• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5371-5376
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• 2015

Berberine (B1), isolated from stems of Coscinium fenestratum (Goetgh.) Colebr, was used as a principle structure to synthesize three phenolic derivatives: berberrubine (B2) with a single phenolic group, berberrubine chloride (B3) as a chloride counter ion derivative, and 2,3,9,10-tetra-hydroxyberberine chloride (B4) with four phenolic groups, to investigate their direct and indirect antioxidant activities. For DPPH assay, compounds B4, B3, and B2 showed good direct antioxidant activity ($IC_{50}$ values=$10.7{\pm}1.76$, $55.2{\pm}2.24$, and $87.4{\pm}6.65{\mu}M$, respectively) whereas the $IC_{50}$ value of berberine was higher than $500{\mu}M$. Moreover, compound B4 exhibited a better DPPH scavenging activity than BHT as a standard antioxidant ($IC_{50}=72.7{\pm}7.22{\mu}M$) due to the ortho position of hydroxyl groups and its capacity to undergo intramolecular hydrogen bonding. For cytotoxicity assay against human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080) using MTT reagent, the sequence of $IC_{50}$ value at 7-day treatment stated that B1 < B4 < B2 ($0.44{\pm}0.03$, $2.88{\pm}0.23$, and $6.05{\pm}0.64{\mu}M$, respectively). Berberine derivatives, B2 and B4, showed approximately the same level of CAT expression and significant up-regulation of SOD expression in a dose-dependent manner compared to berberine treatment for 7-day exposure using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. Our findings show a better direct-antioxidant activity of the derivatives containing phenolic groups than berberine in a cell-free system. For cell-based system, berberine was able to exert better cytotoxic activity than its derivatives. Berberine derivatives containing a single and four phenolic groups showed improved up-regulation of SOD gene expression. Cytotoxic action might not be the main effect of berberine derivatives. Other pharmacological targets of these derivatives should be further investigated to confirm the medical benefit of phenolic groups introduced into the berberine molecule.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.75-75
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• 2003

We report here the results on N-acetyl-N'-dimethylamide of proline (Ac-Pro-NM $e_2$) calculated using the ab initio molecular orbital method with the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) theory at the HF level with the 6-31+G(d) basis set to investigate the conformational preference of polyproline depending on the cis/trans peptide bonds and down/up puckerings along the backbone torsion angle $\square$ in the gas phase, chloroform, and water. In the gas phase, Ac-Pro-NM $e_2$ has seven local minima of tFd, tFu, cFd, cFu, cAu, tAu, and cAd conformations. In particular, polyproline conformations tFd, tFu, cFd, and cFu are found to be more stable than $\square$-helical conformations cAu, tAu, and cAd. In contrast, Ac-Pro-NHMe has seven local minima of tCd, tCu, cBd, cAu, tAu, cFd, and cFu conformations. Conformations tCd and tCu are found to be most stable, which is ascribed to the intramolecular hydrogen bond between C=O of acetyl group and $N^{~}$ H of N'-methyl amide group. The stability of the cFd conformation (i.e., the polyproline I structure) in chloroform is somewhat increased, relative to that in water, although tFd and tFu conformations (i.e., the polyproline II structure) are dominate both in chloroform and water. The population of backbone conformations feasible in chloroform and water is consistent with the experiments. This work is supported by a Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-2002-041-C00129).

