Non-targeted and targeted analysis of collagen hydrolysates during the course of digestion and absorption.

Protein hydrolysates are an important part of the human diet. Often, they are prepared from milk, soy, or collagen. In the present study, four different collagen hydrolysates were tested, varying in the average molecular weight and the animal source. Three types of samples, the dissolved start products, in vitro generated dialysates (containing the digested components that are potentially available for small intestinal absorption), and human serum collected after product ingestion, were analyzed using LC-MS to compare the state of the hydrolysates before and after absorption, i.e., uptake into the blood. It was found that the composition of the collagen hydrolysates prior to and after ingestion was highly complex and dynamic, which made it challenging to predefine a strategy for a targeted analysis. Therefore, we implemented a new analytical approach to first map hydrolysate data sets by performing non-targeted LC-MS analysis followed by non-targeted and targeted data analysis. It was shown that the insight gained by following such a top down (data) analytical workflow could be crucial for defining a suitable targeted setup and considering data trends beyond the defined targets. After having defined and performed a limited targeted analysis, it was found that, in our experimental setup, Hyp-Gly and especially Pro-Hyp contributed significantly as carrier to the total Hyp increase in blood after ingestion of collagen hydrolysate. Graphical abstract.

Irinotecan-Induced Mucositis Is Associated with Goblet Cell Dysregulation and Neural Cell Damage in a Tumour Bearing DA Rat Model.

Irinotecan-induced mucositis is a major oncological problem. Goblet cells secrete mucus, protecting the intestinal mucosa, with secretion altered during mucositis. The enteric nervous system is involved in regulating gut motility and secretion. The aim of this study was to determine whether enteric neural cells and goblet cells are altered following irinotecan treatment. Tumour-bearing Dark Agouti rats were administered a single dose of 175 mg/kg of irinotecan intraperitoneally and 0.01 mg/kg atropine subcutaneously. Experimental and untreated control rats were killed at times 6, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h after treatment. Jejunum and colon samples were formalin fixed. Haematoxylin and eosin staining, Alcian Blue-PAS staining, and immunohistochemistry with S-100 antibody (neural cell marker) were carried out. Statistical analyses were carried out using Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunns post test, Mann Whitney U test and nonlinear regression. Total goblet cells decreased at 72 h compared with controls in the colon (p < 0.05). The percentage of cavitated goblet cells decreased compared to all other time points at 120 h in the colon. The number of S-100 positive cells in the submucosal plexus decreased in the colon (p = 0.0046) and in the myenteric plexus of the jejunum and colon (p = 0.0058 and p = 0.0022, respectively), when comparing treated with control. Enteric ganglia in the myenteric plexus of the jejunum decreased at 24 h and 96 h. Irinotecan-induced mucositis is associated with increases in mucus secretion, and enteric neural cell change. These changes may contribute to the pathophysiology of mucositis through the dysregulation of neural signalling.

The effects of collagen peptides on muscle damage, inflammation and bone turnover following exercise: a randomized, controlled trial.

This study examined whether consuming collagen peptides (CP) before and after strenuous exercise alters markers of muscle damage, inflammation and bone turnover. Using a double-blind, independent group's design, 24 recreationally active males consumed either 20 g day-1 of CP or a placebo control (CON) for 7 days before and 2 days after performing 150 drop jumps. Maximal isometric voluntary contractions, countermovement jumps (CMJ), muscle soreness (200 mm visual analogue scale), pressure pain threshold, Brief Assessment of Mood Adapted (BAM +) and a range of blood markers associated with muscle damage, inflammation and bone turnover C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (ß-CTX) and N-terminal propeptides of type 1 pro-collagen (P1NP) were measured before supplementation (baseline; BL), pre, post, 1.5, 24 and 48 h post-exercise. Muscle soreness was not significantly different in CP and CON (P = 0.071) but a large effect size was evident at 48 h post-exercise, indicative of lower soreness in the CP group (90.42 ± 45.33 mm vs. CON 125.67 ± 36.50 mm; ES = 2.64). CMJ height recovered quicker with CP than CON at 48 h (P = 0.050; CP 89.96 ± 12.85 vs. CON 78.67 ± 14.41% of baseline values; ES = 0.55). There were no statistically significant effects for the other dependent variables (P > 0.05). ß-CTX and P1NP were unaffected by CP supplementation (P > 0.05). In conclusion, CP had moderate benefits for the recovery of CMJ and muscle soreness but had no influence on inflammation and bone collagen synthesis.

