Antioxidant properties of phenolic Schiff bases: structure-activity relationship and mechanism of action

Phenolic Schiff bases are known for their diverse biological activities and ability to scavenge free radicals. To elucidate (1) the structure-antioxidant activity relationship of a series of thirty synthetic derivatives of 2-methoxybezohydrazide phenolic Schiff bases and (2) to determine the major mechanism involved in free radical scavenging, we used density functional theory calculations (B3P86/6-31+(d,p)) within polarizable continuum model. The results showed the importance of the bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) related to the first and second (BDEd) hydrogen atom transfer (intrinsic parameters) for rationalizing the antioxidant activity. In addition to the number of OH groups, the presence of a bromine substituent plays an interesting role in modulating the antioxidant activity. Theoretical thermodynamic and kinetic studies demonstrated that the free radical scavenging by these Schiff bases mainly proceeds through proton-coupled electron transfer rather than sequential proton loss electron transfer, the latter mechanism being only feasible at relatively high pH.

Antioxidant, metal-binding and DNA-damaging properties of flavonolignans: a joint experimental and computational highlight based on 7-O-galloylsilybin

Besides the well-known chemoprotective effects of polyphenols, their prooxidant activities via interactions with biomacromolecules as DNA and proteins are of the utmost importance. Current research focuses not only on natural polyphenols but also on synthetically prepared analogs with promising biological activities. In the present study, the antioxidant and prooxidant properties of a semi-synthetic flavonolignan 7-O-galloylsilybin (7-GSB) are described. The presence of the galloyl moiety significantly enhances the antioxidant capacity of 7-GSB compared to that of silybin (SB). These findings were supported by electrochemistry, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity (CL-TAC) and DFT (density functional theory) calculations. A three-step oxidation mechanism of 7-GSB is proposed at pH 7.4, in which the galloyl moiety is first oxidized at Ep,1=+0.20V (vs. Ag/AgCl3M KCl) followed by oxidation of the 20-OH (Ep,2=+0.55V) and most probably 5-OH (Ep,3=+0.95V) group of SB moiety. The molecular orbital analysis and the calculation of O-H bond dissociation enthalpies (BDE) fully rationalize the electrooxidation processes. The metal (Cu(2+)) complexation of 7-GSB was studied, which appeared to involve both the galloyl moiety and the 5-OH group. The prooxidant effects of the metal-complexes were then studied according to their capacity to oxidatively induce DNA modification and cleavage. These results paved the way towards the conclusion that 7-O-galloyl substitution to SB concomitantly (i) enhances antioxidant (ROS scavenging) capacity and (ii) decreases prooxidant effect/DNA damage after Cu complexation. This multidisciplinary approach provides a comprehensive mechanistic picture of the antioxidant vs. metal-induced prooxidant effects of flavonolignans at the molecular level, under ex vivo conditions.

Regio- and stereocontrolled synthesis of oligostilbenoids: theoretical highlights at the supramolecular level

Oligostilbenoids (e.g., ampelopsin F, viniferin, pallidol) result from homogeneous or heterogeneous coupling of monomeric stilbenoid units, leading to various chemical structures. Oligostilbenoid synthesis is regio- and stereocontrolled. To tackle this regio- and stereocontrol, a supramolecular chemistry approach is required that can be achieved by quantum chemistry. The stability of noncovalent π-stacks, formed between two stilbenoid units prior to oxidation, is accurately evaluated with density functional theory (DFT) including dispersive effects (within the DFT-D formalism). These noncovalent arrangements drive the regiocontrol. The rest of the chemical pathway is a succession of dearomatization and rearomatization stages. The thermodynamics and kinetics of the processes are calculated with classical hybrid functionals. This study allows discrimination between the two main possible chemical pathways, namely, radical-neutral and radical-radical reactions. The former appears more likely, thermodynamics and kinetics being in perfect agreement with the experimental 1:2 ratio obtained for ampelopsin F:pallidol analogues, respectively.

