Compounds 3a Research Articles

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, DFT analysis, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, molecular docking, and ADME study of 3,4-dihydro-2H-napthalen-1-one tagged chalcone derivatives

Chalcone derivatives were synthesized from 3,4-dihydro-2H-naphthalen-1-one using a base-catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt reaction and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) basis set was employed to explore the structural, electronic, and quantum properties of the compounds. Simulated electronic absorption spectra for compounds 3c and 3e in gas phase, DMSO, and DCM were generated using time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT). Compound 3c's first singlet excited state shifted from 376.10 nm in the gas phase to 390.08 nm in DMSO, while compound 3e shifted from 381.58 nm to 383.54 nm in DMSO. Experimental absorption values matched the theoretical predictions, with higher oscillator strengths in DMSO and DCM indicating solvent-enhanced transition probabilities. The antimicrobial activity of the chalcones was evaluated against four bacterial strains (E. coli, B. subtilis, S. aureus, and Streptococcus spp.) and four fungal strains (R. oryzae, P. chrysogenum, A. niger, and C. albicans). Compounds 3d and 3f showed strong antibacterial activity with MIC values of 3.9 µg/mL and moderate antifungal activity. Antioxidant properties were assessed using DPPH and hydroxyl radical assays, with compound 3d demonstrating 75.8 % and 76.4 % scavenging activity for OH and DPPH radicals, respectively. ADME studies were conducted to evaluate pharmacokinetics, and molecular docking studies revealed strong binding affinities. Compounds 3a and 3e had docking scores of -8.7 kcal/mol with the E. coli protein (PDB ID: 1KZN), while 3d and 3f performed best against B. subtilis (PDB ID: 1BAG) and S. aureus gyrase (PDB ID: 2XCT), with scores of -9.1 and -8.3 kcal/mol, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulation of compound 3d with 1BAG over 100 ns confirmed stable binding. These findings suggest chalcone derivatives have strong potential for pharmaceutical development.

Natural Products-Based Anticancer Agents: Synthesis and Anticancer Activities of Funtumine Amide/sulfonamide Derivatives.

Funtumine is a pregnene-type steroidal alkaloid exhibiting moderate anticancer activity. To discovernovel natural product-based anticancer drugs, a series of novel funtumine amide/sulfonamide derivatives were papered and identified using spectroscopic techniques. Additionally, the structures of compounds 2j, 3a, and 4kwere further confirmed through X-ray diffraction analysis. Biological activity experiments conducted against three cancer cell lines revealed that several of the synthesized compounds demonstrated inhibition activities comparable to or exceeding those of the commercial anticancer agent, 5-Fluorouracil. Especially compound 4idemonstrated a notably strong growth inhibitory effect on HePG2 (IC50= 14.89 μM) and HCT116 (IC50= 15.67 μM) cell lines, while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity towards human normal BEAS-2B cells. Preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) analysis indicated that the conversion of the carbonyl group at the C-20 position of funtumine to a hydroxyl group could yield more potent compounds.

Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Dual FXR-LIFR Modulators for the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis.

Although multiple approaches have been suggested, treating mild-to-severe fibrosis in the context of metabolic dysfunction associated with liver disease (MASLD) remains a challenging area in drug discovery. Pathogenesis of liver fibrosis is multifactorial, and pathogenic mechanisms are deeply intertwined; thus, it is well accepted that future treatment requires the development of multitarget modulators. Harnessing the 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazole scaffold, previously described as a key moiety in Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonism, herein we report the discovery of a novel class of hybrid molecules endowed with dual activity toward FXR and the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR). Up to 27 new derivatives were designed and synthesized. The pharmacological characterization of this series resulted in the identification of 3a as a potent FXR agonist and LIFR antagonist with excellent ADME properties. In vitro and in vivo characterization identified compound 3a as the first-in-class hybrid LIFR inhibitor and FXR agonist that protects against the development of acute liver fibrosis and inflammation.

Larvicidal activity, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics studies of 7-(trifluoromethyl)indolizine derivatives against Anopheles arabiensis.

