Electrochemical methods are powerful in the characterization and design of redox-modulating agents. We, herein, report the electrochemical investigation, in aprotic medium, of eleven synthetic 3-thio-substituted-nor-beta-lapachones, along with the determination of cytotoxic activity and correspondent selectivity index, against several cancer cell lines and one normal cell. Four of the quinones are novel compounds. The redox behavior is representative of two independent systems: the easy reduction of the quinone moiety and, at far more negative potential, the reductive cleavage of the C-S-C bonding; and the anodic part controlled by the oxidation of the sulfur moiety. The compounds have shown relevant cytotoxic activity, with emphasis on 3-phenyl-thio-2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydronaphtho[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione (compound 2), which mechanism of molecular action was shown to be related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) release. Despite the absence of a linear correlation, there is a trend: the majority of the thionaphthoquinones, with values of first wave reduction potential, less negative than -0.65 V, were active. The less electrophilic compound (3-(cyclohexylthio)-2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydronaphtho[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione, cyclohexyl derivative) is also the less cytotoxic toward cancer cells. Agents containing chalcogens and quinones can be used to attack entities with a disturbed redox balance.

This work describes the electrochemical performance of a novel composite based on nickel tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (NiTsPc), deoxyribonucleic acid from calf thymus (CT-DNA) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for the electroanalysis of reduced β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), through electrocatalytic oxidation. The modified electrode was denoted as CT-DNA/NiTsPc/rGO. Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies were performed to characterize the composite material. The electrochemical performance of the composite for NADH oxidation was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The CT-DNA/NiTsPc/rGO modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity for NADH oxidation with apparent electrocatalytic rate constant (kobs) of 7.35 × 105 L mol-1 s-1 and linear response range for NADH from 1 up to 1350 µmol L-1 for n = 12 (r = 0.999). The proposed sensor shows sensitivity, detection limit and quantification limit of 0.014 µA L mol-1, 0.3 and 1 µmol L-1, respectively. The prepared sensor was further tested for the determination of NADH in artificial human urine samples, showing promising biomedical applications.

A atividade citotóxica de cinco derivados 1,2,3-triazólicos da nor-²-lapachona e do precursor azidonaftoquinona, foi avaliada contra seis linhagens de células neoplásicas: SF-295 (sistema nervoso central), HCT-8 (cólon), MDAMB-435 (melanoma), HL-60 (leucemia), PC-3 (próstata) e B-16 (melanoma murino). Valores de IC50 entre 0,43 e 9,48 µM foram obtidos. A 3-(4-(1-hidróxicicloexil)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-il)-2,2-dimetilnaftol[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione apresentou-se altamente citotóxica contra MDAMB-435, com IC50 menor do que o encontrado para doxorubicina (controle positivo). Na tentativa de obter correlação entre parâmetros físico-químicos (potencial de redução e clog P) e atividade citotóxica, estudos eletroquímicos foram realizados em tampão acetato, pH 4,5, em eletrodo de carbono vítreo, e valores de log P calculados (clog P). Apesar da ausência de interação estrutural conjugativa entre o sistema quinônico e o anel triazólico, observou-se a influência do anel heterocíclico no comportamento voltamétrico, com deslocamento anódico dos potenciais de redução. Não se verificou correlação entre os parâmetros eletroquímicos (EpIc) e a atividade citotóxica. Por outro lado, a comparação de EpIc com atividades tripanocidas, já descritas, reafirmou a tendência de maior atividade biológica para quinonas mais eletrofílicas (> EpIc). Apesar da ausência de correlação direta, foi possível verificar que clog P influencia a atividade citotóxica: quanto menor a lipofilia (< clog P), menor a citotoxicidade (> IC50).

