Synthesis, in vitro assay, and molecular modeling of new piperidine derivatives having dual inhibitory potency against acetylcholinesterase and Abeta1-42 aggregation for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics

With the goal of developing Alzheimer's disease therapeutics, we have designed and synthesized new piperidine derivatives having dual action of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) aggregation inhibition. For binding with the catalytic site of AChE, an ester with aromatic group was designed, and for the peripheral site, another aromatic group was considered. And for intercalating amyloid-beta oligomerization, long and linear conformation with a lipophilic group was considered. The synthetic methods employed for the structure with dual action depended on alcohols with an aromatic ring and the substituted benzoic acids, which are esterificated in the last step of the synthetic pathway. We screened these new derivatives through inhibition tests of acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and Abeta(1-42) peptide aggregation, AChE-induced Abeta(1-42) aggregation. Our results displayed that compound 12 showed the best inhibitory potency and selectivity of AChE, and 29 showed the highest selectivity of BChE inhibition. Compounds 15 and 12 had inhibitory activities against Abeta(1-42) aggregation and AChE-induced Abeta aggregation. In the docking model, we confirmed that 4-chlorobenzene of 12 plays the parallel pi-pi stacking against the indole ring of Trp84 in the bottom gorge of AChE. Because the benzyhydryl moiety of 12 covered the peripheral site of AChE in a funnel-like shape, 12 showed good inhibitory potency against AChE and could inhibit AChE-induced Abeta(1-42) peptide aggregation.     

Synthesis,biological activity and molecular modeling studies on 1H-benzimidazole derivatives as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

A series of N-{2-[4-(1H-benzimidazole-2-yl)phenoxy]ethyl}substituted amine derivatives were designed to assess cholinesterase inhibitor activities. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitor activities were evaluated in vitro by using Ellman’s method. It was discovered that most of the compounds displayed AChE and/or BuChE inhibitor activity and few compounds were selective against AChE/BuChE. Compound 3c and 3e were the most active compounds in the series against eeAChE and hAChE, respectively. Molecular docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out.     

Synthesis and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of polyhydroxylated sulfated steroids: Structure/activity studies

Disulfated and trisulfated steroids have been synthesized from cholesterol and their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity has been evaluated. In our studies we have found that the activity was not only dependent on the location of the sulfate groups but on their configurations. 2β,3α,6α-trihydroxy-5α-cholestan-6-one trisulfate (18) was the most active steroid with an IC₅₀ value of 15.48 μM comparable to that of 2β,3α-dihydroxy-5α-cholestan-6-one disulfate (1). Both compounds were found to be less active than the reference compound eserine. The butyrylcholinesterase activity of 1 and 18 was one magnitude lower than that against acetylcholinesterase revealing a selective inhibitor profile.     

Synthesis and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of Mannich base derivatives flavokawain B

A novel series of flavokawain B derivatives, chalcone Mannich bases (4–10) were designed, synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for the inhibition activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Biological results revealed that four compounds displayed potent activities against AChE with IC₅₀ values below 20 μM. Moreover, the most promising compound 8 was 2-fold more active than rivastigmine, a well-known AChE inhibitor. The log P values of 4–10 were around 2 which indicated that they were sufficiently lipophilic to pass blood brain barriers in vivo. Enzyme kinetic study suggested that the inhibition mechanism of compound 8 was a mixed-type inhibition. Meanwhile, the molecular docking showed that this compound can both bind with the catalytic site and the periphery of AChE.     

Synthesis and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of huperzine A-E2020 combined compound

The synthesis of huperzine-E2020 combined compound (3) has been accomplished and the activities of 3 and the intermediates 12 and 13 to inhibit the activity of acetylcholinesterase have been measured. Conformation analyses and molecular docking studies of E2020 and the eight isomers of 12 were carried out. The results indicated that binding energies of all isomers of 12 with AChE was much lower than E2020 except for isomer RRZ, which might be the reason that the activity of 12 was lower than that of E2020. Interaction pattern of RRZ in AChE was also studied. Both binding energy and interaction pattern shows that the biological activity of RRZ might be higher than that of E2020.     

