Scaffold Repurposing of In-House Small Molecule Candidates Leads to Discovery of First-in-Class CDK-1/HER-2 Dual Inhibitors: In Vitro and In Silico Screening

Recently, multitargeted drugs are considered a potential approach in treating cancer. In this study, twelve in-house indole-based derivatives were preliminary evaluated for their inhibitory activities over VEGFR-2, CDK-1/cyclin B and HER-2. Compound 15l showed the most inhibitory activities among the tested derivatives over CDK-1/cyclin B and HER-2. Compound 15l was tested for its selectivity in a small kinase panel. It showed dual selectivity for CDK-1/cyclin B and HER-2. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity assay was assessed for the selected series against nine NCI cell lines. Compound 15l showed the most potent inhibitory activities among the tested compounds. A deep in silico molecular docking study was conducted for compound 15l to identify the possible binding modes into CDK-1/cyclin B and HER-2. The docking results revealed that compound 15l displayed interesting binding modes with the key amino acids in the binding sites of both kinases. In vitro and in silico studies demonstrate the indole-based derivative 15l as a selective dual CDK-1 and HER-2 inhibitor. This emphasizes a new challenge in drug development strategies and signals a significant milestone for further structural and molecular optimization of these indole-based derivatives in order to achieve a drug-like property.     

Multiple and sequential charge transfer interactions occurring in situ: A redox reaction of thiazolidine-2-thione with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone

Interaction of thiazolidine-2-thione (T2T) as an electron donor with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as an electron π-acceptor has been studied. Electronic absorption spectra of the system T2T-DDQ in several organic solvents of different polarities have been measured. A charge transfer (CT) complexation has occurred between T2T and DDQ. This CT interaction has led to a redox reaction in which T2T has been oxidized to the corresponding dehydrogenated T2T (T2T-2H), meanwhile DDQ has been fully reduced to the corresponding hydroquinone (DDQH2). However, the two new species, resulting in situ, have been interacted, whereas a CT complex having the formula (T2T-2H·DDQH2) has occurred. IR, 1H NMR and mass spectra were used for ascertaining the structural formula of the synthesized CT complex. Formation constants (KCT), molar absorption coefficients (?CT) and thermodynamic properties of this CT interaction in various organic solvents were determined and discussed. The obtained KCT and ?CT values have indicated that T2T-2H is a weak CT donor, whereas the formed CT complex has a low stability and it is classified as a contact-type CT complex.     

Vibrational assignments, normal coordinate analysis, B3LYP calculations and conformational analysis of methyl-5-amino-4-cyano-3-(methylthio)-1H-pyrazole-1-carbodithioate

The Raman and infrared spectra of solid methyl-5-amino-4-cyano-3-(methylthio)-1H-pyrazole-1-carbodithioate (MAMPC, C7H8N4S3) were measured in the spectral range of 3700-100 cm(-1) and 4000-200 cm(-1) with a resolution of 4 and 0.5 cm(-1), respectively. Room temperature 13C NMR and (1)H NMR spectra from room temperature down to -60 °C were also recorded. As a result of internal rotation around C-N and/or C-S bonds, eighteen rotational isomers are suggested for the MAMPC molecule (Cs symmetry). DFT/B3LYP and MP2 calculations were carried out up to 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets to include polarization and diffusion functions. The results favor conformer 1 in the solid (experimentally) and gaseous (theoretically) phases. For conformer 1, the two -CH3 groups are directed towards the nitrogen atoms (pyrazole ring) and CS, while the -NH2 group retains sp2 hybridization and C-CN bond is quasi linear. To support NMR spectral assignments, chemical shifts (δ) were predicted at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) level using the method of Gauge-Invariant Atomic Orbital (GIAO) method. Moreover, the solvent effect was included via the Polarizable Continuum Model (PCM). Additionally, both infrared and Raman spectra were predicted using B3LYP/6-31G(d) calculations. The recorded vibrational, 1H and 13C NMR spectral data favors conformer 1 in both the solid phase and in solution. Aided by normal coordinate analysis and potential energy distributions, confident vibrational assignments for observed bands have been proposed. Moreover, the CH3 barriers to internal rotations were investigated. The results are discussed herein are compared with similar molecules whenever appropriate.     

