Selective Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors Research Articles

Synthesis, Molecular Docking, and Biological Evaluation of Benzimidazole Derivatives as Selective Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Benzimidazole is an interesting pharmacophore which has been extensively studied in medicinal chemistry due to its high affinity towards various enzymes and receptors. Its derivatives have been previously shown to possess a wide range of biological activities including anthelmintic, antihypertensive, antiulcer, as well as anticholinesterase activity. The objective of this study is to search for more potent benzimidazole-based cholinesterase inhibitors, through the modification of the 1- and 2-positions of the benzimidazole core. Synthesis of compounds were carried out via a 4-step reaction scheme following a previously reported protocol. Structure-activity relationship of the compounds are established through in vitro cholinesterase assays and in silico docking studies. Furthermore, cytotoxicity and blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability of the compounds were also investigated. Among the synthesised compounds, three of them (5IIa, 5IIb, and 5IIc) exhibited potent selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibition at low micromolar level. The compounds did not show any significant cytotoxicity when tested against a panel of human cell lines. Moreover, the most active compound, 5IIc, was highly permeable across the blood brain barrier. In total 10 benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized and screened for their AChE and BuChE inhibitory activities. Lead compound 5Iic, represents a valuable compound for further development as potential AD therapeutics.

Discovery of Natural Inhibitors of Cholinesterases from Hydrangea: In Vitro and In Silico Approaches.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease conceptualized as a clinical-biological neurodegenerative construct where amyloid-beta pathophysiology is supposed to play a role. The loss of cognitive functions is mostly characterized by the rapid hydrolysis of acetylcholine by cholinesterases including acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Moreover, both enzymes are responsible for non-catalytic actions such as interacting with amyloid β peptide (Aβ) which further leads to promote senile plaque formation. In searching for a natural cholinesterase inhibitor, the present study focused on two isocoumarines from hydrangea, thunberginol C (TC) and hydrangenol 8-O-glucoside pentaacetate (HGP). Hydrangea-derived compounds were demonstrated to act as dual inhibitors of both AChE and BChE. Furthermore, the compounds exerted selective and non-competitive mode of inhibition via hydrophobic interaction with peripheral anionic site (PAS) of the enzymes. Overall results demonstrated that these natural hydrangea-derived compounds acted as selective dual inhibitors of AChE and BChE, which provides the possibility of potential source of new type of anti-cholinesterases with non-competitive binding property with PAS.

Expedient Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Bis(n)-lophine Analogues as Selective Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Cytotoxicity Evaluation and Molecular Modelling

In the brain of patients with chronic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) levels rise while the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels decrease. Therefore, development of new selective BuChE inhibitors is of vital importance. Here we present a series of bis(n)‑lophine analogues, where two lophine derivatives are connected by a methylene chain. The bis(n)-lophine analogues were synthesized through one-pot four component reaction between pyridinecarboxaldehydes, 1,n-alkanediamines, benzil, and ammonium acetate. The reactions were performed in a microwave reactor in one step for symmetrical bis(n)-lophines, and in two steps for unsymmetrical bis(n)-lophines. The compounds are strongly selective to BuChE, since none of them inhibit AChE. All the compounds, except 7a, 7b and 7c, displayed potent inhibitory activity against BuChE at a micromolar and sub-micromolar range (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) 32.25-0.03 μM). The enzyme kinetic and docking studies suggests that the inhibitor act as a dual binding site inhibitor, binding into the bottom of the gorge and in the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of BuChE cavity. Furthermore, in vitro studies showed that compounds 5b and 12b had no cytotoxic effects in kidney Vero, hepatic HepG2 and C6 astroglial cell lines.

Pursuing the Complexity of Alzheimer's Disease: Discovery of Fluoren-9-Amines as Selective Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors and N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor Antagonists.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex disorder with unknown etiology. Currently, only symptomatic therapy of AD is available, comprising cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. Drugs targeting only one pathological condition have generated only limited efficacy. Thus, combining two or more therapeutic interventions into one molecule is believed to provide higher benefit for the treatment of AD. In the presented study, we designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated 15 novel fluoren-9-amine derivatives. The in silico prediction suggested both the oral availability and permeation through the blood–brain barrier (BBB). An initial assessment of the biological profile included determination of the cholinesterase inhibition and NMDA receptor antagonism at the GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B subunits, along with a low cytotoxicity profile in the CHO-K1 cell line. Interestingly, compounds revealed a selective butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition pattern with antagonistic activity on the NMDARs. Their interaction with butyrylcholinesterase was elucidated by studying enzyme kinetics for compound 3c in tandem with the in silico docking simulation. The docking study showed the interaction of the tricyclic core of new derivatives with Trp82 within the anionic site of the enzyme in a similar way as the template drug tacrine. From the kinetic analysis, it is apparent that 3c is a competitive inhibitor of BChE.

Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of khellactone coumarin derivatives isolated from Peucedanum japonicum Thurnberg

Cholinesterase (ChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors have been attracted as candidate treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Fifteen khellactone-type coumarins from the roots of Peucedanum japonicum Thunberg were tested for acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and MAO inhibitory activities. Compound 3′-angeloyl-4′-(2-methylbutyryl)khellactone (PJ13) most potently inhibited AChE (IC50 = 9.28 µM), followed by 3′-isovaleryl-4′-(2-methylbutyroyl)khellactone (PJ15) (IC50 = 10.0 μM). Compound senecioyl-4′-angeloyl-khellactone (PJ5) most potently inhibited BChE (IC50 = 7.22 μM) and had the highest selectivity index (> 5.54), followed by 3′-senecioyl-4′-(2-methylbutyryl)khellactone (PJ10) and 3′,4′-disenecioylkhellactone (PJ4) (IC50 = 10.2 and 10.7 μM, respectively). Compounds PJ13, PJ15, and PJ5 showed reversible and mixed-types of inhibition with Ki values of 5.98, 10.4 (for AChE), and 4.16 µM (for BChE), respectively. However, all 15 compounds weakly inhibited MAO-A and MAO-B. Molecular docking simulation revealed that PJ13 had a higher binding affinity (− 9.3 kcal/mol) with AChE than PJ15 (− 7.8 kcal/mol) or PJ5 (− 5.4 kcal/mol), due to the formation of a hydrogen bond with Tyr121 (distance: 2.52 Å). On the other hand, the binding affinity of PJ5 (− 10.0 kcal/mol) with BChE was higher than for PJ13 (− 7.7 kcal/mol) or PJ15 (− 8.1 kcal/mol), due to the formation of a hydrogen bond with Ser198 (distance: 2.05 Å). These results suggest that PJ13 and PJ5 are potential reversible selective inhibitors of AChE and BChE, respectively, for the treatment of AD.

Synthesis and bio-evaluation of a novel selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor discovered through structure-based virtual screening

In recent years, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) has gradually gained worldwide interests as a novel target for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, two pharmacophore models were generated using Schrödinger suite and used to virtually screen ChemDiv database, from which three hits were obtained. Among them, 2513–4169 displayed the highest inhibitory activity and selectivity against BChE (eeAChE IC50 > 10 μM, eqBChE IC50 = 3.73 ± 1.90 μM). Molecular dynamic (MD) simulation validated the binding pattern of 2513–4169 in BChE, and it could form a various of receptor-ligand interactions with adjacent residues. In vitro cytotoxicity assay proved the safety of 2513–4169 on diverse neural cell lines. Moreover, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay performed on SH-SY5Y cells proved the neuroprotective effect of 2513–4169 against toxic Aβ1–42. In vivo behavioral study further confirmed the great efficacy of 2513–4169 on reversing Aβ1–42-induced cognitive impairment of mice and clearing the toxic Aβ1–42 in brains. Moreover, 2513–4169 was proved to be able to cross blood-brain barrier (BBB) through a parallel artificial membrane permeation assay of BBB (PAMPA-BBB). Taken together, 2513–4169 is a promising lead compound for future optimization to discover anti-AD treating agents.

Structure and therapeutic uses of butyrylcholinesterase: Application in detoxification, Alzheimer's disease, and fat metabolism.

Structural information of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and its variants associated with several diseases are discussed here. Pure human BChE has been proved safe and effective in treating organophosphorus (OPs) poisoning and has completed Phase 1 and 2 pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety studies. The introduction of specific mutations into native BChE to endow it a self-reactivating property has gained much progress in producing effective OPs hydrolases. The hydrolysis ability of native BChE on cocaine has been confirmed but was blocked to clinical application due to poor PK properties. Several BChE mutants with elevated cocaine hydrolysis activity were published, some of which have shown safety and efficiency in treating cocaine addiction of human. The increased level of BChE in progressed Alzheimer's disease patients made it a promising target to elevate acetylcholine level and attenuate cognitive status. A variety of selective BChE inhibitors with high inhibitory activity published in recent years are reviewed here. BChE could influence the weight and insulin secretion and resistance of BChE knockout (KO) mice through hydrolyzing ghrelin. The BChE-ghrelin pathway could also regulate aggressive behaviors of BChE-KO mice.

