Synthesis and anti-bacterial properties of mono-carbonyl analogues of curcumin

The synthesis of three series of curcumin analogues with mono-carbonyl is described. Their in vitro anti-bacterial activities against seven Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were tested and the effect of substituents on the aryl ring and the space structure of the linking strain were discussed. It was observed that part of the derivatives displayed significant activity when compared with curcumin and most of them exhibited activity against the ampicillin-resisted Enterobacter cloacae. Compounds A12, B09, B13, B14 and C09 show remarkable antibacterial activity in vitro. The result showed that heterocycle or long-chain substituents may enhance the activity of curcumin analogues.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of emodin and its derivatives against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Synthesis of the antibacterial emodin was improved using Friedel-Crafts acylation as a key step leading to 37% overall yield. In addition, 21 analogues were synthesized by structural modification of the hydroxyl and methyl groups, as well as the aromatic ring of emodin. Antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and cytotoxicity against noncancerous Vero cells were evaluated. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study indicated that the hydroxyl groups and the methyl group in the emodin skeleton were crucial for anti-MRSA activity. Furthermore, the presence of an iodine atom or ethylamino group on the aromatic ring enhanced the anti-MRSA activity with higher selectivity indices, while derivatives containing bromine, chlorine atoms or quaternary ammonium salt were as active as emodin. The quaternary ammonium group on the aromatic ring also led to non-cytotoxicity against Vero cells.     

N-(5-芳苄叉基饶丹宁)左氧氟沙星酰胺的合成及抗肿瘤活性

为进一步发现氟喹诺酮药物向抗肿瘤活性转化的结构修饰新策略,用酰氨基为左氧氟沙星(1)C-3羧基的电子等排体,5-芳苄叉基饶丹宁为其功能修饰基,设计合成了N-(5-芳苄叉基饶丹宁)左氧氟沙星酰胺类目标化合物(6a-6n)。 体外抗肿瘤活性结果表明,所合成的14个化合物的活性均强于母体左氧氟沙星,且对正常细胞表现出较低的细胞毒性作用。 构效关系表明,增大芳基取代基的体积或供电性均导致抗肿瘤活性的明显降低,反之,吸电子取代苯基或芳香杂环类目标化合物的抗肿瘤活性强于其他取代基类。 其中,硝基化合物6l、呋喃6m和吡啶6n对人胰腺癌细胞株(Capan-1)的半数抑制浓度(IC₅₀) 与对照抗肿瘤药阿霉素(1.6 μmol/L)相当,分别为1.8、0.8和1.3 μmol/L。 因此,芳苄叉基饶丹宁修饰的酰氨基替代C-3羧基有利于提高氟喹诺酮的抗肿瘤活性。     

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of rhodomyrtone derivatives as antibacterial agent

To study structure-activity relationship of rhodomyrtone against Gram-positive bacteria,structural modification of rhodo-myrtone was carried out to afford its 10 analogues.All compounds were assayed for their antibacterial potency using broth microdilution method.The results indicated that rhodomyrtone exhibited higher antibacterial activity against all Gram-positive bacteria than its analogues,with the exception of rhodomyrtone 6,8-diacetate(3) and oxime analogues 6 and 7 which demonstrated similar activity as the parent compound against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis with minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration ranged from 1 to 4μg/mL and 2 to 4μg/mL,respectively.In contrast,all analogues displayed no activity against Acinetobacter baumannii.Hydroxyl and ketone groups of rhodomyrtone were elucidated to be essential for the antibacterial property.     

Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on oxazolidinone antibacterial agents. 2. Relationship between lipophilicity and antibacterial activity in 5-thiocarbonyl oxazolidinones

5-Thiourea and 5-dithiocarbamate oxazolidinones were synthesized as a continuation of research on 5-thiocarbonyl oxazolidinone antibacterial agents considering the hydrophobic parameters of the molecule. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) study revealed that the antibacterial activity on 5-thiocarbonyl oxazolidinones was significantly affected by the lipophilicity, especially the calculated log P value and the balance between 5-hydrophilic (or hydrophobic) substituent and hydrophobic (or hydrophilic) substituents on the benzene ring. Some of 5-thiocarbonyl oxazolidinones were found to have good in vitro antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).     

