1018677-68-3Relevant articles and documents
Synthesis and biological activity of a 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl ester analogue of epicatechin-3-gallate
Sánchez-del-Campo, Luís,Otón, Francisco,Tárraga, Alberto,Cabezas-Herrera, Juan,Chazarra, Soledad,Rodríguez-López, José Neptuno
, p. 2018 - 2026 (2008)
Despite presenting bioavailability problems, tea catechins have emerged as promising chemopreventive agents because of their observed efficacy in various animal models. To improve the stability and cellular absorption of tea polyphenols, we developed a new catechin-derived compound, 3-O-(3,4,5- trimethoxybenzoyl)-(-)-epicatechin (TMECG), which has shown significant antiproliferative activity against several cancer cell lines, especially melanoma. The presence of methoxy groups in its ester-bound gallyl moiety drastically decreased its antioxidant and prooxidant properties without affecting its cell-antiproliferative effects, and the data indicated that the 3-gallyl moiety was essential for its biological activity. As regards its action mechanism, we demonstrated that TMECG binds efficiently to human dihydrofolate reductase and downregulates folate cycle gene expression in melanoma cells. Disruption of the folate cycle by TMECG is a plausible explanation for its observed biological effects and suggests that, like other antifolate compounds, TMECG could be of clinical value in cancer therapy.
Factors influencing the antifolate activity of synthetic tea-derived catechins
Saez-Ayala, Magali,Fernandez-Perez, Maria Piedad,Chazarra, Soledad,McHedlishvili, Nani,Tarraga-Tomas, Alberto,Rodriguez-Lopez, Jose Neptuno
, p. 8319 - 8341 (2013/08/23)
Novel tea catechin derivatives have been synthesized, and a structure-activity study, related to the capacity of these and other polyphenols to bind dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), has been performed. The data showed an effective binding between all molecules and the free enzyme, and the dissociation constants of the synthetic compounds and of the natural analogues were on the same order. Polyphenols with a catechin configuration were better DHFR inhibitors than those with an epicatechin configuration. Antiproliferative activity was also studied in cultured tumour cells, and the data showed that the activity of the novel derivatives was higher in catechin isomers. Derivatives with a hydroxyl group para on the ester-bonded gallate moiety presented a high in vitro binding to DHFR, but exhibited transport problems in cell culture due to ionization at physiologic pHs. The impact of the binding of catechins to serum albumin on their biological activity was also evaluated. The information provided in this study could be important for the design of novel medicinal active compounds derived from tea catechins. The data suggest that changes in their structure to avoid serum albumin interactions and to facilitate plasmatic membrane transport are essential for the intracellular functions of catechins.