A novel series of 7-(trifluoromethyl)indolizine derivatives (4a-4n) was synthesized using a 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Structure elucidation of the synthesized compounds was done using various spectroscopic techniques. Compounds were assessed for their larvicidal activity against Anopheles arabiensis. Exposure of Anopheles arabiensis larvae to a series of 7-(trifluoromethyl)indolizine at 4µg/mL for 24 and 48h resulted in moderate to high larval mortality rates. Among them, compounds 4b, 4a, 4g, and 4m exhibited the most promising larvicidal activities, with mortality rates of 94.4%, 93.3%, 80.00%, and 85.6%, respectively, compared to controls, Acetone and Temephos. The structural activity relationship analysis of the evaluated compounds revealed that substitution with halogens or electron-withdrawing groups (CN, F, Cl, Br) at the para position of the benzoyl group is crucial for achieving promising larvicidal activity. Molecular docking studies were carried out involving six potential larvicidal target proteins to predict how the tested compounds might work. Compounds 4a and 4b showed strong binding to the Mosquito Juvenile Hormone-Binding Protein (5V13). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirmed the stability of the protein-ligand complexes over the simulation period, reinforcing the reliability of the docking results. Compounds 4a and 4b also exhibited favourable ADMET profiles, showing high oral bioavailability, good permeability, moderate distribution, low plasma protein binding, sufficient metabolic stability, efficient renal clearance and low toxicity. Given the crucial role of Juvenile Hormone in regulating gene expression and developmental pathways through receptor interactions, compounds 4a and 4b show promise as inhibitors of this protein. Inhibiting this process could hinder larval growth and reproduction, presenting a promising approach for early-stage mosquito larvicidal activity. Therefore, compounds 4a and 4b represent lead candidates for further optimization and the development of new larvicidal agents.

Molecular Docking Studies of Synthesized Pyridazinone Scaffolds as Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)

Pyridazinone derivatives, 6-aryl-pyridazinone (2a–f) and 2-(N-substituted)-6-aryl-pyridazinone (3a–h) derivatives were synthesized and assessed for cytotoxicity action using brine shrimp assessment method and in silico molecular studies. In silico molecular study of pyridazine derivatives used as NNRTIs and Doravirine is used as reference drug. The compounds were investigated for docking modes onto probable binding sites with HIV reverse transcriptase. The majority of these demonstrated favorable binding interactive connections with the active receptor domain. The majority of the compounds exhibited a remarkable docked binding affinity score when compared with the reference drugs. Among the synthesized pyridazine derivatives, compounds 3a and 3c–h exhibited a good docking score. For the designed compounds, in silico ADME assessment indicated the favorable physicochemical properties to be a suitable drug candidate. The synthesized compounds could serve as a novel alternative in designing safe and effective anti-HIV options with reverse transcriptase inhibitor potential. In the cytotoxicity study, all the compounds were evaluated at dose levels 10, and 20 (μg/mL), and potassium dichromate was used as a reference. Compounds 2c and 2e have shown potent lethality through LC50 2.23 and 3.20 μg respectively. Various compounds, including 2a, 2b, 2d, and 2f have demonstrated significant cytotoxicity. Their LC50 values are 7.58, 6.76, 8.91, and 4.46 μg, respectively. Additionally, compounds 3b and 3d exhibited potent lethality with LC50 values of 4.023 and 4.20 μg. Other compounds, namely 3g, 3f, 3c, 3h, 3a, and 3e, displayed noteworthy cytotoxicity ability13.91, 12.58, 11.91, 11.76, 10.58, 9.76, and 7.46 μg, respectively having LC50 values. This study supports the use of in silico molecular design and the brine shrimp bioassay as a suitable, reliable, and simple method for assessing the bioactivity of compounds. It provides further evidence for their use in medicine.

Design and characterization of novel A2B2 porphyrins: Solar cell applications, antimicrobial properties, and molecular docking insights

