Synthesis, biological evaluation and structure-activity relationships of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives as novel anti-hepatitis B virus agents

Fifty-seven derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) were synthesized, and their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity was evaluated in HepG 2.2.15 cells. Among them, sixteen compounds showed greater anti-HBV activity than GA, especially, compounds 29, 32, 35, 41 exhibited significantly inhibitory activities against HBV DNA replication with IC(50) values of 5.71, 5.36, 8.90 and 9.08 μM, respectively. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) of GA derivatives were discussed for exploring novel anti-HBV agents.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of Matijing-Su derivatives as potent anti-HBV agents

A series of Matijing-Su (MTS, N-(N-benzoyl-l-phenylalanyl)-O-acetyl-L-phenylalanol) derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity in 2.2.15 cells. The IC(50) of compounds 14a (0.71 μM), 13c (2.85 μM), 13b (4.37 μM), etc. and the selective index of 13g (161.01), 13c (90.45), 13a (85.09) etc. of the inhibition on the replication of HBV DNA were better than those of the positive control lamivudine (IC(50): 82.42 μM, SI: 41.59). Compounds 13o, 13p, and 16a also exhibited significant anti-HBV activity.     

Design and Synthesis of (3-Phenylisoxazol-5-yl)methanimine Derivatives as Hepatitis B Virus Inhibitors

Series of (3-phenylisoxazol-5-yl)methanimine derivatives were synthesized, and evaluated for anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity in vitro. Half of them more effectively inhibited HBsAg than 3TC, and more favor to inhibit secretion of HBeAg than to HBsAg. Part of the compounds with significant inhibition on HBeAg were also effectively inhibit replication of HBV DNA. Compound (E)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-((2-phenylhydrazineylidene)methyl)isoxazole inhibited excellently HBeAg with IC₅₀ in 0.65 μM (3TC(Lamivudine) in 189.90 μM), inhibited HBV DNA in 20.52 μM (3TC in 26.23 μM). Structures of compounds were determined by NMR and HRMS methods, and chlorination on phenyl ring of phenylisoxazol-5-yl was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis, and the structure–activity relationships (SARs) of the derivatives was discussed. This work provided a new class of potent non-nucleoside anti-HBV agents.     

Synthesis and biological assay of 4-aryl-6-chloro-quinoline derivatives as novel non-nucleoside anti-HBV agents

A series of 4-aryl-6-chloro-quinoline derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activities, namely the abilities to inhibit the secretion of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), HBV e antigen (HBeAg), and replication of HBV DNA in HepG 2.2.15 cells. Most of the compounds exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against the secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg. Nine compounds (3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 14, 17, 20, 24) showed significant inhibition against HBV DNA replication with IC(50) values in the range of 4.4-9.8 μM, which were comparative to that of positive control tenofovir. Of them, compounds 10, 17, and 20 had low cytotoxicities, resulting in high SI values, >551.2, >143.7, and >284.5, respectively.     

Trimethoxy-chalcone derivatives inhibit growth of Leishmania braziliensis: synthesis, biological evaluation, molecular modeling and structure-activity relationship (SAR)

In this work we described the synthesis, the antileishmanial activity and the molecular modeling and structure-activity relationship (SAR) evaluations of a series of chalcone derivatives. Among these compounds, the methoxychalcones 2h, 2i, 2j, 2k and 2l showed significant antileishmanial activity (IC(50)<10 μM). Interestingly 2i (IC(50)=2.7 μM), 2j (IC(50)=3.9 μM) and 2k (IC(50)=4.6 μM) derivatives presented better antileishmanial activity than the control drug pentamidine (IC(50)=6.0 μM). Our SAR study showed the importance of methoxy di-ortho substitution at phenyl ring A and the relationship between the frontier orbital HOMO coefficients distribution of these molecules and their activity. The most active compounds 2h, 2i, 2j, 2k, and 2l fulfilled the Lipinski rule-of-five which theoretically is important for good drug absorption and permeation through biological membranes. The potential profile of 2j (IC(50)=3.9 μM and CC(50)=216 μM) pointed this chalcone derivative as a hit compound to be further explored in antileishmanial drug design.     

