New Biotinylated GHK and Related Copper(II) Complex: Antioxidant and Antiglycant Properties In Vitro against Neurodegenerative Disorders

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. The failure of the enzymatic degradation, the oxidative stress, the dyshomeostasis of metal ions, among many other biochemical events, might trigger the pathological route, but the onset of these pathologies is unknown. Multi-target and multifunctional molecules could address several biomolecular issues of the pathologies. The tripeptide GHK, a bioactive fragment of several proteins, and the related copper(II) complex have been largely used for many purposes, from cosmetic to therapeutic applications. GHK derivatives were synthesized to increase the peptide stability and improve the target delivery. Herein we report the synthesis of a new biotin–GHK conjugate (BioGHK) through orthogonal reactions. BioGHK is still capable of coordinating copper(II), as observed by spectroscopic and spectrometric measurements. The spectroscopic monitoring of the copper-induced ascorbate oxidation was used to measure the antioxidant activity Cu(II)-BioGHK complex, whereas antiglycant activity of the ligand towards harmful reactive species was investigated using MALDI-TOF. The affinity of BioGHK for streptavidin was evaluated using a spectrophotometric assay and compared to that of biotin. Finally, the antiaggregant activity towards amyloid-β was evaluated using a turn-on fluorescent dye. BioGHK could treat and/or prevent several adverse biochemical reactions that characterize neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.