Rapid discovery of a selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor using structure-based virtual screening

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are the mainstay of Alzheimer's disease treatments, despite having only short-term symptomatic benefits and severe side effects. Selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors (BuChEIs) may be more effective treatments in late-stage Alzheimer’s disease with fewer side effects. Virtual screening is a powerful tool for identifying potential inhibitors in large digital compound databases. This study used structure-based virtual screening combined with physicochemical filtering to screen the InterBioScreen and Maybridge databases for novel selective BuChEIs. The workflow rapidly identified 22 potential hits in silico, resulting in the discovery of a human BuChEI with low-micromolar potency in vitro (IC50 2.4 µM) and high selectivity for butyrylcholinesterase over acetylcholinesterase. The compound was a rapidly reversible BuChEI with mixed-model in vitro inhibition kinetics. The binding interactions were investigated using in silico molecular dynamics and by developing structure-activity relationships using nine analogues. The compound also displayed high permeability in an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier.

Dual‐Target‐Directed Ligand Displaying Selective Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitory and Neurite Promoting Activities as a Potential Therapeutic for Alzheimer's Disease

AbstractNovel small molecules were synthesized in the quest to search for multi‐target directed ligand for Alzheimer's disease. From the preliminary synthesis, ethyl 4‐((cyclohexylmethyl)amino)‐3‐nitrobenzoate (2 h) showed good butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activity. Modifications carried out on compound 2 h by removing the nitro group resulted in the identification of ethyl 4‐((cyclohexylmethyl)amino)benzoate (3 h) as a selective and potent BChE inhibitor (IC50=0.735 μM; BChE selectivity>100‐fold over acetylcholinesterase (AChE)). Furthermore, compound 3 h was shown to be able to promote neurite outgrowth in SH‐SY5Y cells. No significant cytotoxicity was exhibited by compound 3 h, up till the highest concentration tested (25 μM). The compound was also predicted to have good permeability across the lipid infused bilayer, indicating its potential to cross the blood‐brain barrier. These results warrant further investigations on compound 3 h as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Norditerpenoids with Selective Anti-Cholinesterase Activity from the Roots of Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth.

Inhibition of cholinesterases remains one of a few available treatment strategies for neurodegenerative dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. The current study was inspired by previous data on anticholinesterase properties of diterpenoids from Perovskia atriplicifolia and other Lamiaceae species. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition by the three new natural compounds—(1R,15R)-1-acetoxycryptotanshinone (1), (1R)-1-acetoxytanshinone IIA (2), and (15R)-1-oxoaegyptinone A (3)—as well as, new for this genus, isograndifoliol (4) were assessed. Three of these compounds exhibited profound inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and much weaker inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). All compounds (1–4) selectively inhibited BChE (IC50 = 2.4, 7.9, 50.8, and 0.9 µM, respectively), whereas only compounds 3 and 4 moderately inhibited AChE (IC50 329.8 µM and 342.9 µM). Molecular docking and in silico toxicology prediction studies were also performed on the active compounds. Natural oxygenated norditerpenoids from the traditional Central Asian medicinal plant P. atriplicifolia are selective BChE inhibitors. Their high potential makes them useful candidate molecules for further investigation as lead compounds in the development of a natural drug against dementia caused by neurodegenerative diseases.

Synthesis, biochemical evaluation, and molecular modeling of organophosphate-coumarin hybrids as potent and selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors

A small library of new organophosphorylated warfarins and 3-benzylcoumarins were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro cholinesterase inhibition by Ellman’s method. Most of the compounds were found to be selective for butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) over acetylcholinesterase (AChE), with IC50 values ranging from 0.363 μM to 53.0 μM determined after 15 s of enzyme exposure. Comparison of the most potent compound, 3b with its constitutional isomer 2b revealed the high importance of phosphate positioning. Reversed selectivity and a 100-fold reduction in anti-BChE activity was observed when the organophosphate was attached to the benzyl instead of the coumarin. Docking calculations suggest that 3b binds initially as a transition state mimic with near-optimal phosphate orientation relative to S198 and occupation of the oxyanion hole prior to phosphorylation. These results might inspire the design of a new type of non-neuropathic and irreversible coumarin-based inhibitor against BChE.

Aromatic Esters of the Crinane Amaryllidaceae Alkaloid Ambelline as Selective Inhibitors of Butyrylcholinesterase.

