Marcelo Puiatti

Study of the interaction of Huperzia saururus Lycopodium alkaloids with the acetylcholinesterase enzyme.

In the present study, we describe and compare the binding modes of three Lycopodium alkaloids (sauroine, 6-hydroxylycopodine and sauroxine; isolated from Huperzia saururus) and huperzine A with the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Refinement and rescoring of the docking poses (obtained with different programs) with an all atom force field helped to improve the quality of the protein-ligand complexes. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the complexes and the alkaloids binding modes. The combination of the latter two methodologies indicated that binding in the active site is favored for the active compounds. On the other hand, similar binding energies in both the active and the peripheral sites were obtained for sauroine, thus explaining its experimentally determined lack of activity. MM-GBSA predicted the order of binding energies in agreement with the experimental IC50 values.

Interaction of S-methyl methanethiosulfonate with DPPC bilayer

The present study is a first step towards the investigation of S-methyl methanethiosulfonate (MMTS) interaction with membrane model systems like liposomes. In this paper, the interaction of MMTS with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers was studied by FTIR and SERS spectroscopy. Lysolipid effect on vesicle stability was studied. The results show that MMTS interacts to different extents with the phosphate and carbonyl groups of membranes in the gel and the liquid crystalline states. To gain a deeper insight into MMTS properties that may be potentially helpful in the design of new drugs with therapeutic effects, we performed theoretical studies that may be the basis for the design of their mode of action.

Initiation in Photoredox C–H Functionalization Reactions. Is Dimsyl Anion a Key Ingredient?

Previous studies have reported the arylation of unactivated arenes with ArX, base (KOtBu or NaOtBu), and an organic additive at high temperatures. Recently, we showed that this reaction proceeds in the absence of additives at rt but employs UV-vis light. However, details of mechanisms that can use a photoinduced base-promoted homolytic aromatic substitution reaction (photo-BHAS) have remained elusive until now. This work examines different mechanistic routes of the essential electron-transfer step (ET) of this reaction in order to identify a possible path for the formation of 1-adamantyl radicals from 1-haloadamantanes (initiation step). On the basis of photochemical and photophysical experiments and computational studies, we propose an unprecedented initiation step that could also be applied to other ET reactions performed in DMSO. For the first time, it is reported that dimsyl anion, formed from a strong base and DMSO (solvent), is responsible for inducing the initiation by a photo-BHAS process on alkyl halides.

Vibrational and structural behavior of (L)-cysteine ethyl ester hydrochloride in the solid state and in aqueous solution.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the vibrational and structural properties of l-cysteine ethyl ester hydrochloride (CE), and its electronic behavior mainly in relation to the action of the thiol and amine groups at different degrees of solvation. The crystal structure of CE was determined at room temperature by X-ray diffraction methods. Infrared and Raman spectra were collected to compare the behavior of different functional groups in the molecule, both in the solid phase and in aqueous solution. Its UV and circular dichroism spectra were also measured in aqueous solution. The influence of an aqueous environment on the CE spectra was simulated by means of implicit (polarizable continuum model) and explicit (molecular dynamics, solute-solvent clusters) methods. Calculations in explicit and continuous solvent are of interest to explain the behavior of bioavailable sites in this medium. The study was completed by natural bond orbital analysis to determine the presence of hyperconjugative interactions.

Anions involved in the initiation of the thermally induced SRN1 reaction for α-arylation of ketones

The SRN1 reaction between acetophenone enolate and PhI is thermally induced and accelerated by microwave irradiation to give the corresponding substitution product 1,2-diphenylethanone in a 50% yield in DMSO at 70 °C. Regarding the mechanism of initiation, in this reaction, acetophenone enolate, tert-butoxyde anion and dimsyl anion (the ionic form of the solvent) could promote the initial electron transfer to start the radical reaction. Comparative studies on the PhI dehalogenation promoted by the different anions were conducted in DMSO under microwave irradiation and by quantum calculations. The dimsyl anion shows a higher iodide generation even at lower concentrations than acetophenone enolate and tBuO−. Likewise, DFT calculation by B3PW91, M062X and PBE0 shows the dymsyl anion to be the best electron donor. While the three anions can initiate the radical reaction, the reactivity order found locates the dimsyl anion in first place, followed by the enolate of acetophenone and then the alkoxide. The results reported herein allow a greater understanding of the initiation process with tert-butoxide solutions in DMSO.

Solanocapsine derivatives as potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase: Synthesis, molecular docking and biological studies.

The investigation of natural products in medicinal chemistry is essential today. In this context, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors comprise one type of the compounds most actively studied in the search for an effective treatment of symptoms of Alzheimers disease. This work describes the isolation of a natural compound, solanocapsine, the preparation of its chemical derivatives, the evaluation of AChE inhibitory activity, and the structure-activity analysis of relevant cases. The influence of structural variations on the inhibitory potency was carefully investigated by modifying different reactive parts of the parent molecule. A theoretical study was also carried out into the binding mode of representative compounds to the enzyme through molecular modeling. The biological properties of the series were investigated. Through this study valuable information was obtained of steroidal alkaloid-type compounds as a starting point for the synthesis of AChE inhibitors.

Photochemical Study of the Reactions of the 2-Naphtoxide Ion with Haloadamantanes

The fluorescent excited state of 2-naphtoxide ion is quenched by haloadamantanes (X-Ada) as electron acceptors according to an electron-transfer mechanism. This mechanism is proposed on the basis of:1) decreasing quenching rate constant as the reduction potential of X-Ada is made more negative and 2) the analysis of reaction products.