One-pot multicomponent synthesis of novel 3, 4-dihydro-3-methyl-2(1H)-quinazolinone derivatives and their biological evaluation as potential antioxidants,enzyme inhibitors,antimicrobials, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory agents

A series of novel 3, 4-dihydro-3-methyl-2(1H)-quinazolinone derivatives with substituted amine moieties (1–13) and substituted aldehyde (S) were designed and synthesized by a reflux condensation reaction in the presence of an acid catalyst to get N-Mannich bases. Mannich bases were evaluated pharmacologically for their antioxidant, α-amylase enzyme inhibition, antimicrobial, cell cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activities. Most of the compounds exhibited potent activities against these bioassays. Among them, SH1 and SH13 showed potent antioxidant activity against DPPH free radical at IC₅₀ of 9.94 ± 0.16 µg/mL and 11.68 ± 0.32 µg/mL, respectively. SH7, SH10 and SH13 showed significant results in TAC and TRP antioxidant assays, comparable to that of ascorbic acid. SH2 and SH3 showed potent activity in inhibiting α-amylase enzyme at IC₅₀ of 10.17 ± 0.23 µg/mL and 9.48 ± 0.17 µg/mL, respectively, when compared with acarbose (13.52 ± 0.19 µg/mL). SH7 was the most active against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains, SH13 being the most potent against P. aeruginosa by inhibiting its growth up to 80% (MIC = 11.11 µg/mL). SH4, SH5 and SH6 exhibited significant activity against some fungal strains. Among the thirteen synthesized compounds (SH1-SH13), four were screened out based on the results of brine shrimp lethality assay (LD₅₀) and cell cytotoxicity assay (IC₅₀), to determine their anti-cancer potential against Hep-G2 cells. The study was conducted for 24, 48, and 72 h. SH12 showed potent results at IC₅₀ of 6.48 µM at 72 h when compared with cisplatin (2.56 µM). An in vitro nitric oxide (NO) assay was performed to shortlist compounds for in vivo anti-inflammatory assay. Among shortlisted compounds, SH13 exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the paw thickness to the maximum compared to the standard, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).     

Novel aromatic carboxamides from dehydroabietylamine as potential fungicides: Design,synthesis and antifungal evaluation

The present study was carried out to design and synthesize a number of novel aromatic carboxamide derivatives of dehydroabietylamine. The preliminary antifungal assay indicated that most of title compounds displayed moderate to good antifungal activity toward the six fungal strains in vitro. Compounds 3i, 3q, 4b and 4d showed significant antifungal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, with EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.067 ～ 0.393 mg/L. Compounds 3i, 4b and 4d also showed pronounced mycelial growth inhibition activities against B. cinerea and A. solani. Furthermore, in the in vivo assay, compound 4b exhibited brilliant protective activity against S. sclerotiorum-infected rape leaves. Meanwhile, the in vivo bioassay on tomato plants infected by B. cinerea showed that compound 3i and 4d displayed excellent protective activity at 200 mg/L, which were near to boscalid. Primary mechanistic study revealed that 4b could inhibit sclerotia formation as well as reduce the exopolysaccharide level. SEM and TEM analysis indicated that 4b possessed a strong ability to destroy the surface morphology of mycelia, cell structure and seriously interfere with the growth of the fungal pathogen. In addition, 4b exhibited good inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 23.3 ± 1.6 μM) toward succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Molecular modeling study confirmed the binding modes between compound 4b and SDH. The above antifungal results and fungicidal mechanism study revealed that this class of dehydroabietylamine derivatives could be potential SDH inhibitors and lead compounds for novel fungicides development.     

Antitubercular and antioxidant activities of hydroxy and chloro substituted chalcone analogues: Synthesis,biological and computational studies

