Free radical reactions of isoxazole and pyrazole derivatives of hispolon: kinetics correlated with molecular descriptors

Initial report on the multiple biological and pharmacological properties of hispolon: Exploring stochastic mechanisms

The development of natural substances derived from nature poses a significant challenge as technologies for the extraction and characterization of active principles advance. Hispolon has received a lot of attention in recent years, ascribable to its wide range of biological activities. It is a phenolic molecule that was extracted from several mushroom species such as Phellinus igniarius, Phellinus linteus, Phellinus lonicerinus, Phellinus merrillii, and Inonotus hispidus. To provide a comprehensive overview of the pharmacological activities of hispolon, this review highlights its anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-diabetic activities. Several scientific research databases, including Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, SciFinder, SpringerLink, Science Direct, Scopus, and, Wiley Online were used to gather the data on hispolon until May 2024. The in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed that hispolon exhibited significant anticancer properties through modifying several signaling pathways including cell apoptosis, cycle arrest, autophagy, and inhibition of angiogenesis and metastasis. Hispolon's antimicrobial activity was proven against many bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens, highlighting its potential use as a novel antimicrobial agent. Additionally, hispolon displayed potent anti-inflammatory activity through the suppression of key inflammatory mediators, such as inducible NO synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and cyclooxygenases-2 (COX-2), and the modulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways. The antioxidant potential of hispolon was attributed to its capacity to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes, indicating a possible involvement in the prevention of oxidative stress-related illnesses. Hispolon's antidiabetic activity was associated with the inhibition of aldose reductase and α-glucosidase. Studies on hispolon emphasized its potential use as a promising scaffold for the development of novel therapeutic agents targeting various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders, and diabetes.

Unravelling the molecular interaction of diselenodipropionic acid (DSePA) with human serum albumin (HSA)

DSePA, a pharmacologically efficient selenium compound shows strong binding with extracellular carrier protein, Human Serum Albumin.

Elimination of oxacillin, its toxicity and antibacterial activity by using ionizing radiation

The chemical changes caused by electron beam and γ irradiations and the biochemical characteristics of degradation products of a frequently used antibiotic oxacillin were investigated and compared with those of cloxacillin by applying pulse radiolysis, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon content, oxygen uptake rate, toxicity and antibacterial activity measurements. Oxacillin was found to be non-toxic, but poorly biodegradable by the mixed microbial population of the activated sludge of a wastewater treatment plant. Therefore, it can significantly contribute to the spread of β-lactam antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, the products formed by γ-irradiation were more easily biodegradable as they were utilized as nutrient source by the microbes of the activated sludge and the products did not show antibacterial activity. During irradiation treatment of aerated aqueous solutions mainly hydroxyl radicals induce the elimination of antimicrobial activity by making alterations at the bicyclic β-lactam part of these antibiotics. Since the β-lactam part is the same in oxacillin and cloxacillin, the biochemical characteristics of products of the two antibiotics are similar. The attack of hydrated electron takes place on the carbonyl groups. When the irradiation is made under anoxic conditions these reactions may also contribute considerably to alterations at the β-lactam part and thereby to the loss of antibacterial activity.

Tailored Functionalization of Natural Phenols to Improve Biological Activity

Phenols are widespread in nature, being the major components of several plants and essential oils. Natural phenols' anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, pharmacological and nutritional properties are, nowadays, well established. Hence, given their peculiar biological role, numerous studies are currently ongoing to overcome their limitations, as well as to enhance their activity. In this review, the functionalization of selected natural phenols is critically examined, mainly highlighting their improved bioactivity after the proper chemical transformations. In particular, functionalization of the most abundant naturally occurring monophenols, diphenols, lipidic phenols, phenolic acids, polyphenols and curcumin derivatives is explored.

Anticancer Perspectives on the Fungal-Derived Polyphenolic Hispolon

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a dreadful disease causing thousands of deaths per year worldwide, which requires precision diagnostics and therapy. Although the selection of therapeutic regimens depends on the cancer type, chemotherapy remains a sustainable treatment strategy despite some of its known side-effects. To date, a number of natural products and their derivatives or analogues have been investigated as potent anticancer drugs. These drug discoveries have aimed for targeted therapy and reduced side-effects, including natural therapeutic regimens.

