Neuroprotective Effects of the Nutraceutical Dehydrozingerone and Its C2-Symmetric Dimer in a Drosophila Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons responsible for unintended or uncontrollable movements. Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 locus contribute to genetic forms of PD. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster carrying this mutation (LRRK2-Dm) is an in vivo model of PD that develops motor impairment and stands for an eligible non-mammalian paradigm to test novel therapeutic approaches. Dehydrozingerone (DHZ) is a natural phenolic compound isolated from ginger and presents anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, making it a potential therapeutic target for PD. We administered DHZ and its C2-symmetric dimer (DHZ-DIM) at 0.5 and 1 mM for 14 and 21 days in the LRRK2-Dm, with the aim of assessing changes in rescuing motor behavior, brain dopaminergic neurons, mitochondria and synapses (T-bars). The shorter treatment with both molecules revealed efficacy at the higher dose, improving climbing behavior with a prevention of dopaminergic neuronal demise. After 21 days, a recovery of the motor disability, dopaminergic neuron loss, mitochondrial damage and T-bars failure was observed with the DHZ-DIM. Our data indicate that the DHZ-DIM exerts a more potent neuroprotective effect with respect to the monomer in LRRK2-Dm, prompting further investigation of these compounds in rodent models of PD.

The combination of inorganic phosphate and pyrophosphate 31 P-NMR for the electrodeless pH determination in the 5-12 range.

Potentiometry is the primary pH measurement method, but alternatives are sought beyond glass electrodes operative limitations. In nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, electrodeless pH sensing is important to track changes along titrations, during chemical reactions or inside compartmentalized environments inaccessible to electrodes, for instance. Although several interesting NMR pH indicators have been already presented, the potential of inorganic phosphate is overlooked, despite its common presence in NMR samples as the buffer main component. Its use for electrodeless pH determination can be expanded by exploiting all its three proton dissociations. This study was aimed at verifying the use of inorganic phosphate 31 P chemical shift to sense pH variations, and at exploring the complementary use of pyrophosphate ions to cover a wide pH range. A simple set of equations is presented to utilize both phosphate and pyrophosphate 31 P chemical shift in combination for accurate pH determination without a glass electrode over the 5-12 pH range, and without affecting the spectrum of other nuclei. The present study demonstrated an average deviation of 0.09 (maximum <0.2) pH unit from glass electrode measurements. The trimethylphosphate can be used as a suitable chemical shift reference for both 31 P and 1 H (also 13 C), with its hydrolysis being significant only at pH > 12. The method was also demonstrated by determining the pKa of three distinct molecules in a mixture and by comparing the results to those obtained when the glass electrode was used to measure the pH. The approach shown here can be easily tuned to different experimental conditions.

Sustainable Electropolymerization of Zingerone and Its C2 Symmetric Dimer for Amperometric Biosensor Films.

Polymeric permselective films are frequently used for amperometric biosensors to prevent electroactive interference present in the target matrix. Phenylenediamines are the most commonly used for the deposition of shielding polymeric films against interfering species; however, even phenolic monomers have been utilized in the creation of these films for microsensors and biosensors. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performances of electrosynthesized polymers, layered by means of constant potential amperometry (CPA), of naturally occurring compound zingerone (ZING) and its dimer dehydrozingerone (ZING DIM), which was obtained by straight oxidative coupling reaction. The polymers showed interesting shielding characteristics against the main interfering species, such as ascorbic acid (AA): actually, polyZING exhibited an AA shielding aptitude comprised between 77.6 and 99.6%, comparable to that obtained with PPD. Moreover, a marked capability of increased monitoring of hydrogen peroxide (HP), when data were compared with bare metal results, was observed. In particular, polyZING showed increases ranging between 55.6 and 85.6%. In the present work, the molecular structures of the obtained polymers have been theorized and docking analyses were performed to understand their peculiar characteristics better. The structures were docked using the Lamarckian genetic algorithm (LGA). Glutamate biosensors based on those polymers were built, and their performances were compared with biosensors based on PPD, which is the most widespread polymer for the construction of amperometric biosensors.

Natural and natural-like polyphenol compounds: in vitro antioxidant activity and potential for therapeutic application.

