Recent Advances in the Use of Diorganyl Diselenides as Versatile Catalysts.

The importance of organoselenium compounds has been increasing in synthetic chemistry. These reagents are well-known as electrophiles and nucleophiles in many organic transformations, and in recent years, their functionality as catalysts has also been largely explored. The interest in organoselenium-based catalysts is due to their high efficacy, mild reaction conditions, strong functional compatibility, and great selectivity. Allied to organoselenium catalysts, the use of inorganic and organic oxidants that act by regenerating the catalytic species for the reaction pathway is common. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the last five years of organic transformations promoted by diorganyl diselenide as a selenium-based catalyst. This report is divided into four sections: (1) cyclisation reactions, (2) addition reactions and oxidative functionalisation, (3) oxidation and reduction reactions, and (4) reactions involving phosphorus-containing starting materials.

Role of 7-chloro-4-(phenylselanyl) quinoline as an anti-aging drug fighting oxidative damage in different tissues of aged rats.

This study investigated whether subacute treatment with 7-chloro-4-(phenylselanyl) quinoline (4-PSQ) presented antioxidant action in oxidative stress associated with aging in different rat tissues. We also investigated whether plasma selenium levels were altered by aging, as well as the contribution of 4-PSQ administration to these levels. Aged Wistar male rats (23month old) were intragastrically treated with 4-PSQ (5mg/kg) for seven days. On the 14th day of the experimental protocol, plasma was collected to determine selenium levels and biochemical markers of renal and hepatic damage. Furthermore, liver, kidney, spleen and cerebral cortex were removed to determine thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), non-protein thiols (NPSH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALA-D). Our results showed that one or more parameters changed markedly in the liver, kidney, spleen and cerebral cortex of aged rats. Moreover, biochemical markers of renal and hepatic damage and selenium levels are changed in the plasma of aged rats. Treatment with 4-PSQ repaired redox homeostasis in tissues of aged rats, as well as plasma biochemical markers of renal and hepatic damage and selenium levels. In conclusion, 4-PSQ presented an antioxidant effect in tissues of aged rats, restoring selenium levels, and contributing to the restoration of the damage caused by aging. Thus, 4-PSQ could be a potential candidate for the management of age-related oxidative damage, acting as an anti-aging drug.