We synthesized novel A2B2 porphyrin derivatives (5a-e, 7a,b) with yields of 60–73 %. Porphyrin 2 was prepared by reacting dipyrromethane 1 with p-bromobenzaldehyde. Porphyrin 2 was then treated with n-BuLi in DMF at -15 °C to produce porphyrin 3. The final compounds, 5a-e and 7a,b, were synthesized by reacting porphyrin 3 with activated nitriles (4a-e) and thiazolone derivatives (6a,b). The structures of the novel compounds were confirmed using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), and elemental analysis. DFT calculations were used to explore the electronic structures and energy levels of the synthesized compounds. Compounds 7a and 7b showed improved electron transfer efficiency compared to 5a-e, with HOMO and LUMO levels aligned for optimal DSSC performance. The HOMO levels are below the electrolyte's redox potential (-5.2 eV), and the LUMO levels are above TiO2's conduction band (-4.2 eV), facilitating efficient electron injection and dye regeneration. Key parameters such as open-circuit voltage (VOC), free energy of injection (ΔGinj), and regeneration (ΔGreg) were calculated, highlighting these compounds' potential for DSSC applications. The newly synthesized compounds were tested for antibacterial activity against C. albicans, B. subtilis, and E. coli. Compounds 5e (MIC50 3.125 µg/mL, with inhibition zone 45 mm against B. subtilis) and (MIC50 12.5 µg/mL, with inhibition zone 31 mm against E. coli) and 7a (MIC50 3.125 µg/mL, with inhibition zone 44 mm against B. subtilis) and (MIC50 12.5 µg/mL, with inhibition zone 30 mm against E. coli) showed the highest antimicrobial activity. Compound 5e's carboxylic acid group likely enhances activity through strong hydrogen bonding and improved solubility, aiding interaction with microbial enzymes or cell walls. Compound 7a's dimalononitrile groups, being highly electron-withdrawing, increase reactivity, while phenylthiazolidine rings offer additional binding sites through hydrogen bonding and pi-stacking interactions. Docking studies of the most potent antibacterial porphyrin analogues, 5e and 7a, against the target protein PDB: 1ECl showed promising results. Compound 5e achieved a docking score of ‐7.9559 kcal/mol with an RMSD of 1.9743 Å, while compound 7a had an even better score of ‐8.9174 kcal/mol. Compound 7a formed interactions with two H-acceptors from its cyano groups, binding to Arg136 and Lys488, and a Pi-H interaction between the thiazolone ring and Asn158, with distances of 3.19, 3.63, and 3.71 Å, respectively.

Discovery of dual-targeted molecules based on Olaparib and Rigosertib for triple-negative breast cancer with wild-type BRCA

PARP inhibitors (PARPis) demonstrate significant potential efficacy in the clinical treatment of BRCA-mutated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, a majority of patients with TNBC do not possess BRCA mutations, and therefore cannot benefit from PARPis. Previous studies on multi-targeted molecules derived from PARPis or disruptors of RAF-RAF pathway have offered an alternative approach to develop novel anti-TNBC agents. Hence, to broaden the application of PARP inhibitors for TNBC patients with wild-type BRCA, a series of dual-targeted molecules were constructed via integrating the key pharmacophores of Olaparib (Ola) and Rigosertib into a single entity. Subsequent studies exhibited that the resulting compounds 13a–14c obtained potential anti-proliferative activity against BRCA-defected or wild-type TNBC cells. Among them, an optimal compound 13b showed good inhibitory activity toward PARP-1, displayed approximately 34-fold higher inhibitory activity than that of Ola in MDA-MB-231 cells, and exerted multi-functional mechanisms to induce apoptosis. Moreover, 13b displayed superior antitumor efficacy (TGI, 61.3 %) than the single administration of Ola (TGI, 38.5 %), 11b (TGI, 51.8 %) or even their combined administration (TGI, 56.7 %), but did not show significant systematic toxicity. These findings suggest that 13b may serve as a potential candidate for BRCA wild-type TNBC.

In-silico Screening and Synthesis of Benzo[c]pyridazines Targeting N-methyl D-Aspartate Glutamate Receptor for the treatment of Seizures.

This study focuses on synthesizing novel benzopyridazine compounds with an evaluation of their anti-epileptic activity by in-silico screening and MES test. The compounds were synthesized under controlled conditions by the reaction of the substituted anilines with sodium nitrite, followed by the reaction with cyanoacetamide, substituted urea, ethanol, and water. The final compounds (5a-d; 6a-d) were tested for antiepileptic activity by in-silico screening targeting N-Methyl D-Aspartate glutamate receptor (PDB ID:5IPV). The screened compounds are also evaluated by in vivo test (MES) by taking phenytoin as a standard drug. The results of the whole study were satisfactory with the yield of the compounds in the range of 88% to 96%. The results of in- silico, screening showed that compounds 6a and 6c have far more binding energy compared with standard phenytoin (6a -7.5 Kcal/mol. ; 6c -7.6 Kcal/mol. and Phenytoin -6.5 Kcal/mol.). The TD50 values of synthesized compounds (6a-6d) are observed to be significantly higher than those of standard phenytoin. The PI values of several synthetic compounds (6a and 6c) were found to be higher (55.8% and 58.0%) than the current antiepileptic medicine phenytoin (55.6%), demonstrating the synthesized compound's safety potential.

