Synthetic Curcumin Research Articles

Modulation of P-glycoprotein activity by novel synthetic curcumin derivatives in sensitive and multidrug-resistant T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines

BackgroundMultidrug resistance (MDR) and drug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) represent major obstacles in cancer chemotherapy. We investigated 19 synthetic curcumin derivatives in drug-sensitive acute lymphoblastic CCRF–CEM leukemia cells and their multidrug-resistant P-gp-overexpressing subline, CEM/ADR5000. Material and methodsCytotoxicity was tested by resazurin assays. Doxorubicin uptake was assessed by flow cytometry. Binding modes of compounds to P-gp were analyzed by molecular docking. Chemical features responsible for bioactivity were studied by quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) analyses. A 7-descriptor QSAR model was correlated with doxorubicin uptake values, IC50 values and binding energies. ResultsThe compounds displayed IC50 values between 0.7±0.03 and 20.2±0.25μM. CEM/ADR5000 cells exhibited cross-resistance to 10 compounds, collateral sensitivity to three compounds and regular sensitivity to the remaining six curcumins. Molecular docking studies at the intra-channel transmembrane domain of human P-gp resulted in lowest binding energies ranging from −9.00±0.10 to −6.20±0.02kcal/mol and pKi values from 0.24±0.04 to 29.17±0.88μM. At the ATP-binding site of P-gp, lowest binding energies ranged from −9.78±0.17 to −6.79±0.01kcal/mol and pKi values from 0.07±0.02 to 0.03±0.03μM. CEM/ADR5000 cells accumulated approximately 4-fold less doxorubicin than CCRF–CEM cells. The control P-gp inhibitor, verapamil, partially increased doxorubicin uptake in CEM/ADR5000 cells. Six curcumins increased doxorubicin uptake in resistant cells or even exceeded uptake levels compared to sensitive one. QSAR yielded good activity prediction (R=0.797 and R=0.794 for training and test sets). ConclusionSelected derivatives may serve to guide future design of novel P-gp inhibitors and collateral sensitive drugs to combat MDR.

Novel synthetic curcumin analogs as potent antiangiogenic agents in colorectal cancer.

The transcription factor NF-κB plays a central role in angiogenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Curcumin is a natural dietary product that inhibits NF-κB. The objective of this study is to evaluate the antiangiogenic effects of curcumin and two potent synthetic analogues (EF31 and UBS109) in CRC. IC50 values for curcumin, EF31, and UBS109 were determined in the HCT116 and HT-29 cell lines. HUVEC tube formation, egg CAM assay, and matrigel plug assays revealed decreased angiogenesis in cell lines treated with curcumin, EF31, or UBS109. Curcumin and its analogues significantly inhibited VEGF-A synthesis and secretion in both cell lines in association with loss of HIF-1α, COX-2, and p-STAT-3 expression. Nuclear NF-κB expression was inhibited by curcumin, EF31, and UBS109. Transfection of p65-NF-κB in HCT116 and HT-29 cells resulted in increased expression of HIF-1α, COX-2, STAT-3, and VEGF-A. Treatment with curcumin, EF31, or UBS109 inhibited these effects in transfected cell lines. In mice carrying HCT116 and HT-29 cell xenografts, EF31 and UBS109 inhibited subcutaneous tumor growth and potentiated the effects of oxaliplatin and 5-FU. Tumors from treated animals revealed inhibition of HIF-1α, COX-2, p-STAT-3, and VEGF expression. Our findings suggest that inhibition of NF-κB leading to decreased transcription and expression of HIF-1α, COX-2, STAT-3, and VEGF is a rational approach for antiangiogenic therapy in CRC. The distinctive properties of EF31 and UBS109 make them promising therapeutic agents for development in CRC as single agents or as part of combination chemotherapy regimens. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

