Compounds 4k Research Articles

Synthesis of Fluorinated Hydrazinylthiazole Derivatives: A Virtual and Experimental Approach to Diabetes Management.

A novel series of fluorophenyl-based thiazoles was synthesized following the Hanztsch method. All of the compounds were initially verified with physical parameters (color, melting point, retardation factor (R f)), which were further confirmed by several spectroscopic methods, including ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), 1H, 13C, 19F NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The binding interactions of all compounds were studied using a molecular docking simulation approach. Furthermore, each compound was evaluated for its alpha(α)-amylase, antiglycation, and antioxidant potentials. The biocompatibility of all compounds was checked with an in vitro hemolytic assay. All synthesized scaffolds were found biocompatible with minimal lysis of human erythrocytes as compared to the standard Triton X-100. Among the tested compounds, the analogue 3h (IC50 = 5.14 ± 0.03 μM) was found to be a highly potent candidate against α-amylase as compared to the standard (acarbose, IC50 = 5.55 ± 0.06 μM). The compounds 3d, 3f, 3i, and 3k exhibited excellent antiglycation inhibition potential with their IC50 values far less than the standard amino guanidine (IC50 = 0.403 ± 0.001 mg/mL). The antidiabetic potential was further supported by docking studies. Docking studies revealed that all synthesized compounds exhibited various interactions along enzyme active sites (pi-pi, H-bonding, van der Waals) with varied binding energies.

Novel 1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole-pyridine hybrids as potential DNA gyrase B inhibitors (5D7R): ADMET prediction and molecular docking study

A small molecule (ligand) is placed in the binding site of its macromolecular target (receptor) using a computational process called molecular docking, which also calculates the binding affinity of the small molecule. With the use of PyRx software, the current study tried a high-throughput in-silico screening of 16 compounds docked with the crystal structure of DNA gyrase B receptors (PDB ID: 5D7R). In the range of -8.0 and -8.1, 3 of these 16 compounds displayed very good mol dock scores. As a typical medicine, amoxicillin medications have a mol dock score of -7.1. According to the results, all of the investigated ligands occupy similar positions and directions within the putative binding site of DNA gyrase B receptors (PDB ID: 5D7R), which reveals a sizable area surrounded by a membrane binding domain that acts as a pathway for substrate entry into the active site. Additionally, any small molecule's affinity can be viewed as a special instrument in the field of drug design and provide a possibility for future study to create an antibacterial activity. Additionally, ADME evaluations must be used to confirm compounds that are candidates for oral administration. The findings demonstrated that compound 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4i, 4j, and 4k absorbed from GIT and compound 4i, 4j, and 4k fulfilled the Lipinski rule.
 Keywords: 1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole, ADME Evaluation, molecular docking, antimicrobial activity

An Agro-Waste Catalyzed Facile Synthesis of 1H-Pyrazolo[1,2-b]Phthalazine-5,10-Dione Derivatives: Evaluation of Antioxidant and Electrochemical Studies

Rapid and inexpensive one-pot multicomponent synthesis of 1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b]phthalazine-5,10-dione through a condensation reaction of aryl aldehyde, malononitrile or ethyl cyanoacetate and phthalhydrazide catalyzed by water extract of papaya bark ash (WEPBA) solvent medium under microwave irradiation is described. The catalytic medium is used environmentally friendly, and provides several benefits of being simple, inexpensive, high yield, simple work-up and not required hazardous solvent for the reaction. Some of the selected derivatives were characterized by FT-IR, 1H-, and 13C-NMR, and mass spectrometry techniques. The oxidation-reduction properties of the synthesized compounds (4b, 4e, 4f, 4i, and 4k and 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, and 6j) were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The voltammetry peak current for the oxidation-reduction of the compounds examined at different scan rates. Further, some of the selected 1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b]phthalazine-5,10-dione derivatives were evaluated in vitro antioxidant activity using DPPH assay method. The result appears that, compounds 4b, 4e, 4i, 6f, 6g, and 6h possess significant antioxidant properties in comparison with the ascorbic acid reference.