Synthesis of novel inhibitors of β-glucuronidase based on benzothiazole skeleton and study of their binding affinity by molecular docking

Benzothiazole derivatives 1-26 have been synthesized and their in vitro β-glucuronidase potential has been evaluated. Compounds 4 (IC(50)=8.9 ± 0.25 μM), 5 (IC(50)=36.1 ± 1.80 μM), 8 (IC(50)=8.9 ± 0.38 μM), 13 (IC(50)=19.4 ± 1.00 μM), 16 (IC(50)=4.23 ± 0.054 μM), and 18 (IC(50)=2.26 ± 0.06 μM) showed β-glucuronidase activity potent than the standard (d-saccharic acid 1,4-lactone, IC(50)=48.4 ± 1.25 μM). Compound 9 (IC(50)=94.0 ± 4.16 μM) is found to be the least active among the series. All active analogs were also evaluated for cytotoxicity and none of the compounds showed any cytotoxic effect. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed using the gold 3.0 program to investigate the binding mode of benzothiazole derivatives. This study identifies a novel class of β-glucuronidase inhibitors.     

6-Nitrobenzimidazole derivatives: potential phosphodiesterase inhibitors: synthesis and structure-activity relationship

6-Nitrobenzimidazole derivatives (1-30) synthesized and their phosphodiesterase inhibitory activities determined. Out of thirty tested compounds, ten showed a varying degrees of phosphodiesterase inhibition with IC(50) values between 1.5±0.043 and 294.0±16.7 μM. Compounds 30 (IC(50)=1.5±0.043 μM), 1 (IC(50)=2.4±0.049 μM), 11 (IC(50)=5.7±0.113 μM), 13 (IC(50)=6.4±0.148 μM), 14 (IC(50)=10.5±0.51 μM), 9 (IC(50)=11.49±0.08 μM), 3 (IC(50)=63.1±1.48 μM), 10 (IC(50)=120.0±4.47 μM), and 6 (IC(50)=153.2±5.6 μM) showed excellent phosphodiesterase inhibitory activity, much superior to the standard EDTA (IC(50)=274±0.007 μM), and thus are potential molecules for the development of a new class of phosphodiesterase inhibitors. A structure-activity relationship is evaluated. All compounds are characterized by spectroscopic parameters.     

Tryptamine derivatives as novel non-nucleosidic inhibitors against hepatitis B virus

A series of tryptamine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity and cytotoxicity in the HepG2.2.15 cell line. The preliminary SAR was discussed. Compounds 2e and 4a showed potent antiviral activity (IC(50)=0.4 and <1 μM, respectively) and low cytotoxicity (CC(50)=40.6 and >25 μM, respectively).     

Anti-HBV agents. Part 1: Synthesis of alisol A derivatives: a new class of hepatitis B virus inhibitors

A series of alisol A derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activities and cytotoxicities in vitro. The preliminary investigation demonstrates that simple modifications of the parent structure of alisol A can produce a number of potentially important derivatives against HBV. The most active anti-HBV compound 6a showed high activities against the secretion of HBV surface antigen (IC(50)=0.024 mM), HBV e antigen (IC(50)=0.028 mM) and remarkable selective indices (SI(HBsAg)>108, SI(HBeAg)>93), which was selected for further evaluation as a novel HBV inhibitor.     

Synthesis,structure–activity relationships and biological evaluation of dehydroandrographolide and andrographolide derivatives as novel anti-hepatitis B virus agents

Dehydroandrographolide and andrographolide, two natural diterpenoids isolated from Andrographis paniculata possessed activity against HBV DNA replication with IC₅₀ values of 22.58 and 54.07 μM and low SI values of 8.7 and 3.7 in our random assay. Consequently, 48 derivatives of dehydroandrographolide and andrographolide were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-HBV properties to yield a series of active derivatives with lower cytotoxicity, including 14 derivatives against HBsAg secretion, 19 derivatives against HBeAg secretion and 38 derivatives against HBV DNA replication. Interestingly, compound 4e could inhibit not only HBsAg and HBeAg secretions but also HBV DNA replication with SI values of 20.3, 125.0 and 104.9. Furthermore, the most active compound 2c with SI value higher than 165.1 inhibiting HBV DNA replication was revealed with the optimal log P value of 1.78 and log D values. Structure–activity relationships (SARs) of the derivatives were disclosed for guiding the future research toward the discovery of new anti-HBV drugs.     

