On the Role of the Carboxyl Group to the Protective Effect of o-Dihydroxybenzoic Acids to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cells upon Induced Oxidative Stress

In the present work, the role of the carboxyl group of o-dihydroxybenzoic acids (pyrocatechuic, 2,3-diOH-BA and protocatechuic, 3,4-diOH-BA) on the protection against induced oxidative stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was examined. Catechol (3,4-diOH-B) was included for comparison. Cell survival, antioxidant enzyme activities, and TBARS level were used to evaluate the efficiency upon the stress induced by H2O2 or cumene hydroperoxide. Theoretical calculation of atomic charge values, dipole moment, and a set of indices relevant to the redox properties of the compounds was also carried out in the liquid phase (water). Irrespective of the oxidant used, 2,3-diOH-BA required by far the lowest concentration (3–5 μM) to facilitate cell survival. The two acids did not activate catalase but reduced superoxide dismutase activity (3,4-diOH-BA>2,3-diOH-BA). TBARS assay showed an antioxidant effect only when H2O2 was used; equal activity for the two acids and inferior to that of 3,4-diOH B. Overall, theoretical and experimental findings suggest that the 2,3-diOH-BA high activity should be governed by metal chelation. In the case of 3,4-diOH BA, radical scavenging increases, and chelation capacity decreases. The lack of carboxyl moiety (3,4-diOH B) adds to radical scavenging, interaction with lipophilic free radicals, and antioxidant enzymes. The present study adds to our knowledge of the antioxidant mechanism of dietary phenols in biological systems.

Lithocholic Acid Amides as Potent Vitamin D Receptor Agonists

1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3, 1] is an active form of vitamin D3 and regulates various biological phenomena, including calcium and phosphate homeostasis, bone metabolism, and immune response via binding to and activation of vitamin D receptor (VDR). Lithocholic acid (LCA, 2) was identified as a second endogenous agonist of VDR, though its potency is very low. However, the lithocholic acid derivative 3 (Dcha-20) is a more potent agonist than 1α,25(OH)2D3, (1), and its carboxyl group has similar interactions to the 1,3-dihydroxyl groups of 1 with amino acid residues in the VDR ligand-binding pocket. Here, we designed and synthesized amide derivatives of 3 in order to clarify the role of the carboxyl group. The synthesized amide derivatives showed HL-60 cell differentiation-inducing activity with potency that depended upon the substituent on the amide nitrogen atom. Among them, the N-cyanoamide 6 is more active than either 1 or 3.

Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Novel Series of Pharmacologically-important Sperm-shaped Amphiphilic Heterocyclic Compounds derived from Natural Palmitic Acid

Natural palmitic acid is a pivotal saturated fatty acid used in many biochemical processes occurring in humans and diverse living creatures, as it is the most common natural long-chain carboxylic acid whose unrivaled amphiphilic sperm-like skeleton with the inert single 15-C aliphatic chain (tail or carrier) and the very active one carboxyl group (head) represent a rich reactive entity and carrier for several organic/medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutics applications with respect to drug design and formulation. Derivatives of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles along with their 1,3,4-thiadiazoles and 1,2,4-triazoles analogs exhibit a broad spectrum of substantial pharmacological activities. Agreeing with the well-known hybridization principles and incorporation norms in hybrid chemistry, if a substituted nitrogenous heterocyclic aromatic nucleus of the three aforementioned kinds is straightway attached to the simple straight palmitic acid backbone at the position of the carboxyl group, the produced molecules are supposed to be very bioactive. This research work reports for the first once the efficient design/synthesis and characterization/elucidation of four one-tailed nitrogen-containing heterocyclic derivatives of palmitic acid constructure, which introduce a novel biologically-important pharmacophore having biocompatible amphiphilic sperm-shaped heteroaromatic structure.

