Benzyl alcohol

Co-solvents in self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) - do they really solve our solubility problems?[Pubmed:32658482]

Mol Pharm. 2020 Jul 13.

The aim of this study was to investigate the fate and the impact of co-solvents in self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS). Three different SEDDS comprising the co-solvents DMSO (FD), ethanol (FE) and Benzyl alcohol (FBA) as well as the corresponding formulations without these co-solvents (FD0, FE0 and FBA0) were developed. Mean droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, stability and emulsification time were determined. Co-solvent release studies were performed via dialysis membrane method and Taylor dispersion analysis (TDA). Furthermore, the impact of co-solvent utilization on payloads in SEDDS was examined using quinine as a model drug. SEDDS with and without co-solvent showed no significant differences in droplet size, PDI and zeta potential. The emulsification time was 3-fold (FD0), 80-fold (FE0) and 7-fold (FBA0) longer due to the absence of the co-solvents. Release studies in demineralized water provided evidence for an immediate and complete release of DMSO, ethanol and Benzyl alcohol. TDA confirmed this result. Moreover, a 1.4-fold (FD), 2.91-fold (FE) and 2.17-fold (FBA) improved payload of the model drug quinine in the selected SEDDS preconcentrates was observed that dropped after emulsification within 1 - 5 h due to drug precipitation. In parallel the quinine concentrations decreased until reaching the same levels of the corresponding SEDDS without co-solvents. Due to the addition of hydrophilic co-solvents the emulsifying properties of SEDDS are strongly improved. As hydrophilic co-solvents are immediately released from SEDDS during the emulsification process, however, their drug solubilizing properties in the resulting oily droplets are very limited.

Metabolic activation of pirfenidone mediated by cytochrome P450s and sulfotransferases.[Pubmed:32643929]

J Med Chem. 2020 Jul 9.

Pirfenidone is approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Idiosyncratic drug reactions, due to clinical application of pirfenidone, have been documented, even along with death cases resulting from acute liver failure. The present study aimed at the investigation of metabolic activation of pirfenidone possibly participating in the reported adverse reactions. Pirfenidone-derived GSH/NAC conjugates were detected in microsomal/primary hepatocyte incubations after exposure to pirfenidone. The GSH/NAC conjugates were also observed in bile and urine of rats given pirfenidone, respectively. The observation of the conjugates suggests the formation of a quinone methide intermediate derived from pirfenidone. The intermediate was possibly generated through two pathways. First, pirfenidone was directly metabolized to the quinone methide intermediate via dehydrogenation; second, pirfenidone was oxidized to 5-hydroxymethyl pirfenidone, followed by sulfation to a Benzyl alcohol-sulfate derivative. The findings facilitate the understanding of the mechanisms of pirfenidone-induced idiosyncratic toxicity and assist medicinal chemists to minimize toxicities in the development of new pharmaceutical agents.

Wet chemical epitaxial growth of a cactus-like CuFeO2/ZnO heterojunction for improved photocatalysis.[Pubmed:32638788]

Dalton Trans. 2020 Jul 8.

Herein, a wet chemical epitaxial growth method was employed to fabricate a cactus-like CuFeO2/ZnO heterojunction for the photocatalytic reduction of benzaldehyde to Benzyl alcohol. The 1D ZnO nanorods in the heterojunction make contact with the 2D CuFeO2 nanoflakes at the atomic level, therefore providing a fast charge transfer channel along the direction parallel to the CuFeO2 c-axis, leading to efficient charge separation and improved photocatalytic performance.

Genetic and Transcriptomic Evidences Suggest ARO10 Genes Are Involved in Benzenoid Biosynthesis by Yeast.[Pubmed:32638443]

Yeast. 2020 Jul 7.