Oral microbiota reduce wound healing capacity of epithelial monolayers, irrespective of the presence of 5-fluorouracil.

Oral mucositis is still one of the most painful side effects of chemotherapeutic treatment and a mounting body of evidence suggests a key role for the oral microbiome in mucositis development. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this work, we have investigated the interactions between the host, the microbiome, and chemotherapeutic treatments in more detail. The effect of 5-fluorouracil, commonly inducing mucositis, was assessed on a co-culture model that consists of an epithelial cell layer and a biofilm derived from oral microbiota from different types of samples (saliva, buccal swabs and tongue swabs) and donors (healthy individuals and patients suffering from mucositis). After 24 h co-incubation, all oral microbial samples were found to reduce wound healing capacity with 26 ± 15% as compared with untreated condition. Compared with saliva and tongue samples, buccal samples were characterized by lower bacterial cell counts and hence higher wound healing capacity. For samples from healthy individuals, an inverse correlation was observed between bacterial cell counts and wound healing capacity, whereas for patients suffering from mucositis no correlation was observed. Moreover, patient-derived samples had a less diverse microbial community and higher abundances of pathogenic genera. No major impact of 5-fluorouracil on wound healing capacity or the composition of the microbiome was seen at physiologically relevant concentrations in the mouth. In conclusion, bacterial cell count is inversely correlated with wound healing capacity, which emphasizes the importance of oral hygiene during oral wound healing in healthy individuals. However, future research on extra measures besides oral hygiene is needed to assure a good wound healing during mucositis, as for patients the bacterial composition seems also crucial. The direct effect of 5-fluorouracil on both the microbiome and wound healing is minimal, pointing to the importance of the host and its immune system in chemotherapy-induced microbial shifts. Impact statement Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis has a major impact on the quality of life of patients. The additional costs and treatment time associated with this pathology are significant. Although the pathology of the disease is well understood, the role and importance of oral microbiota currently are less clear. In this study, we focused on the effect of oral microbiota on wound healing, the final phase of oral mucositis, during 5-FU exposure. We show that the bacterial load and composition have a major impact on the healing process in contrast to 5-FU which only marginally slows down healing. This emphasizes the importance of good oral health care during oral mucositis to minimize bacterial load around the oral lesions. However, since we show that also the composition of the oral microbiome plays a role in wound recovery, the identification of specific pathogenic species or their metabolites might be worthwhile to allow proper treatment.

5-Fluorouracil and irinotecan (SN-38) have limited impact on colon microbial functionality and composition in vitro.

Gastrointestinal mucositis is a debilitating side effect of chemotherapy treatment, with currently no treatment available. As changes in microbial composition have been reported upon chemotherapy treatment in vivo, it is thought that gut microbiota dysbiosis contribute to the mucositis etiology. Yet it is not known whether chemotherapeutics directly cause microbial dysbiosis, thereby increasing mucositis risk, or whether the chemotherapeutic subjected host environment disturbs the microbiome thereby aggravating the disease. To address this question, we used the M-SHIME®, an in vitro mucosal simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem, as an experimental setup that excludes the host factor. The direct impact of two chemotherapeutics, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and SN-38 (active metabolite of irinotecan), on the luminal and mucosal gut microbiota from several human donors was investigated through monitoring fermentation activity and next generation sequencing. At a dose of 10 µM in the mucosal environment, 5-FU impacted the functionality and composition of the colon microbiota to a minor extent. Similarly, a daily dose of 10 µM SN-38 in the luminal environment did not cause significant changes in the functionality or microbiome composition. As our mucosal model does not include a host-compartment, our findings strongly indicate that a putative microbial contribution to mucositis is initially triggered by an altered host environment upon chemotherapy.