HDAC inhibitors, MS-275 and salermide, potentiates the anticancer effect of EF24 in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a major role in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression by changing acetylation status of histone and non-histone proteins. MS-275 (entinostat, MS) is a well-known benzamide-based HDACI and Salermide (SAL), a reverse amide compound HDACI, have antiproliferative effects on several human cancer cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of HDACIs (MS and SAL) alone and/or combined use with EF24 (EF), a novel synthetic curcumin analog, on human pancreatic cancer cell line (BxPC-3). In vitro, BxPC-3 cells were exposed to varying concentrations of MS, SAL with or without EF, and their effects on cell viability, acetylated Histone H3 and H4 levels, cytotoxicity, and cleaved caspase 3 levels, and cell cycle distribution were measured. The viability of BxPC-3 cells decreased significantly after treatment with EF, MS and SAL treatments. MS and SAL treatment increased the acetylation of histone H3 and H4 in a dose dependent manner. MS and SAL alone or combined with EF were increased the number of cells in G1 phase. In addition, treatment with agents significantly decreased the ratio of cell in G2/M phase. There were significant dose-dependent increases at cleaved Caspase 3 levels after MS treatment but not after SAL treatment. Our results showed that HDAC inhibitors (MS and SAL), when combined with EF, may effectively reduce pancreatic cancer cell (BxPC-3) progression and stop the cell cycle at G1 phase. Further molecular analyses are needed to understand the fundamental molecular consequences of HDAC inhibition in pancreas cancer cells.

Epigenetics Reactivation of Nrf2 in Prostate TRAMP C1 Cells by Curcumin Analogue FN1.

It has previously been shown that curcumin can effectively inhibit prostate cancer proliferation and progression in TRAMP mice, potentially acting through the hypomethylation of the Nrf2 gene promoter and hence activation of the Nrf2 pathway to enhance cell antioxidative defense. FN1 is a synthetic curcumin analogue that shows stronger anticancer activity than curcumin in other reports. We aimed to explore the epigenetic modification of FN1 that restores Nrf2 expression in TRAMP-C1 cells. Stably transfected HepG2-C8 cells were used to investigate the effect of FN1 on the Nrf2- antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting were applied to study the influence of FN1 on endogenous Nrf2 and its downstream genes. Bisulfite genomic sequencing (BGS) and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) were then performed to examine the methylation profile of the Nrf2 promoter. An anchorage-independent colony-formation analysis was conducted to examine the tumor inhibition activity of FN1. Epigenetic modification enzymes, including DNMTs and HDACs, were investigated by Western blotting. The luciferase reporter assay indicated that FN1 was more potent than curcumin in activating the Nrf2-ARE pathway. FN1 increased the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream detoxifying enzymes. FN1 significantly inhibited the colony formation of TRAMP-C1 cells. BGS and MeDIP assays revealed that FN1 treatment (250 nM for 3 days) reduced the percentage of CpG methylation of the Nrf2 promoter. FN1 also downregulated epigenetic modification enzymes. In conclusion, our results suggest that FN1 is a novel anticancer agent for prostate cancer. In the TRAMP-C1 cell line, FN1 can increase the level of Nrf2 and downstream genes via activating the Nrf2-ARE pathway and inhibit the colony formation potentially through the decreased expression of keap1 coupled with CpG demethylation of the Nrf2 promoter. This CpG demethylation effect may come from decreased epigenetic modification enzymes, such as DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, and HDAC4.

Synthetic curcumin: An update on efficacy and safety

Synthetic curcumin: An update on efficacy and safety

Self-assembly of synthetic liposome-like curcumin nanoparticles

Self assembly of surfactant free liposome-like nanoparticle.

Chemosensitizing effects of synthetic curcumin analogs on human multi-drug resistance leukemic cells

Curcumin analogs were synthesized and their multi-drug resistance (MDR) reversing properties were determined in human MDR leukemic (K562/Adr) cells. Four analogs, 1,7-bis-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione (1J), 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzylidene)-cyclohexanone (2A), 2,6-bis-(3,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene)-cyclohexanone (2F) and 2,6-bis-(3,4-dimethoxy-benzylidene)-cyclohexanone (2J) markedly increased the sensitivity of K562/Adr cells to paclitaxel (PTX) for 8-, 2-, 8- and 16- folds, respectively and vinblastine (Vin) for 5-, 3-, 12- and 30- folds, respectively. The accumulation of P-gp substrates, Calcein-AM, Rhodamine 123 and Doxorubicin, was significantly increased by 1J (up to 6-, 11- and 22- folds, respectively) and 2J (up to 7-, 12- and 17- folds, respectively). Besides 2A, 2F and 2J dramatically decreased P-gp expression in K562/Adr cells. These results could be summarized in the following way. Analog 1J inhibited only P-gp function, while 2A and 2F inhibited only P-gp expression. Interestingly, 2J exerts inhibition of both P-gp function and expression. The combination index (CI) of combination between 2J and PTX (0.09) or Vin (0.06) in K562/Adr cells indicated strong synergistic effects, which likely due to its MDR reversing activity. Moreover, these analogs showed less cytotoxicity to peripheral mononuclear cells (human) and red blood cells (human and rat) suggesting the safety of analogs for further animal and clinical studies.

