Development of eugenol derivatives with 5-LOX inhibitory activity.

Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol), is the major chemical constituent in the essential oil of numerous plant species. Several biological properties have been described for this molecule, including modulation of enzymatic targets relevant for the inflammatory response, such as 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). As so, there is interest in expanding the chemical space of this molecule to develop new molecules to be used in inflammatory conditions.

New Cation Sensors Based on Eugenol-Derived Azo Dyes.

Eugenol-based azo dyes illustrate how bio-sourced compounds like eugenol can be transformed through synthetic processes into functional and colorful compounds. The main purpose of the present work was to develop new responsive colorimetric sensors for metal cations based on eugenol-derived azo compounds. The incorporation of the azo group into the eugenol framework allows for strong electronic interactions with metal cations, leading to distinct color changes observable to the naked eye.

Structural modification of naturally occurring phenolics as a strategy for developing cytotoxic molecules towards cancer cells.

Natural products belonging to different chemical classes have been established as a promising source of novel anticancer drugs. Several low-molecular-weight compounds from the classes of monoterpenes, phenylpropanoids, and flavonoids were shown to possess anticancer activities in previous studies. In this work, over 20 semisynthetic derivatives of molecules belonging to these classes, namely thymol, eugenol, and 6-hydroxyflavanone were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines, namely AGS cells (gastric adenocarcinoma) and A549 cells (human lung carcinoma).