Study of benznidazole–cyclodextrin inclusion complexes, cytotoxicity and trypanocidal activity

The current chemotherapy for Chagas disease is still based on benznidazole, which has low solubility, but complexation with cyclodextrins provides a way of increasing the solubility. The objective of this work was to characterize the inclusion complexes formed between benznidazole (BNZ) and randomly 2-methyled-β-cyclodextrin (RM-β-CD) in aqueous solution and study cytotoxicity and trypanocidal. BNZ:RM-β-CD solution complex systems were prepared and characterized using the phase solubility diagram, nuclear magnetic resonance and a photostability assays, also to investigate the in vitro trypanocidal activity with epimastigote forms of Trypanossoma cruzi and the study of cytotoxicity against mammal cells. The phase-solubility diagram displayed an A _L-type feature, providing evidence of the formation of soluble inclusion complexes. The continuous variation method showed the existence of a complex with 1:1 stoichiometry. Toxicity assays demonstrated that inclusion complexes were able to reduce the toxic effects caused by benznidazole alone and that this did not interfere with the trypanocidal activity of the benznidazole. The use of inclusion complexes benznidazole:cyclodextrin is thus a promising alternative for the development of a safe and stable liquid formulation and a new option for the treatment of Chagas disease.     

Fluorescence study of tetracaine–cyclodextrin inclusion complexes

The steady-state fluorescence emission from the local anaesthetic tetracaine (TCA) in water–solvent mixtures and in the presence of α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin (CD) was investigated at various pH values. Emission was observed from the locally and the intramolecular charge transfer excited states. The TCA–CD system was found to be characterised by 1:1 associate in every case. The association constants of each complex were determined.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of novel cyclodextrin–cucurbituril complexes

Microwave irradiation was successfully used in order to obtain stable supramolecular aggregates between cyclodextrins and cucurbiturils, without the participation of any long-chain common ‘molecular thread’ guest. These aggregates were characterised by means of various different techniques, namely NMR, thermogravimetry, polarimetry and ESI-MS. Cross-analysis of experimental data allowed us to obtain insights on the stoichiometries of the composites and their thermal stabilities. The possible structures of the composites are briefly discussed, as well as the actual nature of their intrinsic stability.     

Essential oil–cyclodextrin complexes: an updated review

Cyclodextrins, degradation product of carbohydrates, have been extensively exploited by food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry by virtue of their ease of availability and their ability to entrap guest moieties. Various cyclodextrin derivatives have been granted generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status by several countries. The most noteworthy characteristic of cyclodextrins is their ability to form inclusion complexes with variety of molecules, imparting protection and enabling solubility, bioavailability and safety enhancement of challenging bioactives. In the last few decades, investigations have revealed anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, analgesic and sedative properties of essential oils. However, their poor solubility, volatility and sensitivity to environmental factors pose challenge for the formulation scientists. Inclusion complexes of essential oils with cyclodextrins have proved a useful strategy to circumvent these challenges. The success of this approach for essential oils is examplified by the commercial garlic oil/β-cyclodextrin products, available under the trade names Xund, Tegra, Allidex and Garlessence. Here, we present an in-depth account of essential oil loaded cyclodextrin inclusion complexes.     

Preparation, characterization and pharmacodynamic activity of supramolecular and colloidal systems of rosuvastatin–cyclodextrin complexes

In the present study influence of nature of selected cyclodextrins (CDs) and of methods of preparation of drug–CD complexes on the oral bioavailability, in vitro dissolution studies and pharmacodynamic activity of a sparingly water soluble drug rosuvastatin (RVS) was investigated. Phase solubility studies were conducted to find the interaction of RVS with β-CD and its derivatives, which indicated the formation of 1:1 stoichiometric inclusion complex. The apparent stability constant (K_1:1) calculated from phase solubility diagram were in the rank order of β-CD < hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) < randomly methylated-β-cyclodextrin (RM-β-CD). Equimolar drug–CD solid complexes prepared by different methods were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). FTIR study demonstrated the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and ordering of the molecule between RVS and CDs in inclusion complexes. DSC and XRD analysis confirmed formation of inclusion complex by freeze dried method with HP-β-CD and RM-β-CD. Aqueous solubility and dissolution studies indicated improved dissolution rates of prepared complexes in comparison with drug alone. Moreover, CD complexes demonstrated of significant improvement in reducing total cholesterol and triglycerides levels as compared to pure drug. However the in vivo results only partially agreed with those obtained from phase solubility studies.     

