Iron( iii ) coordination properties of ladanein, a flavone lead with a broad-spectrum antiviral activity

Ladanein, a 5,6,7-trihydroxylayted flavone was recently shown to display potent antiviral activities toward enveloped virus particles ( e.g. , hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, vesicular stomatitis virus). Fe( iii ) coordination and pH were suggested to be critical for bioactivation steps triggering host cell entry inhibition. The Fe( iii ) complexation properties of ladanein and related analogues, such as negletein and salvigenin, were then studied in solution under quasi-physiological conditions using physico-chemical tools and provided important insights into their stability/reactivity in solution.