One-Pot multicomponent synthesis of novel pyrazole-linked thiazolyl-pyrazolines: Molecular docking and cytotoxicity assessment on breast and lung cancer cell-lines

Cancer remains a foremost cause of mortality globally, with approximately 20 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths reported in 2022. Lung and breast cancers are particularly prevalent and deadly, underscoring the critical need for novel therapeutic strategies. This study utilized a one-pot, multicomponent reaction (MCR) approach to synthesize a novel series of pyrazole-linked thiazolyl-pyrazolines. The optimal reaction conditions were determined by systematically varying bases, temperatures, reaction times, and solvents. The best yield was achieved using NaOH as the base at 50 °C with 2 h of stirring in ethanol. The synthesized compounds underwent thorough characterization through IR, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. Molecular docking studies indicated strong binding affinities to the ErbB4 kinase, suggesting potential utility as kinase inhibitors. Compounds 5E, 5F, and 5G exhibited significant cytotoxicity against breast cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 15.79±1.272 to 28.38±1.520 µM. Meanwhile, compounds 5A, 5B, 5D, and 5G demonstrated potent effects against lung cancer cell lines, with IC50 values between 7.945±0.99 and 9.295±1.074 µM. Remarkably, compound 5G showed potent efficacy against both breast and lung cancers, with IC50 values of 28.38±1.520 µM and 9.02±1.07 µM, respectively. This study illuminates the critical role of pyrazole-linked thiazolyl-pyrazoline scaffolds in crafting powerful cancer therapeutics targeting ErbB4 (HER4) kinase. Unique in its dual functionality, ErbB4 can act as either an oncogene or a tumor suppressor in lung and breast cancers, contingent on specific cellular contexts and isoform variations. The dynamic expression of ErbB4 intricately modulates tumor growth and patient outcomes, marking it as a compelling therapeutic target for innovative treatments in both breast and lung cancer.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel imidazole derivatives as analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents: experimental and molecular docking insights

Imidazole moieties exhibit a broad range of biological activities, including analgesic, anti-depressant, anticancer, anti-fungal, anti-tubercular, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. In this study, we explored the use of Schiff base for the synthesis of new imidazole derivatives as anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving agents. A series of eight novel imidazole analogues (2a–h) were prepared in three steps with excellent yields. All compounds were characterized using IR, NMR, and mass spectral data. Their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated using hot plate and paw oedema methods. Compound 2 g (1-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-2-(3-nitrophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole) showed significant analgesic activity (89% at 100 mg/kg b.w.), while compounds 2a (2-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-1-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole) and 2b (2-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1-(2-chlorophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole) exhibited good anti-inflammatory activity (100% at 100 mg/kg b.w.), comparable to diclofenac salt (100% at 50 mg/kg b.w.). Molecular docking studies were conducted using Schrödinger software version 2021-2, employing the OPLS4 force field for both receptor and ligand preparation. The results were visualized using molecular visualization software such as PyMOL. These studies revealed that compound 2g exhibited the highest binding affinity with the COX-2 receptor (−5.516 kcal/mol). Compound 2g formed three conventional hydrogen bonds with residues GLN-242 (bond length: 2.3 Å) and ARG-343 (bond lengths: 2.2 Å & 2.4 Å). This binding affinity was comparable to that of Diclofenac salt, which showed the highest binding affinity of −5.627 kcal/mol with the COX-2 receptor. Diclofenac salt formed two conventional hydrogen bonds with the residues ARG-344 (bond length: 2.0 Å) and TRP-140 (bond length: 1.7 Å). Later, molecular dynamic simulations confirmed the stable binding affinity of compound 2g with the protein. Furthermore, other compounds also demonstrated potential binding to the receptor-binding pocket region. The anti-inflammatory potential of the synthesized compounds was evaluated using the carrageenan-induced rat hind paw oedema model, while the analgesic potential was assessed using the hot plate method. These evaluations were conducted in comparison with Diclofenac sodium, serving as the standard compound. However, compound 2g stood out for its superior analgesic activity, as confirmed by in-vivo examination. These findings suggest that these novel imidazole derivatives have potential as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents.