A series of chalcone analogues (1–15) were synthesized by Claisen-Schmidt condensation in good yields (70–95%) and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR and mass spectral methods. Additionally, compounds 3 and 7 were characterized by ¹³C NMR. Antitubercular and antioxidant activities of the chalcones were evaluated by MABA and DPPH free radical assays. In MABA assay analogues 3 (MIC = 14 ± 0.11 µM) and 11 (MIC = 14 ± 0.17 µM) bearing fluorine and methoxy groups at para and meta positions were 1.8-times more active than the standard pyrazinamide (MIC = 25.34 ± 0.22 µM). The chalcone analogues such as compound 7 (IC₅₀ = 4 ± 1 µg/mL) containing electron releasing groups such as OH at ortho position had slightly more antioxidant activity than Gallic acid (IC₅₀ = 5 ± 1 µg/mL). The potential compounds 3, 7, 9 and 11 were less selective and toxic against human live cell lines-LO2. Further, molecular docking results of chalcones against anti-tubercular drug target isocitrate lyase (PDB ID: 1F8M) revealed that compound 3 and 11 shown least binding energies as ?7.6, and ?7.5 kcal/mol are in line with in vitro MABA assay, suggesting that these compounds 3 and 11 are strong inhibitor of isocitrate lyase. SwissADME programme estimated the drug likeliness properties of compounds 3, 7, 9 and 11. The lead molecules arisen through this study helps to develop new antitubercular and antioxidant agents.     

Synthesis,bioactivity and preliminary mechanism of action of novel trifluoromethyl pyrimidine derivatives

In this study, a series of trifluoromethyl pyrimidine derivatives 5a-5v were designed and synthesized. All synthetic compounds were original. Bioassay results showed that some of the target compounds were proved to have higher antiviral and antifungal activities than those of commercial agents. Especially, EC₅₀ values of the curative activity of compound 5j and the protection activity of compound 5m were 126.4 and 103.4 µg/mL, respectively, which were lower than that of ningnanmycin. Microscale thermophoresis experiment proved that there was a good interaction between compound 5m and TMV-CP. Meanwhile, the antifungal activity results showed that compound 5u had a significant on in vitro against Rhizoctonia solani (RS) activity, with the EC₅₀ value of 26.0 µg/mL, which was equal to that of azoxystrobin. As well, in vivo experiments on rice leaves showed that compound 5u could effectively control RS, and the effect of 5u on the cell morphology of RS was observed by scanning electron microscopy.     

Pentacyclic Triterpenoids,Phytosteroids and Fatty Acid Isolated from the Stem-bark of Cola lateritia K. Schum. (Sterculiaceae) of Cameroon origin; Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Activity

The phytochemical investigation on the chemical constituents of dichloromethane-methanol (1:1) stem-bark extract of Cola lateritia K. Schum. (Sterculiaceae) led to the isolation and characterization of five pentacyclic triterpenoids, one fatty acid and two phytosteroids. The compounds were identified as heptadecanoic acid (1), maslinic acid (2), betulinic acid (3), lupenone (4), lupeol (5), friedelin (6), β-stigmasterol (7) and ß-sitosterol-3-O-ß-D-glucoside (8). Their structures were determined by NMR analysis (¹H, ¹³C, DEPT-135, COSY, HMBC and HSQC), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) and comparisons with published data in the literature. This work, to the best of our knowledge, is the first isolation and identification of these compounds in pure forms from Cola lateritia. Also, compounds 1–3 are reported for the first time from Cola genus. In vitro antibacterial activity of the isolated compounds (1–8) and the crude extract were evaluated against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella aerogenes with streptomycin, nalidixic acid and ampicillin as standard antibacterial drugs. Compound 2 was active against E. faecalis (MIC = 18.5 µg/mL), and it was 6.9 and 28 times lower and active than that of streptomycin (MIC 128 µg/mL) and nalidixic acid (MIC > 512 µg/mL) respectively. All the isolated compounds and crude extract showed significant activities against the tested bacterial strains.     

Antibacterial activity of flavonoids and triterpenoids isolated from the stem bark and sap of Staudtia kamerunensis Warb. (Myristicaceae)

The chemical investigation of the ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of Staudtia kamerunensis and sap led to the isolation of six compounds which included three isoflavonoids: biochanin A (1), formononetin (2) and 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-5,6,7-trimethoxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (3), one flavonoid: (-) epicatechin (4) and two pentacyclic triterpenoids (oleanan-12-ene-2α,3β -diol (5) and 2α,3β-dihydroxylup-20-ene (6). They were characterized by HREIMS (High Resolution Electron Ionisation Mass Spectrometry), NMR spectroscopy (1D and 2D) and comparison with existing data in literature. The crude extract and isolates were tested against twelve bacterial strains namely; Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumonia. Streptomycin, nalidixic acid and ampicillin were used as standard antibacterial drugs. The results revealed significant antibacterial activity for both the ethyl acetate partition and for the tested compounds, with the lowest MIC value being 15.625 μg/mL. A synergistic activity of the isolated triterpenoids was evaluated with interesting results. On a general note, the antibacterial activity of compound 5 was doubled specifically against Gram-negative bacterial strains. This could be a therapeutic antimicrobial pathway in face of the rising bacterial resistance. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that flavonoids and triterpenoids are isolated from this genus and species. It is also the first report of antibacterial studies on this species.     

