Matrix metalloproteinases are enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix. They have different substrates but similar structural organization. Matrix metalloproteinases are involved in many physiological and pathological processes and there is a need to develop inhibitors for these enzymes in order to modulate the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM). There exist two classes of inhibitors: endogenous and synthetics. The development of synthetic inhibitors remains a great challenge due to the low selectivity and specificity, side effects in clinical trials, and instability. An extensive review of currently reported synthetic inhibitors and description of their properties is presented.

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1',2,3,3',4,4',6-Hepta-O-benzyl-sucrose has been prepared and selectively 6'-O-esterified with small alpha,beta-unsaturated acid derivatives. New chiral copolymers containing sucrose have been synthesized by radical polymerization, and some of their physical properties have been determined.

A B S T R A C TA library of 1-(1′,2,3,3′,4,4′,6-hepta-O-acetyl-6′-deoxy-sucros-6′-yl)-1,2,3-triazoles have been investigated for their antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities. Most of the target compounds showed good inhibitory activity against a variety of clinically and food contaminant important microbial pathogens. In particular, 1-(1′,2,3,3′,4,4′,6-hepta-O-acetyl-6′-deoxy-sucros-6′-yl)-4-(4-pentylphenyl)-1,2,3-triazole (5) was highly active against all the tested bacteria with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging between 1.1 and 4.4 μM and bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) from 2.2 and 8.4 μM. The compound 1-(1′,2,3,3′,4,4′,6-hepta-O-acetyl-6′-deoxy-sucros-6′-yl)-4-(4-bromophenyl)-1,2,3-triazole (3) showed antifungal activity with MICs from 0.6 to 4.8 μM and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) ranging between 1.2 and 8.9 μM. Furthermore, some of the compounds possessed moderate cytotoxicity against human breast, lung, cervical and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, without showing toxicity for nontumor liver cells. The above mentioned derivatives represent promising leads for the development of new generation of sugar-triazole antifungal agents.

The homopolymerisation of α-and β-pinene and their copolymerisation with styrene and hepta-O-benzyl-6Ј-O-methacryloyl-sucrose (BMS) have been examined in the presence of AIBN as free-radical initiator, either in toluene or without solvent at 80°C at normal pressure and also in a synthetic microwave oven. A study of the effect of the reaction conditions, the monomer structure and the initial ratio of the comonomers on the properties of the final copolymers, each

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Novel unsaturated ethers were synthesised in good yields starting from sucrose, using a two-step mild and efficient procedure based on the Gassman method, which consists in forming a vinyl group by the elimination of ethanol from mixed acetals with trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate in the presence of alkyl amines. Mixed acetals are readily obtained from the corresponding alcohols and ethyl vinyl ether, using an acidic catalyst. Conventional etherification involving a primary halide was also examined. The monomers thus obtained were successfully polymerised by a free radical mechanism, yielding unbranched linear and soluble polymers with pending sucrose moieties, and some of their physical properties were determined.