Corrado TRINGALI

Prof. Corrado Tringali (Laurea in Chemistry, 10.07.73; 110/110 cum laude) is at present Full Professor in Organic Chemistry,  Member of the Board of the International Doctorate in Chemistry and President of the Master of Science ‘Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry’ at the University of Catania He was also Member of the Scientific Committee of the “International Summer School on Natural Products  “Luigi Minale” and “Ernesto Fattorusso”; Member of the Management Committee for the II Level Master in Drug Delivery (Formazione di ricercatori per la specifica preparazione nel settore delle tecnologie avanzate in Drug Delivery); Member of the Management Committee for the NMR Spectrometer at the Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania.

He has been a member of the Joint Committee for Education (Commissione per la Didattica) at the Department of Chemical Sciences (DCS), University of Catania; Chairman of the International PhD (Doctorate) Course in Chemistry at the University of Catania (Cycles XXII -  XXIV; academic years 2006 - 2011); Chairman of the Research Commission of the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences in Catania (2011 – 2013). He has been trained in bioassay-guided purification methods at the laboratory of prof. K. Hostettmann (Ècole de Pharmacie - Lausanne University) as well as in modern NMR techniques at the laboratory of prof. E. Breitmaier (Institute für Organische Chemie und Biochemie - Bonn University).

He is author of more than 130 publications, including contribution to research books. He was invited by Taylor & Francis – CRC Press publishers as the Editor (and co-author) of the book Bioactive Compounds from Natural Sources: Isolation, Structure Determination and Biological Properties. (2001), now edited as a Second Edition, with the subtitle Natural Products as Lead Compounds in Drug Discovery, (2012).

He has collaborations with: Proff. G. Valdameri (Brazil), A. Oskarsson (Sweden), O. Werz (Germany), S. Quideau (France), M. R. Stojkovic (Croatia), G. Bifulco, A. Casapullo, R. Riccio, M. Spinaci (Italy). Recent collaborations were carried out with D. Watt, V. Sviripa, D. Rotenberg (USA), H. Lin (Singapore) O. Soder (Sweden), N. Latruffe,  A. Di Pietro (France), G. Srinivas (Kerala, India).

He is regularly consulted as referee by many international journals. Prof. C. Tringali has received financial support from POR FESR Sicilia 2007-2013 (project ‘Health and Life Sciences’), from the University of Catania, from CNR (Rome), from the ‘Regione Sicilia’ (Palermo) and from MIUR (Rome), this latter as Scientific Coordinator of Research Unit in various National Research Projects (PRIN). He has obtained financial support also Wyeth-Lederle, Bausch & Lomb - CT, BIONAP- CT, Centro di Ricerche per la Chimica Fine – CN, NOKA - VA).

He is regularly consulted as referee by many International Journals, and he has been consulted in the evaluation of projects by MIUR, CIRV and ANVUR. He has been consulted as referee in the evaluation process of research projects to assign financial grants by the following national and international organizations: MIUR (Ministry of University and Research, Rome, Italy), Regione Piemonte (Italy), Regione Emilia-Romagna (Italy), Research Corporation (Tucson, Arizona, USA), Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Czech Republic), Romanian National Council for Development and Innovation (Romania),  Estonian Research Council (Estonia).

• ORCID: 0000-0003-4268-0115
• CINECA IRIS Institutional Research Information System: link

Prof. Corrado Tringali - International Collaborations

Prof. S. Quideau (Université de Bordeaux) Prof. O. Soder (Karolinska Institute, Stockolm, Sweden), Prof. N. Latruffe e Prof. D. Delmas (Université de Bourgogne, France), Dr. G. Srinivas (Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology, Kerala, India); Prof. A. Di Pietro (Université de Lyon, France); Dr. H. Lin (National University of Singapore - Singapore); Proff.f J. Lunqvist, A. Oskarsson (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden), Prof. S. A. Rotenberg (Queens College of the City of New York, NY, USA); Prof. O. Werz (Friedrich-Schiller-University  Jena, Germany); Prof. G. Valdameri (Federal University of Parana at Curitiba, Brazil). Prof. M. Radic Stojkovic (Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Croatia)

