Substituted cinnamic anhydrides act as selective inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase

Abstract

Cinnamic anhydrides have been shown to be more than reactive reagents, but they also act as inhibitors of the enzyme acetylcholinesterease (AChE). Thus, out of a set of 33 synthesised derivatives, several of them were mixed type inhibitors for AChE (from electric eel). Thus, (E)-3-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acrylic anhydride (2c) showed Ki = 8.30 ± 0.94 µM and Ki′ = 9.54 ± 0.38 µM, and for (E)-3-(3-chlorophenyl)acrylic anhydride (2u) Ki = 8.23 ± 0.93 µM and Ki′ = 13.07 ± 0.46 µM were measured. While being not cytotoxic to many human cell lines, these compounds showed an unprecedented and noteworthy inhibitory effect for AChE but not for butyrylcholinesterase (BChE).