Structure-Based Bioisosterism Design,Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and In Silico Studies of Benzamide Analogs as Potential Anthelmintics

A recent screen of 67,012 compounds identified a new family of compounds with excellent nematicidal activity: the ortho-substituted benzamide families Wact-11 and Wact-12. These compounds are active against Caenorhabditis elegans and parasitic nematodes by selectively inhibiting nematode complex II, and they display low toxicity in mammalian cells and vertebrate organisms. Although a big number of benzamides were tested against C. elegans in high-throughput screens, bioisosteres of the amide moiety were not represented in the chemical space examined. We thus identified an opportunity for the design, synthesis and evaluation of novel compounds, using bioisosteric replacements of the amide group present in benzamides. The compound Wact-11 was used as the reference scaffold to prepare a set of bioisosteres to be evaluated against C. elegans. Eight types of amide replacement were selected, including ester, thioamide, selenoamide, sulfonamide, alkyl thio- and oxo-amides, urea and triazole. The results allowed us to perform a structure–activity relationship, highlighting the relevance of the amide group for nematicide activity. Experimental evidence was complemented with in silico structural studies over a C. elegans complex II model as a molecular target of benzamides. Importantly, compound Wact-11 was active against the flatworm Echinococcus granulosus, suggesting a previously unreported pan-anthelmintic potential for benzamides.     

Intramolecular excited state complexes in trichromophoric model compounds for polyesters derived from 2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxylic acid and aliphatic glycols: experiment,rotational isomeric state model,and molecular dynamics

Steady‐state fluorescence was used to measure the ratio of emission intensities, denoted I_D/I_M, for excited state complexes and excited monomers of five trichromophoric compounds, 2‐naphthyl‐COO‐(CH₂)_m‐OOC‐2,6‐dinaphthyl‐COO‐(CH₂)_m‐OOC‐2‐naphthyl, m = 2–6. The linear aliphatic alcohols H(CH₂)_nOH, n = 1–7, as well as mixtures of ethylene glycol and methanol, were used to change the viscosity of the medium, η. The values of I_D/I_M depend on η and m. A Rotational Isomeric State model and Molecular Dynamics simulations were used for interpretation of the experimental results. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 253–266, 1999     

Nanoparticles with unconventional scattering properties: Size effects

Nanostructured metamaterials offer new and interesting possibilities in nanophotonics because of the unusual optical properties they possess in the optical frequency domain. Kerker et al. [27] were pioneers in studying particles with a wide range of optical constants. They considered conditions for which the light scattering in the forward and backward directions could be zero for dipole-like particles. In this work, we have analyzed the behaviour of these two conditions when the particles have a finite-size in the nanometric range. In addition, we consider similar conditions for other scattering directions. Such conditions can be useful for designing light guides for optical communications or biomedical treatments.     

Effects of Adsorbed Polyaniline on Redox Processes on As(2)O(3) Surfaces

Polyaniline deposited on As(2)O(3) surface resulted in a new material, which was characterized by infrared spectoscopy, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and cyclic voltammetry. The mass percentage of polymer deposited on oxide surface is approximately 13%. The scanning electron microscopy images as well as the X-ray diffraction patterns provided conclusive evidence that the oxide surface is coated by the polymer. The cyclic voltammograms of the polyaniline adsorbed on As(2)O(3) surface showed that the adsorbate exerts remarkable effects on redox processes on this oxide. The pure oxide exhibited two oxidation/reduction peaks at 0.25/-0.06 and 0.47/-0.25 V attributed tentatively to the processes As(2)O(3)(s)+6H(+)+6e(-)=2As(s)+3H(2)O and As(s)+3H(+)+3e(-)=AsH(3)(g), respectively. The polyaniline-coated sample exhibited a better-defined voltammogram in which the first oxidation peak of the oxide had its intensity increased about four times. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Tracking Scattering Minima to Size Metallic Particles on Flat Substrates

We have developed an experimental light-scattering method to size metallic spherical and cylindrical particles on flat substrates. Based on the analysis of the angular positions of the minima in the light scattering patterns, we propose three different procedures. The results have been experimentally verified for both types of particle. A selection criterion for finding suitable minima is also presented.     

Influence of highly polyunsaturated lipid acyl chains of biomembranes on the NMR order parameters

We investigate the effect of specific conformations of double-bond segments in highly polyunsaturated acyl chains on the deuterium (2)H NMR order parameters of a fully hydrated 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (SDPC, 18:0/22:6 PC) lipid bilayer. The system is analyzed by performing a molecular dynamics simulation study at ambient conditions in the fluid lamellar phase. By separately calculating the different partial contributions to the total order parameter profiles measurable experimentally, we are able to get insights into the molecular origin of earlier experimental and theoretical observations. The effect of the position of the different conformations of double-bond segments along the polyunsaturated acyl chain is also examined. As in experiments performed in a series of lipid bilayers with an increasing number of cis double bonds per lipid molecule [Holte, L. L., et al. Biophys. J. 1995, 68, 2396], we find that unsaturations influence mainly the order of the bottom half of the saturated chain. Specific conformations of the polyunsaturated chain close to the lipid headgroups have a distinct effect on the order of the bottom half of the saturated chain and on the top half of the polyunsaturated chain. Our results indicate that for SDPC the conformation of the region of the polyunsaturated chain located between the first three cis double bonds is responsible for the major effects on the orientational order of both the saturated and the polyunsaturated chains.