New novel non-steroidal antifertility agents

Synthesis of novel amino and acetyl amino-4-methylcoumarins and evaluation of their antioxidant activity

The six novel 4-methylcoumarins bearing different functionalities such as amino, hydroxy, N-acetyl, acetoxy and nitro have been synthesized and confirmed on the basis of their spectral data (1H-, 13C-NMR, UV, IR and EI mass). They were examined for the first time for their effect on NADPH dependent liver microsomal lipid peroxidation in vitro, and the results were compared with other model 4-methylcoumarin derivatives to establish the structure-activity relationship. Our studies demonstrated that amino group is an effective substitute for the hydroxyl group for antioxidant property and produced a dramatic inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Ortho dihydroxy and ortho hydroxy-amino coumarins were found to possess highest antioxidant and radical scavenging activities.

Acetoxy-4-methylcoumarins confer differential protection from aflatoxin B(1)-induced micronuclei and apoptosis in lung and bone marrow cells

The ability of various acetoxy derivatives of 4-methylcoumarins to inhibit the genotoxic changes due to aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) is reported here. Several 4-methylcoumarins (test compounds), such as 7,8-diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC), monoacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (MAC), 5-N-acetyl-6-acetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (NAMC) and 7,8-dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (DHMC) were separately administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to male wistar rats followed by AFB(1) administration i.p. or intratracheally (i.t.) (2-8 mg/kg b.wt.) and another dose of the test compound. The animals were sacrificed 26h after AFB(1) administration. From animals receiving AFB(1) i.p., bone marrow (BM) cells were isolated and stained with Mayer's haematoxylin and eosin. Micronuclei (MN) in BM were scored by light microscopy. From animals receiving AFB(1) i.t., bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was obtained, lung cells (LG) were isolated and stained with fluorochrome 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) for the analysis of MN, apoptotic bodies (AP) and cell cycle variations. Rats were separately treated with the vehicle DMSO to serve as the proper control. AFB(1) caused significant dose-dependent induction of MN in BM as well as LG. AP were observed in LG of rats receiving AFB(1) and was found to correlate with MN induction. DAMC injection caused significant decrease in AP due to AFB(1) in LG and MN in both BM and LG. The effectiveness of MAC was approximately half that of DAMC, thereby indicating that number of acetoxy groups on the coumarin molecule determine the efficacy. The fact that NAMC had no effect either on MN or AP indicate that neither acetoxy group at C-6 nor the N-acetyl group at C-5 facilitate the transfer of acetyl group to P-450 required for inhibition of AFB(1)-epoxidation. DHMC, the deacetylated product of DAMC had no normalizing effect on the induction of MN and AP. These findings confirm our earlier hypothesis that DAMC-mediated acetylation of microsomal P-450 (catalysing epoxidation of AFB(1)) through the action of microsomal transacetylase is responsible for the protective action of DAMC. The relative number and position of acetoxy groups on the coumarin nucleus determine the specificity to the transacetylase necessary for the chemopreventive action.

Mechanism of biochemical action of substituted 4-methylbenzopyran-2-ones. Part 4: hyperbolic activation of rat liver microsomal NADPH-cytochrome C reductase by the novel acetylator 7,8-diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin

The effect of 7,8-diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC) has been studied on hepatic NADPH cytochrome C reductase-- an enzyme participating in the microsomal electron transport. The preincubation of liver microsomes with DAMC resulted in a time-dependent activation of NADPH cytochrome C reductase. The catalytic activity of the enzyme enhanced nearly 600% by 25 microM concentration of DAMC after 10 min of preincubation. The action of DAMC on the reductase resulted in enhanced v(max) while Km remained constant. A plot of 1/v(max) as a function of DAMC concentration resulted in a non-linear, but rectangular hyperbola indicative of hyperbolic activation. DAMC was also proved to be effective in significantly enhancing the activity of NADPH cytochrome C reductase in vivo. 7,8-Dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (DHMC), the deacetylated product of DAMC failed to irreversibly activate the enzyme. The activation effect of DAMC upon the enzyme was abolished by p-hydroxymercury benzoate. The role of a transacetylase in transferring the acetyl group of DAMC to the amino acid(s) of the active site of NADPH cytochrome C reductase causing irreversible enzyme activation is enunciated.

Mechanism of biochemical action of substituted 4-methylbenzopyran-2-ones. Part II: Mechanism-based inhibition of rat liver microsome-mediated aflatoxin B1-DNA binding by the candidate antimutagen 7,8-diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin

7,8-Diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC), with no prerequisite for oxidative biotransformation has been reported to produce suicide inactivation of microsomal cytochrome P-450-catalysed formation of aflatoxin B1-8,9-oxide that binds to DNA. Parenteral administration of DAMC to rats caused significant inhibition of AFB1 binding to hepatic DNA in vivo as well as AFB1-induced micronuclei formation in bone marrow cells. These results highlight the antimutagenic potential of DAMC.

Mechanism of biochemical action of substituted 4-methylbenzopyran-2-ones. Part I: Dioxygenated 4-methyl coumarins as superb antioxidant and radical scavenging agents

Twenty-three 4-methylcoumarins bearing different functionalities have been examined for the first time for their effect on NADPH-catalysed liver-microsomal lipid peroxidation with a view to establish structure-activity relationship. Dihydroxy- and diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarins produced dramatic inhibition of lipid peroxidation. 7,8-Diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin and 7,8-dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin were found to possess superb antioxidant and radical scavenging activities.

Chemoprevention of carcinogen-DNA binding: the relative role of different oxygenated substituents on 4-methylcoumarins in the inhibition of aflatoxin B1-DNA binding in vitro

Eighteen 4-methylcoumarins bearing methoxy/hydroxy/acetoxy functionalities have been reported to effectively inhibit the rat liver microsome-mediated aflatoxin B1-DNA binding in vitro. The contribution of functionality on coumarin nucleus towards the inhibition of AFB1-DNA binding is in the order acetoxy > hydroxy > methoxy. The results illustrate the structure-activity relationship.