Synthesis and Pesticidal Activity of New Niacinamide Derivatives Containing a Flexible,Chiral Chain

Natural products are a source for pesticide or drug discovery. In order to discover lead compounds with high fungicidal or herbicidal activity, new niacinamide derivatives derived from the natural product niacinamide, containing chiral flexible chains, were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and HRMS analysis. The fungicidal and herbicidal activities of these compounds were tested. The fungicidal activity results demonstrated that the compound (S)-2-(2-chloronicotinamido)propyl-2-methylbenzoate (3i) exhibited good fungicidal activity (92.3% inhibition) against the plant pathogen Botryosphaeria berengriana at 50 μg/mL and with an EC₅₀ of 6.68 ± 0.72 μg/mL, which is the same as the positive control (fluxapyroxad). Compound 3i was not phytotoxic and could therefore be used as a fungicide on crops. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) were studied by molecular docking simulations with the succinate dehydrogenase of the fungal mitochondrial respiratory chain.     

Quinolizidine-Based Variations and Antifungal Activity of Eight Lupinus Species Grown under Greenhouse Conditions

Fusarium oxysporum is an aggressive phytopathogen that affects various plant species, resulting in extensive local and global economic losses. Therefore, the search for competent alternatives is a constant pursuit. Quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) are naturally occurring compounds with diverse biological activities. The structural diversity of quinolizidines is mainly contributed by species of the family Fabaceae, particularly the genus Lupinus. This quinolizidine-based chemo diversity can be explored to find antifungals and even mixtures to address concomitant effects on F. oxysporum. Thus, the antifungal activity of quinolizidine-rich extracts (QREs) from the leaves of eight greenhouse-propagated Lupinus species was evaluated to outline promising QA mixtures against F. oxysporum. Thirteen main compounds were identified and quantified using an external standard. Quantitative analysis revealed different contents per quinolizidine depending on the Lupinus plant, ranging from 0.003 to 32.8 mg/g fresh leaves. Bioautography showed that all extracts were active at the maximum concentration (5 µg/µL). They also exhibited >50% mycelium growth inhibition. All QREs were fungistatic except for the fungicidal QRE of L. polyphyllus Lindl. Angustifoline, matrine, 13α-hydroxylupanine, and 17-oxolupanine were ranked to act jointly against the phytopathogen. Our findings constitute reference information to better understand the antifungal activity of naturally afforded QA mixtures from these globally important plants.     

Antifungal Activity of Diketopiperazines and Stilbenes Against Plant Pathogenic Fungi In Vitro

The present study aimed to investigate antifungal activity of a stilbene and diketopiperazine compounds against plant pathogenic fungi, including Phytophthora capsici, P. colocasiae, Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Minimal inhibition concentrations (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFC) of stilbenes and diketopiperazines for each fungus were determined using microplate method. Best activity was recorded by stilbenes against P. capsici and P. colocasiae. All four test compounds were effective in inhibiting different stages of the life cycle of test fungi. Stilbenes were more effective than diketopiperazines in inhibiting mycelial growth and inhibiting different stages of the life cycle of P. capsici and P. colocasiae. Rupture of released zoospores induced by stilbenes was reduced by addition of 100 mM glucose. The effects of stilbenes on mycelial growth and zoospore release, but not zoospore rupture, were reduced largely when pH value was above 7. In addition, stilbenes were investigated for its antifungal stability against Phytophthora sp. The results showed that stilbenes maintained strong fungistatic activity over a wide pH range (pH 4–9) and temperature range (70–120 °C). The compound stilbenes exhibited strong and stable broad-spectrum antifungal activity, and had a significant fungicidal effect on fungal cells. Results from prebiocontrol evaluations performed to date are probably useful in the search for alternative approaches to controlling serious plant pathogens.     

Antimicrobial activity of calixarenes

The pursuit of antimicrobially active compounds against a variety of microorganisms is an area of intense and important research. In the present study, we examined the relative antimicrobial activity of calixarenes having different side chains, moieties and/or substitution groups against a diverse set of bacteria and fungi. Antimicrobial activity against the various species was evaluated by growth rate and inhibition rate comparisons to distinguish between the compounds for this desired property. Preliminary screening of 57 calixarenes was conducted to assay their potential as antimicrobially active compounds against Corynebacterium. Of these compounds, seven calixarenes numbered 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34 and 50 were found to exhibit suitable antimicrobial activity. These seven samples were then further tested to elucidate any antimicrobial activity they might have versus additional species. After examining the growth and inhibition values of these selected compounds, calixarenes sample numbers 25, 26, 27, 28 and 50 were shown to also display antimicrobial activity against Fusarium solani f. sp. mori 〚F.s.-26〛 with an inhibition range of approximately 60–70%. Additionally, sample numbers 25, 26, 27, and 28 exhibited excellent and selective antimicrobial activity against the fungal strains, Rosellinia necatrix 〚R-8〛, and Colletotrichum dematium 〚C.d. 8901〛.     