Multicomponent analyses of chiral samples by use of regression analysis of UV–visible spectra of cyclodextrin guest–host complexes

We report the first combined use of analytical spectroscopy, guest–host chemistry, and multivariate regression analysis for determination of enantiometric composition of multicomponent samples of chiral analytes. Sample solutions containing multicomponent analytes of ephedrine, tryptophan, propranolol, and proline of varying enantiomeric composition with beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) or methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (Me-BCD) as chiral host molecules were investigated using ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectroscopy. The interactions of enantiomers of chiral analytes with chiral hosts resulted in the formation of transient diastereomeric inclusion complexes with varying spectral properties. Multivariate analysis using partial-least-square (PLS) regression was used to correlate subtle changes in the UV–visible spectra of the guest–host complexes with the enantiomeric composition of the calibration samples. These PLS regressions were carefully optimized and then used to predict the enantiomeric composition of multicomponent chiral analytes of validation samples. The results of these validation studies demonstrate the predictive ability of the regression models for determination of future enantiomeric composition of samples. The accuracy of the models to correctly predict the enantiomeric composition of samples, evaluated by use of the root mean square percent relative error (RMS%RE) was analyte and chiral host dependent. In general, better prediction of enantiomeric composition of samples and low RMS%RE values were obtained when Me-BCD was used as the chiral host. The analyses procedure reported here is simple, rapid, and inexpensive. In addition, this approach does not require prior separation of chiral analytes, thus reducing analysis time and eliminating the need for expensive chiral columns.     

Synthesis and study of the trypanocidal activity of catechol-containing 3-arylcoumarins,inclusion in β-cyclodextrin complexes and combination with benznidazole

American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and is considered a neglected disease, being an important problem for public health. Benznidazole (BZN) is the drug used to treat the disease. However, it has limited efficacy and adverse side effects. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic alternatives is necessary. In this work, the trypanocidal activity and cytotoxicity of a series of catechol-containing 3-arylcoumarins, their combination with BZN, and the inclusion in β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs), were evaluated. The results obtained showed that the entire series has moderate trypanocidal activity on the trypomastigote form of the parasite, being the 3-(4′-bromophenyl)-6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (8) the most active compound (IC₅₀ = 34 μM) and the most cytotoxic in Vero cells (IC₅₀ = 162 μM) as well. By forming the inclusion complex 8-β-CDs, the trypanocidal activity and cytotoxicity decreased. In addition, the formation of inclusion complexes increased the solubility. The possible mechanism of action of 8 was evaluated and proved to be through the generation of oxidative stress. The combination with BZN presented a synergistic effect on the trypanocidal activity, reducing the necessary dose of BZN. The presence of a catechol in the studied scaffold seems to modulate the trypanocidal activity, and the combination of drugs proved to be a promising alternative strategy for treating the disease.     

Simple preparation of multi-valent cyclodextrin–carbohydrate conjugates

Several β-cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives conjugated with carbohydrates via aminohexyl linkages have been prepared. These CD-conjugates were demonstrated to be multi-valent ligands by lectin-binding assay.     

Physicochemical characterization and molecular modeling study of host–guest systems of aripiprazole and functionalized cyclodextrins

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Aripiprazole (ARP), an innovative atypical antipsychotic drug, exhibits very low aqueous solubility, affecting its dissolution and absorption and high...     

Physicochemical properties of π-π complexes of zinctetraphenylporphyrin with aromatic molecules

Features of the solvation of zinctetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) in benzene, toluene,ortho-, meta-, andpara-xylenes were studied by a thermogravimetric method. The temperature ranges of the stability and the compositions of the corresponding specific - complexes were determined from the results of the thermogravimetric investigation of the crystallosolvates of the metalloporphyrin with the solvent molecules, and the energy characteristics of the intermolecular metalloporphyrin—solvent interactions were calculated.Institute of the Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions, Russian Academy of Sciences, 153018 Ivanovo. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1545–1548, July, 1992.     

Thermal and electrochemical study of solid-state reaction of mercury with Pt–20% Rh alloy

Thermogravimetry (TG), energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mapping surface and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been used to study the reaction of mercury with platinum–rhodium (Pt–Rh) alloy. The results suggest that, when heated, the electrodeposited Hg film reacts with Pt–Rh to form intermetallic compounds each having a different stability, indicated by separate third mass-loss steps. In the first step, between room temperature and 170 °C, only the bulk Hg is removed. From this temperature to about 224 °C, the mass loss can be attributed to decomposition of the intermetallic PtHg₄. The third step, from 224 to 305 °C, can be ascribed to thermal decomposition of solid solution composed of intermetallic species RhHg₂ and PtHg₂. Intermetallic compound such as PtHg₄, PtHg₂, and RhHg₂ was characterized by XRD. These intermetallic compounds were the main products formed on the surface of the samples after partial removal of the bulk mercury via thermal desorption.     

1′-Phthalazine hydrazone of diacetyl monooxime and its complexes with transition metals: Physicochemical and theoretical study

1′-Phthalazine hydrazone of diacetyl monooxime and its Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes were synthesized. The acid-base properties of the hydrazone were potentiometrically and spectrophotometrically studied, and quantum-chemical calculations of the ionization constants and the energies of possible tautomeric forms and conformations were performed. Complexes of copper(II) prepared by the reaction of the hydrazone with copper(II) acetate, chloride, and bromide were shown to have the dimeric structure with the bidentatebridging N-O-groups of the oxime fragment, whereas the copper(II) complex prepared from copper(II) nitrate, forms the dimer via the endocyclic nitrogen atoms of the phthalazine fragment.     

