New 5-(nitroheteroaryl)-1,3,4-thiadiazols containing acyclic amines at C-2: synthesis and SAR study for their antileishmanial activity

A novel series of 5-(5-nitrofuran-2-yl)-and 5-(5-nitrothiophen-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-amines bearing acyclic amine at C-2 position of thiadiazole ring were synthesized and evaluated in vitro against promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania major. The structure-activity of series was investigated by studying 40 compounds. The most active derivatives were hydroxypropylamino- and methoxypropylamino- analogs of 5-(5-nitrothiophen-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (compounds 29 and 32, respectively) with highest selectivity index (SI >12).     

New series of 3,5-disubstituted tetrahydro-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine thione (THTT) derivatives: Synthesis and potent antileishmanial activity

Four series of heterocyclic compounds, namely, tetrahydro-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine thione derivatives were synthesized in good to excellent yields and were screened for their in vitro antileishmanial activities against Leishmania major (promastigotes). Most of the compounds showed significant antileishmanial activity within the range of IC₅₀?=?15.48–39.36?μM when compared with standard pentamidine (IC₅₀?=?14.95?μM). The structure-activity relationship showed that N-3 and N-5 substituents have a key role against leishmanicidal activity. The ester analogues (series B) were found to have a 1.5 to 5-fold reduced activity compared to their acidic counterparts. Cytotoxicity against mammalian mouse fibroblast 3?T3 cells was also evaluated and compared between the acid and its ester analogue. The reduction of antileishmanial activity and loss of toxicity in the newly developed THTT ester derivative indicates that these compounds can be used as a template study for the production of effective antileishmanial ester prodrugs.     

Design,synthesis, in vitro antiproliferative activity and apoptosis-inducing studies of 1-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl)-3-(2′-alkoxycarbonylindolyl)-2-propen-1-one derivatives obtained by a molecular hybridisation approach

Inhibition of microtubule function using tubulin targeting agents has received growing attention in the last several decades. The indole scaffold has been recognized as an important scaffold in the design of novel compounds acting as antimitotic agents. Indole-based chalcones, in which one of the aryl rings was replaced by an indole, have been explored in the last few years for their anticancer potential in different cancer cell lines. Eighteen novel (3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl)-indolyl-propenone derivatives with general structure 9 were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against a panel of four different human cancer cell lines. The highest IC₅₀ values were obtained against the human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cell line. This series of chalcone derivatives was characterized by the presence of a 2-alkoxycarbonyl indole ring as the second aryl system attached at the carbonyl of the 3-position of the 1-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl)-2-propen-1-one framework. The structure–activity relationship (SAR) of the indole-based chalcone derivatives was investigated by varying the position of the methoxy group, by the introduction of different substituents (hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or benzyl) at the N-1 position and by the activity differences between methoxycarbonyl and ethoxycarbonyl moieties at the 2-position of the indole nucleus. The antiproliferative activity data of the novel synthesized compounds revealed that generally N-substituted indole analogues exhibited considerably reduced potency as compared with their parent N-unsubstituted counterparts, demonstrating that the presence of a hydrogen on the indole nitrogen plays a decisive role in increasing antiproliferative activity. The results also revealed that the position of the methoxy group on the indole ring is a critical determinant of biological activity. Among the synthesized derivatives, compound 9e, containing the 2-methoxycarbonyl-6-methoxy-N-1H-indole moiety exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity, with IC₅₀ values of 0.37, 0.16 and 0.17?μM against HeLa, HT29 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, respectively, and with considerably lower activity against HL-60 cells (IC₅₀: 18?μM). This derivative also displayed cytotoxic properties (IC₅₀ values ～1?μM) in the human myeloid leukemia U-937 cell line overexpressing human Bcl-2 (U-937/Bcl-2) via cell cycle progression arrest at the G₂-M phase and induction of apoptosis. The results obtained also demonstrated that the antiproliferative activity of this molecule is related to inhibition of tubulin polymerisation. The presence of a methoxy group at the C5- or C6-position of the indole nucleus, as well as the absence of substituents at the N-1-indole position, contributed to the optimal activity of the indole-propenone-3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl scaffold.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1-(benzenesulfonamido)-2-[5-(N-hydroxypyridin-2(1H)-one)]acetylene regioisomers: a novel class of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors

A hitherto unknown class of linear acetylene regioisomers were designed such that a SO₂NH₂ group was located at the ortho-, meta-, or para-position of the acetylene C-1 phenyl ring, and a N-hydroxypyridin-2(1H)-one moiety was attached via its C-5 position to the C-2 position on an acetylene template (scaffold). All three regioisomers inhibited 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), where the relative potency order was 2-SO₂NH₂ (IC₅₀ = 10 μM) >3-SO₂NH₂ (IC₅₀ = 15 μM) >4-SO₂NH₂ (IC₅₀ = 68 μM) relative to the reference drug nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA; IC₅₀ = 35 μM). The 2-SO₂NH₂ regioisomer (ED₅₀ = 86.0 mg/kg po) exhibited excellent oral anti-inflammatory (AI) activity that was more potent than aspirin (ED₅₀ = 128.9 mg/kg) and marginally less potent than ibuprofen (ED₅₀ = 67.4 mg/kg). The N-hydroxypyridin-2(1H)one moiety provides a novel pharmacophore for the design of cyclic hydroxamic mimetics capable of chelating 5-LOX iron for exploitation in the design of 5-LOX inhibitory AI drugs.     

Synthesis and antileishmanial evaluation of thiazole orange analogs

Cyanine compounds have previously shown excellent in vitro and promising in vivo antileishmanial efficacy, but the potential toxicity of these agents is a concern. A series of 22 analogs of thiazole orange ((Z)-1-methyl-4-((3-methylbenzo[d]thiazol-2(3H)-ylidene)methyl)quinolin-1-ium salt), a commercial cyanine dye with antileishmanial activity, were synthesized in an effort to increase the selectivity of such compounds while maintaining efficacy. Cyanines possessing substitutions on the quinolinium ring system displayed potency against Leishmania donovani axenic amastigotes that differed little from the parent compound (IC₅₀ 12–42 nM), while ring disjunction analogs were both less potent and less toxic. Changes in DNA melting temperature were modest when synthetic oligonucleotides were incubated with selected analogs (ΔTm ≤ 5 °C), with ring disjunction analogs showing the least effect on this parameter. Despite the high antileishmanial potency of the target compounds, their toxicity and relatively flat SAR suggests that further information regarding the target(s) of these molecules is needed to aid their development as antileishmanials.     

Cinnamic Acid Bornyl Ester Derivatives from Valeriana wallichii Exhibit Antileishmanial In Vivo Activity in Leishmania major-Infected BALB/c Mice

Human leishmaniasis covers a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from self-healing cutaneous leishmaniasis to severe and lethal visceral leishmaniasis caused among other species by Leishmania major or Leishmania donovani, respectively. Some drug candidates are in clinical trials to substitute current therapies, which are facing emerging drug-resistance accompanied with serious side effects. Here, two cinnamic acid bornyl ester derivatives (1 and 2) were assessed for their antileishmanial activity. Good selectivity and antileishmanial activity of bornyl 3-phenylpropanoate (2) in vitro prompted the antileishmanial assessment in vivo. For this purpose, BALB/c mice were infected with Leishmania major promastigotes and treated with three doses of 50 mg/kg/day of compound 2. The treatment prevented the characteristic swelling at the site of infection and correlated with reduced parasite burden. Transmitted light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy of Leishmania major promastigotes revealed that compounds 1 and 2 induce mitochondrial swelling. Subsequent studies on Leishmania major promastigotes showed the loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨ_m) as a putative mode of action. As the cinnamic acid bornyl ester derivatives 1 and 2 had exhibited antileishmanial activity in vitro, and compound 2 in Leishmania major-infected BALB/c mice in vivo, they can be regarded as possible lead structures for the development of new antileishmanial therapeutic approaches.     

