Synthesis and conformation studies of rubiyunnanin B analogs

Five new analogs 4–8 of rubiyunnanin B (1), mainly modified on the tetrapeptide subunit, were synthesized. These agents 4–8 were substituted d-Ala-l-Ala-l-Tyr(OMe)-l-Ala, d-Ala-l-Ala-l-Phe-l-Ala, d-Ala-l-Ala-l-Try-l-Ala, d-Ala-l-Ala-l-Pro-l-Ala, and d-Ala-l-Ala-l-Ala for the d-Ala-l-Ala-l-N-Me-Tyr(OMe)-l-Ala tetrapeptide subunit. Unlike the natural product, the synthetic agents 4–8 adopt only a single solution conformation, and the central peptide bond in the cyclodityrosine subunit of compounds 4–8 adopt trans stereochemistry. Cytotoxic activities of analogs 4–8 against three human cancer cell lines including A549, BGC-823, and HeLa were evaluated and all the five synthesized peptides exhibited no effects against the test cell lines. These compounds were also evaluated for their antiinsulin resistance and insulin sensitizing activities and none of them showed activity in these assays.     

Agonistic and antagonistic activities of neuromedin U-8 analogs substituted with glycine or D-amino acid on contractile activity of chicken crop smooth muscle preparations.

To study the structure-activity relationships of neuromedin U-8 (NMU-8) (H-Tyr-Phe-Leu-Phe-Arg-Pro-Arg-Asn-NH2) and to develop a NMU-8 antagonist, twenty-three NMU-8 analogs substituted with Gly or the corresponding D-amino acid(s) at positions 1-8 were synthesized by solid-phase techniques. On isolated chicken crop preparations, the contractile activity of the synthetic NMU-8 analogs was compared with that of NMU-8 and their antagonistic activity was assayed against NMU-8. The replacement of Phe2, Phe4, Arg5, Pro6, Arg7 or Asn8 with Gly brought about a drastic decrease of the agonistic activities. Substitution of the corresponding D-amino acid residue for Phe2, Phe4, Arg5, Pro6 or Asn8 caused a marked decrease of the agonistic activities, while the replacement of Tyr1 with D-form enhanced the activity. It was further revealed that [D-Pro6]-NMU-8 and [D-Leu3, D-Pro6]-NMU-8 exerted a non-competitive antagonistic activity against NMU-8 with x values of 5.22 +/- 0.12 and 5.34 +/- 0.09, respectively. [D-Phe2, D-Pro6]-NMU-8, [D-Arg5, D-Pro6]-NMU-8 and [D-Pro6, D-Asn8]-NMU-8 showed a very weak antagonism. The results indicated that 1) the side chain of each amino acid at positions 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of NMU-8 is of relative importance for the expression of the contractile activity, and 2) [D-Pro6]-NMU-8 and its four analogs acted as an antagonist against NMU-8.     

Synthesis of novel 5-chloro-2-(thiophen-2-yl)-7,8-dihydroquinoline-6-carboxamides as potent inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A series of novel 5-chloro-2-(thiophen-2-yl)-7,8-dihydroquinoline-6-carboxamides was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for antitubercular activity. The required 5-chloro-2-(thiophen-2-yl)-7,8-dihydroquinoline-6-carboxylic acid intermediate was prepared by oxidizing the respective aldehyde with sodium chlorite and 30% H2O2. Further, the acid was coupled with various aryl, alkyl, and heterocyclic amines using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and hydroxybenzotriazole to give the desired 5-chloro-2-(thiophen-2-yl)-7,8-dihydroquinoline-6-carboxamides in excellent yields. All the new compounds were characterized by their NMR and mass spectral analysis. Screening of all new compounds for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb) resulted in five analogs with MIC 3.12 µg/cm3 as promising antitubercular agents with lower cytotoxicity profiles.     

Novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as potential antitumor agents: exploratory synthesis, preliminary structure-activity relationships, and in vitro biological evaluation

In a cell-based screen of novel anticancer agents, the hit compound 1a which bears a pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine scaffold exhibited high inhibitory activity against a panel of four different types of tumor cell lines. In particular, the IC?? for A549 cells was 2.24 μM, compared with an IC?? of 9.20 μM for doxorubicin, the positive control. Four synthetic routes of the key intermediate 3 of 1a were explored and 1a was prepared via route D on the gram scale for further research. Two analogs of 1a were synthesized and their preliminary structure-activity relationships were studied. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that compound 1a could significantly induce apoptosis in A549 cells in vitro at low micromolar concentrations. These results suggest that the target compound 1a and its analogs with the pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine scaffold might potentially constitute a novel class of anticancer agents, which requires further studies.     