Synthesis,biological evaluation,and molecular modeling of berberine derivatives as potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

By targeting the dual active sites of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a new series of berberine derivatives was designed, synthesized, and evaluated as AChE inhibitors. Most of the derivatives inhibited AChE in the sub-micromolar range. Compound 8c, berberine linked with phenol by a 4-carbon spacer, showed the most potent inhibition of AChE. A kinetic study of AChE and BuChE indicated that a mix-competitive binding mode existed for these berberine derivatives. Molecular modeling studies confirmed that these hybrids target both the catalytic active site (CAS) and the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of AChE. This is the first report where AChE inhibitory activity has been associated with berberine as a lead molecule.     

Synthesis,biological evaluation and molecular modeling of aloe-emodin derivatives as new acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

A series of aloe-emodin derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Most of the new prepared compounds showed remarkable acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Among them, the compound 1-((4,5-dihydroxy-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-2-yl) methyl) pyridin-1-ium chloride (C3) which has a pyridinium substituent possessed the best inhibitory activity of acetylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ = 0.09 μM). The docking study performed with AUTODOCK demonstrated that C3 could interact with the catalytic active site (CAS) and the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of acetylcholinesterase.     

Synthesis, molecular modeling studies, and selective inhibitory activity against monoamine oxidase of N,N'-bis[2-oxo-2H-benzopyran]-3-carboxamides

A novel series of N,N'-bis[2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran]-3-carboxamide derivatives have been synthesized and investigated for the ability to inhibit the activity of the A and B isoforms of monoamine oxidase (MAO). Some of the synthesized compounds show good selective inhibitory activity against the MAO-A isoform. Both the MAO-A and -B isoforms, deposited in the Protein Data Bank as the 2BXR and 1GOS models, respectively, were considered in a computational study performed with docking techniques on the most active and selective inhibitors.     

Synthesis,antiviral activity and molecular modeling of oxoquinoline derivatives

In the present article, we describe the synthesis, anti-HIV1 profile and molecular modeling evaluation of 11 oxoquinoline derivatives. The structure–activity relationship analysis revealed some stereoelectronic properties such as LUMO energy, dipole moment, number of rotatable bonds, and of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors correlated with the potency of compounds. We also describe the importance of substituents R² and R³ for their biological activity. Compound 2j was identified as a lead compound for future investigation due to its : (i) high activity against HIV-1, (ii) low cytotoxicity in PBMC, (iii) low toxic risks based on in silico evaluation, (iv) a good theoretical oral bioavailability according to Lipinski ‘rule of five’, (v) higher druglikeness and drug-score values than current antivirals AZT and efavirenz.     

Determining acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity in plant extracts using a fluorimetric flow assay

A fluorometric assay for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was developed in a flow system using the fluorogenic substrate 7-acetoxy-1-methyl quinolinium iodide which is hydrolysed to the highly fluorescent 7-hydroxy-1-methyl quinolinium iodide. The detection limit of galanthamine is 0.5 microM, which is about 20 times more sensitive than in the colorimetric flow assay. In the presence of 30% methanol or of 5% acetonitrile, about 70% of the enzyme activity could still be detected. Various plant extracts have been screened using the described system including bulbs of Galanthus nivalis, Eucharis amazonica (E. x grandiflora), Crinum powelli and Nerine bowdenii (all members of the Amaryllidaceae), which showed strong AchE inhibitory activity.     

Polyhydroxylated azetidine iminosugars: Synthesis,glycosidase inhibitory activity and molecular docking studies

