Exploring Charged Polymeric Cyclodextrins for Biomedical Applications

Over the years, cyclodextrin uses have been widely reviewed and their proprieties provide a very attractive approach in different biomedical applications. Cyclodextrins, due to their characteristics, are used to transport drugs and have also been studied as molecular chaperones with potential application in protein misfolding diseases. In this study, we designed cyclodextrin polymers containing different contents of β- or γ-cyclodextrin, and a different number of guanidinium positive charges. This allowed exploration of the influence of the charge in delivering a drug and the effect in the protein anti-aggregant ability. The polymers inhibit Amiloid β peptide aggregation; such an ability is modulated by both the type of CyD cavity and the number of charges. We also explored the effect of the new polymers as drug carriers. We tested the Doxorubicin toxicity in different cell lines, A2780, A549, MDA-MB-231 in the presence of the polymers. Data show that the polymers based on γ-cyclodextrin modified the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in the A2780 cell line.     

Nutritional Value and Preventive Role of Nigella sativa L. and Its Main Component Thymoquinone in Cancer: An Evidenced-Based Review of Preclinical and Clinical Studies

In recent times, scientific attention has been paid to different foods and their bioactive components for the ability to inhibit the onset and progress of different types of cancer. Nigella sativa extract, powder and seed oil and its main components, thymoquinone and α-hederin, have showed potent anticancer and chemosensitizing effects against various types of cancer, such as liver, colon, breast, renal, cervical, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and skin tumors, through the modulation of various molecular signaling pathways. Herein, the purpose of this review was to highlight the anticancer activity of Nigella sativa and it constitutes, focusing on different in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies and projects, in order to underline their antiproliferative, proapoptotic, cytotoxic and antimetastatic effects. Particular attention has been also given to the synergistic effect of Nigella sativa and it constitutes with chemotherapeutic drugs, and to the synthesized analogs of thymoquinone that seem to enhance the chemo-sensitizing potential. This review could be a useful step towards new research on N. sativa and cancer, to include this plant in the dietary treatments in support to conventional therapies, for the best achievement of therapeutic goals.     

Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones Catalyzed by Surface‐Active Ruthenium and Rhodium Complexes in Water

An improved, high‐yield, one‐pot synthetic procedure for water‐soluble ligands functionalized with trialkyl ammonium side groups H₂N(CH₂)₂NHSO₂‐p‐C₆H₄CH₂[NMe₂(C_nH_2n+1)]⁺ ( [HL ⁿ ]⁺ ; n=8, 16) was developed. The corresponding new surface‐active complexes [(p‐cymene)RuCl( L ⁿ )] and [Cp*RhCl( L ⁿ )] (Cp*=η⁵‐C₅Me₅) were prepared and characterized. For n=16 micelles are formed in water at concentrations as low as 0.6 mM , as demonstrated by surface‐tension measurements. The complexes were used for catalytic transfer hydrogenation of ketones with formate in water. Highly active catalyst systems were obtained in the case of complexes bearing C₁₆ tails due to their ability to be adsorbed at the water/substrate interface. The scope of these catalyst systems in aqueous solutions was extended from partially water soluble aryl alkyl ketones (acetophenone, butyrophenone) to hydrophobic dialkyl ketones (2‐dodecanone).     

Symmetry-Breaking Charge-Transfer Chromophore Interactions Supported by Carbon Nanodots

Carbon dots (CDs) and their derivatives are useful platforms for studying electron-donor/acceptor interactions and dynamics therein. Herein, we couple amorphous CDs with phthalocyanines (Pcs) that act as electron donors with a large extended π-surface and intense absorption across the visible range of the solar spectrum. Investigations of the intercomponent interactions by means of steady-state and pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy reveal symmetry-breaking charge transfer/separation and recombination dynamics within pairs of phthalocyanines. The CDs facilitate the electronic interactions between the phthalocyanines. Thus, our findings suggest that CDs could be used to support electronic couplings in multichromophoric systems and further increase their applicability in organic electronics, photonics, and artificial photosynthesis.     

