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: We have investigated the action of melatonin against lipid peroxidation in membranes including brain homogenates (BH), brain and liver microsomes (MIC), and phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes, as well as its effect on the activity of pro‐oxidant enzymes such as constitutive neuronal nitric oxide synthase (cnNOS), xanthine oxidase (XO) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). The liposomes were reconstituted by a dialysis method, lipid peroxidation was monitored using the thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) method and enzyme activities were measured spectrophotometrically. The ascorbyl and hydroxyl free radicals were generated by the reaction of ascorbic acid + FeSO4 and H2O2 + FeCl2, respectively, and peroxynitrite using a mixture of NaNO2 in an alkaline medium. Melatonin protected against lipid peroxidation induced by distinct reactive oxygen species (ROS) in all membranes tested although with different potency, in the following order BH < MIC < PC. The K0.5 for enzyme inhibition by melatonin was determined for nNOS (2.0 ± 0.1 mm), for XO (0.8 ± 0.1 mm) and for MPO (0.063 ± 0.003 mm), the latter one with high affinity. Melatonin showed a weak effect as a nitrogen monoxide (NO) scavenger in the presence of sodium nitroprusside (NO donor) and low reactivity with 1,1–diphenyl‐2‐picryl hydrazyl (DPPH). These results demonstrate the antioxidant action of melatonin, principally that related to the activity of pro‐oxidant enzymes such as XO and MPO.

Self-assembly of dithiothreitol (DTT) on Au(111) from solution deposition has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical data. DTT molecules self-assemble on Au(111) in a lying-down configuration irrespective of the concentration and temperature. XPS and electrochemical data indicate a DTT surface coverage of theta approximately 0.16 with two S-head-Au covalent bonds per DTT molecule. The DTT monolayer turns the Au surface hydrophilic enough to allow the formation of fluid dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayer domains by vesicle fusion as revealed by in situ atomic force imaging. Methylene blue (MB) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) have been used as probes to study molecule transport across the bilayer.

The effect of melatonin was evaluated on three phosphatidylcholine-based membrane models. Changes in liposome dynamics were monitored by fluorescence, following the response of the probe merocyanine-540, as well as by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Langmuir monolayers were investigated using molecular area measurements, as well as by Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Mica-supported bilayers were observed via atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fluorescence results demonstrating that melatonin increases the affinity between MC-540 and lipid molecules possibly because of an increase in the membrane fluidity in liposomes. DSC analyses showed that melatonin promoted a reduction in enthalpy in the lipid nonpolar chains. Melatonin also promoted an increase in the molecular area of Langmuir monolayers, as well as a decrease in membrane thickness. Consequently, melatonin appeared to induce re-ordering effects in liposome and Langmuir monolayers. AFM images of bilayers immobilized on mica suggested that melatonin induced a gel state predominance or a delay in the main phase transition. At experimental conditions, melatonin interacted actively with all membranes models tested and induced changes in their physico-chemical properties. The data presented here may contribute to the understanding of melatonin physiologic properties, as well as the development of therapeutic advanced systems, such as drug delivery systems and biosensors.

In this study, the interaction between soy isoflavone genistein and asolectin liposomes was investigated by monitoring the effects of isoflavone on lipidic hydration, mobility, location and order. These properties were analyzed by the following techniques: horizontal attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (HATR-FTIR), low-field (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-field (31)P NMR, zeta potential, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The antioxidant and antitumoral activities of the genistein liposomal system were also studied. The genistein saturation concentration in ASO liposomes corresponded to 484 μM. HATR-FTIR results indicated that genistein influences the dynamics of the lipidic phosphate, choline, carbonyl and acyl chain methylenes groups. At the lipid polar head, HATR-FTIR and (31)P NMR results showed that the isoflavone reduces the hydration degree of the phosphate group, as well as its mobility. Genistein ordered the lipid interfacial carbonyl group, as evidenced by the HATR-FTIR bandwidth analysis. This ordering effect was also observed in the lipidic hydrophobic region, by HATR-FTIR, NMR, DSC and turbidity responses. At the saturation concentration, liposome-loaded genistein inhibits the lipid peroxidation induced by hydroxyl radical in 90.9%. ASO liposome-loaded genistein at 100 μM decreased C6 glioma cell viability by 57% after 72 h of treatment. Results showed an increase of the genistein in vitro activities after its incorporation in liposomes. The data described in this work will contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between genistein and a natural-source membrane and of its influence on isoflavone biological activities. Furthermore, the antitumoral results showed that genistein-based liposomes, which contain natural-sourced lipids, may be promising as a drug delivery system to be used in the glioma therapy.

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