Anticancer profile of newly synthesized BRAF inhibitors possess 5-(pyrimidin-4-yl)imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole scaffold

In this work, a new series of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole was designed and synthesized. The new compounds are having 3-fluorophenyl at position 6 of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole and pyrimidine ring at position 5. The pyrimidine ring containing either amide or sulphonamide moiety attached to a linker (ethyl or propyl) at position 2 of the pyrimidine ring. The final compounds were selected by NCI for in vitro cytotoxicity screening. Most derivatives showed cytotoxic activity against colon cancer and melanoma cell lines. In addition, IC₅₀s of the target compounds were determined over A375 and SK-MEL-28 cell lines using sorafenib as positive control. Compounds12b, 12c, 12e, 12f, 15a, 15d, 15f, 14g and 15h exhibited superior activity when compared to sorafenib. The most potent compounds were tested against wild type BRAF, v600e BRAF, and CRAF. Compound 15h exhibited a potential inhibitory effect against^V600EBRAF (IC₅₀?=?9.3?nM).     

Discovery of novel 6,7-disubstituted-4-phenoxyquinoline derivatives bearing 5-(aminomethylene)pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione moiety as c-Met kinase inhibitors

A series of novel quinoline derivatives bearing 5-(aminomethylene)pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione moiety were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their c-Met kinase inhibitory activities and antiproliferative activities against 5 cancer cell lines (HT-29, H460, MKN-45, A549, and U87MG) in vitro. Most compounds showed moderate to excellent potency, with the most promising analogue 45 (c-Met half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] = 1.15 nM) showing high selectivity versus 5 other tyrosine kinases, VEGFR-2, Flt-3, PDGFR-β, c-Kit, and EGFR. Structure–activity relationship studies indicated that electron-donating groups on the phenyl ring at the 3-position of pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione were required to increase the electron density on the 5-(aminomethylene)pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione moiety.     

Potential of 2-Hydroxy-3-Phenylsulfanylmethyl-[1,4]-Naphthoquinones against Leishmania (L.) infantum: Biological Activity and Structure-Activity Relationships

Naphtoquinones have been used as promising scaffolds for drug design studies against protozoan parasites. Considering the highly toxic and limited therapeutic arsenal, the global negligence with tropical diseases and the elevated prevalence of co-morbidities especially in developing countries, the parasitic diseases caused by various Leishmania species (leishmaniasis) became a significant public health threat in 98 countries. The aim of this work was the evaluation of antileishmanial in vitro potential of thirty-six 2-hydroxy-3-phenylsulfanylmethyl-[1,4]-naphthoquinones obtained by a three component reaction of lawsone, the appropriate aldehyde and thiols adequately substituted, exploiting the in situ generation of o-quinonemethides (o-QM) via the Knoevenagel condensation. The antileishmanial activity of the naphthoquinone derivatives was evaluated against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum and their cytotoxicity was verified in mammalian cells. Among the thirty-six compounds, twenty-seven were effective against promastigotes, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 8 to 189 µM; fourteen compounds eliminated the intracellular amastigotes, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 12 to 65 µM. The compounds containing the phenyl groups at R₁ and R₂ and with the fluorine substituent at the phenyl ring at R₂, rendered the most promising activity, demonstrating a selectivity index higher than 15 against amastigotes. A QSAR (quantitative structure activity relationship) analysis yielded insights into general structural requirements for activity of most compounds in the series. Considering the in vitro antileishmanial potential of 2-hydroxy-3-phenylsulfanylmethyl-[1,4]-naphthoquinones and their structure-activity relationships, novel lead candidates could be exploited in future drug design studies for leishmaniasis.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 1,3,5-Trisubstituted 2-Pyrazolines as Novel Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors with Antiproliferative Activity

A new series of 1,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrazolines for the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were synthesized. The designed structures include a COX-2 pharmacophore SO₂CH₃ at the para-position of the phenyl ring located at C-5 of a pyrazoline scaffold. The synthesized compounds were tested for in vitro COX-1/COX-2 inhibition and cell toxicity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines HT-29. The lead compound (4-chlorophenyl){5-[4-(methanesulfonyl)phenyl]-3-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl}methanone ( 16 ) showed significant COX-2 inhibition (IC₅₀=0.05±0.01 μM), and antiproliferative activity (IC₅₀=5.46±4.71 μM). Molecular docking studies showed that new pyrazoline-based compounds interact via multiple hydrophobic and hydrogen-bond interactions with key binding site residues of the COX-2 enzyme.     

