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Vanillic acid-Zn(II) complex: a novel complex with antihyperglycaemic and anti-oxidative activity
Ifedolapo M Oke1,2, Limpho M Ramorobi1,2, Samson S Mashele1,2
1Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa.
The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
|June 10, 2021
Summary
A new zinc (II) complex with vanillic acid shows enhanced antihyperglycemic and antioxidant properties. This zinc complex improved glucose uptake and antioxidant activities compared to vanillic acid alone, with no observed cytotoxicity.
Area of Science:
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Phenolic acids, like vanillic acid, possess antioxidant properties but often require enhancement for therapeutic applications.
- Metal complexes offer a strategy to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of bioactive organic compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel zinc (II) complex of vanillic acid.
- To evaluate the antihyperglycemic and antioxidant potential of the synthesized complex in vitro, cell-based, and ex vivo models.
- To compare the bioactivity of the zinc complex with its precursor, vanillic acid.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of the Zn(II)-vanillic acid complex using zinc sulfate heptahydrate and vanillic acid.
- Characterization of the complex using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
- Evaluation of antihyperglycemic and antioxidant activities, including radical scavenging, reducing power, enzyme inhibition, and glucose uptake assays. Cytotoxicity was assessed using L-6 myotubes and Chang liver cells.
Main Results:
- The Zn(II)-vanillic acid complex exhibited significantly enhanced radical scavenging (2.3-fold), Fe3+ reducing (1.8-fold), and hepatic antilipid peroxidative activities (9.7-fold) compared to vanillic acid.
- Complexation increased α-glucosidase inhibitory (3-fold) and glycation inhibitory (2.6-fold) activities.
- The complex demonstrated potent glucose uptake effects in L-6 myotubes (EC50 = 20.4 μm) and muscle tissue (EC50 = 612 μm), with no cytotoxicity observed in tested cell lines.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized Zn(II)-vanillic acid complex displays superior antihyperglycemic and antioxidant bioactivity compared to vanillic acid.
- Zinc (II) acts as a potent adjuvant, enhancing the therapeutic potential of bioactive phenolic acids.
- Further investigation of Zn(II) complexes as antihyperglycemic and antioxidant agents is warranted.
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