An appraisal of Luffa aegyptiaca extract and its isolated triterpenoidal saponins in Trichinella spiralis murine models

Trichinella spiralis is an intestinal and tissue parasitic nematode, emerging and re-emerging causative agent of a serious foodborne parasitic infection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Luffa aegyptiaca leaf extract and its triterpene glycosides on the intestinal and muscle stages of T. spiralis infection in vitro and in vivo. Phytochemical investigations of the extract led to the isolation of five compounds, namely (1) 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-16-O-β-hydroxyolea12-en 23, 28-β-d-diglucopyranoside ester, (2) 3β-hydroxylolea12-en-28-oic acid (Oleanoic acid), (3) oleanolic acid 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranoside, (4) 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-28-β-d-glucopyranosyl oleanolate, and (5) stigmast-5, 22-dien-3-O-β-d-glucopyrano-side. Moreover, the in vitro study showed marked degeneration and destruction of adult worms and larval teguments with tested drugs. Also, in the in vivo study, mice were divided into six groups; group I: infected and untreated, group II: received leaf extract as prophylaxis, group III: infected and treated with leaf extract, group IV: treated with compound (4), group V: treated with compound (1), and group VI: treated with albendazole. Furthermore, the treatment efficacy was assessed by the adult and total larval counts, histopathological study of the small intestinal and muscle tissues, and immunohistochemical staining of CD34 in muscles. The results revealed a significant reduction of total adult and larval counts in prophylactic and treated groups compared to the positive control group, with a reduction of total adult count by 63.48% and 74.4% in compound (1) and compound (4) treated groups, respectively. Also, a reduction was detected in larval counts by 36.5%, and 93.6% in compound (1) and compound (4) treated groups during both the muscular and intestinal phases, respectively.Additionally, histopathological examination of the small intestine and muscles showed marked improvement with a reduction in the inflammatory infiltrates in treated groups. CD34 expressions were reduced in treated groups with more reduction in compound (4) treated group. In conclusion, this study implies that L. aegyptiaca leaf extract and its tested triterpene glycosides might be used for anti-trichinellosis treatments.     

Synthesis,pharmacological evaluation,and molecular modeling studies of novel isatin hybrids as potential anticancer agents

A novel series of isatin hybrids 5a-g was designed, synthesized, and characterized spectroscopically. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) by in vitro MTT assay. Amongst the tested compounds, 5e compound bearing benzyl moiety at N₄ piperazine was found to be the most active with the promising IC₅₀ (12.47 µM). Moreover, the active compounds 5e and 5g were subjected to antitumor evaluation (in vivo) against Dalton’s ascitic lymphoma (DAL) cell line and the results suggested that the best active compound 5e can normalize the blood picture in comparison to the standard drug. An in silico molecular docking study using the crystal structure of Hsp90 protein described the role of significant protein–ligand interactions and revealed more insights into the binding mode. The drug-likeliness of the compounds was predicted based on Lipinski's rule of five and pharmacokinetic ADME parameters. Hence, the synthesized isatin hybrids could be novel starting point anticancer lead compounds demonstrating drug-like properties which can be explored further for anticancer drug discovery.     

Production of bioactive compounds from callus of Pueraria thomsonii Benth with promising cytotoxic and antibacterial activities

For thousands of years Pueraria thomsonii Benth has been used to treat a number of diseases in traditional Chinese pharmacopeia. Despite these uses, there is still insufficient information on its biological activity and chemical composition. In this respect, the in vitro callus culture of P. thomsonii was subjected to identify anticancer and antibacterial compounds. Based on significant preliminary cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities; the chemical investigation led to the isolation of isoflavonoids, coumaric acid derivative and dihydroxyflavanone-type of compounds viz., daidzin (1), puerarin (2), biochanin A (3), daidzein (4), p-coumaric acid ethyl ester (5) and liquiritigenin (6), respectively. These compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities. Among them, p-coumaric acid ethyl ester (5) exhibited significant cytotoxicity with GI₅₀ values of 14.73, 15.64 and 20.88 μM/mL against 4T1, NC1-H1975 and A549, respectively; the other isoflavones and aflavonoid showed moderate to weak activities. Moreover, p-coumaric acid ethyl ester (5) inhibited the growth of K. pneumonia, MRSE and MRSA at very low MIC values of 6.01, 12.01 µg/mL 24.02, respectively. On the other hand compounds biochanin A (3) and liquiritigenin (6) showed moderate antibacterial activity. Because of the potential anticancer and antibacterial activities of bioactive compounds from P. thomsonii, they can be used to treat various cancer and emerging bacterial infections.     

