Reactivities of superoxide and hydroperoxyl radicals with disubstituted cyclic nitrones: a DFT study

Strawberry consumption improves aging-associated impairments, mitochondrial biogenesis and functionality through the AMP-activated protein kinase signaling cascade

Dietary polyphenols have been recently proposed as activators of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and this fact might explain the relationship between the consumption of polyphenol-rich foods and the slowdown of the progression of aging. In the present work, the effects of strawberry consumption were evaluated on biomarkers of oxidative damage and on aging-associated reductions in mitochondrial function and biogenesis for 8weeks in old rats. Strawberry supplementation increased antioxidant enzyme activities, mitochondrial biomass and functionality, and decreased intracellular ROS levels and biomarkers of protein, lipid and DNA damage (P<0.05). Furthermore, a significant (P<0.05) increase in the expression of the AMPK cascade genes, involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant defences, was also detected after strawberry intake. These in vivo results were then verified in vitro on HepG2 cells, confirming the involvement of AMPK in the beneficial effects exerted by strawberry against aging progression.

Toward an Understanding of the Ambiguous Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectra of the Iminoxy Radical from o-Fluorobenzaldehyde Oxime: Density Functional Theory and ab Initio Studies

Iminoxy radicals (R1R2C═N—O•) possess an inherent ability to exist as E and Z isomers. Although isotropic hyperfine couplings for the species with R1 = H allow one to distinguish between E and Z, unequivocal assignment of the parameters observed in the EPR spectra of the radicals without the hydrogen atom at the azomethine carbon to the right isomer is not a simple task. The iminoxyl derived from o-fluoroacetophenone oxime (R1 = CH3 and R2 = o-FC6H5) appears to be a case in point. Moreover, for its two isomers the rotation of the o-FC6H5 group brings into existence the syn and anti conformers, depending on the mutual orientation of the F atom and C═N—O• group, making a description of hyperfine couplings to structure even more challenging. To accomplish this, a vast array of theoretical methods (DFT, OO-SCS-MP2, QCISD) was used to calculate the isotropic hyperfine couplings. The comparison between experimental and theoretical values revealed that the E isomer is the dominant radical form, for which a fast interconversion between anti and syn conformers is expected. In addition, the origin of the significant AF increase with solvent polarity was analyzed.

Reactivities of substituted α-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrones

In this work, a series of α-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrones bearing one, two, or three substituents on the tert-butyl group was synthesized. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to investigate their electrochemical properties and showed a more pronounced substituent effect for oxidation than for reduction. Rate constants of superoxide radical (O₂^•–) reactions with nitrones were determined using a UV–vis stopped-flow method, and phenyl radical (Ph^•) trapping rate constants were measured by EPR spectroscopy. The effect of N-tert-butyl substitution on the charge density and electron density localization of the nitronyl carbon as well as on the free energies of nitrone reactivity with O₂^•– and HO₂^• were computationally rationalized at the PCM/B3LYP/6-31+G**//B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory. Theoretical and experimental data showed that the rates of the reaction correlate with the nitronyl carbon charge density, suggesting a nucleophilic nature of O₂^•– and Ph^• addition to the nitronyl carbon atom. Finally, the substituent effect was investigated in cell cultures exposed to hydrogen peroxide and a correlation between the cell viability and the oxidation potential of the nitrones was observed. Through a combination of computational methodologies and experimental methods, new insights into the reactivity of free radicals with nitrone derivatives have been proposed.

Potential implication of the chemical properties and bioactivity of nitrone spin traps for therapeutics

Nitrone therapeutics has been employed in the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases such as neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The nitrone-based compound NXY-059, which is the first drug to reach clinical trials for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, has provided promise for the development of more robust pharmacological agents. However, the specific mechanism of nitrone bioactivity remains unclear. In this review, we present a variety of nitrone chemistry and biological activity that could be implicated for the nitrone's pharmacological activity. The chemistries of spin trapping and spin adduct reveal insights on the possible roles of nitrones for altering cellular redox status through radical scavenging or nitric oxide donation, and their biological effects are presented. An interdisciplinary approach towards the development of novel synthetic antioxidants with improved pharmacological properties encompassing theoretical, synthetic, biochemical and in vitro/in vivo studies is covered.