Introduction: Phenols are a large family of natural and synthetic compounds with known antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to perform in vitro screening of natural and natural-like phenol monomers and their C2-symmetric dimers (hydroxylated biphenyls) in order to identify those representatives whose pharmacophores have the strongest antioxidant and the lowest prooxidant activity. Material and methods: Antioxidative properties of 36 compounds (monomers and their C2-symmetric dimers) were evaluated in vitro. Different (red/ox) assays were used to measure their total oxidative potential (TOP), their total antioxidative capacity (TAC), the pro-oxidative-antioxidant balance (PAB) and total SH-group content (SHG) in a biologically relevant environment. The Pro-oxidative Score, Antioxidative Score and the Oxy Score were also calculated. Trolox, a water soluble analogue of α-tocopherol, was used as a positive control. Results: In an assay consisting of pooled human serum, 6 of the 36 compounds showed significant antioxidant activity (compounds 6, 7, 12, 13, 26, and 27), whereas 4 showed extremely weak antioxidant activity (compounds 2, 29, 30, and 31). Within the 36 compounds comprising zingerone, dehydrozingerone, aurone, chalcone, and magnolol derivatives, in both monomeric and dimeric forms, the 2 compounds that indicated the highest antioxidant activity were dehydrozingerone derivatives (compounds 6 and 12). Trolox's activity was found between the strong and weak antioxidant compounds analysed in our study. Conclusions: In this study selected dehydrozingerones were identified as good candidates for in-depth testing of their biological behaviour and for possible precursors for synthesis of novel polyphenolic molecules with potential therapeutic applications.

Molecular Docking and Comparative Inhibitory Efficacy of Naturally Occurring Compounds on Vegetative Growth and Deoxynivalenol Biosynthesis in Fusarium culmorum.

The fungal pathogen Fusarium culmorum causes Fusarium head blight in cereals, resulting in yield loss and contamination of the grain by type B trichothecene mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON), and its acetylated derivatives. Synthesis of trichothecenes is driven by a trichodiene synthase (TRI5) that converts farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to trichodiene. In this work, 15 naturally occurring compounds that belong to the structural phenol and hydroxylated biphenyl classes were tested in vitro and in planta (durum wheat) to determine their inhibitory activity towards TRI5. In vitro analysis highlighted the fungicidal effect of these compounds when applied at 0.25 mM. Greenhouse assays showed a strong inhibitory activity of octyl gallate 5, honokiol 13 and the combination propyl gallate 4 + thymol 7 on trichothecene biosynthesis. Docking analyses were run on the 3D model of F. culmorum TRI5 containing the inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) or FPP. Significant ligand affinities with TRI-PPi and TRI-FPP were observed for the same sites for almost all compounds, with 1 and 2 as privileged sites. Octyl gallate 5 and honokiol 13 interacted almost exclusively with sites 1 and 2, by concurrently activating strong H-bonds with common sets of amino acids. These results open new perspectives for the targeted search of naturally occurring compounds that may find practical application in the eco-friendly control of FHB in wheat.

Natural Chain-Breaking Antioxidants and Their Synthetic Analogs as Modulators of Oxidative Stress.

Oxidative stress is associated with the increased production of reactive oxygen species or with a significant decrease in the effectiveness of antioxidant enzymes and nonenzymatic defense. The penetration of oxygen and free radicals in the hydrophobic interior of biological membranes initiates radical disintegration of the hydrocarbon "tails" of the lipids. This process is known as "lipid peroxidation", and the accumulation of the oxidation products as peroxides and the aldehydes and acids derived from them are often used as a measure of oxidative stress levels. In total, 40 phenolic antioxidants were selected for a comparative study and analysis of their chain-breaking antioxidant activity, and thus as modulators of oxidative stress. This included natural and natural-like ortho-methoxy and ortho-hydroxy phenols, nine of them newly synthesized. Applied experimental and theoretical methods (bulk lipid autoxidation, chemiluminescence, in silico methods such as density functional theory (DFT) and quantitative structure-activity relationship ((Q)SAR) modeling) were used to clarify their structure-activity relationship. Kinetics of non-inhibited and inhibited lipid oxidation in close connection with inhibitor transformation under oxidative stress is considered. Special attention has been paid to chemical reactions resulting in the initiation of free radicals, a key stage of oxidative stress. Effects of substituents in the side chains and in the phenolic ring of hydroxylated phenols and biphenols, and the concentration were discussed.