An efficient synthesis of new 3,5‐bis(2‐arylthiazol‐4‐yl)‐1,2,4‐oxadiazole derivatives and their antimicrobial evaluation

AbstractA new series of 3,5‐bis(2‐arylthiazol‐4‐yl)‐1,2,4‐oxadiazole (8a–o) has been synthesized by modified reaction conditions. The reaction of ester 7a with N′‐hydroxy‐2‐phenylthiazole‐4‐carboximidamide 6a using NaOH in DMSO gave the formation of product 8a up to 40% yield. In the second method, the reaction with K2CO3 in toluene at reflux conditions gave a 50% yield. In the third method, the reaction condition was modified. The ester 7a was hydrolyzed to acid 9a. The reactions of acid 9a using N,N‐dimethyl amino pyridine (DMAP) in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by the addition of N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N′‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC·HCl), and then N′‐hydroxy‐2‐phenylthiazole‐4‐carboximidamide 6a, furnished a 65% yield of 8a. The compounds 8b–o were synthesized using DMAP and EDC·HCl as coupling reagents and gave 60%–72% yields. The structure of newly synthesized compounds was confirmed by spectral analysis. The synthesized compounds were screened for in vitro antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (NCIM 2574), Proteus mirabilis (NCIM 2388), Bacillus subtilis (NCIM2063), Staphylococcus albus (NCIM 2178), Candida albicans (NCIM 3100), and Aspergillus niger (ATCC 504). Among the 8a–o derivatives, eight compounds 8c, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8i, 8j, 8k, and 8l showed good activity S. albus with a MIC 31.25–62.5 μg/mL.

Exploring chromone sulfonamides and sulfonylhydrazones as highly selective ectonucleotidase inhibitors: Synthesis, biological evaluation and in silico study

Ectonucleotidases, a well-known superfamily of plasma membrane located metalloenzymes plays a central role in mediating the process of purinergic cell signaling. Major functions performed by these enzymes include the hydrolysis of extracellular nucleosides and nucleotides which are considered as important cell-signaling molecules. Any (patho)-physiologically induced disruption in this purinergic cell signaling leads to several disorders, hence these enzymes are important drug targets for therapeutic purposes. Among the major challenges faced in the design of inhibitors of ectonucleotidases, an important one is the lack of selective inhibitors. Access to highly selective inhibitors via a facile synthetic route will not only be beneficial therapeutically, but will also lead to an increase in our understanding of intricate interplay between members of ectonucleotidase enzymes in relation to their selective activation and/or inhibition in different cells and tissues. Herein we describe synthesis of highly selective inhibitors of human intestinal alkaline phosphatase (h-IAP) and human tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (h-TNAP), containing chromone sulfonamide and sulfonylhydrazone scaffolds. Compound 1c exhibited highest (and most selective) h-IAP inhibition activity (h-IAP IC50 = 0.51 ± 0.20 µM; h-TNAP = 36.5%) and compound 3k showed highest activity and selective inhibition against h-TNAP (h-TNAP IC50 = 1.41 ± 0.10 µM; h-IAP = 43.1%). These compounds were also evaluated against another member of ectonucleotidase family, that is rat and human ecto-5′-nucleotidase (r-e5′NT and h-e5′NT). Some of the compounds exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against ecto-5′-nucleotidase. Compound 2 g exhibited highest inhibition against h-e5′NT (IC50 = 0.18 ± 0.02 µM). To rationalize the interactions with the binding site, molecular docking studies were carried out.

Synthesis, anti-oomycete activity of 1-sulfonyloxy/acyloxysesamol derivatives

In order to explore novel natural product-based anti-oomycete agent, sixteen 1-sulfonyloxysesamol derivatives (3a-p) and fourteen 1-acyloxysesamol derivatives (5a-n) were designed and prepared, and structurally confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS, and melting point. The stereochemical configurations of compounds 3k and 5f were unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Moreover, we assessed the target compounds 3a-p and 5a-n as anti-oomycete activity against a serious agricultural disease of Phytophthora capsici by using the mycelial growth rate method. Among the thirty sesamol ester derivatives determined, eight compounds 3j, 3k, 3m, 3p, 5g, 5i, 5l, and 5m showed more potent anti-oomycete activity than that of the positive control zoxamide (EC50 = 23.79 mg/L), and the EC50 values of 13.80, 17.65, 11.80, 12.70, 17.71, 9.53, 21.94, and 15.43 mg/L, respectively. Especially compound 5i exhibited the best anti-oomycete activity against P. capsici with EC50 value of 9.53 mg/L. Overall, the anti-oomycete activities of 1-acyloxysesamol derivatives is higher than that of 1-sulfonyloxysesamol derivatives. It is proved that the introduction of the acyl group at hydroxyl position of sesamol is more beneficial to improve its anti-oomycete activity than that of the sulfonyl group.

