Resveratrol-Inspired Benzo[b]selenophenes Act as Anti-Oxidants in Yeast

Resveratrol is a natural (poly)phenol primarily found in plants protecting them against pathogens, as well as harmful effects of physical and chemical agents. In higher eukaryotic cells and organisms, this compound displays a remarkable range of biological activities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-aging, cardio- and neuro-protective properties. Here, biological activities of synthetic selenium-containing derivatives of resveratrol-benzo[ ]selenophenes-have been studied in lower eukaryotes . Their toxicity, as well as DNA damaging and reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducing potencies, manifested through their ability to act as redox active anti-microbial agents, have been examined. We show that some benzo[ ]selenophenes can kill yeast cells and that the killing effects are not mediated by DNA damage types that can be detected as DNA double-strand breaks. These benzo[ ]selenophenes could potentially be used as anti-fungal agents, although their concentrations relevant to application in humans need to be further evaluated. In addition, most of the studied benzo[ ]selenophenes display redox-modulating/anti-oxidant activity (comparable or even higher than that of resveratrol or Trolox) causing a decrease in the intracellular ROS levels in yeast cells. Therefore, after careful re-evaluation in other biological systems these observations might be transferred to humans, where resveratrol-inspired benzo[ ]selenophenes could be used as supra-anti-oxidant supplements.