Design and Synthesis of Benzimidazole Carboxamide Cysteine Protease Inhibitors as Promising Anti-leishmanial Agents.

More than 20 protozoan species of Leishmania are responsible for causing Leishmaniasis, an infection spread by blood-feeding phlebotomine sandflies. A narrow pool of drugs is currently available rendering the current drug stratagem to treat this infection . Development of novel, less toxic, and more effective regimens is thus a need of the hour. Design and synthesis of benzo[d]imidazole carboxamides as agents to combat Leishmaniasis are also required. 14 benzo[d]imidazole carboxamides were synthesized and gauged against L. donovani promastigotes and intramacrophage amastigote forms. All of the tested compounds exhibited significant anti-promastigote properties with IC50 well below 10 uM. Compounds 4a, 4b, and 4d, showing the highest anti-parasitic activity against promastigote forms (IC50 0.91- 1.33 μM), were also found to be associated with better anti-leishmanial potential (IC50 0.78- 1.67 μM) against the intramacrophage amastigotes comparable to Amphotericin-B (0.13 μM), a drug used for Leishmaniasis. Compound (4a), namely N-(2-(trifluoromethyl)-1Hbenzo[ d]imidazol-5-yl)benzo[d][1,3]-5-carboxamide-dioxole, was found to be most potent against L. donovani amastigotes among all the tested compounds, and demonstrated better antileishmanial properties (IC50 0.78 μM) when compared to the standard. Compound 4a was also assessed for its toxicity profile against THP-1 human monocytic cells. To establish the molecular target(s) in silico, molecular docking studies were performed against cysteine protease, a putative virulence factor of Leishmania parasites, and nucleoside diphosphate kinase, an enzyme with a critical role in nucleotide recycling, also associated with resistance in Leishmania strains. Compound 4a showed better binding affinity than the standard to these targets; furthermore, the molecular dynamic simulation studies further affirmed the stability of compound 4a, within the active site of the targets. In vitro, cysteine protease inhibitory activity (IC50 8.53 μM) using Bz-Arg-AMC hydrochloride fluorogenic peptide substrate established the promising potential of 4a as a cysteine protease inhibitor. Computational ADMET analysis indicated appropriate pharmacokinetic profile and physicochemical characteristics for all members of the synthesized library. Both in vitro and in silico studies indicate that the synthesized imidazole carboxamides can act as potent hits and that N-(2-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-5- yl)benzo[d][1,3]-5-carboxamide-dioxole 4a can be an effective hit molecule which can be further developed into potent lead molecule (s) to fight Leishmania donovani.

Pinonic Acid Derivatives Containing Thiourea Motif: Promising Antifungal Lead Compound Targeting Cellular Barrier of Colletotrichum fructicola.

In order to explore novel antifungal lead compounds from plant essential oil, thirty-two pinonic acid derivatives containing thiourea groups were designed and synthesized using α-pinene as a raw material. One of these pinonic acid derivatives compound 3a exhibited noteworthy in vitro antifungal activity against Colletotrichum fructicola (EC50 = 9.22 mg/L), which was comparable to that of the positive control kresoxim-methyl (EC50 = 9.69 mg/L). Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies demonstrated that the introduction of thiourea groups, F atoms, and Cl atoms into the structure of pinonic acid derivatives significantly improved their antifungal activity. The in vivo antifungal test revealed that compound 3a could effectively control pear anthracnose. It also proved that compound 3a showed low acute oral toxicity to honeybees (LD50 > 100 μg/bee) and low or no cytotoxicity to LO2 and HEK293 cell lines. The preliminary mechanism of action studies revealed that compound 3a caused mycelium deformity, increased cell membrane permeability, blocked the normal process of phospholipase C on the cell membrane, and reduced mycelium protein content. The results of molecular docking studies demonstrated the stable binding of compound 3a to phospholipase C and chitin synthetase. This study suggested that compound 3a could be used as a promising lead compound for the development of novel antifungal agents targeting the cellular barrier of C. fructicola.

