Reaction of Chalcones with Cellular Thiols. The Effect of the 4-Substitution of Chalcones and Protonation State of the Thiols on the Addition Process. Diastereoselective Thiol Addition.

Several biological effects of chalcones have been reported to be associated with their thiol reactivity. In vivo, the reactions can result in the formation of small-molecule or protein thiol adducts. Both types of reactions can play a role in the biological effects of this class of compounds. Progress of the reaction of 4-methyl- and 4-methoxychalcone with glutathione and N-acetylcysteine was studied by the HPLC-UV-VIS method. The reactions were conducted under three different pH conditions. HPLC-MS measurements confirmed the structure of the formed adducts. The chalcones reacted with both thiols under all incubation conditions. The initial rate and composition of the equilibrium mixtures depended on the ratio of the deprotonated form of the thiols. In the reaction of 4-methoxychalcone with N-acetylcysteine under strongly basic conditions, transformation of the kinetic adduct into the thermodynamically more stable one was observed. Addition of S-protonated N-acetylcysteine onto the polar double bonds of the chalcones showed different degrees of diastereoselectivity. Both chalcones showed a Michael-type addition reaction with the ionized and non-ionized forms of the investigated thiols. The initial reactivity of the chalcones and the equilibrium composition of the incubates showed a positive correlation with the degree of ionization of the thiols. Conversions showed systematic differences under each set of conditions. The observed differences can hint at the difference in reported biological actions of 4-methyl- and 4-methoxy-substituted chalcones.