Biologically Active Preparations from the Leaves of Wild Plant Species of the Genus Rubus

The plants of the genus Rubus (R.) are applied as antiseptic agents in the treatment of skin diseases. Despite the great interest in plants of this genus, there are few reports on the antioxidant and biological activities of preparations obtained from the leaves of these plants. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the antioxidant activity of preparations from leaves of wild plant species of the genus Rubus using the frequently applied DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods, as well as to determine the total polyphenol content using the Folin–Ciocalteau method and perform qualitative evaluation by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The bactericidal and fungicidal activities of the obtained preparations were evaluated by applying laboratory tests: using the disc and the well methods based on the standards EN 13697:2019, EN 13697:2015, and EN 1500:2013. Microbiological tests of the plant preparations against bacteria, fungi, and yeasts isolated from the environment and against reference strains were performed. Moreover, antimicrobial testing of antibiotics against the tested strains was performed for comparison. The n-octanol/water partition coefficient of the obtained preparations was determined by the shake-flask method to determine their lipophilicity. According to the results, a high content of polyphenols and other antioxidant and biologically active compounds can be thought of as the parameter responsible for the effective activity of plant preparations obtained from wild plant species of the genus Rubus. The methods for determining bactericidal and fungicidal activity clearly demonstrates that preparations with reduced ethanol content exhibit bactericidal and fungicidal activity on surfaces. Testing of hand disinfection by means of rubbing with the preparations confirmed their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli K12 NCTC 10538. The obtained results show that the tested preparations exhibit on average two times lower activity against the reference bacterial strains than comparable antibiotics. The preparations obtained from the leaves of R. idaeus L. and R. fruticosus L. could complement classical antibiotics. While environmental bacteria showed a similar response to the preparations and antibiotics, their sensitivity was about one-third less than that of the reference strains. Our studies have shown that the obtained preparations are highly hydrophilic (logP < 0). Thus, these preparations can only be used in lipid bilayers in the aqueous core of liposomes, not in the lipid envelope.     

Benzamides Substituted with Quinoline-Linked 1,2,4-Oxadiazole: Synthesis,Biological Activity and Toxicity to Zebrafish Embryo

To develop new compounds with high activity, broad spectrum and low-toxicity, 17 benzamides substituted with quinoline-linked 1,2,4-oxadiazole were designed using the splicing principle of active substructures and were synthesized. The biological activities were evaluated against 10 fungi, indicating that some of the synthetic compounds showed excellent fungicidal activities. For example, at 50 mg/L, the inhibitory activity of 13p (3-Cl-4-Cl substituted, 86.1%) against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was superior to that of quinoxyfen (77.8%), and the inhibitory activity of 13f (3-CF₃ substituted, 77.8%) was comparable to that of quinoxyfen. The fungicidal activities of 13f and 13p to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were better than that of quinoxyfen (14.19 mg/L), with EC₅₀ of 6.67 mg/L and 5.17 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the acute toxicity of 13p was 19.42 mg/L, classifying it as a low-toxic compound.     

The Inhibition of Non-albicans Candida Species and Uncommon Yeast Pathogens by Selected Essential Oils and Their Major Compounds

The epidemiology of yeast infections and resistance to available antifungal drugs are rapidly increasing, and non-albicans Candida species and rare yeast species are increasingly emerging as major opportunistic pathogens. In order to identify new strategies to counter the threat of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms, essential oils (EOs) have become an important potential in the treatment of fungal infections. EOs and their bioactive pure compounds have been found to exhibit a wide range of remarkable biological activities. We investigated the in vitro antifungal activity of nine commercial EOs such as Thymus vulgaris (thyme red), Origanum vulgare (oregano), Lavandula vera (lavender), Pinus sylvestris (pine), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Melissa officinalis (lemon balm), Salvia officinalis (sage), Eugenia caryophyllata (clove) and Pelargonium asperum (geranium), and some of their main components (α-pinene, carvacrol, citronellal, eugenol, γ-terpinene, linalool, linalylacetate, terpinen-4-ol, thymol) against non-albicans Candida strains and uncommon yeasts. The EOs were analyzed by GC-MS, and their antifungal properties were evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration parameters, in accordance with CLSI guidelines, with some modifications for EOs. Pine exhibited strong antifungal activity against the selected non-albicans Candida isolates and uncommon yeasts. In addition, lemon balm EOs and α-pinene exhibited strong antifungal activity against the selected non-albicans Candida yeasts. Thymol inhibited the growth of all uncommon yeasts. These data showed a promising potential application of EOs as natural adjuvant for management of infections by emerging non-albicans Candida species and uncommon pathogenic yeasts.     

