In vitro antioxidant potential and deoxyribonucleic acid protecting activity of CNB-001, a novel pyrazole derivative of curcumin

Background: Free radicals are underpinned to initiate cascade of toxic events leading to oxidative stress and resultant cell death in many neurodegenerative disorders. Now-a-days antioxidants have become mandatory in the treatment of various diseases apart from the drug's modes of action. CNB-001, a novel hybrid molecule synthesized by combining curcumin and cyclohexyl bisphenol A is known to possess various biological activities, but the antioxidative property of the compound has not yet been elucidated. Aim: The present study is aimed to analyze various free radicals scavenging by employing in vitro antioxidant assays and to evaluate the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) protecting the ability of CNB-001 against hydroxyl radicals. Materials and methods: The in vitro antioxidant potential of CNB-001 was evaluated by analyzing its ability to scavenge DPPH, ABTS, nitric oxide, superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, hydroxyl, hydrogen peroxide radicals and reducing power using spectroscopic method. The DNA protecting activity of CNB-001 was also evaluated on pUC19 plasmid DNA subjected to hydroxyl radicals using standard agarose gel electrophoresis. Results: From the assays, it was observed that CNB-001 scavenged free radicals effectively in a dose dependent manner. CNB-001 scavenged 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (IC50 = 44.99 μg/ml), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (IC50 = 17.99 μg/ml), nitric oxide (IC50 = 1.36 μg/ml), superoxide radical (IC50 = 77.17 μg/ml), hydrogen peroxide (IC50 = 492.7 μg/ml), superoxide (IC50 = 36.92 μg/ml) and hydroxyl (IC50 = 456.5 μg/ml) radicals effectively and the reducing power was found to be 11.53 μg/ml. CNB-001 showed considerable protecting activity against plasmid DNA (pUC19) strand scission by •OH at dose dependent manner. Conclusion: Results from these assays concluded that CNB-001 has a good antioxidant potential by reducing reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen radicals and it showed significant protecting activity against DNA scission by hydroxyl radicals. Hence, CNB-001 can be further developed as potential drug for free radical induced neurodegenerative disorders.