Herein, we report an eco-friendly, electrosynthetic approach for the intramolecular oxyselenylation of allyl-naphthol/phenol derivatives. This reaction proceeds with 0.2 equiv. of ⁿBu₄NClO₄ as an electrolyte and Pt working electrodes in an undivided cell, resulting in the selenyl-dihydrofurans in good to excellent yields. Furthermore, several of the synthesized products presented a high percentage of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, highlighting their potential anti-Alzheimer activity.

Carbonyl compounds are widely explored in medicinal inorganic chemistry and have drawn attention due to their signaling functions in homeostasis. Carbon-monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) were developed with the purpose of keeping the CO inactive until its release in the intracellular environment, considering its biological relevance. However, for therapeutic applications, the mechanisms of photorelease and which electronic and structural variations influence its rates must be fully understood. In this work, four ligands containing a pyridine, a secondary amine, and a phenolic group with different substituents were used to prepare new Mn(I) carbonyl compounds. Structural and physicochemical characterization of these complexes was carried out and confirmed the proposed structures. X-ray diffractometry structures obtained for the four organometallic compounds revealed that the substituents in the phenolic ring promote only negligible distortions in their geometry. Furthermore, UV-Vis and IR kinetics showed the direct dependence of the electron-withdrawing or donating ability of the substituent group, indicating an influence of the phenol ring on the CO release mechanism. These differences in properties were also supported by theoretical studies at the DFT, TD-DFT, and bonding situation analyses (EDA-NOCV). Two methods were used to determine the CO release constants (k_CO,old and k_CO,new), where Mn-HbpaBr (1) had the greatest k_CO by both methods (K_co,old = 2.36 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ and k_CO,new = 2.37 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹). Carbon monoxide release was also evaluated using the myoglobin assay, indicating the release of 1.248 to 1.827 carbon monoxides upon light irradiation.

The white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was used for biological pretreatment of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) lignocellulosic wastes. Non-treated and treated B. gasipaes inner sheaths and peel were submitted to hydrolysis using a commercial cellulase preparation from T. reesei. The amounts of total reducing sugars and glucose obtained from the 30 d-pretreated inner sheaths were seven and five times higher, respectively, than those obtained from the inner sheaths without pretreatment. No such improvement was found, however, in the pretreated B. gasipaes peels. Scanning electronic microscopy of the lignocellulosic fibers was performed to verify the structural changes caused by the biological pretreatments. Upon the biological pretreatment, the lignocellulosic structures of the inner sheaths were substantially modified, making them less ordered. The main features of the modifications were the detachment of the fibers, cell wall collapse and, in several cases, the formation of pores in the cell wall surfaces. The peel lignocellulosic fibers showed more ordered fibrils and no modification was observed after pre-treatment. In conclusion, a seven-fold increase in the enzymatic saccharification of the Bactris gasipaes inner sheath was observed after pre-treatment, while no improvement in enzymatic saccharification was observed in the B. gasipaes peel.

This study investigates CO photorelease using experimental and computational approaches, with organoselenium ligands featuring a free selenium moiety capable of stabilizing intermediates in situ .

Research on metallodrugs with biological properties remains at the forefront, focusing on the development of compounds that interact non-covalently with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and possess the ability to cleave the double helix strands of this biomacromolecule. In this context, vanadium(V) imine complexes featuring a fluorinated triphenylphosphonium group, (3-formyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)tris(4-fluorophenyl)phosphonium chloride ([AF]Cl), were studied for their targeting and accumulation in mitochondria, in addition to their interactions and ability to cleave DNA. The solid-state structures of complexes C1–C3 were elucidated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and were characterized using vibrational techniques and elemental analysis, along with extensive characterization in solution. These studies revealed that the complexes contain cis-dioxidovanadium(V) species and are zwitterionic species. It was shown that C1–C3 can interact with and are capable of cleaving plasmid DNA through oxidative mechanisms without the need for photoinduction. When potential interactions with bovine serum albumin were analyzed, it was revealed that interactions in the order of 10⁴ M⁻¹ (Stern–Volmer quenching constant, K_SV) were observed. Additionally, in silico molecular docking studies showed that C1–C3 can preferentially interact with the minor grooves of DNA and with domain IB (site III) of bovine and human serum albumins.