Synthesis,antifungal activity and in vitro mechanism of novel 1-substituted-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide derivatives

Inspired by the wide application of amides in plant pathogens, a series of novel 1-substituted-5-trifluoromethyl?1H?pyrazole-4-carboxamide derivatives were designed and synthesized. Bioassay results indicated that some target compounds exhibited excellent and broad-spectrum in vitro and certain in vivo antifungal activities. Among them, the in vitro EC₅₀ values of Y₁₃ against G. zeae, B. dothidea, F. prolifeatum and F. oxysporum were 13.1, 14.4, 13.3 and 21.4 mg/L, respectively. The in vivo protective activity of Y₁₃ against G. zeae at 100 mg/L was 50.65%. SAR analysis revealed that the phenyl on the 1-position of the pyrazole ring was important for this activity. An antifungal mechanism study of Y₁₃ against G. zeae demonstrated that this compound may disrupt the cell membrane of mycelium, thus inhibiting the growth of fungi. These mechanistic study results were inconsistent with those for traditional amides and may provide a novel view for deep study of this series of pyrazole carboxamide derivatives.     

Optimized POCl3-assisted synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole/1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as anti-influenza agents

Although recent decades have witnessed the synthesis of 1,3,4-thiadiazoles via phosphorus POCl₃-promoted cyclization reaction, simultaneous access to 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole analogs remains unexpected and elusive. Herein, a detailed regiocontrolled synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles in good to high yields with good regioselectivities from readily available thiosemicarbazides using POCl₃ was disclosed. Meantime, to establish a comprehensive structure–activity relationship, 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as single regioisomers were prepared via EDCI·HCl-triggered cyclization of the thiosemicarbazide intermediates. The in vitro anti-influenza assays proved that the selected compounds with the pyrazine/pyridine ring exhibited certain inhibitory activities against influenza A virus strains A/HK/68 (H3N2) and A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) in MDCK cells. Among them, N-(adamantan-1-yl)-5-(5-(azepan-1-yl)pyrazin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine (4j) was the most active compound, and exhibited favorable activity with EC₅₀ values of 3.5 μM and 7.5 μM, respectively. In addition, the molecular docking results explained the reason why compound 4j had dual inhibitory activity and revealed the reasonable binding mode of this compound with the M2-S31N and M2-WT ion channels. This compound had the potential to be further developed as an anti-influenza drug.     

Chemical and pharmacological aspects of novel hetero MLB complexes derived from NO2 type Schiff base and N2 type 1,10-phenanthroline ligands

A series of hetero ligand MLB complexes (1–5) were synthesised from tridentate NO₂ type Schiff base [H₂L: (E)-2-((2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)(phenyl)methyleneamino)benzoic acid; derived from 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone and 2-aminobenzoic acid] and bidentate N₂ type 1,10-phenanthroline (B: phen) ligands. The structural characterization of the synthesised MLB complexes were carried out via analytical as well as various spectral studies. Additionally, the low molar conductance values (Λ_m = 14–22 Ω⁻¹ cm² mol⁻¹) imply that the complexes (1–5) are non-electrolytes. The obtained results reinforce that stoichiometry of the mononuclear hetero ligand complexes can be represented as [M(II)-Schiff base(L)-phen(B)·H₂O] and both H₂L and (B) ligands can act as tri and bidentates respectively. Moreover, both the ligands bind with metal(II) ions to build a stable six, six, five membered chelate rings with octahedral geometry. The existing solvent water molecule is confirmed from thermal as well as vibrational analysis. Their microcrystalline nature and uniform surface morphology were confirmed by both powder XRD and SEM studies. 3D molecular modeling and analysis of NiLB and CuLB complexes (3 and 4) were also studied. Mn(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes (1, 3 and 4) strongly interact with DNA through intercalation binding with strong binding constant values. The obtained K_app values were 5.23, 4.98, 6.36, 7.21 and 4.86 × 10⁵ mol⁻¹ for MLB complexes (1–5) respectively and the negative Δ³G values shown that all the complexes are strongly interact with DNA in a spontaneous manner. Further, remarkable biological, antioxidant and DNA activities were remarkably exhibited by MnLB, NiLB and CuLB complexes.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of novel dehydroabietic acid-dithiocarbamate hybrids as potential multi-targeted compounds for tumor cytotoxicity

