During aerobic cell metabolism, molecular oxygen is reduced to water through electron-transfer reactions, and the oxygen not completely reduced is transformed into a set of neutral and free radical molecules with high oxidant ability, generally denominated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). To regulate the cellular ROS content, organisms are endowed with an efficient endogen antioxidant system. The physiological ROS levels may be excessively increased by different factors including unbalanced diets, ionizing radiations, and tobacco smoke among others, leading to the oxidative stress, term referred to the imbalance between ROS production and its neutralization by the endogenous antioxidant system. More importantly, in vitro and in vivo studies reveal the relationship between suffering oxidative stress and the development of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancer. To prevent and treat the oxidative stress and its adverse effects, exogenous, readily oxidizable molecules may help the organism to neutralize ROS into less dangerous species. The phenolic compounds or (poly)phenols, molecules very abundant in our diet (i.e. fruits, vegetables, and beverages such as tea and wine) may be responsible for this antioxidant activity of fruits and vegetables. Currently, (poly)phenols are regarded as natural antioxidant molecules with outstanding beneficial effects, including anti-aging activity, and the prevention of cancer and diabetes. The antioxidant activity of (poly)phenols is mainly associated with their radical scavenging activity, action conferred by the transfer of a hydrogen atom or an electron to a free radical, rendering a less reactive molecule. On the other hand, chemical probes and in vitro studies have demonstrated that some highly reacting (poly)phenols are able to generate small quantities of ROS. Phenolic compounds have shown antiproliferative activity which may be caused inter alia by their ability to scavenge or generate toxic radicals. To further understand the connection between the redox reactivity of (poly)phenols and their biological actions, studies with more sensitive and selective chemical probes may help to clarify the role of redox reactions in the physiological actions of phenolics and their metabolites. In this thesis, we have focused on the utilization of two stable radicals synthesized in our laboratory, the tris(2,4,6-trichloro-3,5-dinitropehnyl)methyl (HNTTM) and the tris(2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-4-nitrophenyl)methyl)radical (TNPTM), as chemical probes to determine the electron-transfer activity of dietary (poly)phenols and some metabolites. The different reducing potential of the two stable radicals facilitates the quantitative evaluation of the radical scavenging capacity of each (poly)phenol, as well as the establishment of the most reactive moieties. TNPTM is a useful tool to determine the most reactive (poly)phenols as electron transfer donors, (poly)phenols that cannot be differentiate with any other chemosensor. The results obtained are compared with two well-established methods for the quantification of electron-transfer capacity. The action of these (poly)phenols on cell cultures of a colon cancer cell line is also presented, showing a correlation between those (poly)phenols detected with TNTPM and with those that produce the highest antiproliferative activity. This cell line is particularly relevant because dietary (poly)phenols are in contact with epithelial cells of this kind during their transit along the digestive tract and may exert some preventive action on colon cancer. In addition, a chemoenzymatic strategy to prepare glucuronated metabolites of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant and active (poly)phenol of green tea, was attempted, obtaining the acetylated and methylated precursor of the EGCG-4’’-glucuronide, the most abundant EGCG glucuronide obtained in the human metabolism. The final conjugated, the EGCG-4’’-glucruonide, was obtained albeit with not enough quantity to be purified.

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Study of the Electron-Transfer properties of phenolics and their relationship with the biological activity on cancer cells

Hep-G2 cells oxidize (1-/sup 14/C)palmitic acid (C16) and (1-/sup 14/C) lignoceric acid (C24) via beta-oxidation to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ and water-soluble (WS) products. After perchloric acid precipitation and chloroform-methanol extraction, the WS fraction contained labelled oxidation products as well as fatty acyl CoA's, thus, measurement of WS radioactivity is an overestimate of Hep-G2 beta-oxidation. Alkaline hydrolysis of fatty acyl CoA's prior to measurement of WS radioactivity permits more accurate assessment of beta-oxidation. Using this method, the optimal pH for oxidation of each fatty acid to WS products by Hep-G2 cells was 9.0, while /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ production was maximal at pH 7.0. To determine the subcellular location of beta-oxidation, mitochondria (M) were partially separated from peroxisomes (P) on linear Nycodenz gradients. In Hep-G2 cells, oxidation of both C16 and C24 was observed mainly in fractions enriched in succinate dehydrogenase, an M marker enzyme. In contrast, both P and M of rat liver oxidized these fatty acids. However, when Hep-G2 cells were fractionated on discontinuous sucrose gradients, C16 and C24 were oxidized by both P and M fractions. They conclude that beta-oxidation of both long (C16) and very long (C24) chain fatty acids occurs in P as well as in Mmore » of Hep-G2 cells, and the present method reflects a more accurate and sensitive measurement of oxidation rates.« less

P.A. Watkins

Papers

Peroxisomal and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in human hepatoma cells (HEP-G2)