Selenium-containing chrysin and quercetin derivatives: attractive scaffolds for cancer therapy.

Selenium-containing chrysin (SeChry) and 3,7,3',4'-tetramethylquercetin (SePQue) derivatives were synthesized by a microwave-based methodology. In addition to their improvement in terms of DPPH scavenging and potential GPx-like activities, when tested in a panel of cancer cell lines both selenium-derivatives revealed consistently to be more cytotoxic when compared with their oxo and thio-analogues, evidencing the key role of selenocabonyl moiety for these activities. In particular, SeChry elicited a noteworthy cytotoxic activity with mean IC50 values 18- and 3-fold lower than those observed for chrysin and cisplatin, respectively. Additionally, these seleno-derivatives evidenced an ability to overcome cisplatin and multidrug resistance. Notably, a differential behavior toward malignant and nonmalignant cells was observed for SeChry and SePQue, exhibiting higher selectivity indexes when compared with the chalcogen-derivatives and cisplatin. Our preliminary investigation on the mechanism of cytotoxicity of SeChry and SePQue in MCF-7 human mammary cancer cells demonstrated their capacity to efficiently suppress the clonal expansion along with their ability to hamper TrxR activity leading to apoptotic cell death.

Demethylation of theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) to 1-methylxanthine: the first step of an antioxidising cascade.

The reaction of theophylline with HO(*) radical, produced by photolytic methods at pH 7, was studied in aqueous solution and the products characterised by HPLC and GC-MS. In addition to the expected 1,3-dimethyluric acid, the formation of 1-methylxanthine and, to a lesser extent, of 3-methylxanthine was observed. Theoretical calculations confirmed the preferred formation of the former compound. Both demethylated products were also observed upon reaction of theophylline with O(*-) radical anion at pH approximately 13, and 1-methylxanthine was consumed faster than 3-methylxanthine after its formation. Molecular oxygen had no significant effect on the formation of the mono-methylxanthine derivatives. A reaction mechanism for the demethylation of theophylline by oxidising radicals is proposed. This demethylation reaction can play an important role in the protection of biological targets against oxidative stress as the first step of an antioxidising cascade.

Scavenging activity of aminoantipyrines against hydroxyl radical.

The pyrazolone derivatives antipyrine and 4-(N,N-dimethyl)-aminoantipyrine (aminopyrine) have long been used as analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, in spite of its recognized therapeutic benefits, the use of pyrazolones has been associated with agranulocytosis. Though the oxidation of aminopyrine by neutrophil-generated hypochlorous acid (HOCl), leading to the formation of a cation radical, has been considered responsible for the potential bone marrow toxicity, the reaction mechanisms of pyrazolones against other reactive oxygen species (ROS) remains elusive. Thus, the reactions of 4-aminoantipyrine and methylated derivatives with hydroxyl radicals (HO*) were studied as a model of their reactivity against ROS. The results show that 4-(N,N-dimethyl)-aminoantipyrine (aminopyrine) undergoes demethylation when reacting with HO. radical, leading to 4-(N-methyl)-aminoantipyrine, which is further demethylated to 4-aminoantipyrine. In addition, it was also observed that another favorable reaction of 4-aminoantipyrines in these conditions is the hydroxylation on the aromatic ring, a reaction that is common to aminopyrine, 4-(N-methyl)-aminoantipyrine, and 4-aminoantipyrine. Whether these reaction mechanisms give rise to harmful reactive intermediates requires further chemico-biological evaluation.

Antioxidant mechanisms of Quercetin and Myricetin in the gas phase and in solution--a comparison and validation of semi-empirical methods.

Flavonoids have long been recognized for their general health-promoting properties, of which their antioxidant activity may play an important role. In this work we have studied the properties of two flavonols, quercetin and myricetin, using semi-empirical methods in order to validate the application of the recent Parametric Model 6 and to understand the fundamental difference between the two molecules. Their geometries have been optimized and important molecular properties have been calculated. The energetic of the possible antioxidant mechanisms have also been analyzed. The two studied flavonols do not differ significantly in their molecular properties, but the antioxidant mechanisms by which they may act in solution can be rather different. Moreover, we also show that the Parametric Model 6 can produce reliable information for this type of compounds.

Structure and redox properties of radicals derived from one-electron oxidised methylxanthines.

The repair of the one electron oxidised form of a xanthine derivative by another xanthine derivative was studied by reacting aqueous binary mixtures of xanthine derivatives with sulphate radical anion (SO(4)( -)) and following the concentration of both compounds as a function of time. The relative behaviour observed enabled the establishment of a qualitative order of antioxidant capacities for the several xanthines studied in acidic and neutral media. The same order was confirmed quantitatively by measuring the reduction potentials of the xanthines by cyclic voltammetry. Theoretical DFT calculations were used to calculate the relative stabilities of the tautomers of each xanthine neutral radical. It was also demonstrated that the deprotonation of a xanthine radical cation never occurs from N1, unless no other possibility is available. At high pH values, it was possible to obtain the ESR spectra of the radical anions derived from 1-methylxanthine, 3-methylxanthine and xanthosine. The theoretical calculations also enabled the assignment of the ESR hyperfine coupling constants of the spectra of these radical anions. The coupling constants calculated are in good agreement with the experimental values.

Transient spectroscopy of ninhydrin.

The photochemistry of ninhydrin in benzene and water was studied by laser flash photolysis and electron paramagnetic resonance. Its photochemistry was shown to be dependent on the solvent. In benzene, a triplet excited state was observed, which underwent hydrogen abstraction reactions or reduction to the radical anion. In water, the radical anion of ninhydrin was formed within the laser pulse (15 ns) at neutral pH, whereas the neutral ketyl radical was formed by protonation of the radical anion at low pH. A pKa of 0.77 was determined for the protonation equilibrium. The formation of hydrindantin is proposed to occur through the dimerization of the ketyl radical or the radical anion (or both). In addition, ninhydrin was shown to be a poor precursor for the photogeneration of hydroxyl radicals.