A total of 20 derivatives (1-20) of the crinane-type alkaloid ambelline were synthesized. These semisynthetic derivatives were assessed for their potency to inhibit both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). To predict central nervous system (CNS) availability, logBB was calculated, and the data correlated well with those obtained from the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). All compounds should be able to permeate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) according to the obtained results. A total of 7 aromatic derivatives (5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, and 16) with different substitution patterns showed inhibitory potency against human serum BuChE (IC50 < 5 μM), highlighting the three top-ranked compounds as follows: 11-O-(1-naphthoyl)ambelline (16), 11-O-(2-methylbenzoyl)ambelline (6), and 11-O-(2-methoxybenzoyl)ambelline (9) with IC50 values of 0.10 ± 0.01, 0.28 ± 0.02, and 0.43 ± 0.04 μM, respectively. Notably, derivatives 6, 7, 9, and 16 displayed selective human BuChE (hBuChE) inhibition profiles with a selectivity index > 100. The in vitro results were supported by computational studies predicting plausible binding modes of the compounds in the active sites of hBuChE.

N-alkylpiperidine carbamates as potential anti-Alzheimer’s agents

Compounds capable of interacting with single or multiple targets involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis are potential anti-Alzheimer’s agents. In our aim to develop new anti-Alzheimer’s agents, a series of 36 new N-alkylpiperidine carbamates was designed, synthesized and evaluated for the inhibition of cholinesterases [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)] and monoamine oxidases [monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B)]. Four compounds are very promising: multiple AChE (IC50 = 7.31 μM), BChE (IC50 = 0.56 μM) and MAO-B (IC50 = 26.1 μM) inhibitor 10, dual AChE (IC50 = 2.25 μM) and BChE (IC50 = 0.81 μM) inhibitor 22, selective BChE (IC50 = 0.06 μM) inhibitor 13, and selective MAO-B (IC50 = 0.18 μM) inhibitor 16. Results of enzyme kinetics experiments showed that despite the carbamate group in the structure, compounds 10, 13, and 22 are reversible and non-time-dependent inhibitors of AChE and/or BChE. The resolved crystal structure of the complex of BChE with compound 13 confirmed the non-covalent mechanism of inhibition. Additionally, N-propargylpiperidine 16 is an irreversible and time-dependent inhibitor of MAO-B, while N-benzylpiperidine 10 is reversible. Additionally, compounds 10, 13, 16, and 22 should be able to cross the blood-brain barrier and are not cytotoxic to human neuronal-like SH-SY5Y and liver HepG2 cells. Finally, compounds 10 and 16 also prevent amyloid β1–42 (Aβ1–42)-induced neuronal cell death. The neuroprotective effects of compound 16 could be the result of its Aβ1–42 anti-aggregation effects.

Discovery of a Selective 6-Hydroxy-1, 4-Diazepan-2-one Containing Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitor by Virtual Screening and MM-GBSA Rescoring.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia characterized by the loss of cognitive abilities through the death of central neuronal cells. In this study, structure-based virtual screens of 2 central nervous system-targeted libraries followed by molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area rescoring were performed to discover novel, selective butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors, which are one of the most effective therapeutic strategies for the treatments in late-stage AD. Satisfyingly, compound 5 was identified as a highly selective low micromolar inhibitor of BChE (BChE IC50 = 1.4 μM). The binding mode prediction and kinetic analysis were performed to obtain detailed information about compound 5. Besides, a preliminary structure–activity relationship investigation of compound 5 was carried out for further development of the series. The present results provided a valuable chemical template with a novel scaffold for the development of selective BChE inhibitors.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of acridone glycosides as selective BChE inhibitors

Based on structure analyses of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a series of 21 acridone glycosides were designed, synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their BChE and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. d-ribose derivative 6f exhibited the greatest inhibitory activity on BChE (IC50 = 6.95 μM), and was the most selective inhibitor of BChE with the IC50 ratio of AChE/BChE was 20.59. d-glucose and d-galactose derivatives 6a and 6b showed inhibitory activities against both AChE and BChE. Moreover, compounds 6a, 6b, 6f and 5t were found nontoxic on SHSY5Y neuroblastoma and HepG2 cell and exhibited remarkable neuroprotective activity. Besides, compound 6f showed mixed-type inhibition against BChE (Ki = 1.76 μM), which renders 6f a potential agent for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. These novel acridone hybrids might be used as efficient probes to reveal the relationship between ligands and BChE and pave the way for developing selective BChE inhibitors to further study the pathogenesis of alzheimer's disease.

