A cyclic peptide composed of five tryptophan, four arginine, and one cysteine [W5R4C] was synthesized. The peptide was evaluated for generating cyclic peptide-capped selenium nanoparticles (CP–SeNPs) in situ. A physical mixing of the cyclic peptide with SeO3–2 solution in water generated [W5R4C]–SeNPs via the combination of reducing and capping properties of amino acids in the peptide structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that [W5R4C]–SeNPs were in the size range of 110–150 nm. Flow cytometry data revealed that a fluorescence-labeled phosphopeptide (F′-PEpYLGLD, where F′ = fluorescein) and an anticancer drug (F′-dasatinib) exhibited approximately 25- and 9-times higher cellular uptake in the presence of [W5R4C]–SeNPs than those of F′-PEpYLGLD and dasatinib alone in human leukemia (CCRF-CEM) cells after 2 h of incubation, respectively. Confocal microscopy also exhibited higher cellular delivery of F′-PEpYLGLD and F′-dasatinib in the presence of [W5R4C]–SeNPs compared to the parent fluorescence-labeled drug alone in human ovarian adenocarcinoma (SK-OV-3) cells after 2 h of incubation at 37 °C. The antiproliferative activities of several anticancer drugs doxorubicin, gemcitabine, clofarabine, etoposide, camptothecin, irinotecan, epirubicin, fludarabine, dasatinib, and paclitaxel were improved in the presence of [W5R4C]–SeNPs (50 μM) by 38%, 49%, 36%, 36%, 31%, 30%, 30%, 28%, 24%, and 17%, respectively, after 48 h incubation in SK-OV-3 cells. The results indicate that CP–SeNPs can be potentially used as nanosized delivery tools for negatively charged biomolecules and anticancer drugs.

Simple and efficient synthesis of quebecol and a number of its analogs was accomplished in five steps. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for antiproliferative activities against human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa), human ovarian carcinoma (SKOV-3), human colon carcinoma (HT-29), and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. Among all the compounds, 7c, 7d, 7f, and 8f exhibited antiproliferative activities against four tested cell lines with inhibition over 80% at 75 μM after 72 h, whereas, compound 7b and 7g were more selective towards MCF-7 cell line. The IC50 values for compounds 7c, 7d, and 7f were 85.1 μM, 78.7 μM, and 80.6 μM against MCF-7 cell line, respectively, showing slightly higher antiproliferactive activtiy than the synthesized and isolated quebecol with an IC50 value of 104.2 μM against MCF-7.

Copper(I) Chloride adsorbed on Kieselguhr in the presence of oxygen catalyses oxidation of alkyl halides and alkyl tosylates to the aldehydes and ketones in high yields.

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