Wine Lees as Source of Antioxidant Molecules: Green Extraction Procedure and Biological Activity

An ultrasound-assisted extraction method, employing ethanol and water as solvents at low temperature (30 °C) and reduced time (15 min), was proposed to extract bioactive molecules from different cultivars (Magliocco Canino, Magliocco Rosato, Gaglioppo, and Nocera Rosso) of wine lees. All the extract yields were evaluated and their contents of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and total polyphenols were determined by means of colorimetric assays and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. Radical scavenging assays were performed and the Magliocco Canino extracted with a hydroalcoholic mixture returned the best results both against ABTS (0.451 mg mL−1) and DPPH (0.395 mg mL−1) radicals. The chemometric algorithms principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square regression (PLS) were used to process the data obtained from all qualitative–quantitative sample determinations with the aim of highlighting data patterns and finding possible correlations between composition and antioxidant features of the different wine lees cultivars and the extraction procedures. Wine lees from Magliocco Canino and Magliocco Rosato were found to be the best vegetable matrices in terms of metabolite content and antioxidant properties. The components extracted with alcoholic or hydroalcoholic solvents, specifically (−)-epigallocatechin gallate, chlorogenic acid, and trans-caftaric acid, were found to be correlated with the antioxidant capacity of the extracts. Multivariate data processing was able to identify the compounds related to the antioxidant features. Two PLS models were optimized by using their concentration levels to predict the IC50 values of the extracts in terms of DPPH and ABTS with high values of correlation coefficient R2, 0.932 and 0.824, respectively, and a prediction error lower than 0.07. Finally, cellular (SH-SY5Y cells) antioxidant assays were performed on the best extract (the hydroalcoholic extract of Magliocco Canino cv) to confirm its biological performance against radical species. All these recorded data strongly outline the aptness of valorizing wine lees as a valuable source of antioxidants

Toward multitasking pharmacological COX-targeting agents: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prodrugs with antiproliferative effects

The antitumor activity of certain anti-inflammatory drugs is often attributed to an indirect effect based on the inhibition of COX enzymes. In the case of anti-inflammatory prodrugs, this property could be attributed to the parent molecules with mechanism other than COX inhibition, particularly through formulations capable of slowing down their metabolic conversion. In this work, a pilot docking study aimed at comparing the interaction of two prodrugs, nabumetone (NB) and its tricyclic analog 7-methoxy-2, 3-dihydro-1H-cyclopenta[b]naphthalen-1-one (MC), and their common active metabolite 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (MNA) with the COX binding site, was carried out. Cytotoxicity, cytofluorimetry, and protein expression assays on prodrugs were also performed to assess their potential as antiproliferative agents that could help hypothesize an effective use as anticancer therapeutics. Encouraging results suggest that the studied compounds could act not only as precursors of the anti-inflammatory metabolite, but also as direct antiproliferative agents. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Photosensitive drugs: a review on their photoprotection by liposomes and cyclodextrins.

Nowadays, an exciting challenge in the drug chemistry and technology research is represented by the development of methods aimed to protect molecular integrity and therapeutic activity of drugs from effects of light. The photostability characterization is ruled by ICH (The International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use), which releases details throughout basic protocols of stability tests to be performed on new medicinal products for human use. The definition of suitable photoprotective systems is fundamental for pharmaceutical manufacturing and for human healthy as well, since light exposure may affect either drugs or drug formulations giving rise even to allergenic or mutagenic by-products. Here, we summarize and discuss the recent studies on the formulation of photosensitive drugs into supramolecular systems, capable of entrapping the molecules in a hollow of their structure by weak noncovalent interactions and protecting them from light. The best known supramolecular matrices belong to the 'auto-assembled' structures, of which liposomes are the most representative, and the 'host-guest' systems, of which cyclodextrins represent the most common 'host' counterpart. A relevant number of papers concerning the use of both liposomes and cyclodextrins as photoprotection systems for drugs has been published over the last 20 years, demonstrating that this topic captures interest in an increasing number of researchers

Physical basis of self-assembly. Part 2. A theoretical and experimental study of the self-assembly of a zinc meso-pyridyl porphyrin

A previously reported theoretical treatment for self-assembly macrocyclisations occurring under thermodynamic control has been tested experimentally. The fundamental quantities on which the treatment is based are the effective molarity (EM) of the self-assembling cyclic n-mer and the equilibrium constant for the intermolecular model reaction between monofunctional reactants (Kinter). Provided that estimates of EM and Kinter are available, this treatment can be used to predict not only whether the self-assembly process is more or less favoured, but also the distribution of all the species present in solution. Since Kinter values are approximately known from the literature, we have proposed a method, based on molecular modelling techniques, to estimate the EM. The method has been applied to the self-assembly of Zn(PyP3P), where PyP3P is 5-(4-pyridyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinato dianion. An EM greater than 0.1 mol L-1 has been estimated for its cyclotetramerisation by PM3 calculations, suggesting that self-assembly should be favoured in solvents like toluene and chloroform. Self-assembly of Zn(PyP3P) has been studied in these solvents by UV/visible spectroscopy. The data are consistent with the formation of the cyclotetramer, and at variance with the model of linear polymerisation. The experimental values of the EM were little affected by the nature of the solvent (EM values were 20 mol L-1 in toluene and 15 mol L-1 in chloroform), indicating that the solvent affects the process of self-assembly mainly through the value of Kinter

Physical basis of self-assembly. Part 2. A theoretical and experimental study of the self-assembly of a zinc meso-pyridyl porphyrin

A previously reported theoretical treatment for self-assembly macrocyclisations occurring under thermodynamic control has been tested experimentally. The fundamental quantities on which the treatment is based are the effective molarity (EM) of the self-assembling cyclic n-mer and the equilibrium constant for the intermolecular model reaction between monofunctional reactants (K-inter). Provided that estimates of EM and K-inter are available, this treatment can be used to predict not only whether the self-assembly process is more or less favoured, but also the distribution of all the species present in solution. Since K-inter values are approximately known from the literature, we have proposed a method, based on molecular modelling techniques, to estimate the EM. The method has been applied to the self-assembly of Zn(PyP3P), where PyP3P is 5-(4-pyridyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinato dianion. An EM greater than 0.1 mol L-1 has been estimated for its cyclotetramerisation by PM3 calculations, suggesting that self-assembly should be favoured in solvents like toluene and chloroform. Self-assembly of Zn(PyP3P) has been studied in these solvents by UV/visible spectroscopy. The data are consistent with the formation of the cyclotetramer, and at variance with the model of linear polymerisation. The experimental values of the EM were little affected by the nature of the solvent (EM values were 20 mol L-1 in toluene and 15 mol L-1 in chloroform), indicating that the solvent affects the process of self-assembly mainly through the value of K-inter

OXIDATION OF TERMINAL OLEFINS BY HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE CATALYZED BY TETRAKIS(TRIPHENYLPHOSPHINE)PALLADIUM(O)

Terminal olefins can be oxidised under mild conditions in excellent yields and selectivities to methyl ketones by employing an aqueous medium containing hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) as the catalyst