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2001

Bucillamine is a novel cysteine derivative with two free intramolecular sulfhydryl groups, and has a preventive and therapeutic effect on adjuvant arthritis, suggesting its antirheumatic action. With respect to the effect on the immune system, bucillamine-exerted such immunoregulating actions are to nomalize an excessive reduction or acceleration in immune reaction. It is useful not only in patients with early stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but also in those with active RA retained for more than 10 years. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two bucillamine tablets, $Rimatil^{TM}$ (Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and $Bucilin^{TM}$ (Kuhn Il Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Eighteen normal male volunteers, $23.67{\pm}2.09$ years in age and $65.03{\pm}6.73\;kg$ in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2{\times}2$ cross-over study was employed. After three tablets containing 100 mg of bucillamine per tablet were orally administered, blood was taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of bucillamine in serum were determined using GC/MS with mass selective detector. Pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t$, $C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters. The results showed that the differences in $AUC_t$, $C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ between two tablets were -0.29%, -3.20% and 8.22%, respectively, when calculated against the $Rimatil^{TM}$ tablet. The powers $(1-{\beta})$ for $AUC_t\;and\;C_{max}$ were 84.31 % and 91.16%, respectively. Minimum detectable differences $({\Delta})$ at ${\alpha}=0.10$ and $1-{\beta}=0.8$ were less than 20% (e.g., 18.58% and 16.51% for $AUC_t\;and\;C_{max}$, respectively). The 90% confidence intervals were within ${\pm}20%$ (e.g.,$-12.77{\sim}12.20$ for $AUC_t$ and $-14.30{\sim}7.90$ for $C_{max}$). Two parameters met the criteria of KFDA for bioequivalence, indicating that $Bucilin^{TM}$ tablet is bioequivalent to $Rimatil^{TM}$ tablet.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.3795-3799
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• 2013

The second-order rate constants ($k_N$) have been measured spectrophotometrically for nucleophilic substitution reactions of Y-substituted-phenyl 2-methylbenzoates (6a-e) with a series of cyclic secondary amines in MeCN at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. Comparison of the $k_N$ values for the reactions of 4-nitrophenyl 2-methylbenzoate (6d) with those reported previously for the corresponding reactions of 4-nitrophenyl 2-methoxybenzoate (5) reveals that 6d is significantly less reactive than 5, indicating that modification of 2-MeO in the benzoyl moiety of 5 by 2-Me (i.e., $5{\rightarrow}6d$) causes a significant decrease in reactivity. This supports our previous report that aminolysis of 5 proceeds through a six-membered cyclic intermediate, which is highly stabilized through intramolecular H-bonding interactions. The Br${\o}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of 6d with a series of cyclic secondary amines is linear with ${\beta}_{nuc}=0.71$, which appears to be a lower limit of ${\beta}_{nuc}$ for a stepwise mechanism with breakdown of an intermediate ($T^{\pm}$) being rate-determining step (RDS). The Br${\o}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of 6a-e with piperidine is curved, i.e., the slope of Br${\o}$nsted-type plot (${\beta}_{lg}$) decreases from -1.05 to -0.41 as the leaving-group basicity decreases. The nonlinear Br${\o}$nsted-type plot has been taken as evidence for a stepwise mechanism with a change in RDS (e.g., from the $k_2$ step to the $k_1$ process as the leaving-group basicity decreases). Dissection of $k_N$ into the microscopic rate constants associated with the reactions of 6a-e with piperidine (e.g., $k_1$ and $k_2/k_{-1}$ ratio) also supports the proposed mechanism.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 1996

The most stable stereo conformer in non substituted benzenesulfonyl urea, 1 was the II-keto form, which the molecule was intramolecular associated(H-bond) coformer between imide group and N atom on the Pyrimidine ring. The hydrolytic degradation of 2 derivatives were proceeds by nucleophilic addition reaction(p<0) with orbital controlled intermolecular interaction between LUMO with electron donating$(\sigma<0)$ groups of 2 and HOMO of water molecule. N-(4,6-disub. pyrimid ine-2-yl)aminocarbonyl-2-(1,1-dimethoxy-2-fluoro)ethylbenze nesulfonamides,3 and N-(4,6-disub. triazine-2-yl)aminocarbonyl-2-(1,1-d imethoxy-2-fluoro)ethylbenzenesulfonamides,4 we re synthesized and their herbicidal activities in vivo against bulrush (Scirpus juncoides.) were measured by the pot test under the paddy conditions And the structure activity relationships(SAR) were analyzed by the multiple regression technique. The results of the SAR suggested that the 3 and 4 derivatives indicated dependent on the hydrophobicity of the 4,6-disubstituents and the heterocyclo group, where the optimal value $((log\;P)_{opt.}=0.89)$ of hydrophobicity was 0.89. The pyrimidine substituents, 3 showed higher herbicidal activity than the triazine substituents, 4. Among them, 4,6-dimethoxypyrimidine substituent, 3a showed the best herbicidal activity.