Curcumin and its derivatives have attracted great interest in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, thanks both to the ability to hinder the formation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates and the ability to bind Cu (II) ion. In this article, we explore the ability of curcumin derivatives of K2T series to affect amyloid Aβ1-40 aggregation. These derivatives were obtained by introducing the t-butyl ester group through a methylenic spacer on the central carbon atom of the β-diketo moiety of curcumin frame. The studied curcuminoids were demonstrated to inhibit Aβ1-40 fibrillization at substoichiometric concentrations with IC50 value near that of curcumin. In addition, the antioxidant properties and DNA interaction of their Cu(II) complexes is evaluated. The structure of Cu(II)-K2T31 complex is also proposed on the basis of DFT calculation.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Aβ amyloid; copper complexes; curcumin analogues; protein aggregation inhibition.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S.