Riccardo Nescatelli

Comparison of extraction methods for the identification and quantification of polyphenols in virgin olive oil by ultra-HPLC-QToF mass spectrometry

In this work, liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid phase extraction (SPE), of polyphenols from a VOO sample were optimised by a Plackett-Burman experimental design; then the two extraction techniques capabilities were compared. By using HPLC-DAD, the extraction ability of SPE with the diol phase and LLE were similar. The two methods were further evaluated with ultra HPLC-ESI QToF in negative ion mode by recoveries of standards and matched comparison of the peak area of 40 identified and 27 unidentified compounds. Conclusions indicate that LLE gives better recoveries for highly polar, non-polar, and some polyphenols suspected to contain a nitrogen atom, while for the others the two methods seem to be equally suitable. The presence of nitrogen-containing polyphenols was confirmed in positive ionisation mode in LLE extract, whereas in the SPE extract they were not present. One of them was tentatively identified as a compound containing tyrosine and methyl-decarboxymetyl-eleanoic acid moieties.

CPTH6, a thiazole-derivative, induces histone hypoacetylation and apoptosis in human leukemia cells

Purpose: We previously identified novel thiazole derivatives able to reduce histone acetylation and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity in yeast. Among these compounds, 3-methylcyclopentylidene-[4-(4′-chlorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl]hydrazone (CPTH6) has been selected and used throughout this study. Experimental Design: The effect of CPTH6 on histone acetylation, cell viability and differentiation, cell-cycle distribution, and apoptosis in a panel of acute myeloid leukemia and solid tumor cell lines has been evaluated. Results: Here, we showed that CPTH6 leads to an inhibition of Gcn5 and pCAF HAT activity. Moreover, it inhibits H3/H4 histones and α-tubulin acetylation of a panel of leukemia cell lines. Concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of cell viability, paralleled by accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase and depletion from the S/G2M phases, was observed. The role of mitochondrial pathway on CPTH6-induced apoptosis was shown, being a decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome c, from mitochondria to cytosol, induced by CPTH6. Also the involvement of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL on CPTH6-induced apoptosis was found after overexpression of the two proteins in leukemia cells. Solid tumor cell lines from several origins were shown to be differently sensitive to CPTH6 treatment in terms of cell viability, and a correlation between the inhibitory efficacy on H3/H4 histones acetylation and cytotoxicity was found. Differentiating effect on leukemia and neuroblastoma cell lines was also induced by CPTH6. Conclusions: These results make CPTH6 a suitable tool for discovery of molecular targets of HAT and, potentially, for the development of new anticancer therapies, which warrants further investigations. Clin Cancer Res; 18(2); 475–86. ©2011 AACR.

Recent advances in the development of selective human MAO-B inhibitors: (Hetero)arylidene-(4-substituted-thiazol-2-yl)hydrazines

A large series of (4-substituted-thiazol-2-yl)hydrazine derivatives was synthesized in good yield and assayed for their in vitro human monoamine oxidase (hMAO) inhibitory activity and selectivity. Most of them showed inhibitory activity in the nanomolar range and hMAO-B selective inhibition higher than reference drugs, demonstrating our interest in this privileged scaffold. The structure-activity relationship of the different rings on the N1-hydrazine position indicated that a pyridine ring was preferred with the presence of electron-withdrawing substituents on the aryl group at C4 of the thiazole nucleus. The substituent on the α-carbon to the N1-hydrazine moiety (methyl or hydrogen) had a great influence on the activity and hMAO-B selectivity. Moreover, the reversibility of the enzyme inhibition for the best active compound was reported.

Classification and Class-Modelling

Abstract This chapter describes the basic theory about classification, starting from a general description of the different approaches to classification and then illustrating in detail the principal methods which are used in the framework of assessment of food quality. Examples of application of the methods to different data sets are also provided.