5-Fluorouracil sensitivity varies among oral micro-organisms.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, often causes oral mucositis, an inflammation and ulceration of the oral mucosa. Micro-organisms in the oral cavity are thought to play an important role in the aggravation and severity of mucositis, but the mechanisms behind this remain unclear. Although 5-FU has been shown to elicit antibacterial effects at high concentrations (>100 µM), its antibacterial effect at physiologically relevant concentrations in the oral cavity is unknown. This study reports the effect of different concentrations of 5-FU (range 0.1-50 µM) on the growth and viability of bacterial monocultures that are present in the oral cavity and the possible role in the activity of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), an enzyme involved in 5-FU resistance. Our data showed a differential sensitivity among the tested oral species towards physiological concentrations of 5-FU. Klebsiellaoxytoca, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Lactobacillus salivarius appeared to be highly resistant to all tested concentrations. In contrast, Lactobacillusoris, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus pyogenes, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Neisseria mucosa showed a significant reduction in growth and viability starting from very low concentrations (0.2-3.1 µM). We can also provide evidence that DPD is not involved in the 5-FU resistance of the selected species. The observed variability in response to physiological 5-FU concentrations may explain why certain microbiota lead to a community dysbiosis and/or an overgrowth of certain resistant micro-organisms in the oral cavity following cancer treatment.

Low-dose irradiation affects the functional behavior of oral microbiota in the context of mucositis.

The role of host-microbe interactions in the pathobiology of oral mucositis is still unclear; therefore, this study aimed to unravel the effect of irradiation on behavioral characteristics of oral microbial species in the context of mucositis. Using various experimental in vitro setups, the effects of irradiation on growth and biofilm formation of two Candida spp., Streptococcus salivarius and Klebsiella oxytoca in different culture conditions were evaluated. Irradiation did not affect growth of planktonic cells, but reduced the number of K. oxytoca cells in newly formed biofilms cultured in static conditions. Biofilm formation of K. oxytoca and Candida glabrata was affected by irradiation and depended on the culturing conditions. In the presence of mucins, these effects were lost, indicating the protective nature of mucins. Furthermore, the Galleria melonella model was used to study effects on microbial virulence. Irradiated K. oxytoca microbes were more virulent in G. melonella larvae compared to the nonirradiated ones. Our data indicate that low-dose irradiation can have an impact on functional characteristics of microbial species. Screening for pathogens like K. oxytoca in the context of mucosits could be useful to allow early detection and immediate intervention.

4-Fluoro-3',4',5'-trimethoxychalcone as a new anti-invasive agent. From discovery to initial validation in an in vivo metastasis model.

Invasion and metastasis are responsible for 90% of cancer-related mortality. Herein, we report on our quest for novel, clinically relevant inhibitors of local invasion, based on a broad screen of natural products in a phenotypic assay. Starting from micromolar chalcone hits, a predictive QSAR model for diaryl propenones was developed, and synthetic analogues with a 100-fold increase in potency were obtained. Two nanomolar hits underwent efficacy validation and eADMET profiling; one compound was shown to increase the survival time in an artificial metastasis model in nude mice. Although the molecular mechanism(s) by which these substances mediate efficacy remain(s) unrevealed, we were able to eliminate the major targets commonly associated with antineoplastic chalcones.

Dark Agouti rat model of chemotherapy-induced mucositis: establishment and current state of the art.

Mucositis is a major oncological problem. The entire gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract and also other mucosal surfaces can be affected in recipients of radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy. Major progress has been made in recent years in understanding the mechanisms of oral and small intestinal mucositis, which appears to be more prominent than colonic damage. This progress is largely due to the development of representative laboratory animal models of mucositis. This review focuses on the development and establishment of the Dark Agouti rat mammary adenocarcinoma model by the Mucositis Research Group of the University of Adelaide over the past 20 years to characterize the mechanisms underlying methotrexate-, 5-fluorouracil-, and irinotecan-induced mucositis. It also aims to summarize the results from studies using different animal model systems to identify new molecular and cellular markers of mucositis.

Microbial inhibition of oral epithelial wound recovery: potential role for quorum sensing molecules?

