Design and synthesis of novel oridonin analogues as potent anticancer agents

To identify anticancer agents with higher potency and lower toxicity, a series of oridonin derivatives with substituted benzene moieties at the C17 position were designed, synthesised, and evaluated for their antiproliferative properties. Most of the derivatives exhibited antiproliferative effects against AGS, MGC803, Bel7402, HCT116, A549, and HeLa cells. Compound 2p (IC_50?=?1.05?µM) exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity against HCT116 cells; it was more potent than oridonin (IC₅₀?=?6.84?µM) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (IC_50?=?24.80?µM). The IC₅₀ value of 2p in L02 cells was 6.5-fold higher than that in HCT116 cells. Overall, it exhibited better selective antiproliferative activity and specificity than oridonin and 5-FU. Furthermore, compound 2p arrested HCT116 cells at the G2 phase of the cell cycle and increased the percentage of apoptotic cells to a greater extent than oridonin.     

Design,synthesis and antifungal evaluation of novel pyrazole carboxamides with diarylamines scaffold as potent succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors

Sixteen novel pyrazole carboxamides with diarylamines scaffold were designed, synthesized and characterized in detail via ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and ESI-HRMS. Preliminary bioassays showed that some of the target compounds exhibited good antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora infestans and Fusarium graminearum. Among them, compound 1c exhibited the highest antifungal activities against R. solani in vitro with EC₅₀ value of 0.005?mg/L, superior to the commercially available fungicide fluxapyroxad (EC₅₀?=?0.033?mg/L). And compound 1c (IC₅₀?=?0.034?mg/L) showed higher inhibition abilities against succinate dehydrogenase than fluxapyroxad (IC₅₀?=?0.037?mg/L). This study suggests that compound 1c could be regarded as a potential succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor.     

Design and synthesis of novel carbocyclic versions of 2'-spirocyclopropyl ribonucleosides as potent anti-HCV agents

The discovery of 2'-spirocyclopropyl-ribocytidine as a potent inhibitor of RNA synthesis by NS5B (IC(50) = 7.3 μM), the RNA polymerase encoded by hepatitis C virus (HCV), has led to the synthesis and biological evaluation of carbocyclic versions of 2'-spiropropyl-nucleosides from cyclopentenol 6. Spirocyclopropylation of enone 7 was completed by using (2-chloroethyl)-dimethylsulfonium iodide and potassium t-butoxide to form the desired intermediate 9a. The synthesized nucleoside analogues, 18, 19, 26, and 27, were assayed for their ability to inhibit HCV RNA replication in a subgenomic replicon Huh7 cell line. The synthesized cytosine nucleoside 19 showed moderate anti-HCV activity (IC(50) = 14.4 μM).     

Design and synthesis of novel spin-labeled camptothecin derivatives as potent cytotoxic agents

In our continuing search for natural product-based spin-labeled antitumor drugs, 20 novel spin-labeled camptothecin derivatives were synthesized via a Cu-catalyzed one pot reaction and evaluated for cytotoxicity against four human tumor cell lines (A-549, MDA-MB-231, KB, and KBvin). Eighteen of the target compounds (9a, 9b, 9d–9k, 9m–9t) exhibited significant in vitro antiproliferative activity against these four tested tumor cell lines. Compounds 9e and 9j (IC₅₀ 0.057 and 0.072 μM, respectively) displayed the greatest cytotoxicity against the multidrug-resistant (MDR) KBvin cell line and merit further development into preclinical and clinical drug candidates for treating cancer including MDR phenotype.     

Design, synthesis, and application of novel triclosan prodrugs as potential antimalarial and antibacterial agents

A number of new triclosan-conjugated analogs bearing biodegradable ester linkage have been synthesized, characterized and evaluated for their antimalarial and antibacterial activities. Many of these compounds exhibit good inhibition against Plasmodium falciparum and Escherichia coli. Among them tertiary amine containing triclosan-conjugated prodrug (5) inhibited both P. falciparum (IC(50); 0.62microM) and E. coli (IC(50); 0.26microM) at lower concentrations as compared to triclosan. Owing to the presence of a cleavable ester moiety, these new prodrugs are hydrolyzed under physiological conditions and parent molecule, triclosan, is released. Further, introduction of tertiary/quaternary functionality increases their cellular uptake. These properties impart them with higher potency to their antimalarial as well as antibacterial activities. The best compound among them 5 shows close to four-fold enhanced activities against P. falciparum and E. coli cultures as compared to triclosan.     