OBJECTIVE

This review introduces a prospective fungal-derived polyphenol, Hispolon (HIS), as an anticancer agent. Accordingly, this review focuses on exploring the anticancer effect of hispolon based on information extracted from databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, MedLine, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.

METHODS

A literature search in PubMed, ScienceDirect, MedLine, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was accomplished, using the keyword 'Hispolon', pairing with 'cancer', 'cytotoxicity', 'cell cycle arrest', 'apoptosis', 'metastasis', 'migration', 'invasion', 'proliferation', 'genotoxicity', 'mutagenicity', 'drug-resistant cancer', 'autophagy', and 'estrogen receptor.

RESULTS

Database-dependent findings from reported research works suggest that HIS can exert anticancer effects by modulating multiple molecular and biochemical pathways, including cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy, inhibition of proliferation, metastasis, migration, and invasion. Moreover, HIS inhibits the estrogenic activity and exhibits chemoprevention prospects, possibly due to its protective effects such as anticancer and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. To date, a number of HIS derivatives and analogues have been introduced for their anticancer effects in numerous cancer cell lines.

CONCLUSION

Data obtained from this review suggest that hispolon and some of its derivatives can be promising anticancer agents, and may become plant-based cancer chemotherapeutic leads for the development of potent anticancer drugs, alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents.

Transient species of esculetin produced in pulse radiolysis: experimental and quantum chemical investigations

Radiation chemical studies of esculetin (E), a dihydroxycoumarin derivative, were performed using a pulse radiolysis technique employing kinetic spectrometer and quantum chemical calculations. Both the oxidizing radicals, hydroxyl (˙OH) and azide (N₃˙) radicals, and the reducing radical hydrated electron (e_aq^-) and hydrogen atom (H˙) reactions of E were used for the present study. The reaction of ˙OH and N₃˙ radicals with E produced transients that absorbed at 410 nm; additionally, another broad band at 510 nm was observed for the ˙OH radical reaction. The reaction of ˙OH radicals with E formed the phenoxyl radical and ˙OH-adducts. It was revealed that 32% of the ˙OH radical reaction products of E were oxidizing in nature and 47% were reducing in nature. The carbonyl group of E was reduced by e_aq^- and subsequently converted to a neutral radical adduct upon protonation. Similarly, the H˙ atom reaction with E yielded a neutral adduct along with H˙ atom addition products. The transient product absorbed at 380 nm when E was reduced by e_aq^- and the H˙ atom; additionally, the H˙ atom addition product absorbed at 500 nm. In the case of E, the oxidizing radicals were reactive towards the aromatic ring and the phenolic OH group, whereas the reducing radicals were reactive towards the carbonyl group of E. Quantum chemical calculations using DFT and TD-DFT methods have supported the experimental observation. There was good agreement between the experimental and theoretical data on a number of occasions. Based on the energetics of the transients, it was suggested that the addition products were exothermic in nature. In the addition reaction with the ˙OH radical, there was a slight increase in the C-C bond length adjacent to the addition site compared to the remaining bonds. During the reduction process through the carbonyl group, the [double bond splayed left]C[double bond, length as m-dash]O bond length was increased from 1.221 Å to 1.358 Å. There was an excellent correlation between the calculated and experimentally observed absorption maximum for the oxidized product of E. Overall, these redox studies may find application in developing hydroxycoumarin derivatives as an antioxidant or as an electron transporting agent in biochemical processes. In addition, this information will be helpful for understanding the mechanism of removing pollutant dyes by advanced oxidation processes.

Synthesis, Screening and Docking Analysis of Hispolon Pyrazoles and Isoxazoles as Potential Antitubercular Agents

BACKGROUND

Hispolons are natural products known to possess cytoprotective, antioxidant and anti-cancer activities. We have found recently anti TB activity in these compounds. Efforts were made to optimize the structure with bioisosteric replacement of 1,3-diketo functional group with the corresponding pyrazole and isoxazole moieties.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this paper is designing new hispolon isoxazole and pyrazole and the evaluation of their biological activities.

METHODS

The designed compounds were prepared using classical organic synthesis methods. The anti- TB activity was evaluated using the MABA method.