Evaluation of bactericidal and fungicidal activity of ferrocenyl or phenyl derivatives in the diphenyl butene series

Some ferrocene compounds, such as tamoxifen derivatives hydroxyferrocifen 1 and ferrociphenol 2, show strong antiproliferative activity on hormone-dependent and hormone-independent breast cancer cells. In order to evaluate their antimicrobial activity, they were tested, together with their purely organic analogs, on the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Candida albicans. It has been found that the compounds bearing alkylamino chains are active, and in these cases the antimicrobial activity increases for compounds bearing two amino chains. These dialkyamino compounds are equally as active as doxycycline on P. aeruginosa and S. aureus but superior to it on C. albicans. The results show that there are no general correlation between the antitumoral activity and the bactericidal and fungicidal activities of these compounds. The ferrocene derivatives and their organic analogs have similar activity on bacteria and fungus. This bactericidal and fungicidal behaviour is a novel area of activity for these entities.     

三唑并噻二唑衍生物的合成及抑菌活性

为了寻找高活性农药先导化合物,考虑到三唑并噻二唑衍生物具有广泛的生物活性,本文利用活性亚结构拼接原理,将活性基团分别引入1,2,4-均三唑并[3,4-b]-1,3,4-噻二唑杂环的3位和6位,合成了未见文献报道的3,6-二取代均三唑并[3,4-b]-1,3,4-噻二唑类化合物11个,并用IR、¹HNMR及元素分析测试技术对其进行了结构表征。抑菌活性生物测定结果表明,合成的大部分化合物对黄瓜灰霉病菌(Botrytis cinerea)均有较好的生长抑制作用,其中,化合物5ae、5ag和5bd的抑制率达到70%;化合物5ad、5cd、5ce的抑制率大于60%;5bd对水稻纹枯病菌(Pellicularia sasakii)抑制率大于60%,化合物5cg对西瓜炭疽病菌(Colletotrichum lagenarium)的抑制率为69%。     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Screening of Novel Anthranilic Diamides

Three series of new anthranilic diamide derivatives containing sulfide, N‐cyanomethylsulfilimine, and N‐cyanomethylsulfoximine groups were designed and synthesized by combining the active substructures of anthranilic diamides and sulfoxaflor. The structures of all newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR and ¹H/¹³C‐NMR, and some of them were confirmed by elemental analysis or HRMS too. The synthesized compounds were screened for their insecticidal and fungicidal activities. Bioasssay results indicated that some of the synthesized compounds possessed certain degrees of insecticidal activity against Mythimna separata. However, some compounds exhibited good fungicidal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.     

Synthesis of novel N-pyridylpyrazole derivatives containing 1,2,4-oxadiazole moiety via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and their structures and biological activities

A series of novel 1,2,4-oxadiazole-containing N-pyridylpyrazole derivatives 12a−h were efficiently synthesized with pivaldehyde, pyridylpyrazole carboxylic acid and arylamine as raw materials via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Their structures were identified by melting points, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and elemental analysis or HRMS. The exploration on the single-crystal structures of 12c and 12g revealed the stereochemical and substituent oriental characteristics, and the relevance of the structure and the reaction activity of this type of compounds. The preliminary bioassays indicated that several compounds had good insecticidal activities, among which 12c showed a lethality rate of 80% towards Mythimna separata Walker at 200 μg/mL; some of the compounds exhibited favorable fungicidal activities at 50 μg/mL against Physalospora piricola, Rhizoctonia cereal, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, etc. Among which, 12a, 12b, 12c and 12h could be considered as new fungicidal leading compounds for further structural optimization. These discoveries along with the structure-activity relationship analysis in this paper will provide useful guidance for the innovative studies on new pyridylpyrazole derivatives and their applications in agrochemical area.     

