Copper-flavonoid family of complexes involved in alkaline phosphatase activation.

The flavonoid naringenin and a family of naringenin derivative Cu(II) complexes having phenanthroline-based second ligands were selected to study alkaline phosphatase activation. This enzyme plays a critical role in tissue formation, increasing the inorganic phosphate formation, favoring mineralization, and being essential to producing bone mineralization. The effects of those compounds on the function and structure of the enzyme were evaluated by kinetic measurements, fluorescence, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopies.

Antidepressant and antinociceptive activities in animal models and in vitro assessment of the anti-thyroid activity of bis(DL-pyroglutamate)magnesium complex.

Background: Magnesium is an essential element related with biochemistry of the brain and different types of depression have been associated with its deficiency.

Methods: The structure of a novel magnesium bis(DL-pyroglutamate) (Mg(DL-pGlu)) was elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Wistar rats were used in the in vivo experiments.

Vanadium Compounds as Biocatalyst Models.

Peroxidovanadium(V) and oxidovanadium(IV) compounds have been tested as peroxidase-similar compounds. Their catalytic performance was tested on phenol red and pyrogallol substrates. Bromination kinetic studies revealed Michaelis-Menten behavior with respect to phenol red for both complexes.

Potential bio-protective effect of copper compounds: mimicking SOD and peroxidases enzymes and inhibiting acid phosphatase as a target for anti-osteoporotic chemotherapeutics.

Copper complexes with transformed methimazole ligand have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, EPR, FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopies. Results support their stoichiometries and geometrical structures: [Cu(CHNS)Cl]·2HO(1), [Cu(CHNS)SOHO](2) and [Cu(CHNS)SO](3). ((CHN)S: bis(l-methylimidazol-2-yl)sulfide; (CHNS) = Bis[bis(l-methylimidazol-2-yl)disulfide]) Concurrently, the structurally distinct soluble species corresponding to complexes (1) and (2) were subsequently used in an in vitro investigation of their potential biological properties.

Trypanosoma cruzi serinecarboxipeptidase is a sulfated glycoprotein and a minor antigen in human Chagas disease infection.

In this work, the presence of sulfated N-glycans was studied in a high-mannose-type glycoprotein of Trypanosoma cruzi with serinecarboxipeptidase (TcSCP) activity. The immune cross-reactivity between purified SCP and Cruzipain (Cz) was evidenced using rabbit sera specific for both glycoproteins. Taking advantage that SCP co-purifies with Cz from Concanavalin-A affinity columns, the Cz-SCP mixture was desulfated, ascribing the cross-reactivity to the presence of sulfate groups in both molecules.

Evidence of promising biological-pharmacological activities of the sertraline-based copper complex: (SerH)[CuCl].

In the current study the ability of copper complex to exert multiple biological activities is combined with the pharmacological action of sertraline (SerHCl, antidepressant drug). The hydrated and anhydrous forms of the tetrachlorocuprate(II) salts, namely (SerH)[CuCl]·½HO and (SerH)[CuCl], were synthesized and characterized by physicochemical methods. The crystal structures were determined by X-ray diffraction methods.