Appendage- and Scaffold-Diverse Electrophilic and Photoreactive Probes for Integrated Phenotypic Screening-Target Identification Campaigns via a Minimalist Bifunctional Isocyanide.

One of the grand challenges in chemical biology is identifying a small-molecule modulator for all proteins within a proteome. To expand the variety and number of ligandable proteins for drug discovery, the objective of this study was to synthesize and evaluate the protein target profiles of electrophilic and photoreactive fully functionalized small-molecule probes (FFSMPs) featuring increased scaffold-, appendage-, and protein-reactive functional group (PRFG) diversity. FFSMPs contain: (1) a protein-binding motif, (2) an electrophilic or photoreactive PRFG for target protein capture, and (3) a terminal alkyne for click chemistry-based proteomic applications. These compounds can be directly applied in phenotypic screening programs to identify ligand-protein pairs in cells unbiasedly. Herein, we highlight 17 examples from 34 structurally diverse FFSMPs featuring five electrophiles, three photoreactive groups, and 15 chemical scaffolds. Essential to the synthesis of the FFSMPs was a new minimalist bifunctional isocyanide in an "isocyanide-based multicomponent reaction-Boc deprotection-arming" synthetic sequence. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the preparation of appendage- and scaffold-diverse FFSMPs for integrated phenotypic screening-target identification campaigns with the ability to examine either electrophilic or photoreactive PRFGs. In contrast, the status quo for such studies has been appendage-diverse FFSMPs comprised of a single chemical scaffold and a single PRFG, which limits efficient target protein capture and/or chemical space sampling significantly in the quest for discovering new drug targets and/or compounds with novel mechanisms of action. Phenotypic screening of the electrophilic members of our library identified several FFSMPs with potent antiproliferative activity against MCF10CA1a breast cancer cells. One of these FFSMPs (Compound 4a) covalently targeted and potently inhibited protein disulfide isomerase A1 (PDIA1). This study supports the continued use of minimalist bifunctional isocyanides as valuable building blocks for preparing structurally diverse FFSMPs for integrated phenotypic screening-target identification campaigns.

Rational design, synthesis and anticancer screening of 1,2,4-oxadiazole incorporated thieno[2,3-d]thiazole-isoxazole-pyridine derivatives

We have design and synthesized a new series of 1,2,4-oxadiazole incorporated thieno[2,3-d]thiazole-isoxazole-pyridine analogues (13a-j) and were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectral data. Further, the newly synthesized compounds (13a–j) were evaluated for their preliminary anticancer activity against a panel of four human cancer cell lines such as MCF-7 (breast cancer), A549 (lung cancer), Colo-205 (colon cancer) & A2780 (ovarian cancer) by using of MTT method, the known chemotherapeutic agent as etoposide used as positive control. Most of the tested compounds were displayed good to moderate activities on all cell lines. The IC50 values showed compound ranges from 0.01 ± 0.009 µM to 8.41 ± 5.48 µM. Where positive control showed values range from 3.34 ± 0.152 µM to 0.17 ± 0.034 µM. Among them, compound 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e and 13f were showed more potent activity than etoposide. Predominantly, The compound 13a showed potent anticancer activity against MCF-7, A549, Colo-205, and A2780 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 0.02 ± 0.007 µM, 0.01 ± 0.009 µM, 0.13 ± 0.052 µM, and 0.11 ± 0.083 µM.

Discovery of novel Macrocyclic small molecules Based on 2-Amino-4-thiazolylpyridineas selective EGFR inhibitors with high Blood-Brain barrier penetration for the treatment of glioblastoma

Because epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is the most commonly mutated oncogene in glioblastoma (GBM), the development of EGFR inhibitors has become a promising direction for the treatment of GBM. However, due to factors such as limited blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability and pathway compensation mechanisms, current EGFR inhibitors targeting GBM are not satisfactory. In the previous study, we obtained compound 10c with strong anti-cell proliferation activity. Since macrocyclization can effectively change the physical and chemical properties of molecules, and optimize their selectivity. Therefore, a series of 2-amino-4-thiazolyl pyridine scaffold macrocyclic derivatives were designed and synthesized using compound 10c as the lead compound in this study. Compound 3a, which inhibited the growth of glioblastoma cell lines U87MG and U87-EGFRVIII, had average IC50 values of 4.69 µM and 4.98 µM, respectively. Compound 3a was highly selective to 9 kinases in the ErbB family, including ErbB2 and ErbB4. In addition, compound 3a demonstrated good blood–brain barrier permeability in mice, the blood–brain concentration of the drug remained above 20 % within 5–60 min following intravenous administration in mice. In conclusion, compound 3a is a promising candidate for novel EGFR inhibitors targeting GBM.

