A rare olive compound oleacein functions as a TrkB agonist and mitigates neuroinflammation both in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation is widely acknowledged as a characteristic feature of almost all neurological disorders and specifically in depression- and anxiety-like disorders. In recent years, there has been significant attention on natural compounds with potent anti-inflammatory effects due to their potential in mitigating neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity. METHODS: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of oleacein (OC), a rare secoiridoid derivative found in extra virgin olive oil. Our goal was to explore the BDNF/TrkB neurotrophic activity of OC and subsequently assess its potential for modulating neuroinflammatory response using human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y cells) and an in vivo model of depression induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammation. RESULTS: In SH-SY5Y cells, OC exhibited a significant dose-dependent increase in BDNF expression. This enhancement was absent when cells were co-treated with inhibitors of BDNF's receptor TrkB, as well as downstream molecules PI3K and MEK. Whole-transcriptomics analysis revealed that OC upregulated cell cycle-related genes under normal conditions, while downregulating inflammation-associated genes in LPS-induced conditions. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays demonstrated that OC exhibited a stronger and more stable binding affinity to TrkB compared to the positive control, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. Importantly, bioluminescence imaging revealed that a single oral dose of OC significantly increased BDNF expression in the brains of Bdnf-IRES-AkaLuc mice. Furthermore, oral administration of OC at a dosage of 10 mg/kg body weight for 10 days significantly reduced immobility time in the tail suspension test compared to the LPS-treated group. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that OC significantly decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines Tnfα, Il6, and Il1ß, while simultaneously enhancing Bdnf expression, as well as both pro and mature BDNF protein levels in mice hippocampus. These changes were comparable to those induced by the positive control antidepressant drug fluoxetine. Additionally, microarray analysis of mouse brains confirmed that OC could counteract LPS-induced inflammatory biological events. CONCLUSION: Altogether, our study represents the first report on the potential antineuroinflammatory and antidepressant properties of OC via modulation of BDNF/TrkB neurotrophic activity. This finding underscores the potential of OC as a natural therapeutic agent for depression- and anxiety-related disorders.

A comparative transcriptomics analysis reveals ethylene glycol derivatives of squalene ameliorate excessive lipogenesis and inflammatory response in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

Squalene (SQ) is a natural compound with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidant effects, but due to its low solubility, its biological properties have been greatly underestimated. This study aims to explore the differences in gene expression patterns of four newly synthesized amphipathic ethylene glycol (EG) derivatives of SQ by whole-genome transcriptomics analysis using DNA microarray to examine the mRNA expression profile of adipocytes differentiated from 3T3-L1 cells treated with SQ and its EG derivatives. Enrichment analyses of the transcriptional data showed that compared with SQ, its EG derivatives exerted different, in most cases desirable, biological responses. EG derivatives showed increased enrichment of mitochondrial functions, lipid and glucose metabolism, and inflammatory response. Mono-, di-, and tetra-SQ showed higher enrichment of the cellular component-ribosome. Histological staining showed EG derivatives prevented excessive lipid accumulation. Additionally, mitochondrial transcription factors showed upregulation in tetra-SQ-treated cells. Notably, EG derivatives showed better anti-inflammatory effects. Further, gene-disease association analysis predicted substantial improvement in the bioactivities of SQ derivatives in metabolic diseases. Cluster analyses revealed di- and tetra-SQ had more functional similarities than others, reflected in their scanning electron microscopy images; both di- and tetra-SQ self-organized into similar sizes and shapes of vesicles, subsequently improving their cation binding activities. Protein-protein interaction networks further revealed that cation binding activity might explain a major part, if not all, of the differences observed in functional analyses. Altogether, the addition of EG derivatives may improve the biological responses of SQ and thus may enhance its health-promoting potential.

Copper-Catalyzed Intramolecular Olefinic C(sp2)-H Amidation for the Synthesis of γ-Alkylidene-γ-lactams.

Herein, we report the copper-catalyzed dehydrogenative C(sp2)-N bond formation of 4-pentenamides via nitrogen-centered radicals. This reaction provides a straightforward and efficient preparation method for γ-alkylidene-γ-lactams. Notably, we could controllably synthesize α,ß-unsaturated- or α,ß-saturated-γ-alkylidene-γ-lactams depending on the reaction conditions.