In the present study, novel representatives of the important group of biologically-active, dehydroabietic acid-bearing dithiocarbamate moiety, were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, HR-MS. The in vitro antiproliferative activity evaluation (MTT) indicated that these compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activities in various cancer cell lines (HepG-2, MCF-7, HeLa, T-24, MGC-803). Particularly, compound III-b possessed extraordinary cytotoxicity with low micromolar IC₅₀ values ranging from 4.07 to 38.84 µM against tested cancer cell lines, while displayed weak cytotoxicity on two normal cell lines (LO-2 and HEK 293 T). Subsequently, the potential mechanisms of representative compound III-b were elementarily investigated by Transwell experiment, which showed III-b can inhibit cancer cells migration. Annexin-V/PI dual staining showed that the compound can induce HepG-2 cells apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile this apoptosis may be related to the upregulated protein expression of cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 9, Bax and downregulated of Bcl-2 indicated by Western Blot. Later study further confirmed that ROS levels in HepG-2 cells increased significantly with the rise of concentrations. In addition, through the network pharmacology data analyzing, the core targets and signaling pathways of compound III-b for treatment of liver neoplasms were forecasted. Molecular docking model showed that compound III-b had high affinity with hub targets (CASP3, EGFR, HSP90AA1, MAPK1, ERBB2, MDM2), suggesting that compound III-b might target the hub protein to modulate signaling activity. Taken together, these data indicated that dehydroabietic acid structural modification following the “Molecular hybridization” principle is a feasible way to discover the potential multi-targeted antitumor compounds.     

Cyclometalated complexes containing ferrocenyl Schiff base: Preparation,characterization, DFT calculations,application in cancer and biological researches and MOE studies

A series of transition metal (II/III) complexes containing organometallic Schiff base ligand (H₂L) had been synthesized and characterized by using elemental analysis (C, H, N, M), molar conductivity, IR, UV–Vis, ¹H NMR and mass spectral analysis. Also, their TG and DTG behaviors were investigated. The ligand was prepared by condensation of 4-aminosalicylic acid with 2-acetylferrocene in 1:1 M ratio. The data of elemental analysis indicated that the prepared complexes were synthesized also in a 1:1 M ratio. The ligand behaved as neutral bidentate ligand that coordinated to metal ions through protonated O-phenolic and protonated carboxylic-OH groups. All complexes had octahedral structure. DFT calculations for H₂L ligand were determined with some parameters such as HOMO-LUMO energy gab, electronegativity and chemical hardness–softness. Antimicrobial activity of both H₂L Schiff base ligand and its metal complexes was tested against different strains of bacteria and fungi species. Furthermore, all compounds had been screened for their anticancer activities against breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line. [Cu(H₂L)(H₂O)₂Cl₂]·2H₂O complex had the lowest IC₅₀ value = 47.3 µg/mL. For determining the more effective and probable binding mode between the H₂L ligand, Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes with different active sites of 4K3V, 2YLB and 3DJD receptors, so molecular docking studies were investigated.     

Semisynthetic derivatives of haemanthamine and their in vitro antiproliferative activity evaluation against a panel of human cell lines

In this study, a new series of aliphatic, cyclic, and heterocyclic derivatives of haemanthamine was designed and synthesized to enhance its inhibitory effect on the proliferation and viability of cancer cells. A library of haemanthamine derivatives was subjected to 10 μM single-dose cytotoxicity screening against a panel of human cell lines of various histotypes. Initial cytotoxicity evaluation of the parent haemanthamine (1) and a series of twenty-nine (2–30) semisynthetic analogues showed that for some of the newly formed derivatives, a certain cytotoxic effect was observed, in one case even higher than that of the parent compound. Specifically, 11-O-(4-chloro-3-nitrobenzoyl)haemanthamine (21) showed an enhanced antiproliferative effect, where the mean growth percent (GP) value was 5% compared to haemanthamine, leading to a decrease in the GP to 25%. Among ten cell lines tested, derivative 21, bearing a substituted aromatic ester bond via C-11 of haemanthamine, had excellent activity for inhibiting the growth of HeLa (IC₅₀ = 0.2 ± 0.1 μM), A549 (IC₅₀ = 1.7 ± 0.1 μM) and HT-29 (IC₅₀ = 2.2 ± 0.1 μM) cells. When evaluating response kinetics, we found that 21 and haemanthamine dose- and time-dependently suppressed the proliferation of A549 cells. In contrast to haemanthamine (1), Trypan blue and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay revealed that 21 was capable of reducing the survival of A549 cells.     