Synthesis, Antimicrobial - Cytotoxic Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Studies of Quinolin-2-one Hydrazones Containing Nitrophenyl or Isonicotinoyl/Nicotinoyl Moiety.

By applying the hybrid molecular strategy, in this study, we reported the synthesis of fifteen quinolin-2-one hydrazones containing nitrophenyl or nicotinonyl/isonicotinoyl moiety, followed by in vitro and in silico evaluations of their potential antimicrobial and anticancer activities. In vitro antimicrobial evaluation of the target compounds on seven pathogenic strains, applying the broth microdilution method, revealed that compound 4a demonstrated the most potential antifungal activity against C. albicans (MIC 512 μg mL-1) and C. krusei (MIC 128 μg mL-1). In vitro cytotoxic evaluation of the target compounds on three human cancer cell lines, employing the MTT method, suggested that compound 5c exhibited the most potential cytotoxicities against HepG2 (IC50 10.19 μM), A549 (IC50 20.43 μM), and MDA-MB-231 (IC50 16.82 μM) cells. Additionally, molecular docking studies were performed to investigate the binding characteristics of compounds 4a and 5c with fungal lanosterol 14α-demethylase and human topoisomerase I-II, respectively, thereby contributing to the elucidation of their in vitro antifungal and cytotoxic properties. Furthermore, compounds 4a and 5c, via SwissADME prediction, could exhibit favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the potential of quinolin-2-one hydrazones as promising candidates for the development of novel antimicrobial and anticancer agents in the future.

New Acetophenone Scaffolds: Synthesis, Antifungal Activities, Biocompatibility, Molecular Docking, ADMET Analysis, and Dynamic Simulations

In this work, the chemical reactivity of 2-cyano-N'-(1-phenylethylidene)acetohydrazide (3) towards different aldehydes is utilized to synthesize binary and fused heterocyclic compounds, including arylidenes 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 18a-c, 19a,b, 20, chromone 23, and chromene derivatives 24, 26a-c, 29, and 30. The capability of newly synthesized compounds to inhibit fungal growth of Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404, A. flavus ATCC 9643, Penicillium chrysogenum ATCC 10106, and Rhizopus oryazae ATCC 96382 are assessed. It is observed that compound 29 had strong antifungal activity against all fungi with MFIC values varying from 250 to 1000 μg/ml, while compound 18a demonstrated potent antifungal effect against A. niger and A. flavus. In addition, it is found that compound 29 was cytotoxic to Vero cells at doses of 1000-500 μg/ml; however, no discernible variation was observed between the concentrations of 250-31.25 μg/ml. Moreover, the interactions between the promising compounds 18a, 19b, and 29 and antifungal target proteins are assessed using molecular docking. The results of the docking simulations demonstrated that these compounds demonstrated optimal binding energies and effectively engaged with the active sites of FDC1 protein in A. niger, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine in A. fumigatus, Adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate kinase in P. chrysogenum, and protease in Rhizopus oryazae. These interactions involved various types of molecular interactions, indicating that these compounds have the ability to impede enzymes and exhibit strong antimicrobial effects. Furthermore, the in-silico ADMET profiles of compounds 18a, 19b, and 29 reveal that they adhere to the Lipinski rules, suggesting favorable physicochemical properties. Also, MD simulations revealed stable complexes of 29 with anti-fungal receptors including fdc1, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, APS kinase, and protease with RMSD (0.1-0.8, 0.19-0.25, 0.20-0.30, and 0.20-0.35 nm), RMSF (0.1-0.8 nm), SASA (140-155, 130-140, 135-145, and 120-130 nm2), and Rg (1.90-2.00, 1.80-1.90, 2.40-2.50, and 2.10-2.20 nm) respectively. Our results provide potential and promising compounds for fungal infection diseases.