Machine-Learning Classification for the Prediction of Catalytic Activity of Organic Photosensitizers in the Nickel(II)-Salt-Induced Synthesis of Phenols.

Catalytic systems using a small amount of organic photosensitizer for the activation of an inorganic (on-demand ligand-free) nickel(II) salt represent a cost-effective method for cross-coupling reactions, while C(sp2 )-O bond formation remains less developed. Herein, we report a strategy for the synthesis of phenols with a nickel(II) salt and an organic photosensitizer, which was identified via an investigation into the catalytic activity of 60 organic photosensitizers consisting of various electron donor and acceptor moieties. To examine the effect of multiple intractable parameters on the catalytic activity of photosensitizers, machine-learning (ML) models were developed, wherein we embedded descriptors representing their physical and structural properties, which were obtained from DFT calculations and RDKit, respectively. The study clarified that integrating both DFT- and RDKit-derived descriptors in ML models balances higher "precision" and "recall" across a wide range of search space relative to using only one of the two descriptor sets.

Differences in the Effects of Anthocyanin Supplementation on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism According to the Structure of the Main Anthocyanin: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The effectiveness of anthocyanins may differ according to their chemical structures; however, randomized clinical controlled trials (RCTs) or meta-analyses that examine the consequences of these structural differences have not been reported yet. In this meta-analysis, anthocyanins in test foods of 18 selected RCTs were categorized into three types: cyanidin-, delphinidin-, and malvidin-based. Delphinidin-based anthocyanins demonstrated significant effects on triglycerides (mean difference (MD): -0.24, p < 0.01), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (MD: -0.28, p < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (MD: 0.11, p < 0.01), whereas no significant effects were observed for cyanidin- and malvidin-based anthocyanins. Although non-significant, favorable effects on total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-C were observed for cyanidin- and malvidin-based anthocyanins, respectively (both p < 0.1). The ascending order of effectiveness on TC and LDL-C was delphinidin-, cyanidin-, and malvidin-based anthocyanins, and the differences among the three groups were significant (both p < 0.05). We could not confirm the significant effects of each main anthocyanin on glucose metabolism; however, insulin resistance index changed positively and negatively with cyanidin- and delphinidin-based anthocyanins, respectively. Therefore, foods containing mainly unmethylated anthocyanins, especially with large numbers of OH groups, may improve glucose and lipid metabolism more effectively than those containing methylated anthocyanins.

Pt-Catalyzed selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes with hydrogen peroxide using continuous flow reactors.

The oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes is a powerful reaction pathway for obtaining valuable fine chemicals used in pharmaceuticals and biologically active compounds. Although many oxidants can oxidize alcohols, only a few hydrogen peroxide oxidations can be employed to continuously synthesize aldehydes in high yields using a liquid-liquid two-phase flow reactor, despite the possibility of the application toward a safe and rapid multi-step synthesis. We herein report the continuous flow synthesis of (E)-cinnamaldehyde from (E)-cinnamyl alcohol in 95%-98% yields with 99% selectivity for over 5 days by the selective oxidation of hydrogen peroxide using a catalyst column in which Pt is dispersed in SiO2. The active species for the developed selective oxidation is found to be zero-valent Pt(0) from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of the Pt surface before and after the oxidation. Using Pt black diluted with SiO2 as a catalyst to retain the Pt(0) species with the optimal substrate and H2O2 introduction rate not only enhances the catalytic activity but also maintains the activity during the flow reaction. Optimizing the contact time of the substrate with Pt and H2O2 using a flow reactor is important to proceed with the selective oxidation to prevent the catalytic H2O2 decomposition.

Buttressing Salicylaldehydes: A Multipurpose Directing Group for C(sp3 )-H Bond Activation.

A palladium-catalyzed reaction of primary amines with iodoarenes produces γ-arylated primary amines. A bulky salicylaldehyde, which is marked as easily available, installable, removable, and recoverable, plays a key role in directing palladium to site-selectively activate the C-H bond located γ to the amino group.

Palladium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Insertion of Alkenes into the Carbon-Nitrogen Bond of ß-Lactams.

The carbon-nitrogen bond of ß-lactams is cleaved by palladium(0), and an alkene is intramolecularly inserted therein. The following reductive elimination produces nitrogen-containing benzo-fused tricycles in good to high yields.