Synthetic Curcumin Analogs as Inhibitors of β -Amyloid Peptide Aggregation: Potential Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents for Alzheimer's Disease.

There is a crucial need to develop new effective drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the currently available AD treatments provide only momentary and incomplete symptomatic relief. Amongst natural products, curcumin, a major constituent of turmeric, has been intensively investigated for its neuroprotective effect against β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced toxicity in cultured neuronal cells. The ability of curcumin to attach to Aβ peptide and prevent its accumulation is attributed to its three structural characteristics such as the presence of two aromatic end groups and their co-planarity, the length and rigidity of the linker region and the substitution conformation of these aromatics. However, curcumin failed to reach adequate brain levels after oral absorption in AD clinical trials due to its low water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. A number of new curcumin analogs that mimic the active site of the compound along with analogs that mimic the curcumin anti-amyloid effect combined with anticholinesterase effect have been developed to enhance the bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, water solubility, stability at physiological conditions and delivery of curcumin. In this article, we have summarized all reported synthetic analogs of curcumin showing effects on β-amyloid and discussed their potential as therapeutic and diagnostic agents for AD.

Synthesis of alkylsulfonyl and substituted benzenesulfonyl curcumin mimics as dual antagonist of L-type Ca2+ channel and endothelin A/B2 receptor

We synthesized a library of curcumin mimics with diverse alkylsulfonyl and substituted benzenesulfonyl modifications through a simple addition reaction of important intermediate, 1-(3-Amino-phenyl)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-propenone (10), with various sulfonyl chloride reactants and then tested their vasodilatation effect on depolarization (50mM K+)- and endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced basilar artery contraction. Generally, curcumin mimics with aromatic sulfonyl groups showed stronger vasodilation effect than alkyl sulfonylated curcumin mimics. Among the tested compounds, six curcumin mimics (11g, 11h, 11i, 11j, 11l, and 11s) in a depolarization-induced vasoconstriction and seven compounds (11g, 11h, 11i, 11j, 11l, 11p, and 11s) in an ET-1-induced vasoconstriction showed strong vasodilation effect. Based on their biological properties, synthetic curcumin mimics can act as dual antagonist scaffold of L-type Ca2+ channel and endothelin A/B2 receptor in vascular smooth muscle cells. In particular, compounds 11g and 11s are promising novel drug candidates to treat hypertension related to the overexpression of L-type Ca2+ channels and ET peptides/receptors-mediated cardiovascular diseases.

B5, a thioredoxin reductase inhibitor, induces apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells by suppressing the thioredoxin system, disrupting mitochondrion-dependent pathways and triggering autophagy.

The synthetic curcumin analog B5 is a potent inhibitor of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) that has potential anticancer effects. The molecular mechanism underlying B5 as an anticancer agent is not yet fully understood. In this study, we report that B5 induces apoptosis in two human cervical cancer cell lines, CaSki and SiHa, as evidenced by the downregulation of XIAP, activation of caspases and cleavage of PARP. The involvement of the mitochondrial pathway in B5-induced apoptosis was suggested by the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased expression of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. In B5-treated cells, TrxR activity was markedly inhibited with concomitant accumulation of oxidized thioredoxin, increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activation of ASK1 and its downstream regulatory target p38/JNK. B5-induced apoptosis was significantly inhibited in the presence of N-acetyl-l-cysteine. Microscopic examination of B5-treated cells revealed increased presence of cytoplasmic vacuoles. The ability of B5 to activate autophagy in cells was subsequently confirmed by cell staining with acridine orange, accumulation of LC3-II, and measurement of autophagic flux. Unlike B5-induced apoptosis, autophagy induced by B5 is not ROS-mediated but a role for the AKT and AMPK signaling pathways is implied. In SiHa cells but not CaSki cells, B5-induced apoptosis was promoted by autophagy. These data suggest that the anticarcinogenic effects of B5 is mediated by complex interplay between cellular mechanisms governing redox homeostasis, apoptosis and autophagy.