Lipid bilayer membrane affinity rationalizes inhibition of lipid peroxidation by a natural lignan antioxidant

Lipid peroxidation is a degenerative oxidative process that modifies the structure of membranes, influencing their biological functions. Lignans, natural polyphenolic antioxidants widely distributed in plants, can prevent this membrane damage by free-radical scavenging. Here, we rationalize the difference in lipid peroxidation inhibition activity of argenteane, a natural dilignan isolated from wild nutmeg, and 3,3'-dimethoxy-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diol, which represents the central part of argenteane responsible for its antioxidant activity. Although both compounds have the same capacity to scavenge free radicals, argenteane is a more active inhibitor of lipid peroxidation. We show that both compounds penetrate into DOPC and PLPC lipid bilayers and adopt similar positions and orientations, which therefore does not explain the difference in their lipid peroxidation inhibition activity. However, free energy profiles indicate that argenteane has a significantly higher affinity to the lipid bilayer, and thus a higher effective concentration to scavenge radicals formed during lipid peroxidation. This finding explains the higher activity of argenteane to inhibit lipid peroxidation.

Free radical scavenging by natural polyphenols: atom versus electron transfer

Polyphenols (synthetically modified or directly provided by human diet) scavenge free radicals by H-atom transfer and may thus decrease noxious effects due to oxidative stress. Free radical scavenging by polyphenols has been widely theoretically studied from the thermodynamic point of view whereas the kinetic point of view has been much less addressed. The present study describes kinetic-based structure-activity relationship for quercetin. This compound is very characteristic of the wide flavonoid subclass of polyphenols. H-atom transfer is a mechanism based on either atom or electron transfer. This is analyzed here by quantum chemical calculations, which support the knowledge acquired from experimental studies. The competition between the different processes is discussed in terms of the nature of the prereaction complexes, the pH, the formation of activated-deprotonated forms, and the atom- and electron-transfer efficiency. The role of the catechol moiety and the 3-OH group of quercetin as scavengers of different types of free radicals (CH3OO(•), CH3O(•), (•)OH, and (•)CH2OH) is rationalized. Identifying the exact mechanism and accurately evaluating kinetics is of fundamental importance to understand antioxidant behavior in physiological environments.

Acylglucuronide in alkaline conditions: migration vs. hydrolysis

This work rationalizes the glucuronidation process (one of the reactions of the phase II metabolism) for drugs having a carboxylic acid moiety. At this stage, acylglucuronides (AG) metabolites are produced, that have largely been reported in the literature for various drugs (e.g., mycophenolic acid (MPA), diclofenac, ibuprofen, phenylacetic acids). The competition between migration and hydrolysis is rationalized by adequate quantum calculations, combing MP2 and density functional theory (DFT) methods. At the molecular scale, the former process is a real rotation of the drug around the glucuconic acid. This chemical-engine provides four different metabolites with various toxicities. Migration definitely appears feasible under alkaline conditions, making proton release from the OH groups. The latter reaction (hydrolysis) releases the free drug, so the competition is of crucial importance to tackle drug action and elimination. From the theoretical data, both migration and hydrolysis appear kinetically and thermodynamically favored, respectively.

Highlights on Anthocyanin Pigmentation and Copigmentation: A Matter of Flavonoid π-Stacking Complexation To Be Described by DFT-D

Anthocyanidins are a class of π-conjugated systems responsible for red, blue, and purple colors of plants. They exhibit the capacity of aggregation in the presence of other natural compounds including flavonols. Such complexations induce color modulation in plants, which is known as copigmentation. It is largely driven by π-interactions existing between pigments and copigments. In this work, the energies of copigmentation-complexation and self-association are systematically evaluated for an anthocyanidin/flavonol couple prototype (3-O-methylcyanidin/quercetin). To describe noncovalent interactions, DFT-D appears mandatory to reach a large accuracy. Due to the chemical complexity of this phenomenon, we also aim at assessing the relevance of both B3P86-D2 and ωB97X-D functionals. The benchmarking has shown that B3P86-D2 possesses enough accuracy when dealing with π-π interactions with respect to both spin component scaled Møller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory post Hartree-Fock method and experimental data. UV-vis absorption properties are then evaluated with time-dependent DFT for the different complexes. The use of range-separated hybrid functionals, such as ωB97X-D, helped to correctly disentangle and interpret the origin of the UV-vis experimental shifts attributed to the subtle copigmentation phenomenon.