A synthetically benign one-pot construction of enamino-xanthene dyes.

Polyhydroxylated phenols are components of biomass and precursors of pigments in plants. This paper reports a novel entry to xanthene dyes, involving the reaction of 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde with primary aliphatic amines. This catalyst-free synthesis exhibits a high atom economy and can be conducted under eco-friendly conditions and operational simplicity.

Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of new 2-glyco-3-nitro-2H-chromenes.

3-nitro-2H-chromenes and derivatives are compounds with diverse biological activity, among them, new 2-glyco-3-nitro-2H-chromenes have been prepared by one-pot oxa-Michael-Henry-dehydration reactions between carbohydrate-derived nitroalkenes and several salicylaldehydes, using a minimal amount of solvent and DBU as catalyst. The antiproliferative activity of these new compounds has been evaluated against a panel of six human solid tumor cell lines, and compared to pharmacological reference compounds, finding that their activities are in the low micromolar range and that some of them are more effective than the standards.

Targeting cow's milk allergy using hypoallergenic protein-polyphenol formulas: A proof of concept.

Cow's milk allergy caused by a hypersensitivity to milk proteins has increased over the last years. Hypoallergenic responses can be induced by altering the structure of such proteins with chemical modifiers; this paper is about the creation of edible matrices based on polyphenols from orange peel. Some compounds were able to significantly lower the IgE binding from ß-lactoglobulin allergic serum in sensitized patients. Such effects could also be observed for casein allergic serum in patients sensitized to both proteins. A certain inter-individual variability is observed, although polyphenols do actually induce salient structural changes. This indicates that molecular modifications aimed at oral treatments against food allergy may or may not correlate with reduced allergenicity, and hence the necessity for serum monitoring through immunological assays. Overall, the results are promising enough to validate the polyphenol-fortified approach. In addition, this study highlights the upgrading of vegetable waste, consistent with a circular economy in food chemistry.

Food Allergens: When Friends Become Foes-Caveats and Opportunities for Oral Immunotherapy Based on Deactivation Methods.

Food allergies represent a serious health concern and, since the 1990s, they have risen gradually in high-income countries. Unfortunately, the problem is complex because genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors may be collectively involved. Prevention and diagnoses have not yet evolved into efficacious therapies. Identification and control of allergens present in edible substances hold promise for multi-purpose biomedical approaches, including oral immunotherapy. This review highlights recent studies and methods to modify the otherwise innocuous native proteins in most subjects, and how oral treatments targeting immune responses could help cancel out the potential risks in hypersensitive individuals, especially children. We have focused on some physical methods that can easily be conducted, along with chemo-enzymatic modifications of allergens by means of peptides and phytochemicals in particular. The latter, accessible from naturally-occurring substances, provide an added value to hypoallergenic matrices employing vegetal wastes, a point where food chemistry meets sustainable goals as well.