5-Phenoxy Primaquine Analogs and the Tetraoxane Hybrid as Antimalarial Agents

The rapid emergence of drug resistance to the current antimalarial agents has led to the urgent need for the discovery of new and effective compounds. In this work, a series of 5-phenoxy primaquine analogs with 8-aminoquinoline core (7a–7h) was synthesized and investigated for their antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Most analogs showed improved blood antimalarial activity compared to the original primaquine. To further explore a drug hybrid strategy, a conjugate compound between tetraoxane and the representative 5-phenoxy-primaquine analog 7a was synthesized. In our work, the hybrid compound 12 exhibited almost a 30-fold increase in the blood antimalarial activity (IC₅₀ = 0.38 ± 0.11 μM) compared to that of primaquine, with relatively low toxicity against mammalian cells (SI = 45.61). Furthermore, we found that these 5-phenoxy primaquine analogs and the hybrid exhibit significant heme polymerization inhibition, an activity similar to that of chloroquine, which could contribute to their improved antimalarial activity. The 5-phenoxy primaquine analogs and the tetraoxane hybrid could serve as promising candidates for the further development of antimalarial agents.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 3‐(4‐Chlorophenyl)‐2‐(substituted)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one Derivatives as Multi‐target Anti‐inflammatory Agents

A novel class of 3‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐2‐(substituted)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives were synthesized, and the structure of synthesized compounds was characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The newly synthesized compounds ( 4a–g and 6a–g ) were tested for their in vitro cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition activity. The compounds have inhibitory profile against both COX‐1 and COX‐2, and some of the compounds are found to be selective against COX‐2. The compound 6g showed distinct inhibitory activity on COXs. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their potential anti‐inflammatory activity as inhibitors of the proinflammatory cytokines IL‐6. Compounds 4d – g showed the highest level of inhibition among all the tested compounds. Thus, our data suggested that these compounds may represent a new class of potent anti‐inflammatory agents.     

Inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1beta by hispidin derivatives isolated from the fruiting body of Phellinus linteus

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1beta (PTP1beta) acts as a negative regulator of insulin signaling. Selective inhibition of PTP1beta has served as a potential drug target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. We evaluated the inhibitory effect of Phellinus linteus against PTP1beta as part of our ongoing search for natural therapeutic and preventive agents for diabetes mellitus. Fractions of the P. linteus extract were found to exhibit significant inhibitory activities against PTP1beta. In an attempt to identify bioactive components, we isolated, from the most active ethyl acetate fraction, five hispidin derivatives (phelligridimer A, davallialactone, hypholomine B, interfungins A, and inoscavin A) and four phenolic compounds (protocatechuic acid, protocatechualdehyde, caffeic acid, and ellagic acid). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectroscopic evidence and by comparison with published data. All the compounds strongly inhibited PTP1beta activity in an in vitro assay; their IC50 values ranged from 9.0 +/- 0.01 to 58.2 +/- 0.3 microM. Our results indicated that the hispidin skeleton may be an important moiety for inhibitory activity of the above compounds against PTP1beta. Thus, hispidin derivatives could be a potent new class of natural PTP1beta inhibitors.     

Alkaloids: Therapeutic Potential against Human Coronaviruses

Alkaloids are a class of natural products known to have wide pharmacological activity and have great potential for the development of new drugs to treat a wide array of pathologies. Some alkaloids have antiviral activity and/or have been used as prototypes in the development of synthetic antiviral drugs. In this study, eleven anti-coronavirus alkaloids were identified from the scientific literature and their potential therapeutic value against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is discussed. In this study, in silico studies showed an affinity of the alkaloids for binding to the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, putatively preventing it from binding to the host cell. Lastly, several mechanisms for the known anti-coronavirus activity of alkaloids were discussed, showing that the alkaloids are interesting compounds with potential use as bioactive agents against SARS-CoV-2.     

Design and synthesis of imidazo[4,5-<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>]pyridine derivatives as promising Aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibitors

Computer simulation at the PM7 level of theory of the structures of imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine derivatives (deaza analogs of purines) and their complexes with Aurora kinase A (AURKA) indicated prospects for their use as potential AURKA inhibitors in the treatment of oncological diseases. A number of new compounds of the selected imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine series, for which the highest inhibitory activity against AURKA was predicted, were synthesized in high yields for further biological testing.     

