Securinine Derivatives as Potential Anti-amyloid Therapeutic Approach.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress and amyloid deposition are tightly interconnected pathological features of Alzheimer disease. In this respect, both amyloid production and aggregation may be stimulated by oxidative stress and also the increase of pathogenic ß-amyloid and its aggregated form lead to oxidative stress progression. Therefore, the search for potential drugs with both antioxidant and antiaggregation properties are of great interest. METHODS: In this study, we described the stereospecific synthesis of alkaloid securinine aminoderivatives. RESULTS: We showed that the newly synthesized compounds possess antioxidant and metal-chelating properties. Indeed, we report that one compound has inhibitory effects towards µ-amyloid aggregation. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, aminoderivatives of securinine scaffold are promising compounds for development of new drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Neuroprotective Effects of the Securinine-Analogues: Identification of Allomargaritarine as a Lead Compound.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial disturbances are the common and important causative factors of aging, and play an important role in the late onset of sporadic neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). Furthermore, emerging evidence from in vitro and in vivo disease models suggests that oxidative stress and increased vulnerability to induction of mitochondrial permeability transition leads to the pathogenesis of the neurological disorders. Towards the goals of developing effective neuroprotectors, this article describes the synthesis and neuroprotective studies of various derivatives of the naturally occurring alkaloid securinine, based on which a lead compound, allomargaritarine (a diastereomer of margaritarine), was identified as an effective therapeutic for neuroprotection. Allomargaritarine exhibits high antioxidant activity, and has significant mitoprotective effect on cellular models of neurodegeneration.

Biological Activities of QIAPI 1 as a Melanin Precursor and Its Therapeutic Effects in Wistar Rats Exposed to Arsenic Poisoning.

The chemical process initiated by QIAPI 1 has been deemed to be the most important biological reaction associated with human photosynthesis, and possibly neuroprotective effects under various inflammatory events. However, the detailed biological activities of QIAPI 1 as a melanin precursor are still unknown. In the present work, cytotoxicity test was done by MTT assay to determine cell viability of various cell lines (WI-38, A549, HS 683) like proliferation tests and its effect on cytokine production. Arsenic poisoning is an often-unrecognized cause of renal insufficiency. No prophylactic and/or therapeutic compounds have shown promising results against kidney diseases. The pathogenesis of Arsenic-induced nephropathy is not clear. Arsenic, as itself, does not degrade over time in the environment, and its accumulation may induce toxic effects. In this study, we also report the histological findings of the kidney in 3 groups of Wistar rats, a control group, a group exposed to arsenic in the water; and a group exposed to arsenic and treated with QIAPI 1 simultaneously. The findings of the current evidence indicates a potential therapeutic ability of QIAPI 1.