A multi-line platinum nanozyme-based lateral flow device for the colorimetric evaluation of total antioxidant capacity in different matrices.

The evaluation of Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), namely the complete pattern of antioxidant species in a complex medium, is of major interest in many fields ranging from health monitoring to quality control in the food industry. In this framework, point-of-care (POC) testing technologies are a promising diagnostic solution for rapid on-site analyses, unlike laboratory based-assays, which are often limited by centralized analyses, time-consuming and costly procedures, and invasiveness in the case of health diagnostics. In this work, we developed a POC methodology that evaluates TAC in different matrices, exploiting the peroxidase-like properties of 5 nm platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs), combined with a colorimetric paper-based device. Notably, we designed and optimized a multi-line PtNPs-based Lateral Flow Assay (LFA), which relies on three sequential test lines with increasing concentrations of platinum nanozymes, to get a non-invasive, accurate, and fast (10 minutes) colorimetric evaluation of the body TAC in saliva samples. Furthermore, we employed the device as a prototype of a quality control tool in the food industry, for the determination of the TAC in fruit juices.

Mono- and di-acylated imidazolidine-2-thione derivatives: synthesis, cytotoxicity evaluation and computational studies.

Imidazolidine-2-thione substructure represents a pharmaceutically attractive scaffold, being included in different antimicrobial, anticancer and pesticide agents. To further evaluate the pharmaceutical potential of this chemical moiety, imidazolidine-2-thione was reacted with atypical Vilsmeier adducts, obtained by the condensation between dimethylacetamide and various acyl chlorides endowed with different electronic and steric properties. The formation of mono-acylated or di-acylated thiourea derivatives emerged to be affected by the nature of the considered acyl chloride reagent. Computational semi-empirical simulations were carried out to rationalize the relevant factor influencing the outcome of the reaction. As acylthioureas are pharmacologically relevant compounds, the chemical versatility of mono-acylated derivatives were evaluated by reacting benzoyl imidazolidin-2-thione with acyl chlorides. A small library of asymmetric di-acylthioureas was prepared and the obtained derivatives did not show any cytotoxicity on SKOV-3 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Additionally, in silico studies predicted good pharmacokinetics properties and promising drug-like characteristics for mono- and di-acylated thioureas. These considerations further support the value of the prepared compounds as interesting non-cytotoxic chemical scaffold useful in the medicinal chemistry field.