Hemi-synthesis, in-vitro and in-silico bioactivities of new chiral-Schiff bases and benzodiazepine derivatives from Ammodaucus leucotrichus(S)-perillaldehyde

Hemi-synthesis of novel chiral benzodiazepine derivatives from Eucalyptus citriodora essential oil: 2D NMR experiments and differential scanning calorimetry study of diastereoisomers

An efficient in situ condensation of citronellal, the main constituent of Eucalyptus citriodora essential oil (51%), with different amine derivatives of 2,3-diaminomaleonitrile and 3-[(2-aminoaryl)amino]dimedone has led to novel chiral benzodiazepine structures. All reactions were precipitated in ethanol and pure products were obtained in good yields (58-75%) without any purification. The synthesized benezodiazepines were characterized by spectroscopic techniques, namely ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, 2D NMR and FTIR. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and HPLC were used to confirm the formation diastereomeric mixtures of benzodiazepine derivatives.

Perillaldehyde is a new ferroptosis inducer with a relevant clinical potential for acute myeloid leukemia therapy

Ferroptosis induction is an emerging strategy to treat cancer and contrast the tricky issue of chemoresistance, which can arise towards apoptosis. This work elucidates the anticancer mechanisms evoked by perillaldehyde, a monoterpenoid isolated from Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. We investigated and characterized its antileukemic potential in vitro, disclosing its ability to trigger ferroptosis. Specifically, perillaldehyde induced lipid peroxidation, decreased glutathione peroxidase 4 protein expression, and depleted intracellular glutathione on HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Besides, it stimulated the active secretion of ATP, one of the most crucial events in the induction of efficient anticancer response, prompting further studies to disclose its possible nature as an immunogenic cell death inducer. To preliminarily assess the clinical relevance of perillaldehyde, we tested its ability to induce cell death on patient-derived acute myeloid leukemia biopsies, recording a similar mechanism of action and potency compared to HL-60 cells. To round the study off, we tested its selectivity towards tumor cells and disclosed lower toxicity on normal cells compared to both HL-60 and acute myeloid leukemia biopsies. Altogether, these data depict a favorable risk-benefit profile for perillaldehyde and reveal its peculiar antileukemic potential, which qualifies this natural product to proceed further through the drug development pipeline.