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of potent NAD+-dependent DNA ligase inhibitors as potential antibacterial agents. Part I: aminoalkoxypyrimidine carboxamides

A series of 2,6-disubstituted aminoalkoxypyrimidine carboxamides (AAPCs) with potent inhibition of bacterial NAD(+)-dependent DNA ligase was discovered through the use of structure-guided design. Two subsites in the NAD(+)-binding pocket were explored to modulate enzyme inhibitory potency: a hydrophobic selectivity region was explored through a series of 2-alkoxy substituents while the sugar (ribose) binding region of NAD(+) was explored via 6-alkoxy substituents.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of novel thiosemicarbazide analogues as potent anticonvulsant agents

Novel thiosemicarbazide derivatives were synthesised and evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity. Anticonvulsant activity was done for grand mal and petit mal types of epilepsies by maximal electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induced convulsions methods respectively. Rotarod test was done to determine neurotoxicity. Amongst synthesised compounds, N-(4-bromophenyl)2-[(2-phenylhydrazinyl) carbonothioyl] hydrazinecarbothioamide (5e) is a broad-spectrum anticonvulsant agent since it was active in both (MES) and (PTZ) induced seizure models with no neurotoxicity and N,N-(bis(chlorophenyl)hydrazine-1,2-dicarbothoamide (5g) acts as a selective agent for grand mal epilepsy.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel series of anthrapyrazoles linked with netropsin-like oligopyrrole carboxamides as anticancer agents

Anticancer drugs that bind to DNA and inhibit DNA-processing enzymes represent an important class of anticancer drugs. Combilexin molecules, which combine DNA minor groove binding and intercalating functionalities, have the potential for increased DNA binding affinity and increased selectivity due to their dual mode of DNA binding. This study describes the synthesis of DNA minor groove binder netropsin analogs containing either one or two N-methylpyrrole carboxamide groups linked to DNA-intercalating anthrapyrazoles. Those hybrid molecules which had both two N-methylpyrrole groups and terminal (dimethylamino)alkyl side chains displayed submicromolar cytotoxicity towards K562 human leukemia cells. The combilexins were also evaluated for DNA binding by measuring the increase in DNA melting temperature, for DNA topoisomerase IIα-mediated double strand cleavage of DNA, for inhibition of DNA topoisomerase IIα decatenation activity, and for inhibition of DNA topoisomerase I relaxation of DNA. Several of the compounds stabilized the DNA–topoisomerase IIα covalent complex indicating that they acted as topoisomerase IIα poisons. Some of the combilexins had higher affinity for DNA than their parent anthrapyrazoles. In conclusion, a novel group of compounds combining DNA intercalating anthrapyrazole groups and minor groove binding netropsin analogs have been designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated as possible novel anticancer agents.     

Design and synthesis of novel 2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides as potential antiviral agents

On the basis of potent anti-HIV activity of 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides (ddNs), their bioisosteric analogues, 2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides (4'-seleno-ddNs) were first synthesized from a chiral template, d-glutamic acid using stereoselective ring-closure reaction of the dimesylate with Se(2-) and Pummerer type condensation of the selenoxide with nucleobases as key steps. X-ray crystallographic analysis indicated that 4'-seleno-ddNs adopted the same C2'-endo/C3'-exo (South) conformation as anti-HIV active ddNs, but did not show anti-HIV activity, indicating that RT seems to prefer the C2'-exo/C3'-endo (North) conformation on binding with their triphosphates.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of novel HDAC inhibitors as potential antitumor agents

Phenyl imidazolidin-2-one was introduced as the linker for novel HDAC inhibitors. A focused library of 20 compounds was designed and synthesized, among which eight compounds showed equivalent or higher potencies against HDAC1 as compared to vorinostat. In vitro antitumor activity assays in HCT-116, PC-3 and HL-60 cancer cells revealed six compounds with potent antitumor activities, and compound 1o showed 6- to 9-fold higher potencies compared to vorinostat. In an HCT-116 nude mice xenograft model, compound 1o displayed significant antitumor activity in both continuous and intermittent dosing schedules.     