Design, Synthesis, and Anticancer Evaluation of Novel Tetracaine Hydrazide-Hydrazones.

Tetracaine is an ester derivative used as a local anesthetic molecule. In this study, a series of novel Tetracaine derivatives bearing hydrazide-hydrazone moiety were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anticancer activity. The structures of these compounds were characterized by spectral (1H NMR,13C NMR, FT-IR, and HRMS analyses) methods. All synthesized compounds were screened for anticancer activity against two different human cancer cell lines (Colo-205 and HepG2). Among the synthesized molecules, compounds 2f and 2m showed the most potent anticancer activity against the Colo-205 cell line (IC50 = 50.0 and 20.5 μM, respectively). Compounds 2k, 2p, and 2s demonstrated the best anticancer activity against the HepG2 cell line (IC50 = 30.5, 35.9, and 20.8 μM, respectively). mRNA transcription levels of Bax and caspase-3 genes were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of both Colo-205 and HepG2 cell lines. Doxorubicin was used as a positive sensitivity reference standard. qRT-PCR analysis showed that there was a time-dependent rise in the expression levels of Bax and Caspase 3 on apoptosis. Inhibition of apoptotic proteins PI3K, Akt, PTEN, pPTEN, FoXO1, FoXO3a, TXNIP, and p27 was investigated in Colo-205 and HepG2 cells treated with compounds 2f, 2m, 2k, 2p, and 2s by using Western blotting.

Design, synthesis and antitumor evaluation of 3‑chloro-4 - (pyridin-2-ylmethoxy) aniline derivatives as BCR-ABL kinase

A series of 3‑chloro-4-(pyridin-2-ylmethoxy) aniline derivatives were synthesized and biologically evaluated for antitumor activities. Among all the compounds, the antitumor activity of 7k was twice than Imatinib on HL-60, K-562, MCF-7 and A498 cell lines. Mechanistic studies revealed that compound 7k displayed significant anti-proliferation, anti-migration and anti-invasion effects on K-562. Molecular docking studies showed that compounds 7k could interact with BCR-ABL kinase. These findings suggest that compound 7k can be considered as an antitumor drug candidate which deserves to be further investigated for personalized cancer therapy.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Sclareolide-Indole Conjugates and Their Derivatives

Sclareolide is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from various plant sources in tons every year and is commercially used as a flavor ingredient in the cosmetic and food industries. Antitumor and antiviral activities of sclareolide have been previously reported. However, biological studies of sclareolide synthetic analogous are few. In view of these, we developed a robust synthetic method that allows the assembly of 36 novel sclareolide-indole conjugates and their derivatives. The synthetic method was based on TiCl4-promoted nucleophilic substitution of sclareolide-derived hemiacetal 4, while electron-rich aryles including indoles, polyphenol ethers, and pyrazolo [1,5-a]pyridine were good substrates. The stereochemistry of the final products was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, while the antiproliferative activities of selected final products were tested in K562 and MV4-11 cancer cell lines. Cytometric flow analysis shows that lead compounds 8k- and 10-induced robust apoptosis in MV4-11 cancer cells, while they exhibited weak impact on cell cycle progression. Taken together, our study suggests that sclareolide could be a good template and substrate for the synthesis of novel antiproliferative compounds.

2-Phenylpyridine Derivatives: Synthesis and Insecticidal Activity against Mythimna separata, Aphis craccivora, and Tetranychus cinnabarinus

The increase in the insecticide resistance of pests, such as Mythimna separata, Aphis craccivora Koch, and Tetranychus cinnabarinus, necessitates the development of new heterocyclic compounds with high insecticidal activity. A series of novel 2-phenylpyridine derivatives containing N-phenylbenzamide moieties were designed and synthesised with Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, nucleophilic substitution, and amidation reactions. The reaction conditions in each step are mild, and the product is easy to separate (yield is about 85%). The structures of the compounds were characterised using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and HRMS. Moreover, the insecticidal activity of the compounds was analysed using the leaf dipping method. The compounds 5a, 5d, 5g, 5h, and 5k at 500 mg/L exhibited 100% inhibition against Mythimna separata. Therefore, the 2-phenylpyridine moieties have the potential to lead to the discovery of novel and effective insecticides.