Activity of 1-aryl-4-(naphthalimidoalkyl) piperazine derivatives against Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana

A series of 1-aryl-4-(phthalimidoalkyl) piperazines and 1-aryl-4-(naphthalimidoalkyl) piperazines were retrieved from a proprietary library based on their high structural similarity to haloperidol, an antipsychotic with antiparasitic activity, and assessed as potential antileishmanial scaffolds. Selected compounds were tested for antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana in dose-response assays. Two of the 1-aryl-4-(naphthalimidoalkyl) piperazines (compounds 10 and 11) were active against promastigotes of both Leishmania species without being toxic to human fibroblasts. Their activity was found to correlate with the length of their alkyl chains. Further analyses showed that compound 11 was also active against intracellular amastigotes of both Leishmania species. In promastigotes of both Leishmania species, compound 11 induced collapse of the mitochondrial electrochemical potential and increased the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration. Therefore, it may serve as a promising lead compound for the development of novel antiparasitic drugs.     

Activity of Fluorinated Curcuminoids against Leishmania major and Toxoplasma gondii Parasites

A new 3,4-difluorobenzylidene analog of curcumin, CDF, was recently reported, which demonstrated significantly enhanced bioavailability and in vivo anticancer activity compared with curcumin. For highlighting the antiparasitic behavior of CDF, we tested this compound together with its new O-methylated analog MeCDF against Leishmania major and Toxoplasma gondii parasites. Both CDF and MeCDF were tested in vitro against L. major and T. gondii. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity against Vero cells and macrophages was determined and selectivity indices were calculated. The DPPH radical scavenging activity assay was carried out in order to determine the antioxidant activity of the test compounds. Both compounds showed high activities against both parasite forms with EC₅₀ values in the (sub-)micromolar range (0.35 to 0.8 μM for CDF, 0.31 to 1.2 μM for MeCDF). The higher activity of CDF against L. major amastigotes when compared with MeCDF can in parts be attributed to the antioxidant activity of CDF while MeCDF lacking any antioxidant activity was more active than CDF against T. gondii parasites. In conclusion, CDF and MeCDF are promising antiparasitic drug candidates due to their high activities against L. major and T. gondii parasites.     

Exploration of the 5-bromopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as potent inhibitors of PDE5

The substituents both at the 6-position of the 5-bromopyrimidinone ring and at the 5′-position of the phenyl ring of 5-bromopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones were explored. 5-Bromo-6-isopropyl-2-(2-propoxy-phenyl)pyrimidin-4(3H)-one was identified as a new scaffold for potent PDE5 inhibitors. The crystal structures of PDE5/2e and PDE5/10a complexes provided a structural basis for the inhibition of 5-bromopyrimidinones to PDE5. In addition, it was also found that there is a great tolerance for the substitution at the 5′-position of the phenyl ring of 5-bormopyrimidinones and the resulted compound 13a has the highest inhibition activity to PDE5 (IC₅₀, 1.7 nM).     

Leishmanicidal Triterpenes from Lantana camara

Two new natural triterpenes, lantaninilic acid and lantoic acid, along with the known triterpenes lantadene A, and oleanolic, ursolic, betulinic, lantanolic, and camaric acid, were obtained from the aerial parts of Lantana camara through bioassay‐guided isolation, monitoring the in vitro antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of Leishmania major. Oleanolic acid ( 3 ), ursolic acid ( 4 ), lantadene A ( 5 ), and lantanilic acid ( 7 ) showed significant leishmanicidal activities with IC₅₀ values of 53.0, 12.4, 20.4, and 21.3 μM , respectively. The IC₅₀ value of ursolic acid ( 4 ; 12.4 μM ) was found to be comparable with that of the standard drugs, pentamidine (IC₅₀ 15.0 μM ) and amphotericin B (IC₅₀ 0.31 μM ). The in vitro activities of L. camara and its constituents against promastigotes of Leishmania major are reported here for the first time.     