Synthesis of novel fluorinated benzothiazol-2-yl-1,2,4-triazoles: Molecular docking,antifungal evaluation and in silico evaluation for SAR

Lead hybridization concept was used to design and synthesize twenty novel hybrid compounds by combining fungicidal leads viz. 6-flouro-1,3-benzothiazol-2-amine and 1,2,4-triazoles in a single molecule, with the aim of discovery of high potential novel fungicides. Antifungal evaluation of synthesized 6-flourobenzothiazol-2-yl-1,2,4-triazoles against various phytopathogenic fungi revealed synergistic effect of combination of leads with one another in all the test compounds. Some of the synthesized compounds showed excellent fungitoxicity comparable with the standard fungicides used. In silico toxicity of all the compounds was equivalent to the standard fungicides used. Docking studies and Lipinski filtration were performed in order to present the rationale of structure activity relation. Compounds 2, 8, 15 and 18 were screened to act as leads for further modification and use.     

Novel Coumarin 7-Carboxamide/Sulfonamide Derivatives as Potential Fungicidal Agents: Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation

Coumarin compounds have a variety of biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-coagulation, anti-HIV, anti-fungal, and insecticidal. Amide and sulfonamide compounds have been used as fungicides for half a century, and dozens of varieties have been developed so far. This study focused on the introduction of carboxamide and sulfonamide moieties in a coumarin core to discover novel derivatives. Based on this strategy, we synthesized two series of novel carboxamide and sulfonamide substituted coumarin derivatives, and their fungicidal activity was also investigated. Some designed compounds possessed potential activities against six phytopathogenic fungi in the primary assays, highlighted by compound 6r. Compound 6r exhibited stronger fungicidal activity against Botrytis cinerea (EC₅₀ = 20.52 µg/mL) and will be the lead structure for further study.     

Discovery of Cysteine and Its Derivatives as Novel Antiviral and Antifungal Agents

Based on the structure of the natural product cysteine, a series of thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids were designed and synthesized. All target compounds bearing thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid were characterized by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and HRMS techniques. The antiviral and antifungal activities of cysteine and its derivatives were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The results of anti-TMV activity revealed that all compounds exhibited moderate to excellent activities against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) at the concentration of 500 μg/mL. The compounds cysteine (1), 3–4, 7, 10, 13, 20, 23, and 24 displayed higher anti-TMV activities than the commercial plant virucide ribavirin (inhibitory rate: 40, 40, and 38% at 500 μg/mL for inactivation, curative, and protection activity in vivo, respectively), especially compound 3 (inhibitory rate: 51%, 47%, and 49% at 500 μg/mL for inactivation, curative, and protection activity in vivo, respectively) with excellent antiviral activity emerged as a new antiviral candidate. Antiviral mechanism research by TEM exhibited that compound 3 could inhibit virus assembly by aggregated the 20S protein disk. Molecular docking results revealed that compound 3 with higher antiviral activities than that of compound 24 did show stronger interaction with TMV CP. Further fungicidal activity tests against 14 kinds of phytopathogenic fungi revealed that these cysteine derivatives displayed broad-spectrum fungicidal activities. Compound 16 exhibited higher antifungal activities against Cercospora arachidicola Hori and Alternaria solani than commercial fungicides carbendazim and chlorothalonil, which emerged as a new candidate for fungicidal research.     

Novel plant activators with thieno[2,3-d]-1,2,3-thiadiazole-6-carboxylate scaffold： Synthesis and bioactivity

The 1,2,3-thiadiazole-carboxylate moiety was reported to be an important pharmacophore of plant activators.In this study,a series of novel plant activators based on thieno[2,3-d]-1,2,3-thiadiazole-6-carboxylate were designed and synthesized and their biological activity as plant activators was studied.The structures of the novel compounds were identifed by1H NMR,19F NMR and HRMS.The in vivo bioassay showed that these novel compounds had good effcacy against seven plant diseases.Especially,compounds 1a and 1c were more potent than the commercialized plant activator BTH.Almost no fungicidal activity was observed for the active compounds in the in vitro assay,which matched the requirements as plant activators.     

Structure-Based Bioisosterism Design,Synthesis, Biological Activity and Toxicity of 1,2,4-Oxadiazole Substituted Benzamides Analogues Containing Pyrazole Rings

In order to discover pesticidal lead compounds with high activity and low toxicity, a series of novel benzamides substituted with pyrazole-linked 1,2,4-oxadiazole were designed via bioisosterism. The chemical structures of the target compounds were confirmed via ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and HRMS analysis. The preliminary bioassay showed that most compounds exhibited good lethal activities against Mythimna separate, Helicoverpa armigera, Ostrinia nubilalis and Spodoptera frugiperda at 500 mg/L. Particularly in the case of Mythimna separate, compound 14q (70%) exhibited obvious insecticidal activity. In addition, compound 14h demonstrated good fungicidal activity against Pyricularia oryae with an inhibition rate of 77.8%, and compounds 14e, 14k, 14n and 14r also showed certain antifungal activities (55.6–66.7%). The zebrafish toxicity test showed that the LC₅₀ of compound 14h was 14.01 mg/L, which indicated that it may be used as a potential leading compound for further structural optimization.     