Synthesis, anti-oomycete and fungal activities of resveratrol sulfonate derivatives containing three esters moieties

In order to explore novel natural product-based anti-oomycete and fungal agents, thirteen unreported resveratrol sulfonate derivatives containing three esters moieties were designed and prepared using the principle of activity superposition, and structurally confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS, and m.p. Furthermore, we evaluated the target compounds (3a–m) as anti-oomycete and fungal activities against two serious agricultural diseases of Phytophthora capsici and Fusarium graminearum, respectively. Among the thirteen resveratrol sulfonate derivatives tested, three compounds 3d, 3k, and 3l exhibited the most potent anti-oomycete activity against P. capsici with EC50 values of 27.31, 27.69, and 26.14 mg/L, respectively. Moreover, two compounds 3e and 3l exhibited the most potent anti-fungal activity against F. graminearum with EC50 values of 75.81, and 73.60 mg/L, respectively. Overall, the anti-oomycete activity against P. capsici of the target compound was significantly better than that of the anti-fungal activity against F. graminearum. In particular, anti-oomycete and fungal activities showed that the structural skeleton presentation activity was closely related to the different substituents of the sulfonyloxy groups, especially the anti-oomycete activity. This study will lay a solid foundation for further modifying resveratrol to develop potential new fungicides.

Synthesis, antitubercular evaluation, and molecular docking studies of hybrid pyridinium salts derived from isoniazid.

In the quest to develop potent inhibitors for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, novel isoniazid-based pyridinium salts were designed, synthesized, and tested for their antimycobacterial activities against the H37 Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using rifampicin as a standard. The pyridinium salts 4k, 4l, and 7d showed exceptional antimycobacterial activities with MIC90 at 1 µg/mL. The in vitro cytotoxicity and pharmacokinetics profiles of these compounds were established for the identification of a lead molecule using in vivo efficacy proof-of-concept studies and found that the lead compound 4k possesses LC50 value at 25 µg/mL. The in vitro antimycobacterial activity results were further supported by in silico studies with good binding affinities ranging from -9.8to -11.6 kcal/mol for 4k, 4l, and 7d with the target oxidoreductase DprE1 enzyme. These results demonstrate that pyridinium salts derived from isoniazid can be a potentially promising pharmacophore for the development of novel antitubercular candidates.

Design, synthesis, and cytotoxic evaluation of quinazoline derivatives bearing triazole-acetamides

A novel series of quinazoline-based agents bearing triazole-acetamides 8a-l were designed and synthesized. All the obtained compounds were tested for in vitro cytotoxic activities against three human cancer cell lines named HCT-116, MCF-7, and HepG2, as well as a normal cell line WRL-68 after 48 and 72 h. The results implied that quinazoline-oxymethyltriazole compounds exhibited moderate to good anticancer potential. The most potent derivative against HCT-116 was 8a (X = 4-OCH3 and R = H) with IC50 values of 10.72 and 5.33 μM after 48 and 72 h compared with doxorubicin with IC50 values of 1.66 and 1.21 μM, respectively. The same trend was seen in the HepG2 cancerous cell line in which 8a recorded the best results with IC50 values of 17.48 and 7.94 after 48 and 72 h, respectively. The cytotoxic analysis against MCF-7 showed that 8f with IC50 = 21.29 μM (48 h) exhibited the best activity, while compounds 8k (IC50 = 11.32 μM) and 8a (IC50 = 12.96 μM), known as the most effective cytotoxic agents after 72 h. Doxorubicin as positive control exhibited IC50 values of 1.15 and 0.82 μM after 48 and 72 h, respectively. Noteworthy, all derivatives showed limited toxicity against the normal cell line. Moreover, docking studies were also presented to understand the interactions between these novel derivatives and possible targets.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of indolin-2-one derivatives as novel cyclin-dependent protein kinase 8 (CDK8) inhibitors

Cyclin-dependent protein kinase 8 (CDK8) plays important roles in regulating fibrotic growth factors and inflammatory signaling pathways. Long-term chronic inflammation of the lungs can lead to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Abnormal alveolar epithelial regeneration leads to the release of various fibrotic growth factors and the activation of inflammatory cells. CDK8 regulates profibrotic cytokines broadly implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. Therefore, inhibition of CDK8 is considered a promising strategy for treating IPF. Here, CDK8 inhibitors were designed and optimized using a fragment-based drug design strategy. Testing results revealed that 71% of the synthesized compounds inhibited CDK8 activity better than the original compound E966–0530. Of these compounds, compound 4k exhibited the strongest CDK8 enzyme-inhibiting activity (IC50 =129 nM). Notably, it displayed a 13-fold increase in potency when compared to E966–0530. Experiments on toxicity and inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) protein expressions showed that compound 4k can inhibit EMT protein expressions, but with no significant cytotoxicity for alveolar epithelial cells. Compound 4k showed a potent inhibitory effect in cell migration assays. Furthermore, compound 4k significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of p-Smad3 and RNA Pol II, which are critical mediators in the fibrotic response signaling pathway. Compound 4k remarkably reduced TGF-β1-induced oxidative stress. The above results reveal optimized CDK8 inhibitors with potential use for IPF therapeutic treatment.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel N-[3-fluoro-4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]thiazol-2-amine Derivatives as Potent Antibacterial and Anticancer Agents and ADMET