An efficient and practical strategy for the synthesis of unknown azetidine iminosugars (2S,3R,4S)-2-((R)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl)-3-hydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)azetidine 2, (2S,3r,4R)-3-hydroxy-2,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)azetidine 3 and (2S,3R,4S)-3-hydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)-N-methylazetidine-2-carboxylic acid 4, starting from the d-glucose has been reported. The methodology involves preparation of the 3-amino-N-benzyloxycarbonyl-3-deoxy-6-O-tert-butyldimethylsillyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-d-glucofuranose 9, which was converted to the C-5-OMs derivative 11. Intramolecular nucleophilic displacement of the C-5-OMs group with in situ generated 3-amino functionality provided the required key azetidine ring skeletons 10 with additional hydroxymethyl group. Removal of 1,2-acetonide protection, followed by reduction and hydrogenolysis afforded azetidine iminosugar 2. Alternatively, removal of 1,2-acetonide group and chopping of C1-anomeric carbon gave C2-aldehyde that on reduction or oxidation followed by hydrogenolysis gave 2,4-bis(hydroxymethyl) azetidine iminosugars 3 and N-methylazetidine-2-carboxylic acid 4 respectively. The glycosidase inhibitory activity of 2–4 iminosugars was screened against various glycosidase enzymes and compared with a standard miglitol. Amongst synthesized targets, the compound 2 was found to be more potent amyloglucosidase inhibitor than miglitol. These results were supported by molecular docking studies.     

Synthesis, inhibitory activity and molecular docking studies of two Cu(II) complexes against Helicobacter pylori urease

Two mononuclear copper(II) complexes, [Cu(C(15)H(16)NO(2))(2)] (1) and [Cu(C(6)H(9)N(2)O(4))(2)·3H(2)O] (2·3H(2)O), were synthesised and structurally characterised by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The copper(II) atom adopts a square-planar environment in complex 1, while the geometry in 2·3H(2)O could be described as the distorted square pyramidal. Complexes 1 and 2·3H(2)O were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) urease in vitro. They both were found to have strong inhibitory activities against H. pylori urease comparable to that of acetohydroxamic acid (AHA). A docking simulation was performed to position 2 into the H. pylori urease active site to determine the probable binding conformation.     

Synthesis,inhibitory activity and molecular docking studies of two Cu(II) complexes against Helicobacter pylori urease

Two mononuclear copper(II) complexes, [Cu(C₁₅H₁₆NO₂)₂] (1) and [Cu(C₆H₉N₂O₄)₂·3H₂O] (2·3H₂O), were synthesised and structurally characterised by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The copper(II) atom adopts a square-planar environment in complex 1, while the geometry in 2·3H₂O could be described as the distorted square pyramidal. Complexes 1 and 2·3H₂O were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) urease in vitro. They both were found to have strong inhibitory activities against H. pylori urease comparable to that of acetohydroxamic acid (AHA). A docking simulation was performed to position 2 into the H. pylori urease active site to determine the probable binding conformation.     

具有乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制活性的蛇足石杉内生真菌分子鉴定

在马铃薯葡萄糖液体培养基(PDB)、沙氏液体培养基(SDB)和查氏液体培养基(CDB)中发酵培养蛇足石杉内生真菌菌株SF88和LF52,乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)抑制活性检测结果表明,菌株SF88和LF52在PDB、SDB和CDB发酵后菌体总生物碱对AChE活性的抑制率分别为45.6%和56.7%、56.3%和68.5%、40.8%和48.3%。对这两株不产孢内生真菌的DNA ITS、18S rDNA、28S rDNA、TUB和RPB进行了测序,系统发育分析表明,SF88和LF52为Phaeosphaeriaceae科中一未知种,为开发生物碱类乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制剂(AChEI)药物提供了新的潜在菌种资源。     

Synthesis and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of tabersonine derivatives

Tabersonine, the main alkaloid in Voacanga seeds, was used as a lead compound to semi-synthesize tabersonine derivatives. In total, 13 compounds, containing 10 novel tabersonine derivatives, were synthesized by introducing substituent groups R₁–R₅. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of tabersnonine derivatives were evaluated using Ellman’s method. Among them, compound (7) showed the highest AChE inhibitory activity with the IC₅₀ value was 5.32 μM. The substituent groups R₁–R₅ showed different influences on the AChE inhibitory activities of tabersonine derivatives. The AChE inhibitory activities of tabersonine derivatives increased with the introduction of group R₁ and/or combined groups R₃, R₄, while decreased with the introduction of group R₅. And the group R₂ showed no significant influence on the AChE inhibitory activities of tabersonine derivatives.     

