Regioselective Synthesis and Photophysical and Electrochemical Studies of 20‐Substituted Cyanine Dye–Purpurinimide Conjugates: Incorporation of NiII into the Conjugate Enhances its Tumor‐Uptake and Fluorescence‐Imaging Ability

We report herein a simple and efficient approach to the synthesis of a variety of meso‐substituted purpurinimides. The reaction of meso ‐ substituted purpurinimide with N‐bromosuccinimide regioselectively introduced a bromo functionality at the 20‐position, which on further reaction with a variety of boronic acids under Suzuki reaction conditions yielded the corresponding meso‐substituted analogues. Interestingly, the free base and the metalated analogues showed remarkable differences in photosensitizing efficacy (PDT) and tumor‐imaging ability. For example, the free‐base conjugate showed significant in vitro PDT efficacy, but limited tumor avidity in mice bearing tumors, whereas the corresponding Ni^II derivative did not produce any cell kill, but showed excellent tumor‐imaging ability at a dose of 0.3 μmol kg^?1 at 24, 48, and 72 h post‐injection. The limited PDT efficacy of the Ni^II analogue could be due to its inability to produce singlet oxygen, a key cytotoxic agent required for cell kill in PDT. Based on electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical data in DMSO, the first one‐electron oxidation (0.52 V vs. SCE) and the first one‐electron reduction (?0.57–0.67 V vs. SCE) of both the free base and the corresponding Ni^II conjugates are centered on the cyanine dye, whereas the second one‐electron reduction (?0.81 V vs. SCE) of the two conjugates is assigned to the purpurinimide part of the molecule. Reduction of the cyanine dye unit is facile and occurs prior to reduction of the purpurinimide group, which suggests that the cyanine dye unit as an oxidant could be the driving force for quenching of the excited triplet state of the molecules. An interaction between the cyanine dye and the purpurinimide group is clearly observed in the free‐base conjugate, which compares with a negligible interaction between the two functional groups in the Ni^II conjugate. As a result, the larger HOMO–LUMO gap of the free‐base conjugate and the corresponding smaller quenching constant is a reason to decrease the intramolecular quenching process and increase the production of singlet oxygen to some degree.     

Thermolysis of vic-dihydroxybacteriochlorins: effect of the nature of substrates in directing the formation of chlorin-chlorin dimers with fixed and flexible orientations and their preliminary in vitro photosensitizing efficacy

The thermolysis products obtained by refluxing a series of vic-dihydroxychlorins in o-dichlorobenzene are characterized. Depending on the nature of substrates, this methodology provides an access for novel carbon-carbon linked chlorin-chlorin dimers and chlorin-porphyrin dimers with fixed and flexible orientations. The configuration of the linkers in the symmetrical and unsymmetrical dimers was confirmed by extensive NMR (COSY, ROESY) and molecular modeling studies. The molecular modeling studies of the energy-optimized dimers with flexible orientation confirmed that one of the chlorin units of the dimeric structure is tilted toward the opposite ring as evident by the shielding effect in the resonances of some of the protons in the (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Among the dimers with fixed orientation, compared to the free-base analogues, the related mono- and di-Zn(II) complexes produced a decreased fluorescence intensity, suggesting a possibility of the faster energy transfer via intersystem crossing (ISC) in the metalated derivatives than the corresponding free-base analogues to produce the corresponding excited triplet states. The photosensitizing efficacy of the monomers and the related dimers was also compared in radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumor cells at variable drug/light doses. In preliminary screening, compared to monomers, the corresponding carbon-carbon linked dimers produced enhanced photosensitizing efficacy.     

Evaluation of antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of lupeol in experimental hyperglycaemia

Oxidative stress, produced under diabetic conditions, is a possible cause of various forms of tissue damage. The concentrations of antioxidant enzymes in cases of diabetes are significantly decreased, with a concomitant increase in lipid peroxidation. In this study, lupeol, a phytoconstituent from Solanum xanthocarpum, is shown to suppress the progression of diabetes after 21 days. Lupeol treatment caused decreases in glycated haemoglobin, serum glucose and nitric oxide, with a concomitant increase in serum insulin level. Furthermore, treatment with lupeol also increased antioxidant levels, with a decrease in the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive oxygen species.     

Functionalization of OEP-based benzochlorins to develop carbohydrate-conjugated photosensitizers. Attempt to target beta-galactoside-recognized proteins