Polyphenolic characterization and evaluation of multimode antioxidant,cytotoxic, biocompatibility and antimicrobial potential of selected ethno-medicinal plant extracts

IntroductionScientific evidence about biological profile of natural products can support their traditional uses. The current work was aimed to assess phytochemical and biological profile of nine medicinal plants collected from Herbalists.MethodsExtracts prepared in different solvents were subjected to phytochemical, antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial activities. Reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis was performed for the quantification of polyphenols.ResultsResults showed methanol extract (M) being potent as compared to others. Gentian lutea M showed maximum extract recovery (15.00 ± 0.11 % w/w) and TFC (30.82 ± 0.21 μg QE/mg extract). Nigella sativa M displayed highest TPC (44.99 ± 0.43 μg GAE/mg extract) and TAC (334.72 ± 0.35 μg AAE/ mg extract). Results showed noteworthy quantities of vanillic acid, rutin, kaempferol, emodin in ethyl acetate (EA) and methanol (M) extracts of plants assessed by RP-HPLC. Gentisic acid was highest (11.75 µg/mg extract) in T. arjuna M extract. Similarly, maximum %FRSA (82.28 ± 0.03 %) and TRP (160.40 ± 0.38 μg AAE/ mg extract) were depicted by Terminalia chebula and Chamomilla recutita, respectively. Moreover, Mentha longifolia and G. lutea M demonstrated noteworthy (p < 0.05) antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (14 ± 0.7 mm) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12 ± 0.3 mm), respectively. Curcuma amada, C. recutita, Murraya koenigii and G. lutea M had significant α-glucosidase activity. Another good solvent for extraction was ethyl acetate (EA), whose extracts were secondary to methanol in producing significant biological profile. For example, EA of N. sativa (TPC: 1.46 ± 0.45 µg GAE/ mg extract), G. lutea (TRP: 160.33 ± 0.52 μg AAE/mg extract: ZOI of 12 ± 0.5 mm in K. pneumoniae) and Mormodica charantia (α-amylase inhibition: 39.5 ± 0.10 %) showed significant bioactivities. All extracts displayed mild antifungal protein kinase inhibition activities and were significantly (greater than80 %: p < 0.05) cytotoxic to brine shrimps with negligible hemolytic activity.ConclusionBriefly, variable polarity solvent extracts of studied plants will be processed for isolation of antioxidant, cytotoxic, carbohydrate enzyme inhibitory and antibacterial compounds.     

Design,synthesis, docking and mechanistic studies of new thiazolyl/thiazolidinylpyrimidine-2,4-dione antiproliferative agents

In this article, we display on the synthesis and biological evaluation of a new series of thiazolylpyrimidine 3a-l and thiazolidinylpyrimidine derivatives 5a-e. The structures of the new compounds were confirmed by using different spectral techniques including NMR, IR, mass spectroscopy in addition to elemental analyses. The cell viability of the new compounds was assessed against normal human mammary gland epithelial (MCF-10A) cell line. Data revealed that none of the compounds examined exhibited cytotoxic effects, and the cell viability for the compounds examined at 50 µM was greater than 87%. The antiproliferative activity of 3a-l and 5a-e was evaluated against four human cancer cell lines where the compounds showed promising activity. The most potent derivatives were compounds 3a, 3c, 3f, 3i, and 5b with GI₅₀ values ranging from 0.90 µM to 1.70 µM against the four cancer cell lines in comparison to doxorubicin (GI₅₀ = 1.10 µM). Compounds 3a, 3c and 3i showed potent antiproliferative activity with dual inhibitory action against EGFR and BRAF^V600E. Compounds 3a, 3c, and 3i demonstrated promising AutoDock scores towards EGFR and BRAF^V600E with values of ? 9.1 and ? 8.6, ?9.0 and ? 8.5, and ? 8.4 and ? 8.0 kcal/mol, respectively. The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic characteristics of 3a, 3c, and 3i were anticipated, demonstrating their oral bioavailability.     