Design, synthesis and anticancer activity of novel dihydrobenzofuro[4,5-b][1,8]naphthyridin-6-one derivatives

On the basis of the chemical structures of psorospermin with a xanthone template and acronycine derivatives with an acridone template, rac-1 and rac-2 constructed on an 1,2-dihydrobenzofuro[4,5-b][1,8]naphthyridin-6(11H)-one scaffold were designed and synthesized as potential anticancer agents. Their anticancer activities were evaluated against five human cancer cell lines. Rac-2 showed similar anticancer activity to doxorubicin and rac-1 exhibited even higher anticancer activity against LNCaP (IC(50)=0.14 μM), DU145 (IC(50)=0.15 μM), PC3 (IC(50)=0.30 μM) and MCF-7 (IC(50)=0.26 μM) cancer lines than doxorubicin and rac-2. Also, rac-1 revealed very potent anticancer activity (IC(50)=0.15 μM) against MCF-7/ADR cell (doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cell) lines and induced G2/M phase arrest of the cell cycle in MCF-7/ADR cells.     

Synthesis and in vitro anti-hepatitis B virus activities of some ethyl 5-hydroxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylates

A series of ethyl 5-hydroxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylates 6A-10T were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activities in 2.2.15 cells. The IC50 and selective index of inhibition on replication of HBV DNA of compounds 10(L) (1.52 microg/ml, 9.38) and 10(P) (2.00 microg/ml, 8.85) were higher than those of the other evaluated compounds including lamivudine (7.02). Compounds 7E and 10J exhibited significant anti-HBV activities, and the IC50 values on replication of HBV DNA of these compounds were 24.90 and 15.41 microg/ml, respectively, which were far more potent than the positive control lamivudine 228.00 microg/ml.     

Inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus Replication by Rheum palmatum L. Ethanol Extract in a Stable HBV-producing Cell

Hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is a severe health problem in the world.However,there is still not a satisfactory therapeutic strategy for the HBV infection.To search for new anti-HBV agents with higher efficacy and less side-effects,the inhibitory activities of traditional Chinese medicine Rheum palmatum L.ethanol extract(RPE) against HBV replication were investigated in this study.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was employed to analyze the inhibitory activity of RPE against HBV-DNA replication in a stable HBV-producing cell line HepAD38; the expression levels of HBV surface antigen(HBsAg) and e antigen(HBeAg) were also determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) after RPE treatment.RPE could dose-dependently inhibit the production of HBV-DNA and HBsAg.The concentration of 50% inhibition(IC50) was calculated at 209.63,252.53 μg/mL,respectively.However,its inhibitory activity against HBeAg expression was slight even at high concentrations.RPE had a weak cytotoxic effect on HepAD38 cells(CC50 = 1 640 μg/mL) and the selectivity index(SI) was calculated at 7.82.Compared with two anthraquinone derivatives emodin and rhein,RPE showed higher ability of anti-HBV and weaker cytotoxicity.So Rheum palmatum L.might possess other functional agents which could effectively inhibit HBV-DNA replication and HBsAg expression.Further purification of the active agents,identification and modification of their structures to improve the efficacy and decrease the cytotoxicity are required.     

Synthesis and in vitro anti-hepatitis B virus activities of some ethyl 6-bromo-5-hydroxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylates

A series of ethyl 6-bromo-5-hydroxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylates, 8a-11v, were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activities in 2.2.15 cells. The selective indexes of inhibition on replication of HBV DNA of compounds 11s (>8.7) and 11t (10.8), which were introduced halogen on the phenyl ring at position 2, were greater than those of the other evaluated compounds including lamivudine (7.0). Compounds 9e, 9h, 9l, and 11v exhibited significant anti-HBV activities, and the IC(50) values on replication of HBV DNA of these compounds were 3.6, 6.37, 5.2, and 5.4 microg/ml, respectively, which were far more potent than the positive control lamivudine 228 microg/ml.     

Design, synthesis and CoMFA studies of N1-amino acid substituted 2,4,5-triphenyl imidazoline derivatives as p53-MDM2 binding inhibitors

A series of novel N1-amino-acid substituted 2,4,5-triphenyl imidazoline derivatives was designed and synthesized based on our previous studies. All synthesized target compounds were screened for their p53-MDM2 binding inhibitory activities and anti-proliferative activities against five cancer cell lines. Among them, twelve compounds displayed improved binding inhibitory activities and most compounds showed higher cell growth inhibition activities with IC(50) values in the low micromolar range. Compound 6c exhibited marked p53-MDM2 binding inhibitory activity (IC(50)=0.59 μM) which was eightfold more potent than that of Nutlin-1 (IC(50)=4.78 μM). CoMFA analysis was performed based on obtained biological data and resulted in a statistically significant CoMFA model with high predict abilities (q(2)=0.645, r(2)=0.979).     

