Design of novel hybrid vitamin C derivatives: thermal stability and biological activity

Novel hybrid L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) derivatives with other biologically active substances, 5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-beta-pyrone (kojic acid) and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), linked at the C-2 or C-3 hydroxyl group were synthesized, and their thermal stability and inhibitory effects on tyrosinase activity, active oxygen species (AOS), and free radicals were estimated in vitro. It was found that a hydrophilic derivative, 2-O-(5-hydroxy-4H-pyran-4-one-2-methyl)-L-ascorbic acid (1), exhibited good thermal stability and inhibitory activities against tyrosinase catalyzed melanin formation, AOS, and free radicals compared to vitamin C and its conventional derivatives (such as the 2-phosphate 6-stearate and 2.6-dipalmitate, and 2-O-octadecylascorbic acid), as well as vitamin E, kojic acid, and arbutin. It is apparent that 1 has the biological properties of vitamin C and kojic acid, and acts synergistically. The hydroxyl groups at the C-3 position of the vitamin C moiety and the C-5 position of the kojic acid moiety are critical for the biological activities. We consider that the kojic acid moiety of 1 counterbalances the diminution of the biological activity due to shielding of the biologically important C-2 hydroxyl group of the vitamin C moiety. In addition, the thermal stability was significantly improved relative to not only vitamin C but also kojic acid. Further, a lipophilic derivative, 3-O-[(alpha-tocopheryloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl]-L-ascorbic acid, 2, was far more stable than vitamin C and its typical lipophilic derivatives. Compound 2 exhibited almost the same inhibitory activities against tyrosinase-catalyzed melanin formation, AOS, and free radicals as typical lipophilic derivatives, although these biological activities of 2 were lower than those of vitamin C.