Anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of erythrodiol-3-acetate and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol isolated from Humboldtia unijuga

Abstract

Humboldtia unijuga Bedd., endemic to Agasthyamala in Western Ghats in India, is traditionally used by local Kani tribes for chicken pox, head ache and snake bite. This study reports the isolation of erythrodiol-3-acetate (HU-1) and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (HU-2) from H. unijuga roots and their anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities in macrophage, skin and breast cancer cell lines. Effects of HU-1 and HU-2 treatments (50, 100?µg/mL) on gene expression profiles of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1β, and apoptosis genes p53 and caspase 7 were studied. HU-2 exerted a significantly superior anti-inflammatory effect compared to HU-1 in all three pro-inflammatory genes. HU-2 showed a superior dose dependent anticancer effect through activation of p53 gene over HU-1 in MCF-7 cells. HU-1 exhibited a dose dependent effect on caspase 7 gene in both cell lines while HU-2 was more effective in A431. HU-2 has potential for development as a novel anti-inflammatory and anticancer agent.     

Effect of antimicrobial peptide (AMP)–tethered stainless steel surfaces on the bacterial membrane

Bacterial colonization leading to biofilm formation on surfaces induces industry-related as well as health care–associated infections worldwide. Emerging antibiotic-resistant microbes and related persistent infections due to adherent biofilm formation on surfaces have urged the need of effective alternative solutions to eradicate prevailing problems. Antimicrobial peptides are considered as potential candidates with distinguished characteristics, namely, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, low propensity toward pathogen resistance, and low immune response. In this study, we immobilize an in-house–designed peptide, KLLLRLRKLLRR (KLR), using a 2-step functionalization strategy onto stainless steel (SS) surfaces. SS is amino-silanized using (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane followed by tethering of KLR on it via formation of the amide bond. KLR-coated SS surfaces show nearly 95–100% reduction in bacterial colonization in vitro as obtained from antibacterial susceptibility testing while being non-toxic to mammalian cells. The coating strategy does not affect the microstructure of the SS surfaces. These findings demonstrate that this tethering process is able to produce excellent antibacterial surfaces.     

Organic reactions in water: an efficient one-pot synthesis of acyloxiranes from Baylis-Hillman adducts using hypervalent iodine

Treatment of Baylis-Hillman adducts with iodosobenzene (PhIO) in the presence of a catalytic amount of KBr in water at room temperature afforded the corresponding acyloxiranes in good yields.     

Inhibition assay of yeast cell walls by plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering and surface-enhanced Raman scattering imaging

We report on plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering (PRRS) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging for inhibition assay of yeast cell walls. This assay reveals that the proteins having alkali sensitive linkage bound to β1,3 glucan frameworks in cell walls are involved in SERS activity. The result is further confirmed by comparison of genetically modified cells and wild type cells. Finally, we find that PRRS and SERS spots do not appear on cell walls when daughter cells are enough smaller than parent ones, but appear when size of daughter cells are comparable to parent cells. This finding indicates the relationship between expression of the proteins that generate SERS spots and cell division. These results demonstrate that PRRS and SERS imaging can be a convenient and sensitive method for analysis of cell walls.     

Synthesis, crystal structures, and photophysical properties of homodinuclear lanthanide xanthene-9-carboxylates

Three new homodinuclear lanthanide(III) complexes of xanthene-9-carboxylic acid, [Ln2(XA)6(DMSO)2(H2O)2](Ln = Eu (1), Tb (2) and Gd (3); HXA = xanthene-9-carboxylic acid; DMSO = dimethylsulfoxide), have been synthesized, of which 1 and 2 were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/n with a =17.849(4) A, b = 9.6537(19) A, c = 23.127(5) A, beta = 109.06(3) degrees , and V = 3766.5(13) A3 for 1 and a =17.809(4) A, b = 9.6548(19) A, c = 23.075(5) A, beta = 108.97(3) degrees , and V = 3752.1(13) A3 for 2. The crystal structures of 1 and 2 consist of homodinuclear species that are bridged by two oxygen atoms from two carboxylate ligands. The two lanthanide ions are related by a center of inversion. Each lanthanide ion is coordinated by eight oxygen atoms in an overall distorted square-prismatic geometry. Six of the oxygen atoms are furnished by the carboxylate moieties, and the remaining two oxygen atoms are provided by water and DMSO molecules. The photophysical properties of these complexes in the solid state at room temperature have been investigated. The quantum yields were found to be 0.06 +/- 0.01 and 7.30 +/- 0.73% for 1 and 2, respectively.     

Synthesis and structure of vanadium (IV) single-stranded dihelicate involving multi-ring nitrogen-heterocyclic ligand

1 The single stranded-helicate Vanadium(IV) complex [V₂O₂Cl₄(L)(H₂O)₂] (1) involving heterocyclic bis-bidentate ligand viz. 3,3^/-dipyridine-2-yl-[1.1^/]bi[imidazo[1,5-a]pyridineyl] (L) with biological relevance is prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. The compound lacks molecular center of symmetry where coordination environments around V(1) and V(2) centres are distorted octahedral (V···V# separation of 5.827 Å). Structure of the compound in the solid state structure shows anion?π interactions, classical and C_arene-H---anion non-classical H-bonding interactions. These interactions play significant roles in shaping the extended structure of this molecule.