Awareness of the impact of microbiota in both health and disease is growing. Using a new in vitro oral mucosa co-culture model, we recently showed a clear inhibition of epithelial wound healing in the presence of an oral microbial community. In this paper, we have used the same model in combination with specific oral microbial species to obtain a better insight into the role of the oral microbiota in wound healing. Monocultures of Klebsiella oxytoca and Lactobacillus salivarius significantly inhibited wound healing with ~20%, whereas Streptococcus mitis and S. oralis enhanced the healing process with ~15% in 24 h. Yet, neither S. oralis or S. mitis were able to counteract the inhibitory effects from K. oxytoca on wound healing. Other tested microbial species had no effect on wound healing. Apart from this species-dependency, the inhibitory effect on wound healing depended on a microbial threshold concentration. Further mechanistic experiments with K. oxytoca excluded different microbial factors and hypothesized that quorum sensing molecules might play a role in the inter-kingdom signalling during wound healing. These results are important for the development of new strategies for the management of (infected) wounds and ulcerations.

Host-microbe cross talk in cancer therapy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Microbiota secrete a multitude of factors that either confer virulence or promote colonization because they are continuously challenged by host immune responses. The dynamic interplay between the host's immune response and microbiota eventually determines the outcome for the host: health or disease. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in this interplay as they can recognize both microbial and host-derived ligands on the basis of the context in which recognition occurs. RECENT FINDINGS: Evidence is accumulating that conventional cancer therapies alter interactions and cross talks between the host and microbiota. This has been shown for intestinal mucositis, a common side-effect of various cancer therapies. Advances have been made in the development of new and less toxic cancer strategies. One promising field is immunotherapy on the basis of TLR activation through recognition of microbial-associated molecular patterns. SUMMARY: Evidence is emerging, indicating that existing cancer therapies have implications on the composition and functionality of the host-microbiota environment. This may favor the colonization of pathogens and build up the overall toxicity of the drug. Exploitation of the host-microbiota cross talks mediated by TLRs is an emerging and promising field in the search for new, less toxic anticancer strategies.

8-prenylnaringenin and tamoxifen inhibit the shedding of irradiated epithelial cells and increase the latency period of radiation-induced oral mucositis : cell culture and murine model.

PURPOSE: The major component in the pathogenesis of oral radiation-induced mucositis is progressive epithelial hypoplasia and eventual ulceration. Irradiation inhibits cell proliferation, while cell loss at the surface continues. We conceived to slow down this desquamation by increasing intercellular adhesion, regulated by the E-cadherin/catenin complex. We investigated if 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) or tamoxifen (TAM) decrease the shedding of irradiated human buccal epithelial cells in vitro and thus delay the ulcerative phase of radiation-induced mucositis in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro, aggregates of buccal epithelial cells were irradiated and cultured in suspension for 11 days. 8-PN or TAM were investigated regarding their effect on cell shedding. In vivo, the lower tongue surface of mice was irradiated with graded single doses of 25 kV X-rays. The incidence, latency, and duration of the resulting mucosal ulcerations were analyzed after topical treatment with 8-PN, TAM or solvent. RESULTS: 8-PN or TAM prevented the volume reduction of the irradiated cell aggregates during the incubation period. This was the result of a higher residual cell number in the treated versus the untreated irradiated aggregates. In vivo, topical treatment with 8-PN or TAM significantly increased the latency of mucositis from 10.9 to 12.1 and 12.4 days respectively, while the ulcer incidence was unchanged. CONCLUSION: 8-PN and TAM prevent volume reduction of irradiated cell aggregates in suspension culture. In the tongues of mice, these compounds increase the latency period. This suggests a role for these compounds for the amelioration of radiation-induced mucositis in the treatment of head and neck tumors.