Enantioselective insertion of a carbenoid carbon into a C-C bond to expand cyclobutanols to cyclopentanols.

When a carbenoid species generated from a tosylhydrazone is reacted with a cyclobutanol in the presence of a chiral rhodium catalyst, a C-C single bond of the cyclobutanol is cleaved, and the carbenoid carbon is inserted therein to furnish a ring-expanded cyclopentanol in an enantioselective manner.

Formal total synthesis of the algal toxin (-)-polycavernoside A.

A concise and largely catalysis-based approach to the potent algal toxin polycavernoside A (1) is described that intercepts a late-stage intermediate of a previous total synthesis; from there on, this challenging target can be reached in a small number of steps. Key to success was a sequence of a molybdenum-catalyzed ring-closing alkyne metathesis (RCAM) reaction to forge the macrocyclic frame, followed by a gold-catalyzed and strictly regioselective transannular hydroalkoxylation of the resulting cycloalkyne that allows the intricate oxygenation pattern of the macrolactone ring of 1 to be properly set. The required cyclization precursor 5 was assembled by the arguably most advanced fragment coupling process based on an Evans-Tishchenko redox esterification known to date, which was optimized to the extent that the precious coupling partners could be used in an almost equimolar ratio (6/7 1:1.3). The preparation of these building blocks features, inter alia, the power of the Sc(OTf)(3)-catalyzed Leighton crotylation as well as the superb selectivities of alkene cross metathesis, asymmetric keto-ester hydrogenation, and the Jacobsen epoxidation/epoxide resolution technologies.

Heteroatom-directed alkylcyanation of alkynes.

Alkanenitriles having a heteroatom such as nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur at the gamma-position are found to add across alkynes stereo- and regioselectively by nickel/Lewis acid catalysis to give highly substituted acrylonitriles. The heteroatom functionalities likely coordinate to the nickel center to make oxidative addition of the C-CN bonds of the alkyl cyanides kinetically favorable, forming a five-membered nickelacycle intermediate and, thus, preventing beta-hydride elimination to allow the alkylcyanation reaction.

Nickel/Lewis acid-catalyzed cyanoesterification and cyanocarbamoylation of alkynes.

Cyanoformates and cyanoformamides are found to add across alkynes by nickel/Lewis acid (LA) cooperative catalysis to give beta-cyano-substituted acrylates and acrylamides, respectively, in highly stereoselective and regioselective manners. The resulting adducts serve as versatile synthetic building blocks through chemoselective transformations of the ester, amide, and cyano groups as demonstrated by the synthesis of typical structures of beta-cyano ester, beta-amino nitrile, gamma-lactam, disubstituted maleic anhydride, and gamma-aminobutyric acid. The related reactions of cyanoformate thioester and benzoyl cyanide, on the other hand, are found to add across alkynes with decarbonylation in the presence of a palladium/LA catalyst.

Nickel/AlMe(2)Cl-catalysed carbocyanation of alkynes using arylacetonitriles.

Nickel/Lewis acid dual catalysis was found to effect the carbocyanation reaction of alkynes using arylacetonitriles, giving a range of triply substituted acrylonitriles; the reaction of optically active alpha-phenylpropionitrile suggested a reaction mechanism that involves oxidative addition of a C-CN bond with retention of its absolute configuration.

Intramolecular arylcyanation of alkenes catalyzed by nickel/AlMe2Cl.

A catalyst system derived from nickel and cocatalytic AlMe2Cl effects the intramolecular arylcyanation of alkenes. The reaction takes place in an exclusive exo-dig manner to give a wide range of nitriles having a benzylic quaternary carbon in good yields. Detailed investigations are described on the scope and mechanism as well as preliminary results on the asymmetric version of the reaction to provide novel access to chiral quaternary stereocenters.

Alkenyl- and aryl[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]dimethylsilanes: an entry to tetraorganosilicon reagents for the silicon-based cross-coupling reaction.

Alkenyl- and aryl[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]dimethylsilanes, highly stable tetraorganosilicon reagents, are found to react with aryl and alkenyl iodides in the presence of a palladium catalyst and K2CO3 as a base, significantly milder conditions compared with those ever reported for the silicon-based cross-coupling reactions. The reaction tolerates a wide range of functional groups, including silyl protectors, and allows a gram-scale synthesis to recover and reuse the silicon residue.