Free radical-induced oxidative degradation of polyacrylamide in aqueous solution

The oxidative main chain degradation of polyacrylamide initiated by ^·OH radicals attacking the polymer in aqueous solution was studied. ^·OH radicals were produced by irradiating dilute polymer solutions with high energy radiation. A bimolecular process (combination of PO₂ radicals) was found to be the rate determining step in the series of consecutive reactions leading to main-chain rupture. This was revealed from results obtained in pulse radiolysis studies using the light scattering detection method. Under the given experimental conditions, the number of radical sites per initial macromolecule exceeded unity with the consequence that intramolecular reactions of PO₂ radicals dominated intermolecular combinations. From both pulse radiolysis and continuous irradiations it was inferred that only a small fraction (about 1%) of the attacking ^·OH radicals initiated main-chain scission.     

Studies on inhibitors of skin tumor promotion. XI. Inhibitory effects of flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis on Epstein-Barr virus activation and their anti-tumor-promoting activities.

To search for possible anti-tumor-promoters, fourteen flavones obtained from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis were examined for their inhibitory effects on the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation by a short-term in vitro assay. Among these flavones, 5,7,2'-trihydroxy- and 5,7,2',3'-tetrahydroxyflavone showed remarkable inhibitory effects on the EBV-EA activation, and the effect of the latter on Raji cell cycle was also examined by flow cytometer. These two flavones exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects on mouse skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test.     

Solvent effects on the oxidative free radical reactions of 2-amino-1,4-naphthoquinones

Solvent effects on the manganese (III) initiated oxidative free radical reactions of 2-amino-1,4-naphthoquinones are described. This free radical reaction provides a novel method for the synthesis of benzo[f]indole-4,9-diones, benzo[f]indole-2,4,9-triones, benzo[b]carbazole-6,11-diones and benzo[b]acridine-6,11-diones. High chemoselectivity was observed in different solvents.     

Inhibitory effects of thiol-containing drugs on erythrocyte oxidative damages investigated with an improved assay system

The involvement of oxygen-derived free radicals and other oxidant species in numerous physiopathological processes makes it necessary to develop suitable analytical systems to study their effects and also to assess the antioxidant activity of endogenous and exogenous compounds. In this respect, the properties of three selected thiol-containing drugs (Captopril, N-acetylcysteine and its lysine salt Nacystelyn, a newly developed mucoactive agent) and of reference compounds were examined in a lipid peroxidation model using human red blood cells (RBC) as biological substrate. The thermolabile azo-compound 2,2'-azobis-2-amidinopropane dihydrochloride (AAPH) served for the generation of an oxidative stress and the determination of the extent of RBC haemolysis was recorded. Experimental conditions were developed and optimised to ensure the stability and reproducibility of the system and to establish complete dose-response relationships in order to determine relevant pharmacological parameters. Actually, the AAPH/haemolysis system shrewdly combined with a procedure to measure the extent of haemolysis in which all common haemoglobin derivatives released following haemolysis are converted to cyanomethaemoglobin, allowed the assessment of the antioxidant activity of most investigated drugs. Precision was also improved by considering readings at 50% haemolysis (T(50)). The following sequence was obtained for the antioxidant properties of investigated drugs: uric acid>Trolox>ascorbic acid>N-acetylcysteine approximately Nacystelyn>Captopril>l-lysine.     

Inhibitory effects of some natural products on the activation of hyaluronidase and their anti-allergic actions.

The anti-allergic drugs disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) and tranilast are strong inhibitors of hyaluronidase. In the development of new anti-allergic drugs, we studied the inhibitory effects of some natural products on the activation of hyaluronidase. Among the compounds tested, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin and baicalein showed dose-related inhibitory effects. Anti-allergic activities of these compounds were evident from the facts that they inhibited the histamine release from rat peritoneal exudate cells induced by antigen, compound 48/80 and calcium ionophore A-23187, and from their inhibitory effect on Shultz-Dale reaction using sensitized guinea pig ileum.     