Analytical first derivatives of molecular surfaces with respect to nuclear coordinates

We present analytical expressions for the first derivatives of area and other geometrical quantities of polygonal tesserae defined on molecular surfaces. This is a necessary step in the calculation of free energy derivatives with respect to nuclear coordinates for molecular solutes, in the framework of the polarizable continuum method. An application to solute-solvent dispersion energy derivatives is presented. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Recent advances in propylene polymerization with MgCl2 supported catalysts

The role of Lewis bases in MgCl₂ supported catalysts for olefin polymerization is a subject of continuous interest and discussion in order to obtain more and more active and stereospecific catalysts and to explain their stereoregulating mechanism. Through molecular calculation and conformational analysis it was possible to identify chelating diethers that have the correct oxygen-oxygen distance necessary to tightly coordinate with the Mg ions of the support, even in the presence of other strong Lewis acids, and unable to give secondary reactions with TiCl₄, AlR₃, Ti-C and Ti-H bonds. The use of these donors has allowed the synthesis of catalytic systems that are both highly active and stereospecific even in the absence of external donors. Kinetic data of propylene polymerization with these catalyst systems are reported. The importance of the distance between the donor atoms in bifunctional Lewis bases has been proved also in the case of new classes of internal donors. Molecular modelling studies have enabled us to formulate models of active sites, located on some corners of MgCl₂ crystallites, whose chirality is induced by the presence of a donor molecule in their environment. These models could explain, at least in part, the exceptional increase of isotactic polymer productivity observed for stereospecific catalyst systems, containing only the internal donor, with respect to catalysts lacking the Lewis base and could account for the influence of the donor on the molecular properties of the obtained polymers.     

Synthesis of mesocyclic and macrocyclic polythioethers using the cesium dithiolate technique

The mesocyclic trithioethers, 1,4,7-trithiacyclodecane, 1,4,7-trithiacycloundecane, 1,4,8-trithiacycloundecane, and 1,5,9-trithiacyclododecane; the mesocyclic trithioether ketones, 1,4,7-trithiacyclodecan-9-one; 1,4,8-trithiacycloundecan-6-one, and 1,5,9-trithiacyclododecan-3-one; and the mesocyclic trithioether alcohols, 1,4,7-trithiacyclodecan-9-ol, 1,4,8-trithiacycloundecan-6-ol, and 1,5,9-trithiacyclododecan-3-ol, have been synthesized using the cesium dithiolate technique. In some cases, the corresponding macrocyclic hexathioether was isolated from the reaction mixture in addition to the mesocyclic trithioether; 1,4,7,11,14,17-hexathiacycloeicosane, 1,4,7,11,14,17-hexathiacycloeicosan-9,19-dione, 1,4,7,12,15,18-hexathiacyclodocosane, and 1,5,9,13,17,21-hexathiacyclotetracosane. Single-crystal X-ray structures have been determined for 1,5,9-trithiacyclododecan-3-ol and 1,4,7,12,15,18-hexathiacyclodocosane. For 1,5,9-trithiacyclododecane-3-ol, the compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group, C2/c, with a = 10.5926( 9 ) Å, b = 15.582(2) Å, c = 13.6015(8) Å, β = 98.186(6)⁰, Z = 8, and R = 0.038. The macrocycle, 1,4,7,12,15,18-hexathiacyclodocosane, crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group, Pbca, with a = 21.406(5) Å, b = 9.810(2) Å, c = 10.225(2) Å, Z = 4, and R = 0.020.     

Characterization of the Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivities of Anacyclus maroccanus Ball. and Anacyclus radiatus Loisel Aerial Parts: Preliminary Evidence for the Possible Development of Moroccan Plants

In the present study, the phytochemical composition and bioactivities of A. maroccanus (AM) and A. radiatus (AR), two ecotypes collected in the Demnate road and Essaouira regions, respectively, were studied to highlight a pharmacological interest and to enable possible pharmaceutical development. To this end, methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts were prepared for each ecotype by fractionation; next, their phytochemical composition was evaluated by spectrophotometric and chromatographic analysis. Moreover, in line with the available evidence for Anacyclus spp. and their traditional use, a screening of bioactivities, including antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antiglycative, chelating, and antibacterial activities, was performed. The extracts were characterized by high amounts of polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids, especially in the methanolic extracts; these samples were also enriched in carotenoids despite a lower chlorophyll content. Chlorogenic acid and rutin were the major identified compounds. The extracts also showed interesting hypoglycemic, antiglycative, and antibacterial properties, although with differences in efficacy and potency. Present results provide more scientific basis to the ethnopharmacological uses of Anacyclus spp. and suggest a further interest in AM and AR ecotypes as natural sources of bioactive compounds and/or phytocomplexes for possible pharmaceutical and nutraceutical developments.