The study of the speciation of uranyl–sulphate complexes by UV–Vis absorption spectra decomposition

Uranyl–sulphate complexes are the predominant U(VI) species present in acid solutions resulting either from underground uranium ore leaching or from the remediation of leaching sites. Thus, the study of U(VI) speciation in these solutions is of practical significance. The spectra of UO₂(NO₃)₂ + Na₂SO₄ solutions of different Φ _S = [SO₄²⁻]/[U(VI)] ratio at pH = 2 were recorded for this purpose. As the presence of uranyl-nitrate complexes should be expected under these experimental conditions, the spectra of UO₂(NO₃)₂ + NaNO₃ solutions with different Φ _N = [NO₃⁻]/[U(VI)] ratio at pH = 2 were also measured. The effects of Φ _S and Φ _N ratios value were most pronounced in wavelength interval 380–500 nm. Therefore, these parts of experimental overall spectra were used for deconvolution into the spectra of individual species by the method proposed. It enabled to calculate stability constants of anticipated species at zero ionic strength. The Specific Ion Interaction Theory (SIT) was used for this purpose. Stability constants of UO₂SO₄, UO₂(SO₄)₂²⁻, UO₂NO₃ ⁺ and UO₂(NO₃)₂ coincided well with published data, but those for UO₂(SO₄)₃⁴⁻ and UO₂(NO₃)₃⁻ were significantly lower.     

Exploring the interactions between buffers and cyclodextrin complexes—formation of regular inclusion or atypical non-inclusion complexes

Journal of Inclusion Phenomena and Macrocyclic Chemistry - The aim of this study was for the first time to determine the effect of 11 buffers on a γ-cyclodextrin complex, and use these and...     

Polymorphic screen and drug–excipient compatibility studies of the antichagasic benznidazole

The purpose of this study was to investigate the polymorphism and compatibility of benznidazole (BNZ), a drug used in the treatment of Chagas disease. This drug was subjected to a polymorphic screen using a number of solvents and precipitation procedures to explore the possible existence of different crystal structures of BNZ. The compatibility of BNZ with selected pharmaceutical excipients was evaluated in binary mixtures, in a ratio of 1:1 (w/w). These results were then analyzed with a variety of techniques, including differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffractometry. No polymorphic forms of BNZ were detected despite some observed changes in the DSC profile. The thermal data indicate interaction of the drug with excipients hydroxyethylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. Additional studies using infrared spectroscopy confirm the incompatibility of BNZ with only the polyethylene glycol. This excipient should not be used in the development of solid dosage forms containing BNZ.     

Equilibrium and structural characterization of ofloxacin–cyclodextrin complexation

The enantiomer-specific characterization of ofloxacin–cyclodextrin complexes was carried out by a set of complementary analytical techniques. The apparent stability constants of the ofloxacin enantiomers with 20 different cyclodextrins at two different pH values were determined to achieve good resolution capillary electrophoresis enantioseparation either to establish enantioselective drug analysis assay, or to interpret and design improved host–guest interactions at the molecular level. The cyclodextrins studied differed in the nature of substituents, degree of substitution (DS), charge and purity, allowing a systematic test of these properties on the complexation. The seven-membered beta-cyclodextrin and its derivatives were found to be the most suitable hosts. Highest stability and best enantioseparation were observed for the carboxymethylated-beta-cyclodextrin (DS ~ 3.5). The effect of substitution pattern (SP) was investigated by molecular modeling, verifying that SP greatly affects the complex stability. Induced circular dichroism was observed and found especially significant on carboxymethylated-beta-cyclodextrin. The complex stoichiometry and the geometry of the inclusion complexes were determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, including 2D ROESY techniques. Irrespective of the kind of cyclodextrin, the complexation ratio was found to be 1:1. The alfa-cyclodextrin cavity can accommodate the oxazine ring only, whereas the whole tricyclic moiety can enter the beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin cavities. These equilibrium and structural information offer molecular basis for improved drug formulation.     

Physicochemical study of the system sodium superoxide —sodium oxide

Russian Chemical Bulletin -     

Synthesis of cyclodextrin–pyrrole conjugates possessing tuneable carbon linkers

Cyclodextrins are naturally occurring cyclic oligosaccharides consisting of glucose units. The main feature of cyclodextrins is the ability to accommodate various lipophilic compounds in their interior, which determines them to be popular helpers to the mankind. However, there is still a demand for new derivatives for advanced applications. Herein, we report the synthesis of β-cyclodextrin–pyrrole conjugates. Their preparation is based on an amide bond formation or copper(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition between β-cyclodextrin and pyrrole derivatives. The main advantage of the synthetic approach lies in the possibility to attach the substituent in β-position, because polypyrroles possessing a substituent in this position are generally more conductive than the N-substituted ones. Moreover, the presented synthetic route is general and allows tuning the properties (various types of connections and lengths) of a linker. The presented cyclodextrin–pyrrole derivatives thus open the door for new applications in the field of sensors or tissue engineering.