RESULTS

A total of 44 compounds were synthesized (1a- 1v and 2a-2v) and screened for anti TB activity and antibacterial activity. The compounds 1b and 1n showed the highest potency with MIC 1.6µg/mL against M. tuberculosis H37Rv.

CONCLUSION

Bioisosteric replacement of 1,3-diketo functional group in hispolons with pyrazole or isoxazole rings have resulted in potent anti TB molecules. Docking simulations of these compounds on mtFabH enzyme resulted in a clear understanding of bioactivity profiles of these compounds. Docking scores are in good agreement with the anti TB activity obtained for these compounds. Computational studies and in vitro screening results indicate mtFabH as the probable target of these compounds.

Current progress on antioxidants incorporating the pyrazole core

The search of new antioxidants, as drugs candidates, is an active field of medicinal chemistry. The synthesis of compounds with antioxidant potential has increased in recent years and a high number of structurally diverse compounds have been published. This review aims to show the current state-of-the-art on the development of antioxidant compounds incorporating the pyrazole pharmacophore. It is a well-timed review driven by the increasing number of papers, on this issue, that have been published since the beginning of the 21st century (from 2000 to 2017). The aim is to look deeper into the structures already published in the literature containing the pyrazole core as the unique pharmacophore or combined with other pharmacophores and see the relationship between the presence of this five-membered nitrogen heterocycle and the behaviour of the compounds as potential antioxidant agents. An attempt was made to whenever possible establish structure-activity relationships that could help the design of new and more potent antioxidant agents containing this important pharmacophore.

Toxicity and Antigenotoxic Effect of Hispolon Derivatives: Role of Structure in Modulating Cellular Redox State and Thioredoxin Reductase

Hispolon (HS), a bioactive polyphenol, and its derivatives such as hispolon monomethyl ether (HME), hispolon pyrazole (HP), and hispolon monomethyl ether pyrazole (HMEP) were evaluated for comparative toxicity and antigenotoxic effects. The stability of HS derivatives in biological matrices followed the order HS < HP ≈ HME < HMEP. The cytotoxicity analysis of HS derivatives indicated that HP and HMEP were less toxic than HS and HME, respectively, in both normal and tumor cell types. The mechanisms of toxicity of HS and HME involved inhibition of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and/or induction of reductive stress. From the enzyme kinetic and docking studies, it was established that HS and HME interacted with the NADPH-binding domain of TrxR through electrostatic and hydrophobic bonds, resulting in inhibition of the catalytic activity. Subsequently, treatment with HS, HP, and HMEP at a nontoxic concentration of 10 μM in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells showed significant protection against radiation (4 Gy)-induced DNA damage as assessed by micronuclei and γ-H2AX assays. In conclusion, the above results suggested the importance of phenolic and diketo groups in controlling the stability and toxicity of HS derivatives. The pyrazole derivatives, HP and HMEP, may gain significance in the development of functional foods.

Diketo modification of curcumin affects its interaction with human serum albumin

Curcumin isoxazole (CI) and Curcumin pyrazole (CP), the diketo modified derivatives of Curcumin (CU) are metabolically more stable and are being explored for pharmacological properties. One of the requirements in such activities is their interaction with circulatory proteins like human serum albumin (HSA). To understand this, the interactions of CI and CP with HSA have been investigated employing absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and the results are compared with that of CU. The respective binding constants of CP, CI and CU with HSA were estimated to be 9.3×10⁵, 8.4×10⁵ and 2.5×10⁵M^-1, which decreased with increasing salt concentration in the medium. The extent of decrease in the binding constant was the highest in CP followed by CI and CU. This revealed that along with hydrophobic interaction other binding modes like electrostatic interactions operate between CP/CI/CU with HSA. Fluorescence quenching studies of HSA with these compounds suggested that both static and dynamic quenching mechanisms operate, where the contribution of static quenching is higher for CP and CI than that for CU. From fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies, the binding site of CU, CI and CP was found to be in domain IIA of HSA. CU was found to bind in closer proximity with Trp214 as compared to CI and CP and the same was responsible for efficient energy transfer and the same was also established by fluorescence anisotropy measurements. Furthermore docking simulation complemented the experimental observation, where both electrostatic as well as hydrophobic interactions were indicated between HSA and CP, CI and CU. This study is useful in designing more stable CU derivatives having suitable binding properties with proteins like HSA.