First row transition metal complexes of (E)-2-(2-(2-hydroxybenzylidene) hydrazinyl)-2-oxo-N-phenylacetamide complexes

Manganese(II), iron(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), and chromium(III) complexes of (E)-2-(2-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)hydrazinyl)-2-oxo-N-phenylacetamide were synthesized and characterized by elemental and thermal (TG and DTA) analyses, IR, UV-vis and (1)H NMR spectra as well as magnetic moment. Mononuclear complexes are obtained with 1:1 molar ratio except [Mn(HOS)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] and [Co(OS)(2)](H(2)O)(2) complexes which are obtained with 1:2 molar ratios. The IR spectra of ligand and metal complexes reveal various modes of chelation. The ligand behaves as a monobasic bidentate one and coordination occurs via the enolic oxygen atom and azomethine nitrogen atom. The ligand behaves also as a monobasic tridentate one and coordination occurs through the carbonyl oxygen atom, azomethine nitrogen atom and the hydroxyl oxygen. Moreover, the ligand behaves as a dibasic tridentate and coordination occurs via the enolic oxygen, azomethine nitrogen and the hydroxyl oxygen atoms. The electronic spectra and magnetic moment measurements reveal that all complexes possess octahedral geometry except the copper complexes possesses a square planar geometry. From the modeling studies, the bond length, bond angle, HOMO, LUMO and dipole moment had been calculated to confirm the geometry of the ligands and their investigated complexes. The thermal studies showed the type of water molecules involved in metal complexes as well as the thermal decomposition of some metal complexes. The protonation constant of the ligand and the stability constant of metal complexes were determined pH-metrically in 50% (v/v) dioxane-water mixture at 298 K and found to be consistent with Irving-Williams order. Moreover, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these compounds against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherechia coli and Candida albicans were determined.     

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop combined with field‐amplified sample injection in capillary electrophoresis for the determination of beta(2)‐agonists in bovine urine

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME–SFO) was for the first time combined with field‐amplified sample injection (FASI) in CE to determine four β₂‐agonists (cimbuterol, clenbuterol, mabuterol, and mapenterol) in bovine urine. Optimum BGE consisted of 20 mM borate buffer and 0.1 mM SDS. Using salting‐out extraction, β₂‐agonists were extracted into ACN that was then used as the disperser solvent in DLLME–SFO. Optimum DLLME–SFO conditions were: 1.0 mL ACN, 50 μL 1‐undecanol (extraction solvent), total extraction time 1.5 min, no salt addition. Back extraction into an aqueous solution (pH 2.0) facilitated direct injection of β₂‐agonists into CE. Compared to conventional CZE, DLLME–SFO–FASI–CE achieved sensitivity enhancement factors of 41–1046 resulting in LODs in the range of 1.80–37.0 μg L^?1. Linear dynamic ranges of 0.15–10.0 mg L^?1 for cimbuterol and 15–1000 μg L^?1 for the other analytes were obtained with coefficients of determination (R²) ≥ 0.9901 and RSD% ≤5.5 (n = 5). Finally, the applicability of the proposed method was successfully confirmed by determination of the four β₂‐agonists in spiked bovine urine samples and accuracy higher than 96.0% was obtained.     

Improving the performance of conventional glass fiber epoxy matrix composites by incorporating nanodiamonds

Multiscale glass fiber epoxy matrix composites containing nanodiamonds were fabricated using vacuum bagging technique. Three different loadings of nanodiamonds were incorporated in epoxy resin after their functionalization through ozone-treatment, i.e., 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 wt%. The functionalization of nanodiamonds was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, which improved the dispersion of nanodiamond in epoxy resin thus improving the mechanical properties. Tensile, compression, flexural and interlaminar shear properties of the composites were improved. The tensile, compression and flexural strengths improved up to 36, 56 and 30% by the addition of 0.5 wt% nanodiamonds while the corresponding moduli increased to 30, 125 and 46%, respectively. An improvement of 38% in interlaminar shear strength was observed. The microscopy of the composites was performed using optical and electron microscopy and proper impregnation of glass fibers and the absence of the agglomerates of nanodiamonds were ensured. The homogeneous dispersion of nanodiamonds and their adhering role at fiber/matrix interface improved the mechanical properties of the composites. The developed composites are ideal candidate materials for engineering applications demanding high specific mechanical properties.