Electron Donor–Acceptor Capacity of Selected Pharmaceuticals against COVID-19

More than a year ago, the first case of infection by a new coronavirus was identified, which subsequently produced a pandemic causing human deaths throughout the world. Much research has been published on this virus, and discoveries indicate that oxidative stress contributes to the possibility of getting sick from the new SARS-CoV-2. It follows that free radical scavengers may be useful for the treatment of coronavirus 19 disease (COVID-19). This report investigates the antioxidant properties of nine antivirals, two anticancer molecules, one antibiotic, one antioxidant found in orange juice (Hesperidin), one anthelmintic and one antiparasitic (Ivermectin). A molecule that is apt for scavenging free radicals can be either an electron donor or electron acceptor. The results I present here show Valrubicin as the best electron acceptor (an anticancer drug with three F atoms in its structure) and elbasvir as the best electron donor (antiviral for chronic hepatitis C). Most antiviral drugs are good electron donors, meaning that they are molecules capable of reduzing other molecules. Ivermectin and Molnupiravir are two powerful COVID-19 drugs that are not good electron acceptors, and the fact that they are not as effective oxidants as other molecules may be an advantage. Electron acceptor molecules oxidize other molecules and affect the conditions necessary for viral infection, such as the replication and spread of the virus, but they may also oxidize molecules that are essential for life. This means that the weapons used to defend us from COVID-19 may also harm us. This study posits the idea that oxide reduction balance may help explain the toxicity or efficacy of these drugs. These results represent a further advance on the road towards understanding the action mechanisms of drugs used as possible treatments for COVID-19. Looking ahead, clinical studies are needed to define the importance of antioxidants in treating COVID-19.

Deciphering the molecular specificity of phenolic compounds as inhibitors or glycosyl acceptors of β-fructofuranosidase from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous

Enzymatic glycosylation of polyphenols is a tool to improve their physicochemical properties and bioavailability. On the other hand, glycosidic enzymes can be inhibited by phenolic compounds. In this work, we studied the specificity of various phenolics (hydroquinone, hydroxytyrosol, epigallocatechin gallate, catechol and p-nitrophenol) as fructosyl acceptors or inhibitors of the β-fructofuranosidase from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (pXd-INV). Only hydroquinone and hydroxytyrosol gave rise to the formation of glycosylated products. For the rest, an inhibitory effect on both the hydrolytic (H) and transglycosylation (T) activity of pXd-INV, as well as an increase in the H/T ratio, was observed. To disclose the binding mode of each compound and elucidate the molecular features determining its acceptor or inhibitor behaviour, ternary complexes of the inactive mutant pXd-INV-D80A with fructose and the different polyphenols were analyzed by X-ray crystallography. All the compounds bind by stacking against Trp105 and locate one of their phenolic hydroxyls making a polar linkage to the fructose O2 at 3.6–3.8 Å from the C2, which could enable the ulterior nucleophilic attack leading to transfructosylation. Binding of hydroquinone was further investigated by soaking in absence of fructose, showing a flexible site that likely allows productive motion of the intermediates. Therefore, the acceptor capacity of the different polyphenols seems mediated by their ability to make flexible polar links with the protein, this flexibility being essential for the transfructosylation reaction to proceed. Finally, the binding affinity of the phenolic compounds was explained based on the two sites previously reported for pXd-INV.

Serum cholesterol acceptor capacity in intrauterine growth restricted fetuses

Aim:Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases later in life. The mechanisms whereby slowed intrauterine growth confers vascular risk are not clearly established. In general, a disturbed cholesterol efflux has been linked to atherosclerosis. The capacity of serum to accept cholesterol has been repeatedly evaluated in clinical studies by the use of macrophage-based cholesterol efflux assays and, if disturbed, precedes atherosclerotic diseases years before the clinical diagnosis. We now hypothesized that circulating cholesterol acceptors in IUGR sera specifically interfere with cholesterol transport mechanisms leading to diminished cholesterol efflux.Methods:RAW264.7 cells were used to determine efflux of [Results:Cholesterol efflux was lower in IUGR as compared to controls [controls: mean 7.7% fractional [Conclusions:Reduced cholesterol efflux in IUGR could account for the enhanced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases later in life.

FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT HYPERPOLARIZABILITY OF BENZENE DERIVATIVES: AB-INITIO CALCULATIONS

Structure–property relationship and dispersion effects for disubstituted benzene molecules have been investigated. Ab-initio calculations of the first hyperpolarizabilities (β) of donor–acceptor benzene derivatives show that the magnitude of β depends upon the availability of the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom to conjugate with the benzene ring. The HOMO–LUMO energy gap and β have an inverse relationship. From the dispersion studies, it is observed that the first resonance peak shifts towards lower frequencies as the donor/acceptor capacity increases.

Hydrogen Bonding Contribution to Lipophilicity Parameters. Hydrogen Acceptor and Hydrogen Acceptor Donor Parameters

In our analysis of the composition of lipophilicity parameters by the intermolecular force (IMF) model we have made use of nH, the number of OH and/or NH bonds, as a measure of the hydrogen donor capacity of a substituent; and nn, the number of lone pairs on O and/or N atoms in the substituent, as a measure of the hydrogen acceptor capacity of the substituent. The basis of this method is the reasonable assumption that in 55.6 molar water hydrogen bonding is maximized. The method does not account however for differences in the energy of different types of hydrogen bonds, but further assumes that these differences are to a first approximation negligible. In order to improve the model we have defined a scale of group hydrogen bonding acceptor parameters, ηXHA, and overall hydrogen bond parameters ηXHAD from the water/1-octanol partition coefficients of AkX where Ak is alkyl. These parameters should account for both the extent of hydrogen bonding in water and for the difference in hydrogen bond energies of the various types of hydrogen bonds encountered. Correlations of log P values for Ph(CH2)nX, X1(CH2)X2, and substituted amino acids Xaa with the IMF equation using the ηXHA and ηXHAD parameters demonstrated their use. Correlation of log P values for PhX suggested that for many groups separate sets of ηXHA and ηXHAD values are required when they are bonded to sp2 hybridized carbon rather than sp3 hybridized carbon.