Novel 5H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,5-a]pyrimidin-5-one derivatives as antibacterial and anticancer agents: Synthesis and biological evaluation

A novel class of 5H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives was prepared, characterized, and tested for its antibacterial and anticancer potential against thirteen strains and five human cancer cell lines. The synthetic method was optimized, and a proposed reaction mechanism was also presented. The compounds containing the 5-bromo-pyrimidine moiety exhibited moderate antibacterial potencies against Gram-positive strains. Furthermore, the newly prepared compounds displayed selectively antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines. These current results will help us to further optimize and develop new drug candidates for clinical studies as novel antibacterial or anticancer agents.     

Examination of a synthetic benzophenone membrane-targeted antibiotic

The enormous success of antibiotics is seriously threatened by the development of resistance to most of the drugs available on the market. Thus, novel antibiotics are needed that are less prone to bacterial resistance and are directed toward novel biological targets. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted considerable attention due to their unique mode of action and broad spectrum activity. However, these agents suffer from liability to proteases and the high cost of manufacturing has impeded their development. Previously, we have reported on a novel class of benzophenone-based antibiotics and early studies suggested that these agents might target the bacterial membrane. In this study, we present our work on the mechanism of action of these novel membrane targeted antibiotics. These compounds have good affinities to polyanionic components of the cell wall such as lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that these agents release potassium ions from treated bacteria; thus, resulting in disruption of the bacterial membrane potential. Benzophenone-based membrane targeted antibiotics (BPMTAs) cause membrane disruption in synthetic lipid vesicles that mimic Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. The compounds display no hemolytic activity up to a concentration that is 100 times the MIC values and they are capable of curing mice of a lethal MRSA infection. Repeated attempts to develop a mutant resistant to these agents has failed. Taken together, BPMTAs represent a promising new class of membrane-targeted antibacterial agents.     

Fluoroquinolones’ Biological Activities against Laboratory Microbes and Cancer Cell Lines

Development of novel derivatives to rein in and fight bacteria have never been more demanding, as microbial resistance strains are alarmingly increasing. A multitude of new fluoroquinolones derivatives with an improved spectrum of activity and/or enhanced pharmacokinetics parameters have been widely explored. Reporting novel antimicrobial agents entails comparing their potential activity to their parent drugs; hence, parent fluoroquinolones have been used in research as positive controls. Given that these fluoroquinolones possess variable activities according to their generation, it is necessary to include parent compounds and market available antibiotics of the same class when investigating antimicrobial activity. Herein, we provide a detailed guide on the in vitro biological activity of fluoroquinolones based on experimental results published in the last years. This work permits researchers to compare and analyze potential fluoroquinolones as positive control agents and to evaluate changes occurring in their activities. More importantly, the selection of fluoroquinolones as positive controls by medicinal chemists when investigating novel FQs analogs must be correlated to the laboratory pathogen inquest for reliable results.     

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of new benzothiazole derivatives as schistosomicidal agents

A series of benzothiazol-2-yl-dithiocarbamates 3a-d along with their copper complexes 4a-c were synthesized via the reaction of suitable alkyl, aralkyl or heteroaryl halides with the sodium salt of benzothiazol-2-yl-dithiocarbamic acid, followed by complexation with copper sulphate. N-(4-Acetyl-5-aryl-4,5-dihydro-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)-N-benzothiazol-2-yl-acetamides 7a-c were synthesized by cyclization of the appropriate thiosemicarbazones 6a-c in acetic anhydride. Selected compounds were screened for in vitro schistosomicidal activity against Schistosoma mansoni at three different dosage levels (10, 50 and 100 microg/mL). Three of these products, 4a-c, showed schistosomicidal activity similar to praziquantel, with 100% worm mortality at 10 microg/mL. These compounds would constitute a new class of potent schistosomicidal agents.     

Design,Synthesis and Cytotoxicity of Thiazole-Based Stilbene Analogs as Novel DNA Topoisomerase IB Inhibitors

A series of new thiazole-based stilbene analogs were designed, synthesized and evaluated for DNA topoisomerase IB (Top1) inhibitory activity. Top1-mediated relaxation assays showed that the synthesized compounds possessed variable Top1 inhibitory activity. Among them, (E)-2-(3-methylstyryl)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazole (8) acted as a potent Top1 inhibitor with high Top1 inhibition of ++++ which is comparable to that of CPT. A possible binding mode of compound 8 with Top1–DNA complex was further provided by molecular docking. An MTT assay against human breast cancer (MCF-7) and human colon cancer (HCT116) cell lines revealed that the majority of these compounds showed high cytotoxicity, with IC₅₀ values at micromolar concentrations. Compounds 8 and (E)-2-(4-tert-butylstyryl)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazole (11) exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ values of 0.78 and 0.62 μM against MCF-7 and HCT116, respectively. Moreover, the preliminary structure–activity relationships of thiazole-based stilbene analogs was also discussed.     