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of novel curcumin analogues

Five novel curcumin analogues bearing different substituents at 4-position of phenyl group were synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by NMR and HRMS spectrum. Their cytotoxic activities against six tumor cell lines were tested by the standard MTT assay in vitro. The results indicated that four analogues （1A-1C, 1E） with solubilizing moieties showed selective potent cytotoxicity against HepG2, HeLa and CT26 cell lines, and analogue 1A and 1C exhibited more potent cytotoxicity than curcumin against CT26 cell line. It was suggested that introduction of appropriate substituents to 4-position of phenyl group might be a potential option for structural modification of curcumin.     

Design and synthesis of anti-MRSA benzimidazolylbenzene-sulfonamides. QSAR studies for prediction of antibacterial activity

A series of benzimidazolylbenzenesulfonamide compounds containing electron-releasing and electron-withdrawing substituents were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antibacterial activity. Two BZS compounds showed strong antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Quantitative studies of their structure-activity relationship using a simple linear regression analysis were applied to explore the correlation between the biological activity and the charges on acidic hydrogen atoms in the synthesized compounds.     

Synthesis of a new group of aliphatic hydrazide derivatives and the correlations between their molecular structure and biological activity

In view of the growing demand for new compounds showing biological activity against pathogenic microorganisms, such as pathogenic and phytopathogenic fungi, the objective of this study was to synthesize a new group of aliphatic and aromatic derivatives of hydrazide. In consequence of the reactions observed during synthesis, the resulting compounds retained their linear structure. Their structure and lipophilicity, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were analyzed. Correlations were determined between the compounds' molecular parameters and biological activity against Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum fungi. The investigated compounds were also examined for their antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus. The obtained results indicate that compounds with fluorine-containing substituents penetrate the cell structure more effectively and are characterized by higher antifungal potential than analogues with different substituents.     

Design and synthesis of a novel class of constrained tricyclic pyrrolizidinone carboxylic acids as carbapenem mimics

A series of tricyclic pyrrolizidinone carboxylic acids harboring an angular methano group were synthesized as mimics of carbapenems and carbapenams. A key reaction involved a novel intramolecular cyclopropanation mediated by a trimethylstannylmethyl group and an adjacent iminium ion. Enolate chemistry on a tricyclic lactam ring unit allowed the introduction of various substituents. Further elaboration afforded tricyclic pyrrolidinone carboxylic acids, which were found to be inactive as inhibitors against a panel of bacterial strains. However, the antibacterial activity of ceftazidine was enhanced in the presence of the tricyclic analogues.     

Synthesis,characterization and antibacterial activity of a curcumin–silver(I) complex

The current study reports the synthesis of a curcumin–silver(I) complex and its preliminary tests against four bacterial strains viz. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus cereus using agar well diffusion method. The results were compared with curcumin by testing it in parallel with the sample. Curcumin showed zones of inhibition against all tested strains of bacteria. Among all bacterial strains, S. aureus was the most sensitive to curcumin with zone of inhibition of 12.2 mm. However, the curcumin–Ag(I) complex did not show the expected enhanced activity against all bacteria. This is perhaps due to the replacement of curcumin phenolic protons by silver ions which might have suppressed the antibacterial property of curcumin. The current research findings suggest that while synthesizing curcumin–metal complexes, the phenolic heads may either be left unaltered or need to be replaced by better substituents than hydroxy groups. Based on the current findings, biologically enhanced models have been provided as future recommendations.     

STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY STUDIES OF PHOTOACTIVATED ANTIVIRAL AND CYTOTOXIC TRICYCLIC THIOPHENES

The photoactivated antiviral and cytotoxic activities of the naturally occurring thiophene, alpha-terthienyl (1), and 15 synthetic analogues were evaluated against murine cytomegalovirus and Sindbis virus, and murine mastocytoma cells. After irradiation with near UV light, alpha-terthienyl and most of its analogues had significant toxicity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations in the range of 0.02-40 microM. In the absence of near UV irradiation, only one analogue had antiviral activity and five were cytotoxic. The most active analogues were those containing carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, or cyano substituents. Quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis of thiophene phototoxicity suggested that the rate of singlet oxygen production is the primary determinant of antiviral and cytotoxic activities. For phototoxicity against murine cytomegalovirus, a significant role for hydrophobicity was also demonstrated. Tricyclic thiophenes show significant potential for photochemotherapy of viral infections and cancer, and further evaluation in animal models is recommended.     

Benzofuran-isatin conjugates as potent VEGFR-2 and cancer cell growth inhibitors

A series of benzofuran-isatin conjugates 6a-l and 7a,b tethered by various alkyl linkers were synthesized and evaluated for their VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity and in vitro activity against a panel of cancer cell lines. Seven of them were comparable with or better than Sunitinib against all tested cancer cells, demonstrating benzofuran-isatin conjugates were potential anticancer candidates. The mechanism study revealed that VEGFR-2 was at least one of the targets for this kind of conjugates. The structure-activity relationship demonstrated that the carbon spacer between benzofuran and isatin moieties, substituents on the C-2 position of benzofuran moiety, and substituents on C-3 as well as C-5 position of isatin motif influenced the anticancer activity significantly, and the enriched structure-activity relationship may provide an insight for rational design of more effective conjugates.     

Isoflavanones from the heartwood of Swartzia polyphylla and their antibacterial activity against cariogenic bacteria.

The methanolic extract of Swartzia polyphylla DC. heartwood had antibacterial activity against cariogenic bacteria, the mutans Streptococci. The chromatographic purification of the extract afforded seven flavonoids. Among them, three known isoflavanones, dihydrobiochanin A, ferreirin and darbergioidin, and one new isoflavanone, 5,2',4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxyisoflavanone (dihydrocajanin) had potent antibacterial activity against cariogenic bacteria. This effect was not detected on isoflavone derivatives. A comparative antibacterial study of various flavonoids was further performed, and their structure-activity relationship was discussed.     

Antibacterial Activity of Fluorobenzoylthiosemicarbazides and Their Cyclic Analogues with 1,2,4-Triazole Scaffold

The development of drug-resistant bacteria is currently one of the major challenges in medicine. Therefore, the discovery of novel lead structures for the design of antibacterial drugs is urgently needed. In this structure–activity relationship study, a library of ortho-, meta-, and para-fluorobenzoylthiosemicarbazides, and their cyclic analogues with 1,2,4-triazole scaffold, was created and tested for antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria strains. While all tested 1,2,4-triazoles were devoid of potent activity, the antibacterial response of the thiosemicarbazides was highly dependent on substitution pattern at the N4 aryl position. The optimum activity for these compounds was found for trifluoromethyl derivatives such as 15a, 15b, and 16b, which were active against both the reference strains panel, and pathogenic methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates at minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 7.82 to 31.25 μg/mL. Based on the binding affinities obtained from docking, the conclusion can be reached that fluorobenzoylthiosemicarbazides can be considered as potential allosteric d-alanyl-d-alanine ligase inhibitors.     

Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on oxazolidinone antibacterial agents. 1. Conversion of 5-substituent on oxazolidinone

A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study on 5-substituted oxazolidinones as an antibacterial agent is described. The oxazolidinones, of which 5-acetylaminomethyl moiety was converted into other functions, were prepared and evaluated for antibacterial activity. Elongation of the methylene chain (8) and conversion of the acetamido moiety into guanidino moiety (12) decreased the antibacterial activity. The replacement of carbonyl oxygen (=O) by thiocarbonyl sulfur (=S) enhanced in vitro antibacterial activity. Especially, compound 16, which had the 5-thiourea group, showed 4-8 stronger in vitro activity than linezolid. Our SAR study revealed that the antibacterial activity was greatly affected by the conversion of 5-substituent.     

