Fluorescence Studies on New Potential Antitumoral Benzothienopyran-1-ones in Solution and in Liposomes

Fluorescence properties of four new potential antitumoral compounds, 3-arylbenzothieno[2,3-c]pyran-1-ones, were studied in solution and in lipid membranes of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (Egg-PC) and dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB). The 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)benzothieno[2,3-c]pyran-1-one (1c) exhibits the higher fluorescence quantum yields in all solvents studied. All compounds present a solvent sensitive emission, with significant red shifts in polar solvents for the methoxylated compounds. The results point to an ICT character of the excited state, more pronounced for compound 1c. Fluorescence (steady-state) anisotropy measurements of the compounds incorporated in liposomes of DPPC, DODAB and Egg-PC indicate that all compounds have two different locations, one due to a deep penetration in the lipid membrane and another corresponding to a more hydrated environment. In general, the methoxylated compounds prefer hydrated environments inside the liposomes. The 3-(4-fluorophenyl)benzothieno[2,3-c]pyran-1-one (1a) clearly prefers a hydrated environment, with some molecules located at the outer part of the liposome interface. On the contrary, the preferential location of 3-(2-fluorophenyl)benzothieno[2,3-c]pyran-1-one (1b) is in the region of lipid hydrophobic tails. Compounds with a planar geometry (1a and 1c) have higher mobility in the lipid membranes when phase transition occurs.     

Viscosity of (C2-C14) 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ionic liquids in an extended temperature range

Dynamic viscosities of several members of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide, [C_nmim][NTf₂], ionic liquids family, with the cation alkyl side-chain length varying from 2 to 14 carbon atoms, have been measured in the 278.15 K to 393.15 K temperature range using two different apparatuses. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that such an extensive assessment of viscosity - in terms of the number of compounds of a single ionic liquid homologous series, of the broad range of temperature covered, and the use of two different experimental techniques - is reported. The use of two different instruments, using different methodologies, provides information about the uncertainties in the measurement of viscosity of ionic liquids, including its dependence on the presence of traces of water and other impurities. An extensive critical analysis of the deviations between the data measured in this work and those reported in literature has been carried out.     

Sampling configurations in Monte Carlo simulations for quantum mechanical studies of solvent effects

Discrete models obtained from computer simulation are in increase use to study solvent effects. The approach consists of generating supermolecular structures for quantum mechanical calculations. The properties of the solute are calculated as an ensemble average over configurations generated by the simulation. An analysis of the efficiency of the simulation shows that the number of configurations necessary for the ensemble average can be reduced drastically. As an application to solvatochromism, the calculated spectral shift of the ¹B_2u(π − π*) transition of benzene in water is shown to be the same whether it is calculated with many but correlated configurations or with just a few uncorrelated configurations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 66 : 249–253, 1998     

Antiviral Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin: An Update

The treatment of viral disease has become a medical challenge because of the increasing incidence and prevalence of human viral pathogens, as well as the lack of viable treatment alternatives, including plant-derived strategies. This review attempts to investigate the trends of research on in vitro antiviral effects of curcumin against different classes of human viral pathogens worldwide. Various electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for published English articles evaluating the anti-viral activity of curcumin. Data were then extracted and analyzed. The forty-three studies (published from 1993 to 2020) that were identified contain data for 24 different viruses. The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50), 50% effective/inhibitory concentration (EC50/IC50), and stimulation index (SI) parameters showed that curcumin had antiviral activity against viruses causing diseases in humans. Data presented in this review highlight the potential antiviral applications of curcumin and open new avenues for further experiments on the clinical applications of curcumin and its derivatives.     

HPLC/DAD,Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Plectranthus Species (Lamiaceae) Combined with the Chemometric Calculations

The increase in antibiotic resistance and the emergence of new bacterial infections have intensified the research for natural products from plants with associated therapy. This study aimed to verify the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of crude extracts of the genus Plectranthus species, being the first report on the modulation of aminoglycosides antibiotic activity by Plectranthus amboinicus extracts. The chemical composition was obtained by chemical prospecting and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with diode arrangement detector (HPLC/DAD). The antibacterial activities of the extracts alone or in association with aminoglycosides were analyzed using the microdilution test. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging. The phytochemical prospection allowed the flavonoids, saponins, tannins and triterpenoids to be identified. Quercetin, rutin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, kaempferol, glycosylated kaempferol, quercitrin, and isoquercitrin were identified and quantified. The principal component analysis (PCA) observed the influence of flavonoids and phenolic acids from Plectranthus species on studied activities. Phytochemical tests with the extracts indicated, especially, the presence of flavonoids, confirmed by quantitative analysis by HPLC. The results revealed antibacterial activities, and synergistic effects combined with aminoglycosides, as well as antioxidant potential, especially for P. ornatus species, with IC₅₀ of 32.21 µg/mL. Multivariate analyzes show that the inclusion of data from the antioxidant and antibacterial activity suggests that the antioxidant effect of these species presents a significant contribution to the synergistic effect of phytoconstituents, especially based on the flavonoid contents. The results of this study suggest the antibacterial activity of Plectranthus extracts, as well as their potential in modifying the resistance of the analyzed aminoglycosides.     

Porous structure formation and swelling properties of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymers – effect of diluent nature

The effect of the diluent solvating power on the porosity and swelling properties of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymers was investigated. A mechanism for the swelling of macroporous copolymers in good and poor solvent was proposed. The porous structures were classified according to kinetic data of a poor solvent sorption. When the diluent–copolymer affinity was reduced, the fixed pore volume increased, but the nuclei swelling and the elasticity of internuclear chains diminished.     

Porous crosslinked spherical resins for diversified applications: packing materials for size exclusion chromatography

Improvements in the synthesis of porous polymers for different applications have been carried out in our laboratory. Beads of poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) with morphology adequate to the application at hand were prepared. Packing materials for size exclusion chromatography (SEC) weve prepared by single-step swelling and polymerization (SSWP) and by modified suspension polymerization (MSP). High values of exclusion limit (10⁶ and 8.0x10⁶) were attained for SEC columns packed with poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) synthesized using high proportions of polystyrene, as porogen agent and divinylbenzene. The maximum values of exclusion limits were attained for SEC columns packed with beads prepared by SSWP method.