Design,Synthesis, and Bioactivities of Novel Tryptophan Derivatives Containing 2,5-Diketopiperazine and Acyl Hydrazine Moieties

Based on the scaffolds widely used in drug design, a series of novel tryptophan derivatives containing 2,5-diketopiperazine and acyl hydrazine moieties have been designed, synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their biological activities. The bioassay results showed that the target compounds possessed moderate to good antiviral activities against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), among which compounds 4, 9, 14, 19, and 24 showed higher inactivation, curative, and protection activities in vivo than that of ribavirin (39 ± 1, 37 ± 1, 39 ± 1 at 500 mg/L) and comparable to that of ningnanmycin (58 ± 1, 55 ± 1, 57 ± 1% at 500 mg/L). Thus, these compounds are a promising candidate for anti-TMV development. Most of these compounds showed broad-spectrum fungicidal activities against 13 kinds of phytopathogenic fungi and selective fungicidal activities against Alternaria solani, Phytophthora capsica, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Additionally, some of these compounds exhibited larvicidal activities against Tetranychus cinnabarinus, Plutella xylostella, Culex pipiens pallens, Mythimna separata, Helicoverpa armigera, and Pyrausta nubilalis.     

Fumigant Antifungal Activity of Myrtaceae Essential Oils and Constituents from <em>Leptospermum petersonii</em> against Three <em>Aspergillus</em> Species

Commercial plant essential oils obtained from 11 Myrtaceae plant species were tested for their fumigant antifungal activity against Aspergillus ochraceus, A. flavus, and A. niger. Essential oils extracted from Leptospermum petersonii at air concentrations of 56 × 10^-3 mg/mL and 28 × 10^-3 mg/mL completely inhibited the growth of the three Aspergillus species. However, at an air concentration of 14 × 10^-3 mg/mL, inhibition rates of L. petersonii essential oils were reduced to 20.2% and 18.8% in the case of A. flavus and A. niger, respectively. The other Myrtaceae essential oils (56 × 10^-3 mg/mL) only weakly inhibited the fungi or had no detectable affect. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 16 compounds in L. petersonii essential oil. The antifungal activity of the identified compounds was tested individually by using standard or synthesized compounds. Of these, neral and geranial inhibited growth by 100%, at an air concentration of 56 × 10^-3 mg/mL, whereas the activity of citronellol was somewhat lover (80%). The other compounds exhibited only moderate or weak antifungal activity. The antifungal activities of blends of constituents identified in L. petersonii oil indicated that neral and geranial were the major contributors to the fumigant and antifungal activities.     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 1,3,4‐Thiadiazolylpyrazolines Compounds Containing Ferrocene

The synthesis of 1,3,4‐thiadiazole skeleton compounds exhibiting high fungicidal activities has been demonstrated. Thirteen novel 1,3,4‐thiadiazolyl‐pyrazolines compounds containing ferrocene were designed and synthesized from the ferrocenylchalcones intermediates 3a – 3m and the 2‐hydrazino‐5‐phenyl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole intermediate 8 . All compounds were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FT‐IR spectra, and HR‐MS, and the structure of one of the new compounds N‐(4‐phenyl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐yl)‐3‐ferrocenyl‐5‐phenyl‐pyrazoline 9a was further determined by X‐ray diffraction analysis. The preliminary results of a biological activity assay indicated that all the title compounds exhibited significant fungicidal activities against Pythium solani, Gibberella saubinetii, and Gibberella nicotiancola. Furthermore, compounds 9e and 9h displayed even higher fungicidal activities against the three fungal species compared with the control drug pyraclostrobin.     

Comparative structural and fungicidal studies of Mono-methyl phthalate and its Tin(IV) derivatives

The results of an investigation into the fungicidal properties of some organotin(IV) compounds with Mono-methyl phthalate are reported. The compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques including ¹H-¹³C-¹¹⁹Sn-NMR, FT-IR, and ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer studies. On the basis of these techniques, all the complexes show penta coordination with a trigonal bipyramidal environment around the tin. The synthesized compounds were tested against a number of plant pathogenic fungi. The fungicidal data reveal that the tri-phenyltin(IV) compound proves to be a powerful fungicide. Comparison between the fungicidal activity of the trialkyltin(IV) compounds shows that the tri-phenyl tin(IV) complex is most active against all plant pathogens; the rest of the complexes also exhibit significant antifungal activity but less than the former one.