Synthesis,molecular docking,acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory potential of thiazole analogs as new inhibitors for Alzheimer disease

A series of thirty (30) thiazole analogs were prepared, characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and EI-MS and evaluated for Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory potential. All analogs exhibited varied butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ value ranging between 1.59 ± 0.01 and 389.25 ± 1.75 μM when compared with the standard eserine (IC₅₀, 0.85 ± 0.0001 μM). Analogs 15, 7, 12, 9, 14, 1, 30 with IC₅₀ values 1.59 ± 0.01, 1.77 ± 0.01, 6.21 ± 0.01, 7.56 ± 0.01, 8.46 ± 0.01, 14.81 ± 0.32 and 16.54 ± 0.21 μM respectively showed excellent inhibitory potential. Seven analogs 15, 20, 19, 24, 28, 30 and 25 exhibited good acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential with IC50 values 21.3 ± 0.50, 35.3 ± 0.64, 36.6 ± 0.70, 44.81 ± 0.81, 46.36 ± 0.84, 48.2 ± 0.06 and 48.72 ± 0.91 μM respectively. All other analogs also exhibited well to moderate enzyme inhibition. The binding mode of these compounds was confirmed through molecular docking.     

Synthesis,molecular docking and cholinesterase inhibitory activity of hydroxylated 2-phenylbenzofuran derivatives

We have designed, synthesized and evaluated a series of hydroxylated 2-phenylbenzofuran derivatives as potential cholinesterase inhibitors. Starting from a series of 2-phenylbenzofurans previously published, in this paper we present a complete synthesis and the influence on the activity of one or two hydroxyl groups located in meta or in meta and para positions respectively of the 2-phenyl ring and highlight the importance of position of hydroxyl groups. Moreover, simultaneous introduction of halogen at position 7 of the benzofuran scaffold resulted in an improved inhibitory activity against the enzyme. To further provide molecular insight and to identify the most probable ligand-binding site of the protein, docking studies were performed for the top-ranked compounds. Docking results revealed conserved ligand-binding residues and supported the role of catalytic site residues in enzyme inhibition.     

Design, synthesis, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of novel coumarin analogues

Three series (series A-C) of coumarin analogues with phenylpiperazine functions as substitution were designed and synthesized for studying their potential for treating Alzheimer's (AD) disease. Their anticholinesterase activities were assayed according to Ellmann's method against freshly prepared acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from Electrophorus electricus using donepezil as the reference compound. Pharmacological study and preliminary structure-activity relationships showed that coumarins with substitution on positions 3 and/or 4 have parallel anti-AchE activities compared with the reference compound.     

Synthesis and in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of some 1-substituted analogues of velnacrine

A number of analogues of 9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-acridinol (velnacrine), with 1-position substituents other than hydroxy, were prepared and evaluated for in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibition.     

Molecular modeling and inhibitory activity of cowpea cystatin against bean bruchid pests

Plant cystatins show great potential as tools to genetically engineer resistance of crop plants against pests. Two important potential targets are the bean weevils Acanthoscelides obtectus and Zabrotes subfasciatus, which display major activities of digestive cysteine proteinases in midguts. In this study a cowpea cystatin, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor found in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds, was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified with a Ni-NTA agarose column. It strongly inhibited papain and proteinases from midguts of both A. obtectus and Z. subfasciatus bruchids, as seen by in vitro assays. When the protein was incorporated into artificial seeds at concentrations as low as 0.025%, and seeds were consumed by the bruchids larva, dramatic reductions in larval weight, and increases in insect mortality were observed. Molecular modeling studies of cowpea cystatin in complex with papain revealed that five N-terminal residues responsible for a large proportion of the hydrophobic interactions involved in the stabilization of the enzyme-inhibitor complex are absent in the partial N-terminal amino acid sequencing of soybean cystatin. We suggest that this structural difference could be the reason for the much higher effectiveness of cowpea cystatin when compared to that previously tested phytocystatin. The application of this knowledge in plant protein mutation programs aiming at enhancement of plant defenses to pests is discussed.