Prenylated Trans-Cinnamic Esters and Ethers against Clinical Fusarium spp.: Repositioning of Natural Compounds in Antimicrobial Discovery.

Onychomycosis is a common nail infection mainly caused by species belonging to the F. oxysporum, F. solani, and F. fujikuroi species complexes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro susceptibility of six representative strains of clinically relevant Fusarium spp. toward a set of natural-occurring hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives with the purpose to develop naturally occurring products in order to cope with emerging resistance phenomena. By introducing a prenylated chain at one of the hydroxy groups of trans-cinnamic acids 1-3, ten prenylated derivatives (coded 4-13) were preliminarily investigated in solid Fusarium minimal medium (FMM). Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and lethal dose 50 (LD50) values were then determined in liquid FMM for the most active selected antifungal p-coumaric acid 3,3'-dimethyl allyl ester 13, in comparison with the conventional fungicides terbinafine (TRB) and amphotericin B (AmB), through the quantification of the fungal growth. Significant growth inhibition was observed for prenylated derivatives 4-13, evidencing ester 13 as the most active. This compound presented MIC and LD50 values (62-250 µM and 7.8-125 µM, respectively) comparable to those determined for TRB and AmB in the majority of the tested pathogenic strains. The position and size of the prenylated chain and the presence of a free phenol OH group appear crucial for the antifungal activity. This work represents the first report on the activity of prenylated cinnamic esters and ethers against clinical Fusarium spp. and opens new avenues in the development of alternative antifungal compounds based on a drug repositioning strategy.

Conformational change following conversion of inactive rhinophrynin-33 to bioactive rhinophrynin-27 in the skin of the frog Rhinophrynus dorsalis.

Skin secretions of the Mexican burrowing toad Rhinophrynus dorsalis (Rhinophrynidae) contain the proline-arginine-rich peptide, rhinophrynin-27 (RP-27; ELRLPEIARPVPEVLPARLPLPALPRN) with insulinotropic and immunomodulatory properties, together with a higher concentration of the biologically inactive form, rhinophrynin-33 (RP-33) that constitutes RP-27 extended from its C-terminus by the hexapeptide KMAKNQ. Determination of the conformation of RP-33 by NMR demonstrates that in both water and in a solvent that promotes protein folding (50% trifluoroethanol-water), the majority of the proline residues are found in a polyproline type II helical region. The peptide adopts a horseshoe (U-shaped) conformation with pronounced bends in the molecule of around 100°-120° at Glu13 and Arg18. The hexapeptide extension adopts a α-helical conformation. When the hexapeptide is excised to generate RP-27, the molecule adopts an L-shaped conformation with a single bend at Glu13. A search of protein sequence databases indicated the P-X-P-XXX-P-XXX-P-X-P motif found in RP-27 and RP-33 occurs in a number of proteins although its functional implications are unclear. The data suggest that RP-33 represents a biosynthetic precursor of RP-27 that is activated by a protease cleaving at a single lysine residue of the type previously identified in Xenopus laevis skin secretions.

Synthesis and Studies of the Inhibitory Effect of Hydroxylated Phenylpropanoids and Biphenols Derivatives on Tyrosinase and Laccase Enzymes.

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.

Conformational analysis and in vitro immunomodulatory and insulinotropic properties of the frog skin host-defense peptide rhinophrynin-27 and selected analogs.

The study investigates conformational analysis and the in vitro cytokine-mediated immunomodulatory and insulin-releasing activities of rhinophrynin-27 (ELRLPEIARPVPEVLPARLPLPALPRN; RP-27), a proline-arginine-rich peptide first isolated from skin secretions of the Mexican burrowing toad Rhinophrynus dorsalis (Rhinophrynidae). In both water and 50% trifluoroethanol-water, the peptide adopts a polyproline type II helical conformation with a high degree of deviation from the canonical collagen-like folding and a pronounced bend in the molecule at the Glu13 residue. Incubation of mouse peritoneal cells with RP-27 significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß and stimulated production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The peptide significantly (P < 0.01) stimulated release of insulin from BRIN-BD11 rat clonal ß-cells at concentrations ≥ 1 nM while maintaining the integrity of the plasma membrane and also stimulated insulin release from isolated mouse islets at a concentration of 10-6 M. Increasing the cationicity of RP-27 by substituting glutamic acid residues in the peptide by arginine and increasing hydrophobicity by substituting alanine residues by tryptophan did not result in analogues with increased activity with respect to cytokine production and insulin release. The combination of immunosuppressive and insulinotropic activities together with very low cytotoxicity suggests that RP-27 may represent a template for the development of an agent for use in anti-inflammatory and Type 2 diabetes therapies.