Polyphenolic compounds from Malus hupehensis and their free radical scavenging effects

One new 4-chromanone glycoside, 5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside-4-chromanone (1), together with 21 known polyphenols, was isolated from the leaves of Malus hupehensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods including NMR (1D and 2D), mass (ESIMS and HRESIMS), IR, and by comparison with the data reported in the literature. Some of the isolated compounds were screened for antioxidant activity. Compounds 18 and 14 exhibited significant antioxidant activities with SC₅₀ values 2.73 and 2.91 μg/mL, respectively, while 17, 19, 11, 7, 20, 22, 12 and 13 exhibited moderate activities with SC₅₀ values ranging from 5.24–11.86 μg/mL. The HPLC fingerprint profiles of the leaves and fruits extracts were also analysed, which showed that the constituents were almost the same in both the extracts except for the content of phlorizin which was present in higher amount in the leaves.     

Inhibitory activity of flavonoids against class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase isoforms

Class I PI3 Kinase (PI3K) phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphophate (PIP2) to generate the second messenger phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) and therefore plays an important role in fundamental cellular responses such as proliferation. There are four isoforms of class I PI3K which are known to have different functions and relate to various diseases such as cancer and inflammation. Flavonoids are abundant in fruits, vegetables and plant-derived beverages such as tea. So far, various pharmacological effects of flavonoids have been reported. We previously reported that the flavonoid baicalein exhibits potent PI3K-inhibitory activity. Recently we examined the inhibitory activity of eighteen flavonoids against PI3Ka by using an in vitro homogenous time resolved fluorescence (HTRF) kinase assay, and deduced their structure-activity relationships by comparing the activities of the analogues. Our result suggests that the number of hydroxyl groups in the A and B rings might promote the activity, while loss of C2-C3 double bond might reduce the activity. Furthermore, the activity against 4 class I PI3K isoforms of some selected flavonoids was investigated, and the results indicate that the flavonoids seem to exhibit more potent activity on PI3Ka and d isoforms compared with that on PI3Kb and g isoforms.     

Inhibitory effects of 5,6,7-trihydroxyflavones on tyrosinase

Baicalein (1), 6-hydroxyapigenin (6), 6-hydroxygalangin (13) and 6-hydroxy-kaempferol (14), which are naturally occurring flavonoids from a set of 14 hydroxy-flavones tested, exhibited high inhibitory effects on tyrosinase with respect to L-DOPA, while each of the 5,6,7-trihydroxyflavones 1, 6, 13 or 14 acted as a cofactor to monophenolase. Moreover, 6-hydroxykaempferol (14) showed the highest activity and was a competitive inhibitor of tyrosinase compared to L-DOPA. 5,6,7-Trihydroxyflavones 1, 6, 13 or 14 showed also high antioxidant activities. Hence, we conclude that the 5,6,7-trihydroxy-flavones are useful as good depigmentation agents with inhibitory effects in addition to their antioxidant properties.     

Characterization of free radical-induced damage to DNA by the combined use of enzymatic hydrolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for characterization of free radical-induced base damage to DNA is presented. Damage introduced to DNA by reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radicals appears to play an important role in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and aging. Elucidation of the chemical nature of such DNA lesions is necessary for the assessment of their biological consequences and enzymatic repair. DNA exposed to radiation-generated hydroxyl radicals in aqueous solution was hydrolyzed to 2'-deoxyribonucleosides with a mixture of DNase I, venom and spleen exonucleases and alkaline phosphatase. The hydrolysate was subsequently trimethylsilylated and analyzed by GC-MS. A large number of DNA lesions were separated and identified. Mass spectra obtained were interpreted on the basis of the typical fragmentation pathways of trimethylsilylated nucleosides. The use of GC-MS with selected-ion monitoring facilitated the detection of these lesions at the very low quantities and radiation doses (below 10 Gray) that might be relevant to those in biological systems.     

3-O-alkylascorbic acids as free radical quenchers. II. Inhibitory effects on some lipid peroxidation models.