Thiosemicarbazone fragment embedded within 1,2,4-triazole ring as inhibitors of Entamoeba histolytica

A series of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives containing thiosemicarbazone linkage was synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antiamoebic activity against HM1:IMSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica. All the compounds were capable of inhibiting the growth of E. histolytica out of which four compounds (IC(50)=0.28-1.38 μM) were found to have better efficacy than the standard drug Metronidazole (IC(50)=1.8 μM). Cytotoxicity of the active compounds was assessed by MTT assay using human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line, which revealed that all the compounds were low cytotoxic in the concentration range of 2.5-250 μM.     

Synthesis and antitumor activity of 1,2,4-triazoles having 1,4-benzodioxan fragment as a novel class of potent methionine aminopeptidase type II inhibitors

A series of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives containing 1,4-benzodioxan (5a-5q) have been designed, synthesized, structurally determined, and their biological activities were evaluated as potential MetAP2 inhibitors. All the synthesized compounds were first reported. Among the compounds, compound 5k showed the most potent biological activity against HEPG2 cancer cell line (IC(50)=0.81 μM for HEPG2 and IC(50)=0.93 μM for MetAP2), which was comparable to the positive control. Docking simulation by positioning compound 5k into the MetAP2 structure active site was performed to explore the possible binding model. The results of apoptosis and Western-blot assay demonstrated that compound 5k possessed good antitumor activity against HEPG2 cancer cell line. Therefore, compound 5k with potent inhibitory activity in tumor growth inhibition may be a potential antitumor agent against HEPG2 cancer cell.     

Synthesis, structural elucidation, DNA-PK inhibition, homology modelling and anti-platelet activity of morpholino-substituted-1,3-naphth-oxazines

A number of new angular 2-morpholino-(substituted)-naphth-1,3-oxazines (compound 10b), linear 2-morpholino-(substituted)-naphth-1,3-oxazines (compounds 13b-c), linear 6, 7 and 9-O-substituted-2-morpholino-(substituted)-naphth-1,3-oxazines (compounds 17-22, 24, and 25) and angular compounds 14-16 and 23 were synthesised. The O-substituent was pyridin-2yl-methyl (15, 18, and 21) pyridin-3yl-methyl (16, 19, and 22) and 4-methylpipreazin-1-yl-ethoxy (23-25). Twelve compounds were tested for their inhibitory effect on collagen induced platelet aggregation and it was found that the most active compounds were compounds 19 and 22 with IC(50)=55±4 and 85±4 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the compounds were also assayed for their ability to inhibit DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity. The most active compounds were 18 IC(50)=0.091 μM, 24 IC(50)=0.191 μM, and 22 IC(50)=0.331 μM. Homology modelling was used to build a 3D model of DNA-PK based on the X-ray structure of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks). Docking of synthesised compounds within the binding pocket and structure-activity relationships (SAR) analyses of the poses were performed and results agreed well with observed activity.     

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives as aminopeptidase N/CD13 inhibitors

A series of novel 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives were designed, synthesized and assayed for their activities against aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) and MMP-2. The results showed that most compounds exhibited higher inhibitory activities against APN than that of MMP-2. Within this series, compound 12h (IC(50)=6.28 ± 0.11 μM) showed similar inhibitory activities compared with Bestatin (IC(50)=5.55 ± 0.01 μM), and it could be used as novel lead compound for the future APN inhibitors development as anticancer agents.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 5-alkyl-2-arylthio-6-((3,4-dihydroquinolin-1(2H)-yl)methyl)pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as potent non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors

A series of novel S-DABO analogues of 5-alkyl-2-arylthio-6-((3,4-dihydroquinolin-1(2H)-yl)methyl)pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Among them, the most potent HIV-1 inhibitors were compounds 6c1,6c6, and 6b1 (EC(50)=0.24 ± 0.05, 0.38 ± 0.13, 0.39 ± 0.05 μM, respectively), which possess improved or similar HIV-1 inhibitory activity compared with nevirapine (NVP) (EC(50)=0.21 μM) and delavirdine (DLV) (EC(50)=0.32 μM). None of these compounds were active against HIV-2 replication. Furthermore, enzyme inhibitory assays were performed with selected derivatives against HIV-1 wtRT, confirming that the main target of these compounds is the HIV-1 RT and these new S-DABOs are acting as NNRTIs. The preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) of these new congeners is discussed briefly and rationalized by docking studies.