Honokiol, magnolol and its monoacetyl derivative show strong anti-fungal effect on Fusarium isolates of clinical relevance.

The antifungal activity of magnolol and honokiol, two naturally occurring hydroxylated biphenyls, and of their synthetic derivatives was evaluated on a collection of representative isolates of Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani and F. verticillioides of clinical and ecological concern. The tested compounds were proposed as a 'natural' alternative to conventional fungicides, even though a larger range of concentrations (5-400 µg/ml) was applied. The activity of magnolol and honokiol was compared with that of terbinafine (0.1-10 µg/ml), and fluconazole (1-50 µg/ml), two fungicides widely used in treating fungal infections on humans. Magnolol showed similar fungicidal activity compared to fluconazole, whereas honokiol was more effective in inhibiting mycelium growth compared to this fungicide on all tested clinical Fusarium spp. isolates. Compared to terbinafine, honokiol showed similar antifungal activity when tested on clinical F. solani isolates, whereas magnolol was less effective at all selected concentrations (5-400 µg/ml). The different position of the phenol-OH group, as well as its protection, explain different in vitro activities between magnolol, honokiol, and their derivatives. Furthermore, magnolol showed mycelium dry weight reduction at a concentration of 0.5 mM when tested on a set of agricultural isolates of Fusaria, leading to complete inhibition of some of them. Magnolol and honokiol are proposed as efficient and safe candidates for treating clinically relevant Fusaria.

A New Synthetic Spiroketal: Studies on Antitumor Activity on Murine Melanoma Model In Vivo and Mechanism of Action In Vitro.

BACKGROUND: In a previous study, we synthesised a new spiroketal derivative, inspired to natural products, that has shown high antiproliferative activity, potent telomerase inhibition and proapoptotic activity on several human cell lines. OBJECTIVE: This work focused on the study of in vivo antitumor effect of this synthetic spiroketal on a murine melanoma model. In order to shed additional light on the origin of the antitumor effect, in vitro studies were performed. METHODS: Spiroketal was administered to B16F10 melanoma mice at a dose of 5 mg/Kg body weight via intraperitoneum at alternate days for 15 days. Tumor volume measures were made every 2 days starting after 12 days from cells injection. The effects of the spiroketal on tumor growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle modification were investigated in vitro on B16 cells. HIF1α gene expression, the inhibition of cells migration and the changes induced in cytoskeleton conformation were evaluated. RESULTS: Spiroketal displayed proapoptotic activity and high antitumor activity in B16 cells with nanomolar IC50. Moreover it has shown to inhibit cell migration, to strongly reduce the HIF1α expression and to induce strongly deterioration of cytoskeleton structure. A potent dose-dependent antitumor efficacy in syngenic B16/C57BL/6J murine model of melanoma was observed with the suppression of tumor growth by an average of 90% at a dose of 5 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: The synthesized spiroketal shows high antitumor activity in the B16 cells in vitro at nM concentration and a dose-dependent antitumor efficacy in syngenic B16/C57BL/6J mice. The results suggest that this natural product inspired spiroketal may have a potential application in melanoma therapy.

Synthesis of magnolol and honokiol derivatives and their effect against hepatocarcinoma cells.

The hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumour with high level of mortality rate due to its rapid progression and high resistance to conventional chemotherapies. Thus, the search for novel therapeutic leads is of global interest. Herein, a small set of derivatives of magnolol 1 and honokiol 2, the main components of Magnolia grandiflora and Magnolia obovata, were evaluated in in vitro assay using tumoral hepatocytes. The pro-drug approach was applied as versatile strategy to the improve bioactivity of the compounds by careful transformation of the hydroxyl groups of magnolol 1 and honokiol 2 in suitable ester derivatives. Compounds 10 and 11 resulted to be more potent than the parental honokiol 2 at concentration down to 1 µM with complete viability of treated fibroblast cells up to concentrations of 80 µM. The combination of a butyrate ester and a bare phenol-OH group in the honokiol structure seemed to play a significant role in the antiproliferative activity identifying an interesting pharmacological clue against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Natural and natural-like phenolic inhibitors of type B trichothecene in vitro production by the wheat (Triticum sp.) pathogen Fusarium culmorum.