Synthesis and anti-HIV activity of 3-alkylamido-3-deoxy-betulinic acid derivatives

3-Alkylamido-3-deoxy-betulinic acids were synthesized and evaluated for anti-HIV activity as part of the structure-activity relationship study of the potent anti-HIV agent 3-O-(3',3'-dimethyl)-succinyl-betulinic acid (DSB) (2). 3Alpha-diglycorylamide-3-deoxy-betulinic acid demonstrated relatively potent anti-HIV activity (EC50 0.24 microm, TI 728). However, replacing the ester group at C-3 in 2 and its analogues with an amido group yielded inactive or much less potent compounds against HIV replication, indicating that the ester group at C-3 in 2-4 is essential for potent anti-HIV activity.     

N-取代苯基-卤代邻羟基苄胺的合成、表征及抑菌活性

通过卤代水杨醛与取代芳胺缩合、NaBH4还原, 合成了15种N-取代苯基-卤代邻羟基苄胺化合物, 其中14种未见报道. 化合物的结构经IR, 1H NMR, MS与元素分析表征确证. 抑菌测试表明, 在质量浓度为0.05%时, 化合物对白色念珠菌的抑菌率高达100%, 具有强抑菌活性, 对金黄色葡萄球菌、大肠杆菌有一定的抑菌活性. 该类化合物对不同菌株的抑菌活性具有明显的选择性和特异性, 是一类极具潜力的抗真菌化合物. 构效分析表明, 胺基苯环上取代基的类型对化合物抑菌活性有重要影响, 引入F, Cl等卤原子, 能显著增强化合物的抑菌活性, 而引入NO2, OCH3等强吸、供电基团, 能显著降低其抑菌活性; 邻羟基苯环上引入卤原子的类型和数量对化合物抑菌活性有一定影响, 5-溴代化合物比5-氯代化合物、3,5-二溴代化合物对大肠杆菌的抑菌活性更高.     

Synthesis and aldose reductase inhibitory activities of benzyl 2-oxazolecarbamate analogues.

Various analogues of benzyl 5-phenyl-2-oxazolecarbamate (1a) were synthesized, and the structure-activity relationship of these analogues as aldose reductase inhibitor was studied. The carbamate group was necessary for the inhibitory activity. The introduction of an alkyl group at the C-4 position of 1a enhanced the inhibitory activity, however, the N-carboxymethyl group on the carbamate moiety counteracted to a hydrophobic interaction between the alkyl group at the C-4 position and the enzyme molecule.     

Design,synthesis, and in vitro antimycobacterial activities of butylene tethered 7‐fluoroisatin‐isatin scaffolds

In this work, a series of butylene tethered heteronuclear 7‐fluoroisatin‐isatin scaffolds 4a to 4h were designed and synthesized, and the antimycobacterial activity profiles, cytotoxicity together with inhibitory activity against MTB DNA gyrase, were also investigated. All the synthesized heteronuclear scaffolds were active against MTB H₃₇Rv and MDR‐MTB strains, and some of them were more potent than isoniazid ( INH ), rifampicin ( RIF ), ethambutol ( EMB ) against MDR‐MTB strain. The structure‐activity relationship demonstrated that the substituents on C‐3 position of 7‐fluoroisatin and isatin moieties were closely related with the activity, and hydrogen bond donors were favorable to the activity. Scaffolds with different substituents showed higher activity than the analogs with the same substituents at this position of the two isatin motifs, which may be attributed to the synergistic effect. Among them, the most active scaffold 4e (MIC: 1 and 4 μg/mL) was comparable with the first‐line anti‐TB agent EMB against MTB H₃₇Rv, and ≥16‐fold more potent than INH , RIF , and EMB against MDR‐MTB strain, demonstrating its potential for fighting against infections caused by both drug‐sensitive and MDR MTB strains. Moreover, scaffold 4e also possessed excellent toxicological profiles and promising inhibitory activity against MTB DNA gyrase. Thus, scaffold 4e could act as an ideal platform for further optimization.