Showing papers by "Zsombor Miskolczy published in 2011"

Inclusion complex formation of sanguinarine alkaloid with cucurbit[7]uril: inhibition of nucleophilic attack and photooxidation

Abstract: The inclusion of sanguinarine, a biologically active natural benzophenanthridine alkaloid, in cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) was studied by NMR and ground-state absorption spectroscopy, as well as steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements in aqueous solution. The iminium form of sanguinarine (SA+) produces very stable 1 : 1 inclusion complex with CB7 (K = 1.0 × 106 M−1), whereas the equilibrium constant for the binding of the second CB7 is about 3 orders of magnitude smaller. Marked fluorescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime enhancements are found upon encapsulation of SA+ due to the deceleration of the radiationless deactivation from the single-excited state, but the fluorescent properties of 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes barely differ. The equilibrium between the iminium and alkanolamine forms is shifted 3.69 pK unit upon addition of CB7 as a consequence of the preferential encapsulation of the iminium form and the protection of the 6 position of sanguinarine against the nucleophilic attack by hydroxide anion. On the basis of thermodynamic cycle, about 225 M−1 is estimated for the equilibrium constant of the complexation between the alkanolamine form of sanguinarine (SAOH) and CB7. The confinement in the CB7 macrocycle can be used to impede the nucleophilic addition of OH− to SA+ and to hinder the photooxidation of SAOH.

Photochromism in Cucurbit[8]uril Cavity: Inhibition of Hydrolysis and Modification of the Rate of Merocyanine–Spiropyran Transformations

Abstract: The effect of inclusion complex formation on the photochromic behavior of a spirobenzopyran dye and its merocyanine isomer was studied in aqueous solution using cucurbit[8]uril (CB8) as a host. The merocyanine (MC) and protonated merocyanine (MCH+) were the most stable forms both in water and inside the cavity of CB8. The equilibrium constant of 1:1 complexation with CB8 was found to be 1.7 × 105 and 2.0 × 106 M–1 for the former and latter species, respectively. The encapsulation led to significant change in the rate of the photoinduced and thermal photochromic transformations and hindered the hydrolysis of MC. The effect of CB8 on the reaction kinetics strongly altered with pH. The transition from the spiropyran form to trans-MC in a thermal reaction had 33 kJ mol–1 lower activation energy and more than 5 orders of magnitude smaller Arrhenius pre-exponential factor in CB8 than in water.

Photoreduction and ketone-sensitized reduction of alkaloids.

Abstract: The photoprocesses of berberine, palmatine, coralyne, sanguinarine, flavopereirine and ellipticine were studied in several solvents. The quantum yields Φ(Δ) of singlet molecular oxygen formation of berberine, palmatine and sanguinarine are moderate in dichloromethane (0.2-0.6) and much smaller in acetonitrile or trifluoroethanol. For the other alkaloids examined, Φ(Δ) is rather independent of solvent polarity. The direct and ketone-sensitized photolysis, using steady-state irradiation at 313 nm or 248/308 nm laser pulses, was studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Thereby, radicals were observed yielding eventually dihydro derivatives as major products, which are thermally back-converted on admission of oxygen. The quantum yield of conversion of alkaloids to dihydroalkaloids is enhanced in the presence of triethylamine. The reaction in the presence of ketones and electron or H-atom donors has a quantum yield of close to unity.

Fluorescence Response of Alkaloids and DAPI on Inclusion in Cucurbit[7]uril: Utilization for the Study of the Encapsulation of Ionic Liquid Cations

Abstract: The encapsulation of biologically important compounds in the cavity of cucurbit[7]urils (CB7) brings about a variety of effects. The binding of lumichrome to CB7 promotes the tautomerization from alloxazine- to isoalloxazine-type structure in the ground-state, leading to substantial changes in the absorption and fluorescence properties. Even partial embedding in CB7 macrocycle is able to protect sanguinarine, a natural alkaloid, against nucleophilic addition and photooxidation. The inclusion of berberine in CB7 results in about 500-fold enhancement of its fluorescence intensity, and the change in its fluorescence decay characteristics indicates ternary complex formation with cations. DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dication) is an excellent fluorescent probe for the study of the CB7 complex formation with ionic liquids, surfactants, and biologically important compounds. The binding of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ions to CB7 is strongly exothermic; both the enthalpy and the entropy change in the reaction go through a minimum when the 1-alkyl group is lengthened, reaching the smallest values for the hexyl derivative.

Photooxidation of alkaloids: considerable quantum yield enhancement by rose bengal-sensitized singlet molecular oxygen generation.

Abstract: The photooxidation of sanguinarine, coralyne and berberine was studied in oxygenated alkaline methanol solutions. Rose bengal as photosensitizer significantly accelerates the process, indicating the importance of singlet molecular oxygen in the reaction mechanism. The quantum yield of sensitized oxidation was found to increase significantly with pH and reaches 0.4 for berberine at pH 13.8. The direct oxidation of alkaloids is less efficient, the quantum yield does not exceed 0.01 even in oxygen-saturated solutions. The photoinduced electron ejection does not play a role in the oxidation. The uncharged pseudobase forms, which are present in alkaline medium, are oxidized much more easily than the alkaloid cations.

Effect of electrolytes, nucleotides and DNA on the fluorescence of flavopereirine natural alkaloid

Abstract: The absorption and fluorescence characteristics of flavopereirine, a pharmaceutically important natural alkaloid, were studied to reveal how the complex formation and the change of the microenvironment affect the deactivation kinetics from the singlet-excited state. The fluorescence lifetime was not influenced by the ionic strength, but a significant deuterium effect was observed showing that hydrogen bonding in the singlet-excited state promoted energy dissipation. Nucleotides caused both static and dynamic quenching. The rate constant of the latter process increased when the nucleobase was capable of donating electron to the excited flavopereirine. The spectrophotometric measurements provided evidence for non-cooperative binding to double-stranded DNA with an equilibrium constant of 4.6 × 105 M−1. Time-resolved fluorescence signals showed that three kinds of complexes are formed with distinct fluorescence lifetimes. Flavopereirine binding to chondroitin sulfate was also found, which led to different fluorescence characteristics at pH 2 and 6.