The HMI™ module: a new tool to study the Host-Microbiota Interaction in the human gastrointestinal tract in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Recent scientific developments have shed more light on the importance of the host-microbe interaction, particularly in the gut. However, the mechanistic study of the host-microbe interplay is complicated by the intrinsic limitations in reaching the different areas of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in vivo. In this paper, we present the technical validation of a new device--the Host-Microbiota Interaction (HMI) module--and the evidence that it can be used in combination with a gut dynamic simulator to evaluate the effect of a specific treatment at the level of the luminal microbial community and of the host surface colonization and signaling. RESULTS: The HMI module recreates conditions that are physiologically relevant for the GIT: i) a mucosal area to which bacteria can adhere under relevant shear stress (3 dynes cm(-2)); ii) the bilateral transport of low molecular weight metabolites (4 to 150 kDa) with permeation coefficients ranging from 2.4 × 10(-6) to 7.1 × 10(-9) cm sec(-1); and iii) microaerophilic conditions at the bottom of the growing biofilm (PmO2 = 2.5 × 10(-4) cm sec(-1)). In a long-term study, the host's cells in the HMI module were still viable after a 48-hour exposure to a complex microbial community. The dominant mucus-associated microbiota differed from the luminal one and its composition was influenced by the treatment with a dried product derived from yeast fermentation. The latter--with known anti-inflammatory properties--induced a decrease of pro-inflammatory IL-8 production between 24 and 48 h. CONCLUSIONS: The study of the in vivo functionality of adhering bacterial communities in the human GIT and of the localized effect on the host is frequently hindered by the complexity of reaching particular areas of the GIT. The HMI module offers the possibility of co-culturing a gut representative microbial community with enterocyte-like cells up to 48 h and may therefore contribute to the mechanistic understanding of host-microbiome interactions.

Development of an oral mucosa model to study host-microbiome interactions during wound healing.

Crosstalk between the human host and its microbiota is reported to influence various diseases such as mucositis. Fundamental research in this area is however complicated by the time frame restrictions during which host-microbe interactions can be studied in vitro. The model proposed in this paper, consisting of an oral epithelium and biofilm, can be used to study microbe-host crosstalk in vitro in non-infectious conditions up to 72 h. Microbiota derived from oral swabs were cultured on an agar/mucin layer and challenged with monolayers of keratinocytes grown on plastic or collagen type I layers embedded with fibroblasts. The overall microbial biofilm composition in terms of diversity remained representative for the oral microbiome, whilst the epithelial cell morphology and viability were unaffected. Applying the model to investigate wound healing revealed a reduced healing of 30 % in the presence of microbiota, which was not caused by a reduction of the proliferation index (52.1-61.5) or a significantly increased number of apoptotic (1-1.13) or necrotic (32-30.5 %) cells. Since the model allows the separate study of the microbial and cellular exometabolome, the biofilm and epithelial characteristics after co-culturing, it is applicable for investigations within fundamental research and for the discovery and development of agents that promote wound healing.

Chick heart invasion assay.

Tumors are microecosystems in which a continuous cross talk between cancer cells and host cells decides on the invasive behavior of the tumor cell population as a whole (Mareel et al., Encyclopedia of cancer, San Diego, CA, Academic Press, 1997). Both compartments secrete activating and inhibitory factors that modulate activities such as cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction, cell-cell adhesion, remodeling of the ECM, and cell motility. For this reason, confrontations of cancer cells with a living normal host tissue in organ culture have been introduced by several groups: Wolff and Schneider in France (Wolff and Schneider, C R S Soc Biol (Paris) 151:1291-1292, 1957), Easty and Easty in the United Kingdom (Easty and Easty, Nature 199:1104-1105, 1963), and Schleich in Germany (Schleich et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 56:221-237, 1976). Embryonic chick heart fragments in organ culture maintain many histological features of their tissue of origin: They are composed of myocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, and their ECM contains fibronectin, laminin, and several collagen types. Moreover, the fragments remain contractile, and this activity allows the monitoring of their functional integrity during organ culture.

Design, synthesis and structure-activity relationships of some novel, highly potent anti-invasive (E)- and (Z)-stilbenes.

In our ongoing exploration of the structure-activity landscape of anti-invasive chalcones, we have prepared and evaluated a number of structurally related (E)- and (Z)-stilbenes. These molecules exhibited an extraordinary high in vitro potency in the chick heart invasion assay, being active up to 10nmolL(-1), a concentration level a 100-fold lower than the lowest effective doses that have been reported for natural analogues. Furthermore, they possess an interesting pharmacological profile in silico.

