What Is New for an Old Molecule? Systematic Review and Recommendations on the Use of Resveratrol

Stilbenes are naturally occurring phytoalexins that generally exist as their more stable E isomers. The most well known natural stilbene is resveratrol (Res), firstly isolated in 1939 from roots of Veratrum grandiflorum (white hellebore) (1) and since then found in various edible plants, notably in Vitis vinifera L. (Vitaceae) (2). The therapeutic potential of Res covers a wide range of diseases, and multiple beneficial effects on human health such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities have been suggested based on several in vitro and animal studies (3). In particular, Res has been reported to be an inhibitor of carcinogenesis at multiple stages via its ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase, and is an anticancer agent with a role in antiangiogenesis (4). Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that Res induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells (4). However, clinical studies in humans evidenced that Res is rapidly absorbed after oral intake, and that the low level observed in the blood stream is caused by a fast conversion into metabolites that are readily excreted from the body (5). Thus, considerable efforts have gone in the design and synthesis of Res analogues with enhanced metabolic stability. Considering that reduced Res (dihydro- resveratrol, D-Res) conjugates may account for as much as 50% of an oral Res dose (5), and that D-Res has a strong proliferative effect on hormone-sensitive cancer cell lines such as breast cancer cell line MCF7 (6), we recently devoted our synthetic efforts to the preparation of trans-restricted analogues of Res in which the E carbon-carbon double bond is embedded into an imidazole nucleus. To keep the trans geometry, the two aryl rings were linked to the heteroaromatic core in a 1,3 fashion. Based on this design, we successfully prepared a variety of 1,4-, 2,4- and 2,5-diaryl substituted imidazoles including Res analogues 1, 2 and 3, respectively, by procedures that involve transition metal-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions and highly selective N-H or C-H direct arylation reactions as key synthetic steps. The anticancer activity of compounds 1–3 was evaluated against the 60 human cancer cell lines panel of the National Cancer Institute (NCI, USA). The obtained results, that will be showed and discussed along with the protocols developed for the preparation of imidazoles 1–3, confirmed that a structural optimization of Res may provide analogues with improved potency in inhibiting the growth of human cancer cell lines in vitro when compared to their natural lead. (1) Takaoka,M.J.Chem.Soc.Jpn.1939,60,1090-1100. (2) Langcake, P.; Pryce, R. J. Physiological. Plant Patology 1976, 9, 77-86. (3) Vang, O.; et al. PLoS ONE 2011, 6, e19881. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019881 (4) Kraft, T. E.; et al. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2009, 49, 782-799. (5) Walle, T. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 2011, 1215, 9-15. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05842.x (6) Gakh,A.A.;etal.Bioorg.Med.Chem.Lett.2010,20,6149-6151

Ethanol Inhibits Activation of NLRP3 and AIM2 Inflammasomes in Human Macrophages- A Novel Anti-Inflammatory Action of Alcohol

Peer reviewe

Diagnostic Performance of Urinary Resveratrol Metabolites as a Biomarker of Moderate Wine Consumption

Background: Nutritional biomarkers may be better measures of dietary exposure than self-reported dietary data. We evaluated resveratrol metabolites, potential biomarkers of wine consumption, in humans after moderate consumption of sparkling, white, or red wines. Methods: We performed 2 randomized, crossover trials and a cohort study. In the first study, 10 healthy men consumed 30 g of ethanol/day as sparkling wine or gin for 28 days. In the second trial, 10 healthy women consumed 20 g of ethanol/day as white or red wine for 28 days. We also evaluated 52 participants in a study on the effects of a Mediterranean diet on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (the PREDIMED Study). We used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to analyze urinary total resveratrol metabolites (TRMs) and predictive values and ROC curve analyses to assess the diagnostic accuracy. Results: We observed significant increases in TRMs [72.4 (95% confidence interval, 48.5-96.2; P = 0.005), 211.5 (166.6-256.3; P = 0.005), and 560.5 nmol/g creatinine (244.9-876.1; P = 0.005)] after consumption of sparkling, white, or red wine, respectively, but no changes after the washout or gin periods. In the cohort study, the reported daily dose of wine consumption correlated directly with TRMs (r = 0.654; P <0.001). Using a cutoff of 90 nmol/g, we were able to use TRMs to differentiate wine consumers from abstainers with a sensitivity of 72% (60%-84%); and a specificity of 94% (87%-100%). Conclusions: Resveratrol metabolites in urine may be useful biomarkers of wine intake in epidemiologic and intervention studies. 2006 American Association for Clinical Chemistry