Discovery of 9-phenylacridinediones as highly selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors through structure-based virtual screening

Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is considered a promising drug target as it plays an important role in the progression of late stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Two compound libraries were selected and 64 124 amine containing moieties were screened using a hierarchical virtual screening protocol to discover new selective BuChE inhibitors. From these and subsequent docking experiments, 9-phenylacridinedione (9-PAD) was identified as a promising scaffold for selective inhibition of BuChE. Selected top dock scored 9-PADs were assayed and compounds 3 and 6 exhibited potent and highly selective human BuChE inhibition (IC50: 98 nM and 142 nM, respectively). Both molecules were also predicted to show sufficient brain permeability, not have any substantial toxicities, especially hepatotoxicity, and no significant in vitro cytotoxicity against SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells at concentrations up to 100 µM. These findings indicate that 9-PAD is a promising lead structure for the development of agents able to treat late stage AD.

Development of potent reversible selective inhibitors of butyrylcholinesterase as fluorescent probes

Brain butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is an attractive target for drugs designed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in its advanced stages. It also potentially represents a biomarker for progression of this disease. Based on the crystal structure of previously described highly potent, reversible, and selective BChE inhibitors, we have developed the fluorescent probes that are selective towards human BChE. The most promising probes also maintain their inhibition of BChE in the low nanomolar range with high selectivity over acetylcholinesterase. Kinetic studies of probes reveal a reversible mixed inhibition mechanism, with binding of these fluorescent probes to both the free and acylated enzyme. Probes show environment-sensitive emission, and additionally, one of them also shows significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity upon binding to the active site of BChE. Finally, the crystal structures of probes in complex with human BChE are reported, which offer an excellent base for further development of this library of compounds.

Design and synthesis of benzodiazepine-1,2,3-triazole hybrid derivatives as selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors.

A new series of compounds based on benzodiazepine-1,2,3-triazole were synthesized and evaluated as cholinesterase inhibitors by Ellman's method. The compounds proved to be selective inhibitors of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) over acetylcholinesterase. The most potent compound was 3,3-dimethyl-11-(3-((1-(4-nitrobenzyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phenyl)-2,3,4,5,10,11-hexahydro-1H-dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin-1-one, identified as a submicromolar inhibitor of BuChE with IC50 value of 0.2µM. In addition, the amyloid-β self-aggregation evaluation studies for selected compounds showed potent inhibitory effects compared to donepezil. The docking and cell viability studies supported the potential of compound 9b-6 as significant BuChE inhibitor.

Design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of novel 1,3,4-oxadiazolecarbamothioate derivatives of Rivastigmine as selective inhibitors of BuChE

Rivastigmine has been prescribed for the therapy of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms. This drug is classified in the carbamate derivative group that has dual activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). According to the structure of Rivastigmine and its performance, a new series of 5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-carbamothioate compounds I–XI was synthesized using structure-based drug discovery approaches. For this purpose a set of these compounds were designed with computational docking method and their interactions with amino acid residues in the active sites of AChE and BuChE checked out. The structures of synthesized compounds were established by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The carbamoyl moiety of Rivastigmine structure was modified to carbamothioate and the effects of 1,3,4-oxadiazole heterocycle as a pharmacophoric nucleus were investigated. The potential of the synthesized compounds I–XI was evaluated against two most known agents of AD (AChE and BuChE) to determine their IC50 values. The results of the docking showed the range of binding affinity for the best poses of ten individual conformers for any compounds (I–XI) was between −7.81 (VI) and −6.75 (II) kcal/mol. The results of biological experiments displayed that most synthetic compounds (I–VIII) showed moderate to excellent selective activity range against BuChE (0.51–69.44 µM). In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of these compounds (I–XI) by MTT assay on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell line exhibited no activity against HDF. The compound VI [S-(5-(p-tolyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl) ethyl(methyl)carbamothioate] showed the most stable binding affinity (−7.81 kcal/mol) and the lowest IC50 value (0.51 µM) in comparison with Rivastigmine with 7.72 µM and Donepezil with 5.20 µM against BuChE.

Discovery of Selective Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) Inhibitors through a Combination of Computational Studies and Biological Evaluations.

As there are increased levels and activity of butyrylcholiesterase (BChE) in the late stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), development of selective BChE inhibitors is of vital importance. In this study, a workflow combining computational technologies and biological assays were implemented to identify selective BChE inhibitors with new chemical scaffolds. In particular, a pharmacophore model served as a 3D search query to screen three compound collections containing 3.0 million compounds. Molecular docking and cluster analysis were performed to increase the efficiency and accuracy of virtual screening. Finally, 15 compounds were retained for biological investigation. Results revealed that compounds 8 and 18 could potently and highly selectively inhibit BChE activities (IC50 values < 10 μM on human BChE, selectivity index BChE > 30). These active compounds with novel scaffolds provided us with a good starting point to further design potent and selective BChE inhibitors, which may be beneficial for the treatment of AD.