The cytotoxicities of five nor-²-lapachone-based 1,2,3-triazoles and the precursor azidonaphthoquinone were assayed against six neoplasic cancer cell lines: SF-295 (central nervous system), HCT-8 (colon), MDAMB-435 (melanoma), HL-60 (leukaemia), PC-3 (prostate) and B-16 (murine melanoma). IC50 values ranging from 0.43 to 9.48 µM were obtained. 3-(4-(1-hydroxycyclohexyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1yl)-2,2-dimethylnaphtho[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione proved highly cytotoxic to MDAMB-435, with IC50 even lower than the one from doxorubicin (positive control). In an attempt to correlate physicochemical parameters (reduction potentials and calculated log P) with cytotoxic activity, electrochemical studies were conducted in acetate buffer, pH 4.5, using a vitreous carbon electrode and calculated log P values were obtained. Despite the absence of a structural conjugative interaction between the two systems (quinone and triazole), the heterocyclic group was found to influence the voltammetric behaviour, as indicated by anodic shifts in the reduction potentials. No correlation was found between EpIc and cytotoxicity. In contrast, a comparison of EpIc with previously reported trypanocidal activities reconfirmed the trend for higher activity coupled with better quinone electrophilicity (> EpIc).A leading term in the correlation of cytoxicity, despite the absence of a linear correlation, was the calculated log P: the lower the lipophilicity, the lower the cytoxicity (> IC50).

Os estudos sobre adsorção do herbicida trifluralina (TRF) em quitosana foram realizados em batelada, usando temperaturas entre 298 e 313 K. Os resultados de adsorção ajustaram-se perfeitamente ao modelo de adsorção de Langmuir. O valor de entalpia obtido -10,2 ± 0,8 kJ mol-1 confirma que a interação TRF-quitosana é exotérmica e que o processo de adsorção é relativo à interação eletrostática entre o grupo amônio da quitosana e o dipolo negativo dos grupos substituintes de TRF, sendo dependente da força iônica. Estudos voltamétricos mostraram que TRF apresentou dois picos de redução em eletrodo de CV, ambos de natureza difusional e irreversível, referentes à redução dos grupos nitroaromáticos. A corrente do primeiro pico de redução intensificou-se no eletrodo de carbono vítreo modificado com quitosana, em comparação com o eletrodo não modificado. Isto foi atribuído à adsorção/acumulação de TRF em quitosana. A corrente de redução em voltametria de pulso diferencial foi proporcional à concentração de TRF na faixa de 2,49 × 10-7 a 5,79 × 10-6 mol L-1, com limite de detecção de 7,45 × 10-8 mol L-1.

The studies about adsorption of the herbicide trifluralin (TRF), on chitosan, were carried out by batch methods using temperatures from 298 up to 313 K. The adsorption results were well fitted to Langmuir adsorption model. The obtained enthalpic value of -10.2 ± 0.8 kJ mol-1 confirms that the TRF-chitosan interaction is exothermic and that the adsorption process is relative to electrostatic interaction between the ammonium group of chitosan and the negative dipole of the substituent groups of TRF, being dependent on ionic strength. Voltammetric studies showed that TRF exhibited two irreversible, diffusional reduction waves related to the reduction of the nitroaromatic groups. The current of the first reduction peak intensified on the chitosan-modified glassy carbon electrode in comparison with the unmodified one. This was attributed to the adsorption/accumulation of TRF on chitosan. The reduction current, using Differential Pulse Voltammetry, was proportional to the concentration of TRF in the range of 2.49 ×10-7 to 5.79 ×10-6 mol L-1, with a detection limit of 7.45 × 10-8 mol L-1.

A benzofenazina derivada da beta-lapachona foi submetida a ozonólise em condições que forneceram seletivamente a lactona macrocíclica 7,7-dimetil-7,8,9,10-tetrahidro-5H-benzo[3,4]oxecino[5,6 -b]quinoxalina-5,10-diona, com rendimento de 52%. O efeito de substituintes localizados no anel diidropirânico das fenazinas, no caso C2' -OH, C2' -Br e C2' -I, em reações de oxidação com MCPBA, foi também investigado.

The benzophenazine from beta-lapachone was submitted to ozonolysis under conditions that selectively furnished the corresponding rigid macrocyclic lactone 7,7-dimethyl-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-5H-benzo[3,4]oxecino[5,6-b]quinoxaline-5,10-dione in an yield of 52%. The effect of substituents located at the dihydropyrane moiety of the phenazines, namely C2'-OH, C2'-Br and C2'-I, in the oxidation with MCPBA, was also investigated.