Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin dimers

Molecules. 2014 Apr 2;19(4):4115-34. doi: 10.3390/molecules19044115.

Abstract

Divalent or multivalent molecules often show enhanced biological activity relative to the simple monomeric units. Here we present enzymatically and chemically prepared dimers of the flavonolignans silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin. Their electrochemical behavior was studied by in situ and ex situ square wave voltammetry. The oxidation of monomers and dimers was similar, but adsorption onto the electrode and cell surfaces was different. A 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and an inhibition of microsomal lipoperoxidation assay were performed with same trend of results for silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin dimers. Silybin dimer showed better activity than the monomer, while on the contrary 2,3-dehydrosilybin dimer presented weaker antioxidant/antilipoperoxidant activity than its monomer. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on human umbilical vein endothelial cells, normal human adult keratinocytes, mouse fibroblasts (BALB/c 3T3) and human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). Silybin dimer was more cytotoxic than the parent compound and in the case of 2,3-dehydrosilybin its dimer showed weaker cytotoxicity than the monomer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biocatalysis
  • Biphenyl Compounds / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Dimerization
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Free Radical Scavengers / chemical synthesis*
  • Free Radical Scavengers / pharmacology
  • Fungal Proteins / chemistry
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Keratinocytes / cytology
  • Keratinocytes / drug effects
  • Lipase / chemistry
  • Lipid Peroxidation / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Microsomes, Liver / drug effects
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Picrates / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Rats
  • Silybin
  • Silymarin / chemical synthesis*
  • Silymarin / pharmacology

Substances

  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Free Radical Scavengers
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Picrates
  • Silymarin
  • dehydrosilybin
  • Silybin
  • 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl
  • Lipase