In search of better antibacterial and anticancer agents, this report presents a series of novel N-[3-fluoro-4-(morpholin-4-yl)aryl]thiazol-2-amine derivatives (6a–6l) that were synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial and anticancer activity in vitro. Antibacterial activity against three G+ bacterial strains and anticancer activity against MCF-7 and A-549 was evaluated. Among all the tested compounds, 6i and 6j exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacterial strains. Biofilm profiles for the potent compounds and it was observed from the results that the active derivatives 6i and 6j were not only potent antibacterial agents but also efficient inhibitors of S. aureus and S. epidermidis biofilm growth. Compared to the standard drug, erlotinib, the anticancer activity screening results of 6h and 6k demonstrated high cytotoxic activity against the A-549 cancer cell line. Later, the results of the inhibitory assay of potent compounds 6h and 6k against the tyrosine kinase EGFR revealed that compound 6k showed ≈1.5 fold potency of the reference drug erlotinib. Finally, compounds 6h, 6i, 6j, and 6k did not show AMES toxicity and followed the rules of Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge rules without any deviation.

Novel thiosemicarbazone and thiazolidin‐4‐one derivatives containing vanillin core: Synthesis, characterization, and anticancer activity studies

AbstractCancer is one of the most common and lethal disease in the world, therefore, patients need new and potent anticancer agents for treatment. In this study, starting from vanillin, 24 new compounds, which are 12 thiosemicarbazone (4a‐h, 5i‐j, 6k) and 12 thiazolidin‐4‐one (7a‐h, 8i‐j and 9k) derivatives, were synthesized and characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), High‐Resolution Mass Spectroscopy (HRMS), and Fourier‐transform Infrared (FTIR) techniques. In vitro cytotoxic effects were investigated on CCD‐1079Sk human healthy fibroblast and MDA‐MB‐231 human breast cancer cell lines. For MDA‐MB‐231, molecules showed IC50 in ranging of 88.08 ± 0.027–16.54 ± 0.031 μM (Doxorubicin: 61.70 ± 0.021 μM) and for CCD‐1079Sk, molecules showed IC50 in ranging of 192.36 ± 0.018–13.58 ± 0.035 μM (Doxorubicin:52.01 ± 0.028 μM). Compounds 6k and 7f were found most selective and potent anticancer agents compared to Doxorubicin used as a standard drug.

Design, synthesis, molecular docking, and biological evaluation of coumarin-thymidine analogs as potent anti-TB agents.

With the intent to discover new antituberculosis (TB) compounds, coumarin-thymidine analogs were synthesized using second-order nucleophilic substitution reactions of bromomethyl coumarin with thymidine. The newly synthesized coumarin-thymidine conjugates (1a-l) were characterized using IR, NMR, GC-MS, and CHN elemental analysis. The novel conjugates were found to exhibit potent anti-TB activity against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37 Rv strain, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the active compounds ranging between 0.012 and 0.482 µM. Compound 1k was established as the most active candidate with a MIC of 0.012 µM. The toxicity study on HEK cells confirmed the nontoxic nature of compounds 1e, 1h, 1i, 1j, and 1k. Also, the most active compounds (1k, 1j, and 1e) were stable in the pH range from 2.5 to 10, indicating compatibility with the biophysical environment. Based on the pKa studies, compounds 1k, 1j, and 1e are capable of crossing lipid-membrane barriers and acting on target cells. Molecular docking studies on the M. tuberculosis β-oxidation trifunctional enzyme (PDB ID: 7O4V) were conducted to investigate the mechanisms of anti-TB activity. All compounds showed excellent hydrogen binding interactions and exceptional docking scores against M. tuberculosis, which was in accordance with the results. Compounds 1a-l possessed excellent affinity to proteins, with binding energies ranging from -7.4 to -8.7 kcal/mol.

