Synthesis and biological evaluation of folic acid-rotenol conjugate as a potent targeted anticancer prodrug

Rotenone, a plant-based agricultural insecticide, has been shown to have anti-tumor activity through targeting mitochondrial complex I in cancer cells. However, off-target toxic side effect on nervous systems have greatly restricted the application of rotenone as anticancer drugs. Here, a folic acid-rotenol (FA-rotenol) conjugate was prepared by covalent coupling of the tumor-targeting ligand folic acid with rotenone derivative-rotenol to enhance its accumulation at tumor site. FA-rotenol conjugates present high in vitro cytotoxicties against several cell lines by inducing mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization and increasing the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) to activate the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis and enhance the G2/M cell cycle arrest. Because of the high affinity with over-expressed folate receptors, FA-rotenol conjugate demonstrated more effective in vivo therapeutic outcomes in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice than rotenone and rotenol. In addition, FA-rotenol conjugate can markedly inhibit the cell migration and invasion of HepG-2 cells. These studies confirm the feasibility of tumor-targeted ligand conjugated rotenone derivatives for targeted antitumor therapy; likewise, they lay the foundations for the development of other rotenol-conjugates with antitumor potential.

Preparation of Responsive Carbon Dots for Anticancer Drug Delivery

Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have been extensively utilized as responsive drug nanocarriers to deliver anticancer agents, owing to their facile preparation, excellent water solubility, good photostability, and high quantum yield. Herein, we summarize the protocols for the synthesis and application of responsive CDs toward anticancer drug delivery both in vitro and in vivo. Specially, this chapter includes the preparation and structural characterization of CDs and anticancer prodrug-loaded CDs, in vitro anticancer drug release, in vitro and in vivo fluorescence imaging, and toxicity studies.

A simple stripping voltammetric method for the determination of a new anticancer prodrug in serum

The determination of ethyl [4-oxo-8-(3-chlorophenyl)-4,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[2,1-c][1,2,4]triazin-3-yl]acetate (ETTA), a new anticancer prodrug, using adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) was described for the first time. This method is based on adsorptive/reductive behaviour of ETTA at an in situ plated bismuth film electrode (BiFE) as a sensor. A number of experimental variables (e.g., a composition and pH of the supporting electrolyte, the conditions of bismuth film deposition, an accumulation potential and time, the scan rate, etc.) were thoroughly studied in order to achieve a high sensitivity. Experimental results under optimized conditions revealed an excellent linear correlation between the monitored voltammetric peak current and the ETTA concentration in the range of 2-50μgL^-1 following an accumulation time of 300s. The limit of detection (LOD) for ETTA following 300s of an accumulation time was 0.4μgL^-1. The proposed facile, sensitive and inexpensive method was successfully applied to the determination of ETTA in serum. The investigated prodrug was extracted from serum using SPE method.