Prof. Corrado Tringali  – Research activity: Chemistry of Bioactive Natural Products

Our research topic deals with the chemistry of bioactive natural products, more specifically polyphenols (Figure 1), with particular attention to green and sustainable organic chemistry. Many currently employed drugs, particularly in the field of anticancer agents, are of natural or natural-derived origin, or have to be considered ‘mimetic’ of natural products on the basis of  their mechanism of action. Our group in recent years has devoted the main part of its research activity to the optimization of the properties of selected natural polyphenols. Our research activity is mainly focused on the synthesis of natural-derived polyphenols, by using low environmental impact reagents and by taking advantage of enzymes. A further research topic is devoted to the isolation and identification of bioactive compounds obtained by extraction and fractionation of biological material from natural sources. More specifically, examples of our recent studies are the following:

1. Synthesis of bioactive analogues of natural polyphenols

 We have carried out the biomimetic oxidative coupling of caffeic acid esters, obtaining with good yields unusual, fluorescent benzo[kl]xanthene lignans showing antiproliferative and antimicotic  activity, interaction with DNA, and other promising properties. Employing biomimetic syntheses based on enzyme-mediated reactions, we obtained a series of dihydrobenzofuran neolignans. In particular, the synthesis of optimized analogues of trans-grossamide afforded a dimeric amide more potent than the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil towards Caco-2 (colon carcinoma) cells. Further dihydrobenzofuran dimers have been evaluated as inhibitors of  the mPGES-1, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory prostaglandin. Recently  we are carrying out the synthesi of a series of bis-phenol neolignans, closely related to the natural products magnolol anf honokiol, obtained by horseradish peroxidase dimerization (oxidative coupling), followed by chemical modification, also medaited by IBX. These compounds were evaluated as α-glucosidase inhibitors in view of their possible utilization and optimization as antidiabetic drugs. The synthetic analogues of magnolol showed a potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Also the chain-breaking antioxidant activity of four hydroxylated and methoxylated magnolol analogues was studied. A recent study was devoted to the synthesis of rosmarinic acid amides, used for a molecular modeling study on the interaction with α-glucosidase and evaluatedas inhibitorsof this enzyme. Two optimized amides with potent inhibitory activity were obtained.

2.   Tannins as a source of antioxidative and α-glucosidase inhibitory polyphenols

We have recently carried out a  fractionation and spectral characterization of the main constituents of commercial samples of tannins, produced by Silvateam Spa, and used for oenology, leather tanning, and other applications, including animal feed. In this contest, tannin extracts obtained from Quercus robur (QR) and Castanea sativa (CS) wood were subjected to assay-guided chromatography to obtain fraction enriched in polyphenols with antioxidant or α-glucosidase inhibitory activity,  to be used in food supplements or as potential antidiabetic in over-the-counter drugs. Fractions from both QR and CS showed an equivalent antioxidant activity to that of quercetin, and notably inhibited a-glucosidase. More recently, a systematic study of gallo- and ellagitannins confirmed the antidiabetic properties (inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase) of this class of polyphenols.

For most activities, refer to the synthetic CV on the same web site or the data on other websites (Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Corrado_Tringali;  

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corrado-tringali-30802517/, ORCID, ResearcherID, Google Scholar, etc.).

However, the data for the 'third mission' (direct application, enhancement and use of knowledge to contribute to the social, cultural and economic development of the Society) are given below.

1. Liberal delivery by BIONAP Srl, Belpasso (Catania) - Project underway on 'Analysis of natural extracts from Mediterranean plants'

2. Convention with BIONAP Srl, Belpasso (Catania) - Project in progress on 'Identification of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds in Mediterranean plant extracts'

3. Liberal Delivery by the Research Center for Fine Chemistry Srl, S. Michele Mondovì (CN) - Project underway on 'Analysis of tannins from Mediterranean plants'.

4. Project approved in collaboration with SIFI spA (Aci S. Antonio, Catania) under the 'Biomedical High Technology District - Sicily' pending funding.

5. Current project planning (POR Measure 1.1.5) in collaboration with NOKA S.r.l., (Besnate, VA) on 'Photocatalytic degradation and ethylene control in the preservation of fruit and vegetables'