Synthesis and anti-hepatitis B virus activity of new pyrimidine peptide nucleic acid analogs

A series of 4-methylsulfanylpyrimidin-2(1H)-one peptide nucleic acid analogs were synthesized and tested for their antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus. Plaque reduction infectivity assay was used to determine the virus count reduction as a result of treatment with tested compounds.     

Strong Antibiotic Activity of the Myxocoumarin Scaffold in vitro and in vivo

The increasing emergence of resistances against established antibiotics is a substantial threat to human health. The discovery of new compounds with potent antibiotic activity is thus of utmost importance. Within this work, we identify strong antibiotic activity of the natural product myxocoumarin B from Stigmatella aurantiaca MYX-030 against a range of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens, including clinical isolates of MRSA. A focused library of structural analogs was synthesized to explore initial structure-activity relationships and to identify equipotent myxocoumarin derivatives devoid of the natural nitro substituent to significantly streamline synthetic access. The cytotoxicity of the myxocoumarins as well as their potential to cure bacterial infections in vivo was established using a zebrafish model system. Our results reveal the exceptional antibiotic activity of the myxocoumarin scaffold and hence its potential for the development of novel antibiotics.     

Generation of oxamic acid libraries: antimalarials and inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway of Plasmodium falciparum (pf) and has several unique amino acids, related to other LDHs, at the active site, making it an attractive target for antimalarial agents. Oxamate, a competitive inhibitor, shows high substrate affinity for pfLDH. This class of compounds has been viewed as potential antimalarial agents. Thus, we have developed an effective automated synthetic strategy for the rapid synthesis of oxamic acid and ester libraries to screen for potential lead inhibitors. One hundred sixty-seven oxamic acids were synthesized using a "catch and release" method with overall yields of 20-70%. Most of the compounds synthesized had some inhibitory effects, but compounds 5 and 6 were the most active against both chloroquine- and mefloquine-resistant strains with IC50 values of 15.4 and 9.41 microM and 20.4 and 8.40 microM, respectively. Some oxamic acids showed activities against pfLDH and mammalian LDH (mLDH) at the micromolar range. These oxamic acids selectively inhibited pfLDH 2-5 fold over mLDH. Oxamic acid 21 was the most active against pfLDH at IC50 = 14 and mLDH at IC50 = 25 microM, suggesting that oxamic acid derivatives are potential inhibitors of pfLDH and that further study is required to develop selective inhibitors of pfLDH over mLDH.     

Preparation and antiplatelet activity of glycidic acid derivatives

Arylalkanoic acid derivatives exhibit a variety of biological effects. In the current publication some of new glycidic acid derivatives were prepared via the Darzens condensation. The synthetic approach, analytical and spectroscopic data of all newly synthesized compounds are presented. The prepared compounds were evaluated as potential inhibitors of arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation and their activity was compared with that of acetylsalicylic acid as the standard. (±)-Ethyl 3-{4-[(4-methoxyphenyl)sulfanyl]phenyl}-3-methyl-cis-oxirane-2-carboxylate (IC₅₀ = 0.07 mmol L⁻¹) and (±)-3-{4-[(4-methoxyphenyl)sulfanyl]phenyl}-3-methyl-cis-oxirane-2-carboxylic acid (IC₅₀ = 0.06 mmol L⁻¹) showed the highest antiplatelet activity against arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation comparable with the standard. Structure-activity relationships between the chemical structure, lipophilicity, and the antiplatelet activity of the evaluated compounds are discussed.     

Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Bis (Aroyl/Arylsulfonyl Ethenesulfonylmethylazolyl)Pyridines

A new class of 2,6‐pyridine linked bis (oxadiazoles), bis (thiadiazoles), and bis (triazoles) were prepared from the synthetic intermediates pyridine‐2,6‐dicarbohydrazide, E‐aroylethenesulfonylacetic acid and E‐arylsulfonylethenesulfonylacetic acid adopting ultrasonication methodology and tested for their antioxidant activity. Among all the tested compounds 2,6‐(bis (2‐(4‐methylbenzoylethenesulfonylmethyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐5‐yl))‐pyridine ( 7b ) was found to be potential antioxidant agent.