A Novel Approach for Overcoming Drug Resistance in Breast Cancer Chemotherapy by Targeting new Synthetic Curcumin Analogues Against Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1A1) and Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 β (GSK-3β).

Breast cancer stem cells are well known to resist the traditional methods like chemo and radio therapy. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDHIA1) and glycogen synthase kinase-3 β (GSK-3β) are the two selected proteins for study, due to their overexpression and upregulation in breast cancer cells. Curcumin, the yellow pigment of the spice turmeric, is widely reported as an antioxidant and acts as a synergist along with traditional drugs. Under hypoxic conditions, it gets converted to free radical which causes apoptosis. Three naturally occurring curcuminoids, i.e. curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin along with five derivatives/analogues of curcumin, viz. 4,4'-di-O-(carboxy-methyl)-curcumin, 4-O-(2-hydroxyethyl)curcumin, 4,4'-di-O-allyl-curcumin, 4,4'-di-O-(acetyl)-curcumin, and 3,3'-bisdemethylcurcumin were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-breast cancer potential by docking simulation and assessment of their antioxidant character, studied via 2, 2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS(·+)) radical cation scavenging assay, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical, and ferric reducing ability potential (FRAP) assay. A co-relation between structure and activity of curcuminoids/its analogues and derivatives has been worked out.

Syntheses And Evaluation Of Asymmetric Curcumin Analogues As Potential Multifunctional Agents For The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease.

A series of new asymmetric curcumin analogues were synthesized and evaluated as potential multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Our results showed that most of these synthetic compounds had better inhibitory properties against Aβ aggregation compared with curcumin, and better anti-oxidative properties compared with the reference compound Trolox through the study of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Some compounds showed good properties in selectively chelating metal ions such as copper and iron. Besides, some compounds were found to be able to dissociate Aβ protein which had already aggregated. The structure-activity relationships (SAR) of these synthetic compounds were studied. The present investigation indicated that our synthetic asymmetric curcumin derivatives could be potential multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Antitumour and antimicrobial activities of chloro derivatives of Synthetic Curcumin and their metal chelates.

Curcumin and its analogues have been extensively studied as effective medicine for the treatment of cancer and related diseases. Recently several curcuminoid analogues were synthesized and their chemotherapeutic potential has been revealed. In the present study, the synthesis and characterization of three new chlorine containing curcuminoid analogues and their metal chelates Cu(II) and Al(III) are discussed here. The curcuminoid analogues namely 1,7-di(4-chloro phenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione(HL1), 1,7- di(2-chloro phenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione(HL2), and 1,7-bis(3,4 dichloro phenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione(HL3) and their Cu(II) and Al(III) chelates were synthesized and were characterized using UV, IR, 1H NMR and mass spectral data. In vitro cytotoxic studis were done with ligand and metal complexes (Cu & Al) against DLA and EAC cells using Tryptan blue exclusion method and antibacterial study of the compounds were done using agar well diffusion method. The in vivo antitumour activity of the ligand and complexes were determined by using DLA cells in mice and compared with standard anticancer drug cyclophosphamide. The life span of the treated animals were increased upto 60-70%. The present investigation reveals that the Cu(II) complexes show enhanced cytotoxic activity where as the Al(III) complexes have greater activity towards in vivo antitumour studies and antibacterial studies.

Curcumin derivative HBC induces autophagy through activating AMPK signal in A549 cancer cells

Curcumin exhibits growth-suppressive activity against a variety of cancer cells, but low bioavailability restricts its application in chemotherapeutic trials. A synthetic curcumin derivative hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin (HBC) had been indicated that it could inhibit cell growth in A549 lung cancer cells via cell autophagy in our previous report. The present research aims to investigate the effect of HBC on the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and whether AMPK signaling is involved in HBC-induced autophagy in A549 cells. The autophagy inhibitor 3-MA was used to block the inhibitory effect of HBC on the growth of A549 cells by acridine orange assay. The phosphorylations of AMPK and its downstream factor Acetyl CoA Carboxylase (ACC) were characterized in HBCtreated A549 cells with western blot analysis. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of the AMPK signaling pathway by Compound C impairs the autophagyinducing effect of HBC. Our data indicates that HBC could activate the AMPK signal and induce AMPKmediated autophagy, which plays an important role in the inhibiting effect of HBC in A549 cells.