A multi-computational and crystallographic investigation for the antibiotic mechanism of two 2,4-bis(4-methoxyphenamino)pyrimidines

2,4-bis(4-methoxyphenamino)pyrimidines are effective anti-bacterial against various bacteria. The compounds 1a and 1b displayed IC50 values of 3µM and 6.1µM, respectively, against Salmonella Typhimurium. The research aims to comprehensively understand the mechanisms of action of these compounds against bacteria using a diverse array of experimental and computational techniques. The findings from the single-crystal X-ray crystallographic investigation reveal several key insights. First, compounds 1a and 1b adopt distinct conformations of the same structure. Second, the amine-pyrimidine resonance is favored over the amine-methoxy aryl resonance. Third, H⸱⸱⸱H, O⸱⸱⸱H, and N⸱⸱⸱H interactions are the primary driver of molecular assembly. Lastly, Van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions significantly influence the crystal architecture and are conformation-dependent. Computational results suggest that, depending upon the molecular volume, both compounds can inhibit SseF with a marginal difference by stable binding with the same conformer observed in the solid state of 1a through hydrophobic interactions due to the presence of electron-rich phenyl rings. The compound 1b exhibited greater structural variability in the binding site compared to 1a, leading to lower stability. Moreover, the higher molecular volume of 1b, attributed to the methyl group, results in its comparatively lesser fitting in the SseF pore compared to 1a.

Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and In Silico Study of N‐(Pyridin‐2/3‐yl)alkanamide Derivatives as Quorum Sensing Inhibitors Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

AbstractThe effectiveness of treating bacterial infections is seriously jeopardized by the emergence of bacterial resistance to chemical therapy. The development of biofilm in bacteria is one of the main causes of resistance to antimicrobial drugs. By developing new antibiofilm medications, quorum sensing (QS) inhibitor was developed as an alternate therapy. QS inhibition, which focuses on the QS signaling pathway, obstructs cell–cell communication. The aim of this work is to develop newer QS inhibitors against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. N‐(Pyridin‐2/3‐yl)alkanamide derivatives were designed as QS inhibitors, and these designed molecules were synthesized. QS inhibitor activity was evaluated for the synthesized compounds (3a–l, 4a–h). The highest QS inhibitor activities for compounds 3k, 4a, and 4c were 11.66 ± 0.11, 14.66 ± 0.15, and 10.66 ± 0.05 mm, respectively. Subsequent molecular docking analyses exhibited moderate to good binding affinity values between −7.1 and −9.3 kcal/mol. Using the in silico method, the physicochemical characteristics of these prepared compounds were examined. Additionally, molecular dynamic simulation was employed to gain a deeper comprehension of stability of the protein and ligand complexes of compounds 3k, 4a, and 4c. The overall findings of the study indicated that N‐(pyridin‐2/3‐yl)alkanamide derivatives might be significant for the development of newer QS inhibitors.

Tuning the photophysical and NLO properties of β-diketonates derived from coumarin-triphenylamine-chalcones: effect of the BF2 group.

Herein the synthesis of three difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes (7a-c) and one chalcone (7d) with coumarin and triphenylamine fragments is described. The effect of the inclusion of the difluoroboron (BF2) group and a phenyl linker on the photophysical properties, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties was studied. These dyes exhibited excellent ICT properties due to their A-π-D and D-π-A-π-D type push-pull configuration. Thus, all compounds presented a strong solvatochromism, given the absorption and emission maxima shifted to red because of the increase in the polarity of the medium. In addition to this, 7a-d showed the formation of a twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state, which quenched fluorescence in polar solvents. Compounds 7a, 7b and 7d exhibited aggregation-induced emission (AIE) in MeCN/H2O mixtures, while 7c did not have this behavior. In addition, all compounds showed emission in the solid state. Using DFT and TD-DFT calculations, the molecular geometries of the ground state S0 and the first excited state S1 were elucidated, which confirmed the formation of a TICT state. Furthermore, the theoretical and experimental absorption electronic transitions were correlated by testing different functionals: B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, PBE0, wB97XD, HSEH1PBE and M062X. Frontier molecular orbitals (FOMs) and molecular electrostatic potentials (MEPs) supported the ICT from the donor to the acceptor group. The global reactivity descriptors were studied and the NLO properties were predicted by calculating first (βtot) and second-order (γave) hyperpolarizabilities, revealing that 7a-d would present promising NLO behavior.