Unraveling the mechanisms behind the enhanced MTT conversion by irradiated breast cancer cells.

Previously, we described the radiation-induced (RI) 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) effect as the increased MTT metabolization at the intermediate dose region after the irradiation of an MCF-7/6 cell monolayer with an X-ray dose gradient. We wondered if the cell monolayer at the intermediate dose region was characterized by an increased metabolic activity. In this study, we unraveled the mechanisms behind the RI MTT effect. Comparison of the MTT, sulforhodamine B (SRB), 2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H tetrazolium (WST-8), and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) assays indicated that the RI MTT effect is not due to an increased cell density, but to an exclusively intracellular MTT conversion. Our results for the MTT and NBT assays after digitonin pretreatment of the irradiated cell monolayer indicated a role of the plasma membrane permeability in the RI MTT effect. Assessment of the radiation impact on the oxidative phosphorylation system by Western blot analysis, spectrophotometric measurement and Blue Native gel electrophoresis showed a dose-dependent downregulation of the oxidative phosphorylation system complexes, whereby the radiosensitivity of each complex was proportional to the number of mitochondrial DNA-encoded subunits. Further, only treatment of the irradiated cell monolayer with a cocktail and not with the individual inhibitors of complexes I, II and IV during the MTT assay prevented the RI MTT effect. In general, our results demonstrate that the RI MTT effect is not due to an increased metabolic activity, but rather to an enhanced cellular MTT entry and mitochondrial MTT conversion.

ER stress in diffuse large B cell lymphoma: GRP94 is a possible biomarker in germinal center versus activated B-cell type.

The process of B-cell development is characterized by the activation of the unfolded protein response. Under certain circumstances, the unfolded protein response can be manipulated in a cell death-inducing way. Therefore, tackling the unfolded protein response might be an attractive strategy in the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Our research showed more basal unfolded protein response activity and differences in the inducibility of ER stress in activated B-cell versus germinal center cell lines. Moreover, the diffuse large B cell lymphoma patient data revealed that the glucose-regulated protein 94 is new potential discriminator for diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Prenylated chalcone xanthohumol associates with histones in breast cancer cells--a novel target identified by a monoclonal antibody.

SCOPE: The intracellular fate of xanthohumol (XN) from hops is an underexplored field in the research for the molecular mechanisms causing its wide range of effects in chemoprevention and gene expression involved in hepatic metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS: We aimed to elucidate possible targets for binding of XN in a human mammary carcinoma cell line (MCF-7/6), using a mAB. We investigated the overall solubility and stability of XN in growth medium and the cellular uptake and distribution of XN in MCF-7/6 cells using an optimized immunocytochemistry technique. After incubation of MCF-7/6 cells, with 10 µM XN for 0.5 h up to 6 h, we observed primarily a granular nuclear staining, which intensified with increasing exposure times. Immunoprecipitation of cell lysates (treated with 10 µM XN for 2 h) revealed binding of XN to a fraction of proteins with a molecular weight below 20 kDa. Further analysis of the protein mixture via LC-MS/MS (Q-TOF) resulted in the identification of specific members of the histone family, i.e. histone H2A, H2B, and H4. The identity of histone H2A was confirmed using immunodetection with a specific anti-histone H2A antibody. CONCLUSION: In summary, we did successfully apply a mAB against XN in immunocytochemistry and precipitation with highly unexpected results.

Exploration of the SAR of anti-invasive chalcones: synthesis and biological evaluation of conformationally restricted analogues.

In order to get a clearer view on the active geometry of anti-invasive chalcones, we have prepared a number of isoxazoles and related substances as conformationally restrained mimics of 1,3-diarylpropenones, and also of (Z)-stilbenes. In vitro anti-invasive activity data for 3,5-isoxazoles and 4,5-isoxazoles, together with an in silico geometrical comparison, point towards an active conformation for chalcones more resembling their s-trans geometry than the s-cis counterpart.