We previously found that 3-O-dodecylcarbomethylascorbic acid (3-RASA,3,HX-0112) exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on biochemical lipid peroxidation and that 3-RASA (3) alleviated myocardial lesions induced by ischemia-reperfusion treatment in rats. In this study we examined the mode of action of 3-RASA (3) on the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. There was no reducing activity by 3-RASA (3) (i.e., no oxide was produced) against ferric ions and superoxide anion radicals. The low reducing activity of 3-RASA (3) against a radical as compared to that of alpha-tocopherol was obtained by using a stable radical. However, 3-RASA (3) had a potent inhibitory effect, almost equal to that of alpha-tocopherol, in the model of lipid peroxidation dependent on enzymatic superoxide generation. 3-RASA (3) very strongly inhibited the chain-reaction of the peroxidation induced by Fe(2+)-linoleic acid hydroxyperoxide. On the basis of these findings, it appears that the anti-lipid-peroxidative effects of 3-RASA (3) are due to the inhibition of the radical chain-reaction, as a chain-breaking antioxidant.     

Benzophenones and flavonoids from Hypericum maculatum and their antioxidant activities

The occurrence of three known benzophenones, namely annulatophenonoside, acetylannulatophenonoside and annulatophenone as well as a flavonol O-glycoside guajaverin in the aerial parts of Hypericum maculatum Crantz was established. In addition, hyperoside, isoquercitrin and miquelianin were isolated from this plant, as well. Radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of the isolated compounds were examined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) free radicals, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid system by the ferric thiocyanate method. Isoquercitrin demonstrates the highest DPPH radical scavenging (96.6?±?0.3%), FRAP (23.8?±?0.2 Trolox equivalent, TE?mol?1) and antioxidant activity in linoleic acid system. Guajaverin and acetylannulatophenonoside show significantly strong ABTS radical scavenging activity (93.9?±?0.4% and 93.4?±?0.6%, respectively), which is comparable to that of ascorbic acid (96.2?±?0.4%).     

Inhibitory effects of silk protein, sericin on UVB-induced acute damage and tumor promotion by reducing oxidative stress in the skin of hairless mouse

This study was conducted to assess protective effect of an antioxidant protein, sericin, on UVB-induced acute damage and tumor promotion in mouse skin. In experiment 1, HR-1 hairless mice were treated with 180 mJ/cm2 of ultraviolet B light (UVB) once daily for 1 and 7 days. The treatment for 7 days caused red sunburn lesions of the skin. The intensity of red color and area of these lesions were inhibited by the topical application of sericin at the dose of 5 mg after UVB treatment. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that the application of sericin significantly suppressed UVB-induced elevations in 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-labeling index in the UVB-exposed epidermis. In experiment 2, HR-1 hairless mice were treated with 200 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz [alpha] anthracene (DMBA) followed 1 week later by irradiation with 180 mJ/ cm2 of UVB twice weekly for 22 weeks. The protective effect of sericin was evident in terms of significant reduction in tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity at the dose of 5 mg. The results suggest that sericin possesses photoprotective effect against UVB-induced acute damage and tumor promotion by reducing oxidative stress, COX-2 and cell proliferation in mouse skin.     

Novel lipid hydroperoxide-derived hemoglobin histidine adducts as biomarkers of oxidative stress

Hemoglobin (Hb) adducts have long been used as dosimeters of exposure to xenobiotics and endogenously formed reactive metabolites. In this study, hemoglobin chains were separated from each other and their prosthetic heme groups and reacted with 4-oxo-2-nonenal, a major breakdown product of lipid hydroperoxides. The adducts were characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) analysis of the intact proteins and by a combination of liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/tandem MS (MS/MS) and MALDI-TOF/MS/MS analysis of the tryptic peptides. Covalent modifications were found on both hemoglobin chains. The location was determined to be on H20 of the alpha-hemoglobin chain and on H(63) of the beta-hemoglobin chain. Molecular modeling revealed that these two residues were two most solvent accessible H residues present in intact Hb. The proposed reaction mechanism is based on that described for the reaction of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal with proteins. Initial nucleophilic Michael addition is followed by hydration of the resulting aldehyde, cyclization, and two sequential dehydration reactions to give stable furan derivatives. This results in the addition of 136 Da from 4-oxo-2-nonenal to give adducts corresponding to (17)VGAH(.) AGEYGAEALER(31) from alpha-hemoglobin and (62)AH(.) GK(65) from beta-hemoglobin. These hemoglobin modifications can potentially serve as biomarkers of lipid hydroperoxide-mediated macromolecule damage and may reflect an indirect measurement of the potential for DNA damage in vivo.     