Geographical characterization by MAE-HPLC and NIR methodologies and carbonic anhydrase inhibition of Saffron components

A microwave-assisted extraction method was optimised for the recovery of bioactive compounds from Crocus sativus L. stigmas with the use of water/ethanol mixture. HPLC-DAD was employed to evaluate the extraction parameters, in particular, solvent type and volume, and the duration of the procedure. Microwave-assisted extraction enhanced the recovery of the active principles, limiting extraction time and solvent waste. Moreover, NIR experiments were performed in order to compare spectra in pseudo-absorbance of Saffron samples with different geographical origins through the application of the chemometric techniques. Moreover, the biological evaluation of crocin 1, safranal and its semisynthetic derivatives as selective inhibitors of five isoforms of human carbonic anhydrase was also explored.

The thiazole derivative CPTH6 impairs autophagy.

We have previously demonstrated that the thiazole derivative 3-methylcyclopentylidene-[4-(4′-chlorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl]hydrazone (CPTH6) induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human leukemia cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether CPTH6 is able to affect autophagy. By using several human tumor cell lines with different origins we demonstrated that CPTH6 treatment induced, in a dose-dependent manner, a significant increase in autophagic features, as imaged by electron microscopy, immunoblotting analysis of membrane-bound form of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3B-II) levels and by appearance of typical LC3B-II-associated autophagosomal puncta. To gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of elevated markers of autophagy induced by CPTH6 treatment, we silenced the expression of several proteins acting at different steps of autophagy. We found that the effect of CPTH6 on autophagy developed through a noncanonical mechanism that did not require beclin-1-dependent nucleation, but involved Atg-7-mediated elongation of autophagosomal membranes. Strikingly, a combined treatment of CPTH6 with late-stage autophagy inhibitors, such as chloroquine and bafilomycin A1, demonstrates that under basal condition CPTH6 reduces autophagosome turnover through an impairment of their degradation pathway, rather than enhancing autophagosome formation, as confirmed by immunofluorescence experiments. According to these results, CPTH6-induced enhancement of autophagy substrate p62 and NBR1 protein levels confirms a blockage of autophagic cargo degradation. In addition, CPTH6 inhibited autophagosome maturation and compounds having high structural similarities with CPTH6 produced similar effects on the autophagic pathway. Finally, the evidence that CPTH6 treatment decreased α-tubulin acetylation and failed to increase autophagic markers in cells in which acetyltransferase ATAT1 expression was silenced indicates a possible role of α-tubulin acetylation in CPTH6-induced alteration in autophagy. Overall, CPTH6 could be a valuable agent for the treatment of cancer and should be further studied as a possible antineoplastic agent.

Abstract LB-82: Modulation of autophagic flux by CPTH6, a Gcn5/pCAF histone acetyltransferase inhibitor with antitumoral activity

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL The thiazole-derivative 3-methylcyclopentilidene-[4-(4′-chlorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl]hydrazone (CPTH6) is a Gcn5 and pCAF histone acetyltransferases inhibitor that induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human leukemia cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether CPTH6-induced apoptosis is associated with other cell death mechanisms, such as autophagy. Herein, we show that CPTH6 interferes with autophagic flux in several human tumor cell lines of different origin. CPTH6 treatment increases microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) levels and induces the appearance of typical LC3-II- associated autophagosomal puncta in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, this compound decreases the expression of autophagy promoting proteins beclin1, Atg5 and Atg12. Strikingly, combined treatment of CPTH6 with bafilomycin A1, a proton ATPase inhibitor, demonstrates that CPTH6 reduces autophagosomes turnover, through an impairment of their degradation pathway, rather than enhancing autophagosomes formation. According to these results, CPTH6 treatment enhances p62/SQSTM1 protein levels in several tumor cell lines, indicating a blockage of autophagic cargo degradation. CPTH6 also reduces the phosphorylation of several components of transduction signalling pathways, such as Akt, 4E-BP1 and eIF4E, ERK1/2 and GSK-3α/β while it activates p38 MAPK pathway. In vivo CPTH6 exposure does not produce any adverse effects on health in mice as monitored by diet consumption, body-weight loss, postural and behavioral changes. Most importantly, CPTH6 exerts antitumoral effect on U937 human leukemia xenografts. These findings demonstrate that CPTH6 induces apoptosis and interferes with autophagic flux in human cancer cells, supporting further exploration of CPTH6 and related molecules as potential anticancer agents. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-82. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-82