3,4,5-Trimethoxybenzoate of Catechin, an Anticarcinogenic Semisynthetic Catechin, Modulates the Physical Properties of Anionic Phospholipid Membranes

3,4,5-Trimethoxybenzoate of catechin (TMBC) is a semisynthetic catechin which shows strong antiproliferative activity against malignant melanoma cells. The amphiphilic nature of the molecule suggests that the membrane could be a potential site of action, hence the study of its interaction with lipid bilayers is mandatory in order to gain information on the effect of the catechin on the membrane properties and dynamics. Anionic phospholipids, though being minor components of the membrane, possess singular physical and biochemical properties that make them physiologically essential. Utilizing phosphatidylserine biomimetic membranes, we study the interaction between the catechin and anionic bilayers, bringing together a variety of experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulation. The experimental data suggest that the molecule is embedded into the phosphatidylserine bilayers, where it perturbs the thermotropic gel to liquid crystalline phase transition. In the gel phase, the catechin promotes the formation of interdigitation, and in the liquid crystalline phase, it decreases the bilayer thickness and increases the hydrogen bonding pattern of the interfacial region of the bilayer. The simulation data agree with the experimental ones and indicate that the molecule is located in the interior of the anionic bilayer as monomer and small clusters reaching the carbonyl region of the phospholipid, where it also disturbs the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between neighboring lipids. Our observations suggest that the catechin incorporates well into phosphatidylserine bilayers, where it produces structural changes that could affect the functioning of the membrane.