Current Organic Chemistry - Volume 21, Issue 20, 2017

Background & Objective: Various 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs) could affect basic and cell-type specific mitochondrial functions in different way and at various extent either as protectors or as harmful compounds, depending on their lipophylicity and chemical modifications of the DHP nucleus. Hence, several DHPs may affect: 1) mitochondrial bioenergetics as well as enzymatic activities including electron transport chain reactio Read More

Background: The growing interest on the redox modulation in living systems broadly involved selenium derivatives that during the last twenty years were often claimed powerful antioxidants but that were also clearly correlated to several important biological effects sometimes, unfortunately, associated to a certain toxicity. Comparing the antioxidant activity of different organoselenium structures it can be observed that someti Read More

Background: Nowadays, nitrones are the most used spin traps to characterize free radicals in biological systems due to the versatility and variety depending on the types of radicals to study and that the halflives of the species studied and/or detected increase considerably. In recent years, nitrones have been studied not only as free radical spin traps. Moreover, nitrones have been employed as therapeutic agents; in particul Read More

Background: All cancers are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The urgent need for new lead compounds for the treatment of cancer is higher than ever before. Scientists search and try to discover effective but less harmful new anti-tumor agents. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the bestknown methods for treating cancer, however, they continued to be limited. Rising efforts of the scientists towa Read More

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) arises when the balance between the production of oxidants and their removal is disturbed; OS is associated with a wide variety of health disorders. Finding strategies that efficiently reduce OS is an active area of research. Objective: This review summarizes the chemical insights concerning the antioxidant capacity (AOC) of melatonin and related compounds. Method: We consider not only natural Read More

Background: Free radicals are frequently generated in vivo and their reactivity varies causing different damages to biological molecules, e.g. DNA, lipids, and proteins. Oxidative stress in the human body is due to the free radicals generation and to the reduced level of antioxidants. Antioxidants are able to reduce the risk for chronic diseases. Hence, natural and synthetic antioxidants may be predominantly significant in diminishi Read More

Background: There are two types of antioxidants -high molecular weight antioxidants like glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase and low molecular weight antioxidants like ascorbic acid, glutathione, uric acid, melatonin. Both types of antioxidants are necessary in the system keeping oxidative homeostasis and protecting against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Objective: This review is focused on low molecular Read More

Objective: Enhanced production of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species in biological tissues leads to oxidative and nitrative stress, a general pathophysiological phenomenon playing a role in the development of various human diseases including cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Method: Reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species interact with lipids, DNA and proteins via oxidative or radical- mediated reactions, pote Read More

Background: Previously, it was demonstrated that quinoid pigments of sea urchins exhibit antioxidant properties. Objective: The work presents a comparative investigation of the antioxidant and antiaggregant action of polyhydroxy- 1,4-naphthoquinones: echinochrome A, spinochrome B, spinochrome C, spinochrome E, echinamine B, histochrome. The glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phospate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) Read More