meso-(2-Formylvinyl)octaethylporphyrin on reaction with cyanotrimethylsilane in the presence of various catalysts [copper triflate [Cu(OTf)(2)], indium triflate [In(OTf)(3)], or magnesium bromide diethyl etherate (MgBr(2).Et(2)O)] produced a mixture of the intermediate 3-hydroxy-3-cyanopropenoporphyrin, the corresponding trimethylsilyl ether derivative, and the unexpected propenochlorins. The yields of the reaction products were found to depend on the reaction conditions and the catalysts used. The intermediate porphyrins on treatment with concentrated sulfuric acid yielded the free-base cyanobenzochlorins in major quantity along with several other novel benzochlorins as minor products. Reduction of ethyl-3-hydroxy-1-pentenoate-porphyrin with DIBAL-H/NaBH(4) and subsequent acid treatment provided the corresponding free-base 10(3)-(2-hydroxyethyl)benzochlorin, which upon a sequence of reactions gave a free-base benzochlorin bearing a carboxylic acid functionality in good yield. It was then condensed with a variety of carbohydrates (glucosamine, galactosamine, and lactosamine), and the related conjugates were screened using the galectin-binding-ability assay. Among the carbohydrate conjugates investigated, the lactose and galactose analogues displayed the galectin-binding ability with an enhancement of about 300-400-fold compared to lactose. In preliminary studies, all photosensitizers (with or without carbohydrate moieties) were found to be active in vitro [radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumor cells]. However, the cells incubated with lactose (known to bind to beta-galactoside-recognized proteins) prior to the addition of the photosensitizers containing the beta-galactose moiety (e.g., galactose and lactose) produced a 100% decrease in their photosensitizing efficacy. Under similar experimental conditions, benzochlorin without a beta-galactoside moiety or the related glucose conjugate did not show any inhibition in its photosensitizing efficacy. These results in combination with the galectin-binding data indicate a possible beta-galactoside-recognized protein specificity of the galactose- and lactose-benzochlorin conjugates.     

Structural modifications of plumieride isolated from Plumeria bicolor and the effect of these modifications on in vitro anticancer activity

Plumieride was isolated as one of the major components from the biologically active methanolic extract of the bark of Plumeria bicolor (family Apocynaceae). For investigating the effect of substituents on cytotoxic activity it was modified into a series of compounds. Replacing the methyl ester functionality of plumieride with alkyl amides of variable carbon units improved the cytotoxic activity, and a correlation between overall lipophilicity and cytotoxic activity was observed. In plumieride, the glucose moiety was converted into a di- and trisaccharide by following the protection and deprotection approach, and the resulting compounds produced enhanced cytotoxicity. However, these compounds were found to be less effective than plumeiride containing a dodecyl (12 carbon units) amide group. Among all of the derivatives, the naturally occurring plumieride showed the least cytotoxicity (50% cell kill = 49.5 microg/mL), and the dodecyl amide analogue of plumieridepentaacetate produced the best efficacy (50% cell kill = 11.8 microg/mL). The di- and trisaccharide analogues were found to be slightly less effective than the dodecyl derivative (50% cell kill = 15-17 microg/mL). The in vitro cytotoxicity of the plumieride analogues was determined in radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumor cells.     

Highly selective synthesis of the ring-B reduced chlorins by ferric chloride-mediated oxidation of bacteriochlorins: effects of the fused imide vs isocyclic ring on photophysical and electrochemical properties

The oxidation of bacteriopyropheophorbide with ferric chloride hexahydrate or its anhydrous form produced the ring-D oxidized (ring-B reduced) chlorin in >95% yield. Replacing the five-member isocyclic ring in bacteriopyropheophorbide- a with a fused six-member N-butylimide ring system made no difference in regioselective oxidation, and the corresponding ring-B reduced chlorin was isolated in almost quantitative yield. When the oxidant was replaced by 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone, which is frequently used at the oxidizing stage of the porphyrin synthesis, the ring-B oxidized (ring-D reduced) chlorins were obtained. With both ring-B reduced and ring-D reduced chlorins in hand, their photophysical and electrochemical properties were examined and compared for the first time. The ring-B reduced chlorine 20, with a fused six-member N-butylimide ring, exhibits the most red-shifted absorption band (at lambda(max) = 746 nm), the lowest fluorescence quantum yield (4.5%), and the largest quantum yield of singlet oxygen formation (67%) among the reduced ring-B and ring-D chlorins investigated in this study. Measurements of the one-electron oxidation and reduction potentials show that compound 20 is also the easiest to oxidize among the examined compounds and the third easiest to reduce. In addition, the 1.62 eV HOMO-LUMO gap of 20 is the smallest of the examined compounds, and this agrees with values calculated using the DFT method. Spectroelectrochemical measurements afforded UV-visible absorption spectra for both the radical cations and radical anions of the examined chlorins. The ring-B reduced compound 20, with a fused six-member N-butylimide ring, is regarded as the most promising candidate in this study for photodynamic therapy because it has the longest wavelength absorption and the largest quantum yield of singlet oxygen formation among the compounds investigated.     

Spectral studies of some substituted arylthiobenzo[f]quinolines

Synthesis and spectral studies (ir, ¹H nmr, ms) of 1- and 3-substituted arylthiobenzo[f]quinolines (IIIa-IIIc, IVa-IVc) obtained through nucleophilic displacement of the corresponding halobenzo[f]quinoline by various thiols (a-c) were done.     

Antifungal activity of plumericin and isoplumericin

This study evaluated the in vitro antifungal activity of the chloroform extract of Plumeria bicolor and its phytoconstituents plumericin and isoplumericin against Candida species and Cryptococcus neoformans by measuring the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC). Plumericin's consistently high activity against Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans was more potent than isoplumericin and the standard antifungal drug nystatin suggesting its potential as a drug candidate for candidiasis and cryptococcosis.     

Development of a new chromogenic spray reagent for the detection and identification of synthetic pesticide carbaryl in biological material by high-performance thin-layer chromatography

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC -     

Purpurinimide-fullerene dyads: introduction of fullerene moiety at various peripheral positions of the purpurinimide system

[reaction: see text] Fullerene was regioselectively introduced at various peripheral positions of N-hexyl-purpurinimide for photoinduced electron transfer studies. Remarkably different effects of the position of the fullerene moiety in the formation of atropisomers were observed.