Hypoglycemic activity of curcumin synthetic analogues in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The currently available therapies for type 2 diabetes have been unable to achieve normoglycemic status in the majority of patients. The reason may be attributed to the limitations of the drug itself or its side effects. In an effort to develop potent and safe oral antidiabetic agents, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo hypoglycemic effects of 10 synthetic polyphenolic curcumin analogues on alloxan-induced male diabetic albino rats. In vitro studies showed 7-bis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione (4) to be the most potential hypoglycemic agent followed by 1,5-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one (10). Structure activity relationship (SAR) of the tested compounds was elucidated and the results were interpreted in terms of in vitro hypoglycemic activities. Furthermore, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with compounds 4, 10 and reference hypoglycemic drug glipizide showed that compound 4 and glipizide had relatively similar effects on the reduction of blood glucose levels within 2 h. Thus, compound 4 might be regarded as a potential hypoglycemic agent being able to reduce glucose concentration both in vitro and in vivo.

The Interplay between Autophagy and Apoptosis Induced by One Synthetic Curcumin Derivative Hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin in A549 Lung Cancer Cells.

The two important cell autonomic responses, autophagy, and apoptosis, play critical roles in cellular homeostasis and survival. By studying of the synthetic curcumin derivative hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin (HBC), we revealed that it could induce autophagy in nonsmall lung cancer cells (A549). Here, we use the Hoechst 33342 staining, Annexin V/propyliodide double dyeing and Western blotting analysis of PARP protein to demonstrate that HBC could also induce apoptosis in A549 cells. Apoptosis inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK, 10 μM) treatment helps to promote the cells survival. Moreover, inhibition of apoptosis-promoted HBC-induced autophagy of A549 cells by morphological detection and Western blotting analysis (vice versa). These data indicate that there exist some interconnections between the autophagy and apoptosis induced by HBC. The following work will be carried out to characterize the specific regulation processes between the two cell pathways in A549 cells.

Sertraline and curcumin prevent stress-induced morphological changes of dendrites and neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats.

Stress induces structural and behavioral impairments. The changes in dendrites and neurons are accompanied by impairments in the tasks mediated by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The present study was conducted to evaluate the structural changes of the dendrites and neurons of the mPFC after stress using stereological methods. In addition, the effects of a natural and a synthetic substance, i.e., curcumin and sertraline, were evaluated. The rats were divided into 7 groups: stress + distilled water, stress + olive oil, curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), sertraline (10 mg/kg/day), stress + curcumin, stress + sertraline, and control groups. The animals were submitted to chronic variable stress for 56 days. The results showed an average 15% reduction in the length of the dendrites per neuron in the mPFC after stress (p < 0.004). The total spine density was reduced by 50% in the stress (+ olive oil or + distilled water) groups in comparison with the control group (p < 0.01). The main reduction was seen in the thin and mushroom spines, while the stubby spines remained unchanged. Mean volume and surface area of the neurons were decreased by 14% and 10% on average in the stress (+ distilled water or + olive oil) rats in comparison to the control rats, respectively (p < 0.01). The data revealed that treatment of stressed rats with curcumin or sertraline can prevent the loss of spines and reduction of dendrite length, volume and surface area of the neurons. Sertraline and curcumin can prevent structural changes of the neurons and dendrites induced by stress in the mPFC of rats.