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel kazusamycin A derivatives as potent antitumor agents

Novel kazusamycin A derivatives were designed in the viewpoint of decrease of reactivity at the alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactone moiety against Michael-type addition. Although 25-30 steps were required for the synthesis of each compound, their syntheses were achieved. Cytotoxicity against HPAC cell line was evaluated, and two of them exhibited comparable potency to kazusamycin A. Hepatic toxicity of these designed compounds was much lower than that of kazusamycin A.     

Discovery of novel bis-oxazolidinone compounds as potential potent and selective antitubercular agents

A variety of new mono-oxazolidinone molecules by modifying the C-ring of Linezolid, a marketed antibiotic for MRSA, were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antibacterial activities against several Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium smegmatis and two Gram-negative bacteria strains (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Among them, compounds 4–7 displayed moderate antimicrobial activities. After development of a second oxazolidinone ring in the western part of the mono-oxazolidinone compounds 4–7 by a ring closure reaction with N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), we found thus obtained bis-oxazolidinone compounds 22–25 possess excellently inhibitory activities against H₃₇Rv but poor or no effects on other test bacteria. Among them, bis-oxazolidinone compound 22 and 24 are the most potent two compounds with a same MIC value of 0.125 μg/mL against H₃₇Rv virulent strain. Compound 22 also exhibited extremely low cytotoxicity on monkey kidney Vero cells with a selective index (IC₅₀/MIC) over 40,000, which suggested bis-oxazolidinone compound 22 is a promising lead compound for subsequent investigation in search of new antitubercular agents.     

Design and synthesis of novel potent antinociceptive agents: methyl-imidazolyl N-acylhydrazone derivatives

This paper describes recent results of design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of new N-heterocyclic functionalized N-acylhydrazone compounds, belonging to the 2-methyl-imidazolyl-3-acylhydrazone class (4a-e). These compounds were planned by applying the molecular simplification strategy to propose the structural modifications on the previously described functionalized imidazo [1,2-a]pyridine 3-acylhydrazone series (2), which presented an important analgesic profile. This new series (4) was synthesized in order to investigate the possible pharmacophoric contribution of the N-heteroaromatic ring and N-acylhydrazone moieties to the analgesic activity. Compounds 4a-b are the most potent antinociceptive agents from this series.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of novel semicarbazone-selenochroman-4-ones hybrids as potent antifungal agents

A series of novel 2,3-dihydro-4H-1-benzoselenin-4-one (thio)semicarbazone derivatives were designed and synthesized by using molecular hybridization approach. All the target compounds were characterized by HRMS and NMR and evaluated in vitro antifungal activity against five pathogenic strains. In comparison with precursor selenochroman-4-ones, the hybrid molecules in this study showed significant improvement in antifungal activities. Notably, compound B8 showed significant antifungal activity against other strains excluding Aspergillus fumigatus (0.25 μg/mL on Candida albicans, 2 μg/mL on Cryptococcus neoformans, 8 μg/mL on Candida zeylanoides and 2 μg/mL on fluconazole-sensitive strains of Candida albicans). Moreover, compounds B8, B9 and C2 also displayed most potent activities against four fluconazole-resistance strains. Especially the MIC values of the hybrid molecule B8 against fluconazole-resistant strains were in the range of 0.5–2 μg/mL. Therefore, the molecular hybridization approach in this study provided new ideas for the development of antifungal drug.     

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel quinazoline derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents

Twenty-two quinazoline derivatives have been synthesised and examined for their anti-tumour activity against three tumour cell lines, namely human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and human hepatoma cell line (HepG2). Twelve of the tested compounds have shown promising anti-tumour activity with an IC(50) range of 5.0-9.7 μg/mL. Regarding the spectrum of activity, five compounds exhibited interesting anti-proliferative properties against the three tested cell lines comparable to the reference drug (dasatinib).     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of novel quinazoline derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents

Twenty-two quinazoline derivatives have been synthesised and examined for their anti-tumour activity against three tumour cell lines, namely human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and human hepatoma cell line (HepG2). Twelve of the tested compounds have shown promising anti-tumour activity with an IC₅₀ range of 5.0–9.7 µg/mL. Regarding the spectrum of activity, five compounds exhibited interesting anti-proliferative properties against the three tested cell lines comparable to the reference drug (dasatinib).     

