Synthesis and bioactivities of 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-((heteroaryl)thio)ethanones as carbonic anhydrase I,II and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

The discovery of enzyme targeting inhibitors is a popular area of drug research. Biological activities of the compounds bearing phenol and heteroaryl groups make them popular groups in drug design targeting important enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE, E.C.3.1.1.7) and carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1). 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)- 2-((aryl)thio)ethanones as possible AChE and CAs inhibitors were synthesized, and their chemical structures were confirmed by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and HRMS. The compounds 2 and 4 were found potent AChE inhibitors with the Ki values of 22.13 ±1.96 nM and 23.71 ±2.95 nM, respectively, while the compounds 2 (Ki = 8.61 ±0.90 nM, on hCA I) and 1 (Ki = 8.76 ±0.84 nM, on hCA II) had considerable CAs inhibitory potency. The lead compounds may help the scientists for the rational designing of an innovative class of drug candidates targeting enzyme-based diseases.