Design, synthesis and insecticidal activities of 4-propargyloxybenzene sulfonamide derivatives substituted with amino acids.

Sixty-nine 4-propargyloxybenzene sulfonamide derivatives with different amino acids as amino substituent were synthesized and evaluated for their insecticidal activity against third-instar Mythimna separate. The bioassay results revealed that some derivatives bearing amino acid ester group performed good insecticidal activity against third-instar M.separata, such as the LC50 values of D18 and D19 were 4.28 and 2.96 mg/ml after 48 h, in particular, the LC50 of D16 was 2.38 mg/ml and the activity was improved by 14 times compared to celangulin V (34.48 mg/ml). The above results provided theoretical and experimental basis for the discovery of novel insecticidal active compounds.

A New Coumarin-Acridone Compound as a Fluorescence Probe for Fe3+ and Its Application in Living Cells and Zebrafish.

A new coumarin-acridone fluorescent probe S was designed and synthesized, and the structure was confirmed with 1H/13C NMR spectrometry, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. This probe has high sensitivity and selectivity for Fe3+ over other testing metal ions at 420 or 436 nm in acetonitrile-MOPS (3-Morpholinopropanesulfonic Acid) buffer solution (20.0 µM, pH = 6.9, 8:2 (v/v)). Under physiological conditions, the probe displayed satisfying time stability with a detection limit of 1.77 µM. In addition, probe S was successfully used to detect intracellular iron changes through a fluorescence-off mode, and the imaging results of cells and zebrafish confirmed their low cytotoxicity and satisfactory cell membrane permeability, as well as their potential biological applications.

Dietary fiber extracted from pomelo fruitlets promotes intestinal functions, both in vitro and in vivo.

Pomelo fruitlets contain various active substances that are easily collected and processed. Here, the biological effects of pomelo fruitlet dietary fiber were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Total dietary fiber (TDF), soluble dietary fiber (SDF), and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) values of pomelo fruitlets were 75.64 ± 3.65 %, 10.10 ± 1.39 %, and 62.48 ± 3.68 %, respectively. The main monosaccharides identified were rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, and glucose. All fibers scavenged free 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and reduced ferric cations. The water-holding, oil-holding, and swelling capacities of the fibers retarded glucose diffusion, inhibited α-amylase, and influenced cholesterol micelle formation. In a mouse model of alloxan-induced diabetes, SDF improved glucose tolerance, controlled blood glucose, and reduced serum insulin better than TDF or IDF. All fiber types decreased the total cholesterol content and the prevalence of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Ruminococcaceae, but increased the abundance of Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, and Prevotellaceae in hyperglycemic mice.

Molecular Design, Synthesis and Docking Study of Alkyl and Benzyl Derivatives of Robustic Acid as Topoisomerase I Inhibitors.

Robustic acid is reported to be a bioactive compound, isolated from the medicinal plant Dalbergia benthamii Prain. Ten alkyl and benzyl derivatives (2a-2j) of robustic acid were designed and synthesized based on molecular docking approaches. The biological activities of most of the synthesized compounds (such as 2g, 2h, and 2i) were closely consistent with the docking results. In particular, 4-O-phenylpropyl substituted compound 2g displayed potent topoisomerase I inhibitory activity as well as cytotoxicity against SMMC-7721, HepG2, and HeLa cell lines. Further biological testing suggests that compound 2g acted mainly by an arrest of the tumor cells in G1 phase of the cell cycle and suppressed cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis. The findings of this study are encouraging with respect to potential utilization of these compounds as new topoisomerase I inhibitors.

Design, Synthesis, Antimicrobial, and Anticancer Activities of Acridine Thiosemicarbazides Derivatives.

Background: Acridine and thiourea derivatives are important compounds in medicinal chemistry due to their diverse biological properties including anticancer and antimicrobial effects. However, literature reveals some side effects associated with use of acridines. It is suggested that hybrid molecules may reduce the side effects and enhance the beneficial properties due to synergistic activity. The objectives of the present study are to synthesize and evaluate the anticancer and antimicrobial properties of new hybrids of acridine thiosemicarbazides derivatives. Results: The structures of the synthesized compounds 4a-4e were elucidated by MS and NMR spectra. In antimicrobial assay, Compound 4c exhibited potent antimicrobial activity compared to the other four compounds. In anticancer studies, we observed that compounds 4a, 4b, 4d and 4e exhibited high cytotoxicity against the MT-4 cell line, with IC50 values of 18.42 ± 1.18, 15.73 ± 0.90, 10.96 ± 0.62 and 11.63 ± 0.11 µM, respectively. The evaluation of anticancer effects, and the associated mechanism reveals that, the anticancer activities may be related to Topo I inhibitory activity, apoptosis and cell-cycle. Molecular docking studies revealed that the presence of planar naphtho-fused rings and a flexible thiourea group together, could improve DNA-intercalation and inhibition of DNA-Topo I activity. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the rational design of target derivatives as novel antimicrobial or antitumor leads is feasible.