Novel mitochondria-targeted antioxidants: plastoquinone conjugated with cationic plant alkaloids berberine and palmatine.

Purpose: To develop effective mitochondria-targeted antioxidants composed entirely of natural constituents.

Methods: Novel mitochondria-targeted antioxidants were synthesized containing plant electron carrier and antioxidant plastoquinone conjugated by nonyloxycarbonylmethyl residue with berberine or palmatine, penetrating cations of plant origin. These compounds, SkQBerb and SkQPalm, were tested in model planar phospholipid membranes and micelles, liposomes, isolated mitochondria and living cells.

Prevention of cardiolipin oxidation and fatty acid cycling as two antioxidant mechanisms of cationic derivatives of plastoquinone (SkQs).

The present state of the art in studies on the mechanisms of antioxidant activities of mitochondria-targeted cationic plastoquinone derivatives (SkQs) is reviewed. Our experiments showed that these compounds can operate as antioxidants in two quite different ways, i.e.

Chain-breaking antioxidant activity of reduced forms of mitochondria-targeted quinones, a novel type of geroprotectors.

The chain-breaking antioxidant activities of reduced form of novel type of geroprotectors, mitochondria-targeted quinones (QH(2)) have quantitatively been measured for the first time. To this end, the chain peroxidation of methyl linoleate (ML) in Triton micelles was used as a kinetic testing model. The studied QH(2) were lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cations conjugated by an aliphatic linker to an antioxidant, i.

An attempt to prevent senescence: a mitochondrial approach.

Antioxidants specifically addressed to mitochondria have been studied to determine if they can decelerate senescence of organisms. For this purpose, a project has been established with participation of several research groups from Russia and some other countries. This paper summarizes the first results of the project.