Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 3-diphenylmethyl-6-substituted-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazoles: A condensed bridgehead nitrogen heterocyclic system

A series of 3-diphenylmethyl-6-substituted-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives (4a–j and 5a–d) were synthesized by condensation of 4-amino-5-diphenylmethyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol with various substituted aromatic acids and aryl/alkyl-isothiocyanates. The structures of synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and mass spectroscopic studies. These compounds were tested in vivo for their anti-inflammatory activity. The compounds which showed activity comparable to the standard drug ibuprofen were screened for their analgesic, ulcerogenic, lipid peroxidation and hepatotoxic effects. Compounds 6-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-diphenylmethyl-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazole (4a) and 6-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-diphenylmethyl-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazole(4c) emerged as the most active compounds of the series and were moderately more potent than the standard drug ibuprofen.     

Tacrines as Therapeutic Agents for Alzheimer's Disease. V. Recent Developments

Herein we have reviewed our recent developments for the identification of new tacrine analogues for Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy. Tacrine, the first cholinesterase inhibitor approved for AD treatment, did not stop the progression of AD, producing only some cognitive improvements, but exhibited secondary effects mainly due to its hepatotoxicity. Thus, the drug was withdrawn from the clinics administration. Since then, many publications have described non‐hepatotoxic tacrines, and in addition, important efforts have been made to design multitarget tacrines by combining their cholinesterase inhibition profile with the modulation of other biological targets involved in AD.     

Green biosynthesis of Pt-nanoparticles from Anbara fruits: Toxic and protective effects on CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in Wister rats

Platinum Nanoparticles (PtNPs) are synthesized from the Anbara fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and are characterized using various spectroscopic analytical methods. These PtNPs were used to study the Hepatotoxic and Hepatoprotective effects on acute liver damage caused by CCl₄ in Wister rats. Seventy-two rats of both sexes are divided into twelve groups and are treated with PtNPs and aqueous Anbara extract (AAE). Histopathological examinations were performed to identify the toxic effects on the vital organs of the rats. Hepatoprotective activity was monitored by observing the serobiochemical and hematological parameters and the intensity of hepatic marker enzymes alanine transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the organs such as liver, intestine and kidney. Considerable experimental results were obtained when compared with the standard drug Silymarine. The PtNPs and AAE were proven to have protective activity of enzymes in the liver of Wister rats.     

Antimycobacterial and anticancer activity of newly designed cinnamic acid hydrazides with favorable toxicity profile

A series of twelve novel hybrids of cinnamic acid and thiocarbohydrazones were designed, synthesized in high yield using a simple coupling strategy via acid chlorides, and evaluated for their impact against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and cancer cells survival. Among them, compound 3 demonstrated strong anti-Mtb activity by reducing bacilli survival for>90 % in all three treated Mtb isolates, whereas isoniazid and rifampicin did not. Moreover, compound 3 didn’t affect vitality of HepG-2 cells, implying on advantageous hepatotoxicity profile compared to current therapeutic options for tuberculosis. Compounds 2a and 3b displayed as strong inducers of apoptosis in A549 cells, both activating intrinsic caspase pathway and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Subsequent analyses disclosed differences in their activities, where 3b has ability to induce production of mitochondrial superoxide anions, while 2a significantly inhibited cellular mobility. More importantly, 3b considerably affected viability of HepG-2 and HaCaT cells, whereas 2a had moderate impact only on the later. Molecular modeling studies indicated high permeability and good absorption through the human intestine, and moderate aqueous solubility with poor blood–brain barrier permeability. In summary, our results reveal that novel compounds 3 and 2a represent promising agents for tuberculosis and cancer treatment, respectively, indicating that further investigation needs to be performed to clarify the mechanisms of their anti-Mtb and anticancer activity.