Design, Synthesis and Molecular Docking Studies of (S)-1-(2-(substituted benzylamino)-3- methylbutanoyl)pyrrolidin-2-one analogues as GABA Mediated Anticonvulsant agents

Abstract: Background: Epilepsy is a deep rooted, partially curable brain illness that affects all individuals irrespective of ages and genders. Despite the discovery of various innovative antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), selectivity and toxicity issues remain. Materials and Methods: A series of (S)-1-(2-(substituted benzylamino)-3-methylbutanoyl)pyrrolidin-2-one analogues (5a-r) were synthesized and evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity. The analogues were screened by two gold standard methods, i.e., electroshock (MES) and chemoshock (scPTZ) seizure tests. In addition, the rotarod method was used to test motor impairment in all synthetic analogues for acute neurotoxicity. The paper also reports ADME prediction of all the 18 synthesized compounds, with each parameter discussed in detail. Furthermore, the GABA-A target protein was used in molecular docking experiments. Results: In the MES model, compounds 5e, 5h, 5k, 5l, 5o, and 5r were identified to be the most effective, while compounds 5j, 5k, 5l, 5o, and 5r were the most active against the scPTZ model. The majority of the synthesized analogues passed the neurotoxicity test, according to the findings. ADME prediction of the compounds exhibited good agreement with the in vivo outcomes. The results of molecular docking showed important interactions with TYR 62, ASN 85, ARG 114, ARG 129, and MET 115 at the active site of GABA-A and the results showed good agreement with in vivo results. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated some of the compounds possessed excellent anticonvulsant activity without noticeable neurotoxicity. These compounds can be investigated further for the formation of newer/novel anticonvulsant agents. Keywords: Pyrrolidine, Anticonvulsant activity, Molecular Docking, GABA-A, Toxicity, ADME prediction.

Identification of New N-methyl-piperazine Chalcones as Dual MAO-B/AChE Inhibitors

Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) have been considered target enzymes of depression and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, seventeen N-methyl-piperazine chalcones were synthesized, and their inhibitory activities were evaluated against the target enzymes. Compound 2k (3-trifluoromethyl-4-fluorinated derivative) showed the highest selective inhibition against MAO-B with an IC50 of 0.71 μM and selectivity index (SI) of 56.34, followed by 2n (2-fluoro-5-bromophenyl derivative) (IC50 = 1.11 μM, SI = 16.04). Compounds 2k and 2n were reversible competitive MAO-B inhibitors with Ki values of 0.21 and 0.28 μM, respectively. Moreover, 2k and 2n effectively inhibited AChE with IC50 of 8.10 and 4.32 μM, which underscored their multi-target inhibitory modes. Interestingly, compound 2o elicited remarkable inhibitions over MAO-B, AChE, and BChE with IC50 of 1.19-3.87 μM. A cell-based assay of compounds 2k and 2n against Vero normal cells pointed out their low cytotoxicity. In a docking simulation, 2k showed the lowest energy for MAO-B (-11.6 kcal/mol) with four hydrogen bonds and two π-π interactions. Furthermore, in silico studies were conducted, and disclosed that 2k and 2n are expected to possess favorable pharmacokinetic properties, such as the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In view of these findings, compounds 2k and 2n could serve as promising potential candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

New imidazole derivatives as aromatase inhibitor: Design, synthesis, biological activity, molecular docking, and computational ADME-Tox studies

In this study, a series of imidazole derivatives was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for in vitro biological activity on the human breast cancer cell line MCF7 by MTT assay. To determine the selectivity of the compounds, their cytotoxic effects on the L929 (healthy mouse fibroblast) cell line were also investigated. Compounds 1a, 1b, and 1d were found to be more effective than the reference drug cisplatin against the MCF7 cell line. It is seen that the cytotoxic effects of the compounds on the L929 cell line are quite low, and the compounds are found to be highly selective. The inhibition potentials of the compounds 1a, 1b, 1d, and 1k which were effective on the MCF7 cell line, and on the aromatase enzyme were evaluated and it was found that the compounds had similar effects to the reference drug letrozole. Further, the interactions between the best active compounds and the human aromatase cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme were analyzed through a molecular docking study. The findings suggest that these compounds could be a promising candidate for the creation of a new family of non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors. Finally, computational ADME-Tox studies of compounds 1a, 1b, 1d, and 1k were performed and found to have the appropriate profile.