent Nrf2 activator, (1E,4E)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-7-methylocta-1,4,6-trien-3-one (SA) by an electrophilicity-based strategy. Compared with the parent 6S, SA bearing a short but entirely conjugated unsaturated ketone chain manifested the improved electrophilicity and cytoprotection (cell viability for the 10 μM 6S- and SA-treated group being 48.9 ± 5.3% and 76.1 ± 3.2%, respectively) against tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced cell death (cell viability for the t-BHP-stimulated group being 42.4 ± 0.4%) of HepG2. Mechanistic study uncovers that SA works as a potent Nrf2 activator by inducing Keap1 modification, inhibiting Nrf2 ubiquitylation and phosphorylating ERK in a Michael acceptor-dependent fashion. Taking 6S as an example, this works illustrates the feasibility and importance of applying an electrophilicity-based strategy to develop Nrf2 activators with dietary molecules as an inspiration due to their low toxicity and extraordinarily diverse chemical scaffolds.
Prenylated Curcumin Analogues as Multipotent Tools to Tackle Alzheimer's Disease
Bisceglia, Federica,Seghetti, Francesca,Serra, Massimo,Zusso, Morena,Gervasoni, Silvia,Verga, Laura,Vistoli, Giulio,Lanni, Cristina,Catanzaro, Michele,De Lorenzi, Ersilia,Belluti, Federica
, p. 1420 - 1433 (2019)
Alzheimer's disease is likely to be caused by copathogenic factors including aggregation of Aβ peptides into oligomers and fibrils, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. To date, no effective treatments are available, and because of the multifactorial nature of the disease, it emerges the need to act on different and simultaneous fronts. Despite the multiple biological activities ascribed to curcumin as neuroprotector, its poor bioavailability and toxicity limit the success in clinical outcomes. To tackle Alzheimer's disease on these aspects, the curcumin template was suitably modified and a small set of analogues was attained. In particular, derivative 1 turned out to be less toxic than curcumin. As evidenced by capillary electrophoresis and transmission electron microscopy studies, 1 proved to inhibit the formation of large toxic Aβ oligomers, by shifting the equilibrium toward smaller nontoxic assemblies and to limit the formation of insoluble fibrils. These findings were supported by molecular docking and steered molecular dynamics simulations which confirmed the superior capacity of 1 to bind Aβ structures of different complexity. Remarkably, 1 also showed in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In summary, the curcumin-based analogue 1 emerged as multipotent compound worthy to be further investigated and exploited in the Alzheimer's disease multitarget context.
Synthesis of 1,4-Thiazepane-Based Curcuminoids with Promising Anticancer Activity
Theppawong, Atiruj,Van de Walle, Tim,Van Hecke, Kristof,Grootaert, Charlotte,Van Camp, John,D'hooghe, Matthias
, p. 12583 - 12600 (2019)
Curcumin, the main component of turmeric (Curcuma longa) is known to display an interesting bioactivity profile, including pronounced anticancer properties. However, its low bioavailability, metabolic instability and nonspecific activity are concerns that have to be addressed before curcuminoids can be considered for therapeutic applications. Within that framework, intensive research has been carried out in the last decades to develop new curcumin derivatives, generally centered on standard modifications of the sp2 curcumin framework, with the aim to augment its bioavailability while maintaining or improving its anticancer properties. To find potential hit molecules by moving away from the classical flat curcumin framework, we investigated an unexplored modification to produce novel, out-of-plane 1,4-thiazepane-based curcuminoids and assessed the impact of this modification on the biological activity. In this way, 21 new, structurally diverse thiazepane scaffolds (4-aryl-1-(7-aryl-1,4-thiazepan-5-ylidene)but-3-en-2-ones) were synthesized, as well as some biologically interesting unexpected reaction products (such as 5-aryl-6-arylmethylene-3-ethoxycyclohex-2-en-1-ones and 4-acetyl-5-aryl-2-(3-arylacryloyl)-3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-ones). All these analogues were subsequently tested on their antioxidant capacity, their cytotoxicity properties and their ROS (reactive oxygen species) production. Many compounds demonstrated interesting activities, with ten curcuminoids, whereof eight 1,4-thiazepane-based, showing better antiproliferative properties compared to their mother compounds, as well as an increased ROS production. This unprecedented 3D curcumin modification has thus delivered promising new hit compounds with good activity profiles eligible for further exploration.
Synthesis of new ferrocenyl dehydrozingerone derivatives and their effects on viability of PC12 cells
Pedotti, Sonia,Patti, Angela,Dedola, Sonia,Barberis, Antonio,Fabbri, Davide,Dettori, Maria Antonietta,Serra, Pier Andrea,Delogu, Giovanna
, p. 80 - 89 (2016)
A series of novel compounds deriving from the conjugation of ferrocene with curcumin-related bioactive molecules as dehydrozingerone, zingerone and their biphenyl dimers was prepared by Claisen-Schmidt condensation of the suitable aromatic aldehydes and acetylferrocene in different conditions according to the starting material. The obtained compounds were fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry and reversible electrochemical behavior was recorded for monomer derivatives. The cell viability of PC12 cells after exposure to the organometallic compounds was also evaluated and a reduced toxicity with respect to the ferrocene was detected. In comparison with biphenyl 4, a compound that manifested antiproliferative and apoptotic activities and was quite toxic on PC12 cells, the exposure to the ferrocenyl analogue 14 resulted in roughly fourfold increase in the cell viability. Ferrocenyl chalcones 14 and 16-18 significantly increased the oxidative stress generated by hydrogen peroxide, a molecule generally accumulated in cancer cells and, recently, studied as prodrug.