Design,synthesis, crystal structures and biological evaluation of some 1,3-thiazolidin-4-ones as dual CDK2/EGFR potent inhibitors with potential apoptotic antiproliferative effects

A series of novel thiazolidine-4-one derivatives was synthesized by reacting 1,4-disubstituted hydrazine carbothioamides with diethyl azodicarboxylate. The structures were confirmed by spectroscopic data as well as single-crystal X-ray analyses. The antiproliferative activity of the synthesized compounds was investigated against four human cancer cell lines using an MTT assay. Compounds 5d, 5e, and 5f revealed the most potent antiproliferative activity with GI₅₀ values ranging from 0.70 µM to 1.20 µM, compared to doxorubicin GI₅₀ value = 1.10 µM. Compounds 5d, 5e, and 5f were further investigated for their inhibitory activities against CDK2 and EGFR as potential targets for their molecular mechanism. Compounds 5e and 5f have showed potent inhibitory activity to CDK2 enzyme with IC₅₀ values of 18 and 14 nM, which is more potent than the reference dinaciclib (IC₅₀ = 20 nM). Moreover, compounds 5e and 5f were the most potent EGFR inhibitors, with IC₅₀ values of 93 and 87 nM, respectively, compared to the reference erlotinib (IC₅₀ = 70 nM). In addition, the most potent derivatives were tested for their apoptotic activity against caspases 3, 8, and 9, and the results showed that compounds 5d, 5e, and 5f revealed a greater increase in active caspases 3,8 and 9 than doxorubicin. Also, compounds 5d, 5e, and 5f elevated cytochrome C levels in the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line by about 15.5, 15.8, and 16.5 times, respectively. Finally, a molecular docking study was performed to investigate the binding sites of these compounds within the active sites of CDK2 and EGFR targets, and the results confirmed that the most potent CDK2 and EGFR inhibitor 5h also have showed the highest docking score.     

First report of flavonoids from leaves of Machaerium acutifolium by DI-ESI-MS/MS

The aqueous fraction obtained by the partition of the ethanolic extract from leaves of Machaerium acutifolium (Fabaceae-Papilionoideae) was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and direct insertion in a mass spectrometer with an ion trap analyzer equipped with an electrospray ionization source (DI-ESI-MS/MS). The chemical analysis of the extract demonstrated the occurrence of eight flavonols (1–8), two isoflavonoids (9 and 10) and one biflavonoid (11). These compounds are being reported for the first time from M. acutifolium. The aqueous fraction showed 28.37 ± 0.94% of AA in assay on DPPH and 151.70 ± 9.44 GAE of the total phenolic content.     

Modified QuEChERS method for phenolic compounds determination in mustard greens (Brassica juncea) using UHPLC-MS/MS

A modified QuEChERS method (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) for the determination of fifteen phenolic compounds in mustard greens (Brassica juncea) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis was developed. The QuEChERS partitioning step and dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) clean-up sorbents were investigated, aimed at phenolic compound extraction and pigment removal, respectively. QuEChERS acetate version combined with 25 mg of diatomaceous earth (DE) and 5.0 mg of graphitized carbon black (GCB) provided the best conditions for sample preparation of the target compounds. Under the optimized conditions, all phenolic compounds showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.99) over the concentration range of 0.1 to 8000 μg kg⁻¹, and the quantification limits were in the range of 0.06–230 μg kg⁻¹. The spectrophotometric analysis showed that the clean-up step promoted a significant removal of chlorophyll, which is the major pigment present in the sample. Furthermore, antioxidant activity analysis was also carried out after the clean-up step and, together with chromatographic data, showed that no significant retention of the phenolic compounds occurs in the clean-up step. Two mustard greens varieties – Southern Giant Curled (SGC) and Florida Broadleaf (FB) - were analyzed with the proposed method. Seven phenolic compounds (4-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids, naringenin, apigenin and kaempferol) were found in both varieties, the greatest abundance being for sinapic acid (1261.5 ± 23 μg kg⁻¹ in SGC and 1235.5 ± 26 μg kg⁻¹ in FB) and ferulic acid (2861 ± 24 μg kg⁻¹ in SGC and 3204.5 ± 45 μg kg⁻¹ in FB).