Quantum chemical study on the interaction of arginine with silica surface

The structure and energy characteristics of structures formed during arginine adsorption on silica surface from aqueous solution were studied by the density functional theory (B3LYP) method using a valence-split basis set 6-31++G(d,p) within the continuous solvent model (PCM) and supermolecular approximation. The equilibrium structural and energy parameters of the protonated arginine molecule in the gas phase dependent on the location of the hydrogen atom are considered including those of two possible zwitterions. The structure of the arginine ion Н2А+, which is formed when a proton attaches to a molecule or zwitterion of a given amino acid, has been elucidated. To determine the deprotonation constant of the carboxyl group in an acidic medium, the complexes of the arginine molecule (AH32+) in the state with undissociated and deprotonated carboxyl groups are considered. The simulation of the acid medium was performed by taking into account the interaction with two hydrated HCl ion pairs, which provided the protonation of the a-amino group and the nitrogen atom of amino group within the guanidine group. In the study on the interaction of an arginine molecule with silica surface in an aqueous medium, complexes containing a Si8O12(OH)7O– ion with a deprotonated silanol group, six water molecules, and an arginine molecule with a deprotonated carboxyl group were considered. It has been found that the arginine molecule is most likely to be adsorbed on slica surface with formation of hydrogen bonds between the hydrogen atoms of the a-amino group and the oxygen atom of the deprotonated silanol group. In this case, the formation of a hydrogen bond between the oxygen atom of the carboxyl group and the hydrogen atom of the neighboring silanol group is possible. Slightly less likely is adsorption of arginine molecules due to interaction of the guanidine group with silanol groups of the surface. According to the calculated data, the adsorption of the zwitterionic form of the arginine molecule from the aqueous solution is equally likely to occur due to interaction of silanol groups of silica surface with both the carboxyl group and the guanidine group.

Effect of interaction from the reaction of carboxyl/epoxy hyperbranched polyesters on properties of feedstocks for metal injection molding

The purpose of this study is to improve the properties of the feedstocks and shape retention of debinded parts by the reaction between 17-4PH stainless steel powders. Carboxyl-terminated hyperbranched polyester (CTHP) and epoxy-terminated hyperbranched polyester (ETHP) were used to treat the powders, and termed as CTHP-m and ETHP-m with carboxyl and epoxy group, respectively. Comparing with pristine, CTHP-m and ETHP-m, feedstock prepared from equal amount of CTHP-m and ETHP-m (CTHP-m/ETHP-m) possessed more excellent properties. The experimental results showed that the critical solids loading, flexural modulus, density and melt flow index of CTHP-m/ETHP-m feedstock were 63.8 vol.%, 2800 Mpa, 5.06 g/cm3 and 62 g/10min, respectively, which were obviously higher than that of others. Also, the shape retention of CTHP-m/ETHP-m debinded parts was the best of all the samples. The improved properties of CTHP-m/ETHP-m feedstock were attributed to the powder interaction between CTHP-m and ETHP-m formed by the chemical reaction between epoxy and carboxyl group.

Reaction Mechanism About Isomerization of Resin Acids and Synthesis of Acrylopimaric Acid Based on DFT Calculation

Acrylopimaric acid is considered one of the possible substitutes for petroleum-based polymeric monomers, which is an important industrial product. Resin acids were isomerized to form levopimaric acid(4), which reacted with acrylic acid to synthesize isomers of acrylopimaric acid. Density functional theory calculation was used to investigate the reaction mechanisms with seven reaction paths in five different solutions. The values of ΔG were sorted from highest to lowest by levopimaric acid(4), neoabietic acid(3), palustric acid(2), and bietic acid(1). From the perspective of dynamics, the energy barrier in the isomerization of palustric acid(2) to levopimaric acid(4) was the lowest, whereas the highest energy barrier was the isomerization of neoabietic acid(3) to levopimaric acid(4) in the same solution. The addition reaction of levopimaric acid(4) and acrylic acid(5) to acrylopimaric acid c(8) was the optimal reaction path dynamically. However, ΔG of acrylopimaric acid c(8) was higher than that of acrylopimaric acid d(9). In general, the rates of isomerization reactions for rosin resin acids and addition reaction for acrylopimaric acid in water were higher than those in other solvents. HOMO-LUMO and ESP were analyzed for 8 kinds of molecules. For acylpyimaric acid, the non-planar six-memed ring and the C-C double bonds were easily attacked by nucleophile, while the non-planar six-memed ring and the carboxyl group are easily reacted with electrophiles. The highest electrostatic potential of the eight molecules is located at H of the carboxyl group, while the highest electrostatic potential is located at C-O double bond of the carboxyl group.