Benzenoids are compounds associated with floral and fruity flavours in flowers, fruits and leaves and present a role in hormonal signalling in plants. These molecules are produced by the phenyl ammonia lyase pathway. However, some yeasts can also synthesize them from aromatic amino acids using an alternative pathway that remains unknown. Hanseniaspora vineae can produce benzenoids at levels up to two orders of magnitude higher than Saccharomyces species, so it is a model microorganism for studying benzenoid biosynthesis pathways in yeast. According to their genomes, several enzymes have been proposed to be involved in a mandelate pathway similar to that described for some prokaryotic cells. Among them, the ARO10 gene product could present benzoylformate decarboxylase activity. This enzyme catalyses the decarboxylation of benzoylformate into benzaldehyde at the end of the mandelate pathway in Benzyl alcohol formation. Two homologous genes of ARO10 were found in the two sequenced H. vineae strains. In this study, nine other H. vineae strains were analysed to detect the presence and percent homology of ARO10 sequences by PCR using specific primers designed for this species. Also, the copy number of the genes was estimated by quantitative PCR. To verify the relation of ARO10 with the production of Benzyl alcohol during fermentation, a deletion mutant in the ARO10 gene of S. cerevisiae was used. The two HvARO10 paralogues were analysed and compared with other alpha-ketoacid decarboxylases at the sequence and structural level.

SAR:s for the Antiparasitic Plant Metabolite Pulchrol. 1. The Benzyl Alcohol Functionality.[Pubmed:32635469]

Molecules. 2020 Jul 4;25(13). pii: molecules25133058.

Pulchrol (1) is a natural benzochromene isolated from the roots of Bourreria pulchra, shown to possess potent antiparasitic activity towards both Leishmania and Trypanozoma species. As it is not understood which molecular features of 1 are important for the antiparasitic activity, several analogues were synthesized and assayed. The ultimate goal is to understand the structure-activity relationships (SAR:s) and create a QSAR model that can be used for the development of clinically useful antiparasitic agents. In this study, we have synthesized 25 2-methoxy-6,6-dimethyl-6H-benzo[c]chromen analogues of 1 and its co-metabolite pulchral (5a), by semi-synthetic procedures starting from the natural product pulchrol (1) itself. All 27 compounds, including the two natural products 1 and 5a, were subsequently assayed in vitro for antiparasitic activity against Trypanozoma cruzi, Leishmania brasiliensis and Leishmania amazoniensis. In addition, the cytotoxicity in RAW cells was assayed, and a selectivity index (SI) for each compound and each parasite was calculated. Several compounds are more potent or equi-potent compared with the positive controls Benznidazole (Trypanozoma) and Miltefosine (Leishmania). The compounds with the highest potencies as well as SI-values are esters of 1 with various carboxylic acids.

[Studies on chemical constituents of stems of Herpetospermum pedunculosum].[Pubmed:32627491]

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2020 Jun;45(11):2571-2577.

This project is to study chemical compositions from the stems of Herpetospermum pedunculosum. Twenty-two compounds were isolated from the 70% acetone extract of the stems of H. pedunculosum by column chromatography on Sephadex LH-20, semi-preparative HPLC and preparative TLC. Their structures were elucidated by their physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data as N-benzyltyramine(1), alpha-spinasterol(2),(2S)-1-O-heptatriacontanoyl glycerol(3), 5,7-dihydroxychromanone(4), methyl 2beta,3beta-dihydroxy-D:C-friedoolean-8-en-29-oate(5), p-hydroxy Benzyl alcohol(6), p-hydroxybenzoate(7), p-hydroxy cinnamic acid(8), 1H-indol-3-carboxylic acid(9), rhodiocyanoside B(10), rhodiolgin(11), rhodiosin(12), 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10(E)-octadecenoic acid(13), cylo-(Tyr-Leu)(14), matteflavoside A(15), loliolide(16), 1H-indol-3-carboxaldehyde(17),(+)-dehydrovomifoliol(18), 3-hydroxy-5alpha,6alpha-epoxy-beta-ionone(19), 3-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-[4-(3-hydroxy-1-propen-1-yl)-2-methoxyp henoxy]-1-propanone(20), 7-en-nonadecanoic acid monoglyceride(21), vanillic acid(22). Compound 1 is a new natural product, while compounds 3-15 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Re-evaluation of benzyl alcohol (E 1519) as food additive.[Pubmed:32626148]

EFSA J. 2019 Oct 30;17(10):e05876.

The Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF) provided a scientific opinion re-evaluating the safety of Benzyl alcohol (E 1519) when used as a food additive. The Panel considered that adequate exposure and toxicity data were available. Benzyl alcohol (E 1519) is authorised as a food additive in the EU in accordance with Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The Panel considered Benzyl alcohol of low acute toxicity with no concern with respect to genotoxicity and carcinogenicity and established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 4 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day based on a no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 400 mg/kg bw per day from the carcinogenicity study in rats. The mean and high exposure estimates in the refined exposure scenarios were maximally 0.27 and 0.81 mg/kg bw per day in toddlers, respectively. The exposure estimates to Benzyl alcohol (E 1519) were below the ADI of 4 mg/kg bw per day in all population groups. The Panel noted that also the exposure in the regulatory maximum level exposure assessment scenario is below the ADI in all population groups. The Panel concluded that the exposure to Benzyl alcohol (E 1519) does not raise a safety concern at the reported uses and use levels.

Rh(II)/Ag(I)-Cocatalyzed Three-Component Reaction via SN1/SN1'-Type Trapping of Oxonium Ylide with the Nicholas Intermediate.[Pubmed:32618194]

J Org Chem. 2020 Jul 13.

A Rh(II)/Ag(I)-cocatalyzed three-component reaction of propargylic alcohol-Co2(CO)6 complexes with diazo compounds and Benzyl alcohols is described, which represents the first trapping process of oxonium ylides with carbocations via the SN1/SN1'-type pathway. This transformation provides an efficient approach for construction of dicobalt hexacarbonyl-complexed 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles. Further derivatization of the product, initiated by the deprivation of the dicobalt species, gives the 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles with the ene alkynyl group and the privileged spirooxindole-vinyldihydropyran structure.

Chitosan-Based Coacervate Polymers for Propolis Encapsulation: Release and Cytotoxicity Studies.[Pubmed:32604927]

Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jun 26;21(12). pii: ijms21124561.

Chitosan-DNA (CS-DNA) and Chitosan-Pectin (CS-P) hydrogels were formulated as a sustained drug delivery carrier for drug delivery. For this, hydrogels were prepared by emulsion technique: mixing aqueous phase of the CS and DNA or P solution with Benzyl alcohol using a high-performance dispersing instrument. Green Propolis (GP) was incorporated by imbibition: hydrogels were placed in GP aqueous solution (70 microg/mL) for 2 h. The specimens were freeze-dried and then characterized using different techniques. In vitro cell viability and morphology were also performed using the MG63 cell line. The presence of P was evidenced by the occurrence of a strong band at 1745 cm(-1), also occurring in the blend. DNA and CS-DNA showed a strong band at 1650 cm(-1), slightly shifted from the chitosan band. The sorption of GP induced a significant modification of the gel surface morphology and some phase separation occurs between chitosan and DNA. Drug release kinetics in water and in saliva follow a two-step mechanism. Significant biocompatibility revealed that these hydrogels were non-toxic and provided acceptable support for cell survival. Thus, the hydrogel complexation of chitosan with DNA and with Pectin provides favorable micro-environment for cell growth and is a viable alternative drug delivery system for Green Propolis.

Direct Z-Scheme Heterojunction of Semicoherent FAPbBr3/Bi2WO6 Interface for Photoredox Reaction with Large Driving Force.[Pubmed:32573200]

ACS Nano. 2020 Jul 1.

Metal halide perovskites with direct band gap and strong light absorption are promising materials for harvesting solar energy; however, their relatively narrow band gap limits their redox ability when used as a photocatalyst. Adding a second semiconductor component with the appropriate band structure offsets can generate a Z-scheme photocatalytic system, taking full advantage of the perovskite's intrinsic properties. In this work, we develop a direct Z-scheme photocatalyst based on formamidinium lead bromide and bismuth tungstate (FAPbBr3/Bi2WO6) with strong redox ability for artificial solar-to-chemical energy conversion. With desirable band offsets and strong joint redox potential, the dual photocatalyst is shown to form a semicoherent heterointerface. Ultrafast transient infrared absorption studies employing selective excitation reveal synergetic photocarrier dynamics and demonstrate Z-scheme charge transfer mechanisms. Under simulated solar irradiation, a large driving force photoredox reaction ( approximately 2.57 eV) of CO2 reduction coupled with Benzyl alcohol oxidation to benzaldehyde is achieved on the Z-scheme FAPbBr3/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst, harnessing the full synergetic potential of the combined system.