Design and multi-step synthesis of chalcone-polyamine conjugates as potent antiproliferative agents

The aim of this study is to synthesize chalcone-polyamine conjugates in order to enhance bioavailability and selectivity of chalcone core towards cancer cells, using polyamine-based vectors. 3-hydroxy-3′,4,4′,5′-tetramethoxychalcone (1) and 3′,4,4′,5′-tetramethoxychalcone (2) were selected as parent chalcones since they were found to be efficient anti-proliferative agents on various cancer cells. A series of ten chalcone-polyamine conjugates was obtained by reacting carboxychalcones with different polyamine tails. Chalcones 1 and 2 showed a strong cytotoxic activity against two prostatic cancer (PC-3 and DU-145) and two colorectal cancer (HT-29 and HCT-116) cell lines. Then, chalcone-spermine conjugates 7d and 8d were shown to be the most active of the series and could be considered as promising compounds for colon and prostatic cancer adjuvant therapy.     

Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel molecules with a diphenyl ether nucleus as potential antitubercular agents

A series of compounds with a diphenyl ether nucleus were synthesized by incorporating various amines into the diphenyl ether scaffold with an amide bond. Their antitubercular activities were evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv by a microdilution method, with MIC values ranging from 4 to 64μg/mL. Through structure-activity relationship studies, the two chlorine atoms at 3 and 4 positions in the phenyl ring of R(2) group were found to play a significant role in the antitubercular activity. The most potent compound 6c showed an MIC value of 4μg/mL and a good safety profile in HepG2 cell line by the MTT assay. Compound 6c was further found to be effective in a murine model of BCG infection, providing a good lead for subsequent optimization.     

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel galloyl pyrrolidine derivatives as potential anti-tumor agents

A series of novel galloyl pyrrolidine derivatives were synthesized as potential anti-tumor agents. Their inhibiting activities on gelatinase (MMP-2 and -9) were tested with succinylated gelatin as the substrate. Structure-activity analyses demonstrate that introduction of longer and more flexible side chains at the C(4) position of the pyrrolidine ring brings higher activity against gelatinase. Free phenol hydroxyl group is more favorable than the methylated one, which confirms the important role of the phenol hydroxyl group when inhibitors interact with gelatinase. In particular, (2S,4S)-4-(3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acrylamido)-N-hydroxy-1-(3,4,5- trimethoxybenzoyl)pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide (18) stood out as the most attractive compound (IC(50) = 0.9 nM). The anti-metastasis model of mice bearing H(22) tumor cells was used to evaluate their anti-tumor activities in vivo. The assay in vivo revealed that most of these inhibitors displayed favorable inhibitory activities (inhibitory rate >35%) and no significant toxic effects were observed. The inhibition for 62.37% of 19 indicates the strategy used to design MMP inhibitors (MMPIs) of galloyl pyrrolidine derivatives as potential anti-tumor agents is promising.     

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel water-soluble N-mustards as potential anticancer agents

A series of novel water-soluble N-mustard-benzene conjugates bearing a urea linker were synthesized. The benzene moiety contains various hydrophilic side chains are linked to the meta- or para-position of the urea linker via a carboxamide or an ether linkage. The preliminary antitumor studies revealed that these agents exhibited potent cytotoxicity in vitro and therapeutic efficacy against human tumor xenografts in vivo. Remarkably, complete tumor remission in nude mice bearing human breast carcinoma MX-1 xenograft and significant suppression against prostate adenocarcinoma PC3 xenograft were achieved by treating with compound 9aa′ at the maximum tolerable dose with relatively low toxicity. We also demonstrate that the newly synthesized compounds are able to induce DNA cross-linking through alkaline agarose gel shift assay. A pharmacokinetic profile of the representative 9aa′ in rats was also investigated. The current studies suggest that this agent is a promising candidate for preclinical studies.