Fusarium culmorum, a fungal pathogen of small grain cereals, produces 4-deoxynivalenol and its acetylated derivatives that may cause toxicoses on humans or animals consuming contaminated food or feed. Natural and natural-like compounds belonging to phenol and hydroxylated biphenyl structural classes were tested in vitro to determine their activity on vegetative growth and trichothecene biosynthesis by F. culmorum. Most of the compounds tested at 1.5 or 1.0 mM reduced 3-acetyl-4-deoxynivalenol production by over 70% compared to the control, without affecting fungal growth significantly. Furthermore, several compounds retained their ability to inhibit toxin in vitro production at the lowest concentrations of 0.5 and 0.25 mM. Magnolol 27 showed fungicidal activity even at 0.1 mM. No linear correlation was observed between antioxidant properties of the compounds and their ability to inhibit fungal growth and mycotoxigenic capacity. A guaiacyl unit in the structure may play a key role in trichothecene inhibition.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel cRGD-paclitaxel conjugates for integrin-assisted drug delivery.

The efficacy of taxane-based antitumor therapy is limited by several drawbacks which result in a poor therapeutic index. Thus, the development of approaches that favor selective delivery of taxane drugs (e.g., paclitaxel, PTX) to the disease area represents a truly challenging goal. On the basis of the strategic role of integrins in tumor cell survival and tumor progression, as well as on integrin expression in tumors, novel molecular conjugates were prepared where PTX is covalently attached to either cyclic AbaRGD (Azabicycloalkane-RGD) or AmproRGD (Aminoproline-RGD) integrin-recognizing matrices via structurally diverse connections. Receptor-binding assays indicated satisfactory-to-excellent α(V)ß(3) binding capabilities for most conjugates, while in vitro growth inhibition assays on a panel of human tumor cell lines revealed outstanding cell sensitivity values. Among the nine conjugate ensemble, derivative 21, bearing a robust triazole ring connected to ethylene glycol units by an amide function and showing excellent cell sensitivity properties, was selected for in vivo studies in an ovarian carcinoma model xenografted in immunodeficient mice. Remarkable antitumor activity was attained, superior to that of PTX itself, which was associated with a marked induction of aberrant mitoses, consistent with the mechanism of action of spindle poisons. Overall, the novel cRGD-PTX conjugates disclosed here represent promising candidates for further advancement in the domain of targeted antitumor therapy.

4-Aminoproline-based arginine-glycine-aspartate integrin binders with exposed ligation points: practical in-solution synthesis, conjugation and binding affinity evaluation.

An expedient and practical in-solution synthesis of three new 4-aminoproline-based arginine-glycine-aspartate integrin binders--compounds 15, 17 and 19--is presented. Two candidates carrying exposed azide and amine functional points were further advanced to trimeric platform 21 as well as fluorescein- and DOTA-conjugates 23 and 25. The new compounds were assayed for their binding affinity towards human alpha(V)beta3 and alpha(V)beta5 integrin receptors. Both monomeric candidates and covalent conjugates revealed potent ligand competence for the alpha(V)beta3 receptor in the one-digit nanomolar range (IC50 alpha(V)beta3 = 0.2-8.0 nM; IC50 alpha(V)beta5 = 5.0-1621 nM), thus demonstrating that conjugation does not impair the exquisite binding profile of this new generation of integrin ligands.

Generation of phosphorus-centered radicals via homolytic substitution at sulfur.

A novel radical domino process relying on the homolytic cleavage of P-S bonds allows the preparation of phosphorus-containing molecules through addition of P-centered radicals onto olefins. The key step of this reaction is a homolytic substitution on a sulfur atom. The scope of the reaction is broad. Diaminophosphonyl radicals whose reactivity was unknown react smoothly with olefins. Use of tin hydride can be avoided. A radical thiophosphinoylation of triple bonds has been uncovered. [reaction: see text]