Antiangiogenic effects of a novel synthetic curcumin analogue in pancreatic cancer

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and NF-κB play essential roles in cancer cell growth and metastasis by promoting angiogenesis. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) serves as a regulator of HIF-1α and NF-κB protein. We hypothesized that curcumin and its analogues EF31 and UBS109 would disrupt angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer (PC) through modulation of HIF-1α and NF-κB. Conditioned medium from MIA PaCa-2 or PANC-1 cells exposed to curcumin and its analogues in vitro significantly impaired angiogenesis in an egg CAM assay and blocked HUVEC tube assembly in comparison to untreated cell medium. In vivo, EF31 and UBS109 blocked the vascularization of subcutaneous matrigel plugs developed by MIA PaCa-2 in mice. Significant inhibition of VEGF, angiopoietin 1, angiopoietin 2, platelet derived growth factor, COX-2, and TGFβ secretion was observed in PC cell lines treated with UBS109, EF31 or curcumin. Treatment with UBS109, EF31 or curcumin inhibited HSP90, NF-κB, and HIF-1α transcription in PC cell lines. UBS109 and EF31 inhibited HSP90 and HIF-1α expression even when elevated due to NF-κB (p65) overexpression. Finally, we demonstrate for the first time that curcumin analogues EF31 and UBS109 induce the downregulation of HIF-1α, Hsp90, COX-2 and VEGF in tumor samples from xenograft models compared to untreated xenografts. Altogether, these results suggest that UBS109 and EF31 are potent curcumin analogues with antiangiogenic activities.

Abstract 3909: Cisplatin resistant head and neck cancer cells are susceptible to growth inhibition by CDF curcumin

Abstract Head and neck (H&amp;N) cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer, with about 650,000 new cases in the world every year. Platinum-based agents (cisplatin/carboplatin) are the most common chemotherapeutic agents for H&amp;N cancer; however the five year survival rate is only 50% and development of drug resistance is one of the major challenges for effective therapy. Thus, development of new strategies to overcome drug resistance will help in H&amp;N cancer treatment. Our studies using H&amp;N cancer cisplatin resistant cell lines in vitro have indicated that Cancer Stem cell (CSC) specific markers such as CD44 and cytokines (IL-8, IL-10) are up-regulated during the development of drug resistance. Furthermore, our in vitro studies indicated that the treatment of drug resistant cell lines with a novel synthetic curcumin analog known as CDF in liposomal encapsulation (liposomal CDF) resulted in statistically significant growth inhibition (p&amp;lt;0.05). Similarly, our studies in a nude mouse xenograft drug resistant H&amp;N cancer tumor model showed that treatment with liposomal CDF (1 mg/100 µl in saline, i.v. injection 5 days a week for 3 weeks) resulted in greater than 50% tumor growth inhibition. The CDF treated cell lines and xenograft tumors showed a statistically significant reduction in the expression of CD44 (p&amp;lt;0.05), indicating an inhibitory effect of CDF on cancer stem cells, which is consistent with previously published data on other tumor models. These results demonstrate that CDF can be useful for the treatment of drug resistant H&amp;N cancer. Citation Format: Saroj K. Basak, Alborz Zinabadi, Natarajan Venkatesan, Victor M. Duarte, Clifton L. Dalgard, Meera Srivastava, Marilene B. Wang, Fazlul H. Sarkar, Eri S. Srivatsan. Cisplatin resistant head and neck cancer cells are susceptible to growth inhibition by CDF curcumin. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3909. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3909

Elucidation of the relationships between H-bonding patterns and excited state dynamics in cyclovalone.

Cyclovalone is a synthetic curcumin derivative in which the keto-enolic system is replaced by a cyclohexanone ring. This modification of the chemical structure might in principle result in an excited state that is more stable than that of curcumin, which in turn should produce an enhanced phototoxicity. Indeed, although curcumin exhibits photosensitized antibacterial activity, this compound is characterized by very fast excited-state dynamics which limit its efficacy as a photosensitizer. In previous works we showed that the main non-radiative decay pathway of keto-enolic curcuminoids is through excited-state transfer of the enolic proton to the keto-oxygen. Another effective deactivation pathway involves an intermolecular charge transfer mechanism occurring at the phenyl rings, made possible by intramolecular H-bonding between the methoxy and the hydroxyl substituent. In this paper we present UV-Vis and IR absorption spectra data with the aim of elucidating the intramolecular charge distribution of this compound and its solvation patterns in different environments, with particular focus on solute-solvent H-bonding features. Moreover, we discuss steady state and time-resolved fluorescence data that aim at characterizing the excited-state dynamics of cyclovalone, and we compare its decay photophysics to that of curcumin. Finally, because during the characterization procedures we found evidence of very fast photodegradation of cyclovalone, its photostability in four organic solvents was studied by HPLC and the corresponding relative degradation rates were calculated.