Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of S-, O- and Se-Containing Dispirooxindoles

A series of novel S-, O- and Se-containing dispirooxindole derivatives has been synthesized using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylide generated from isatines and sarcosine at the double C=C bond of 5-indolidene-2-chalcogen-imidazolones (chalcogen was oxygen, sulfur or selenium). The cytotoxicity of these dispiro derivatives was evaluated in vitro using different tumor cell lines. Several molecules have demonstrated a considerable cytotoxicity against the panel and showed good selectivity towards colorectal carcinoma HCT116 p53^+/+ over HCT116 p53^−/− cells. In particular, good results have been obtained for LNCaP prostate cell line. The performed in silico study has revealed MDM2/p53 interaction as one of the possible targets for the synthesized molecules. However, in contrast to selectivity revealed during the cell-based evaluation and the results obtained in computational study, no significant p53 activation using a reporter construction in p53wt A549 cell line was observed in a relevant concentration range.     

The Multifaceted Role of Curcumin in Advanced Nanocurcumin Form in the Treatment and Management of Chronic Disorders

Curcumin is the primary polyphenol in turmeric’s curcuminoid class. It has a wide range of therapeutic applications, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, and anticancer effects against various cancers, but has poor solubility and low bioavailability. Objective: To improve curcumin’s bioavailability, plasma concentration, and cellular permeability processes. The nanocurcumin approach over curcumin has been proven appropriate for encapsulating or loading curcumin (nanocurcumin) to increase its therapeutic potential. Conclusion: Though incorporating curcumin into nanocurcumin form may be a viable method for overcoming its intrinsic limitations, and there are reasonable concerns regarding its toxicological safety once it enters biological pathways. This review article mainly highlights the therapeutic benefits of nanocurcumin over curcumin.     

Synthesis of Non-Symmetrical Nitrogen-Containing Curcuminoids in the Pursuit of New Anticancer Candidates

Curcumin is known to display pronounced anticancer effects and a variety of other biological activities. However, the low bioavailability and fast metabolism of this molecule present an issue of concern with respect to its medicinal applications. To address this issue, structural modifications of the curcumin scaffold can be envisioned as a strategy to improve both the solubility and stability of this chemical entity, without compromising its biological activities. Previous work in our group targeted the synthesis of symmetrical azaheteroaromatic curcuminoids, which showed better solubility and cytotoxicity profiles compared to curcumin. In continuation of that work, we now focused on the synthesis of non-symmetrical nitrogen-containing curcuminoids bearing both a phenolic and an azaheteroaromatic moiety. In that way, we aimed to combine good solubility, antioxidant potential and cytotoxic properties into one molecule. Some derivatives were selected for further chemical modification of their rather labile β-diketone scaffold to the corresponding pyrazole moiety. In this way, thirteen new non-symmetrical aza-aromatic curcuminoids and four pyrazole-based analogues were successfully synthesized in a yield of 11–69 %. All newly synthesized analogues were evaluated for their antioxidant properties, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, water solubility and anticancer activities. Several novel derivatives displayed good cytotoxicity profiles compared to curcumin, in combination with an improved water solubility and stability, and were thus identified as potential hit scaffolds for further optimization studies.     

新型氧钒(IV)席夫碱配合物［VO(dtbsal-met)(phen)和VO(naph-met)(phen)］的合成及其抗肿瘤活性

以L-蛋氨酸（met）, 1,10-邻菲啰啉（phen）和3,5-二叔丁基水杨醛（dbsal）［或2-羟基-1-萘醛（naph）］为原料,经胺醛缩合反应合成了两个新型的氧钒(IV)席夫碱配合物［VO(dtbsal-met)(phen)（1）和VO(naph-met)(phen)（2）］,其结构经IR, HR-ESI-MS,摩尔电导和X-射线单晶衍射表征。1（CCDC：1 429 158）和2（CCDC：1 429 159）分别属单斜晶系和三斜晶系。用MTT法研究了1和2对人肺腺癌细胞（A549）和人源肝癌细胞（HepG2）的体外抗肿瘤活性。结果表明：1和2对A549和HepG2均表现出一定的抑制活性。     

银莲花的抗氧化、抑菌和抗肿瘤活性

为了有效利用野生银莲花资源,将银莲花的乙醇提取物进行石油醚-丙酮梯度洗脱,得到5个组分,分别采用DPPH法、琼脂孔扩散法、MTT法进行了抗氧化、抑菌和抗人乳腺肿瘤细胞(MDA-MB-231)活性研究.结果表明:5个组分均有氧自由基清除能力,其中组分工抗氧化活性最好,半数抑制质量浓度为30.58 μg/mL;5个组分均有抑菌活性,其中组分Ⅴ抑菌活性最好.各组分和单体化合物对人乳腺肿瘤细胞均有一定的抑制作用,组分Ⅱ对人乳腺肿瘤细胞的抑制率最高,达到50.32％.