Effects of saikosaponin metabolites on the hemolysis of red blood cells and their adsorbability on the cell membrane

The hemolytic properties and the adsorbability on red blood cells of saikosaponin a, saikosaponin d and 13 metabolites formed in the alimentary tract were investigated. Among these compounds, saikosaponin d and its intestinal product, prosaikogenin G, which possess an alpha-hydroxyl function at C16, showed the strongest hemolytic activity at the dose range of 1.0 to 5.0 micrograms/ml. Saikosaponin a and its intestinal product, prosaikogenin F, which possess a beta-hydroxyl function at C16, showed activity above 10 micrograms/ml. In this case, the monoglycoside, prosaikogenin F, showed the stronger activity than the diglycoside, saikosaponin a. Among the gastric products whose ether ring was cleaved to produce a carbinol, the monoglycosides, prosaikogenin A and prosaikogenin H, showed a slight activity above 25 micrograms/ml, and the saikogenins except saikogenin A were inactive. Saikogenin A, however, had hemolytic activity at a dose of 15 micrograms/ml. The adsorbabilities of these compounds on red blood cell membranes closely paralleled their degrees of hemolytic activity.     

Kinetic regularities of erythrocyte hemolysis and hemoglobin oxidation under the action of sulfur-nitrosyl iron complexes as nitric oxide donors

The kinetics of erythrocyte hemolysis and intra-erythrocyte hemoglobin oxidation under the action of synthetic sulfur-nitrosyl iron complexes was studied. The complexes capable of releasing nitric oxide due to spontaneous hydrolytic decomposition was studied. The addition of these complexes to a 0.2% suspension of mouse erythrocytes results in hemolysis. The kinetic curves of hemolysis exhibit an induction period, whose duration is different for each complex. The hemolysis is preceded by hemoglobin oxidation with nitric oxide penetrating into the cell. The oxidation of hemoglobin follows the first-order rate equation. The apparent first-order rate constants characterizing the NO-donating ability of each complex were determined. The hemolytic effect of the studied complexes is suggested to be related to the formation of peroxynitrite inside erythrocytes. Peroxynitrite is the cytotoxic product of interaction of nitric oxide and the superoxide radical anion.     

Selective and efficient oxidative modifications of flavonoids with 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX)

2-Iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX), a mild and efficient hypervalent iodine oxidant, has been utilised in different reaction conditions to perform several efficient oxidative modifications of flavonoids. Fine-tuning of the reaction conditions allowed remarkably selective modifications of these compounds. At room temperature, IBX proved to be an excellent reagent for a highly regioselective aromatic hydroxylation of monohydroxylated flavanones and flavones, generating the corresponding catecholic derivatives showing high antioxidant activity. At 90 °C, IBX efficiently dehydrogenated a large panel of methoxylated flavanones to their corresponding flavones exhibiting anticancer activity. IBX polystyrene has also been utilised to increase the recovery of highly polar compounds. Following the first oxidation, the reagent was recovered and reused in several runs without loss of efficiency and selectivity. The first example of an application of IBX polystyrene in a dehydrogenation reaction has been described.     

Prenylated flavonoids from the leaves of Derris malaccensis and their cytotoxicity

A new prenylated isoflavone, pomiferin-4'-O-methyl ether, and a new prenylated chalcone, 2',4'-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-3'-(2-hydroxy-3-methylbut-3-enyl)chalcone, together with four known flavonoids, were isolated from the leaves of Derris malaccensis. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity.