Synthesis and properties of umbelliferone-nitroxide radical hybrid compounds as fluorescence and spin-label probes.

Two hybrid compounds 6 and 7, linked via an ester-bond between the 7-hydroxyl residue of an umbelliferone 1 and a carboxylic acid residue of two nitroxide radicals 3 and 4, and one hybrid compound 8, linked via an ester-bond between a 3-carboxylic acid residue of umbelliferone 2 and a hydroxyl residue of nitroxide radical 5, were synthesized in good yields, and their fluorescence and ESR spectra before and after the addition of L-ascorbic acid sodium salt in PBS (pH 7.0) were measured. The ESR intensities of 6 and 7 were proportionally reduced after the addition of ascorbic acid sodium salt, and their fluorescence intensities were increased maximally by eight- and nine-fold, respectively. However, the fluorescence intensity of 8 was essentially unchanged.