The efficacy of 2-nitrovinylfuran derivatives against Leishmania in vitro and in vivo

Despite recent advances in the treatment of some forms of leishmaniasis, the available drugs are still far from ideal due to inefficacy, parasite resistance, toxicity and cost. The wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity of 2-nitrovinylfuran compounds has been described, as has their activity against Trichomonas vaginalis and other protozoa. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the antileishmanial activities of six 2-nitrovinylfurans in vitro and in a murine model of leishmaniasis. Minimum parasiticide concentration (MPC) and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values for these compounds against the promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis were determined, as were the efficacies of two selected compounds in an experimental model of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by L. amazonensis in BALB/c mice. All of the compounds were active against the promastigotes of the three Leishmania species tested. IC₅₀ and MPC values were in the ranges of 0.8-4.7 µM and 1.7-32 µM, respectively. The compounds 2-bromo-5-(2-bromo-2-nitrovinyl)-furan (furvina) and 2-bromo-5-(2-methyl-2-nitrovinyl)-furan (UC245) also reduced lesion growth in vivo at a magnitude comparable to or higher than that achieved by amphotericin B treatment. The results demonstrate the potential of this class of compounds as antileishmanial agents and support the clinical testing of Dermofural^(r) (a furvina-containing antifungal ointment) for the treatment of CL.     

Discovery andw biological evaluation of novel 6,7-disubstituted-4-(2-fluorophenoxy)quinoline derivatives possessing 1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxamide moiety as c-Met kinase inhibitors

A series of 6,7-disubstituted-4-(2-fluorophenoxy)quinoline derivatives possessing 1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxamide moiety were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro biological activities against c-Met kinase and five typical cancer cell lines (A549, H460, HT-29, MKN-45 and U87MG). Most compounds showed moderate to excellent antiproliferative activity. In this study, a promising compound 34, with a c-Met IC₅₀ value of 1.04 nM, was identified as a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The SAR analyses indicated that compounds with halogen group, especially fluoro group, at 4-position on the phenyl ring (moiety B) have potent antitumor activity, and methylation on the 5-atom linker played an important role in the c-Met enzymatic activity.     

Competitive antagonism of insect GABA receptors by 4-substituted 5-(4-piperidyl)-3-isothiazolols

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors are important targets of parasiticides/insecticides. Several 4-substituted analogs of the partial GABA_A receptor agonist 5-(4-piperidyl)-3-isothiazolol (Thio-4-PIOL) were synthesized and examined for their antagonism of insect GABA receptors expressed in Drosophila S2 cells or Xenopus oocytes. Thio-4-PIOL showed weak antagonism of three insect GABA receptors. The antagonistic activity of Thio-4-PIOL was enhanced by introducing bicyclic aromatic substituents into the 4-position of the isothiazole ring. The 2-naphthyl and the 3-biphenylyl analogs displayed antagonist potencies with half maximal inhibitory concentrations in the low micromolar range. The 2-naphthyl analog induced a parallel rightward shift of the GABA concentration–response curve, suggesting competitive antagonism by these analogs. Both compounds exhibited weak insecticidal activities against houseflies. Thus, the orthosteric site of insect GABA receptors might be a potential target site of insecticides.     

Synthesis and bioactivity of 3,5-dimethylpyrazole derivatives as potential PDE4 inhibitors

A series of 3,5-dimethylpyrazole derivatives containing 5-phenyl-2-furan moiety were designed and synthesized as phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitors. Bioassay results showed that the title compounds exhibited considerable inhibitory activity against PDE4B and blockade of LPS-induced TNFα release. Among the designed compounds, compound If showed the best inhibitory activity against PDE4B with the IC₅₀ value of 1.7?μM, which also showed good in vivo activity in animal models of asthma/COPD and sepsis induced by LPS. The primary structure–activity relationship (SAR) study and docking results suggested that introduction of the substituent groups to the phenyl ring at the para-position, especially methoxy group, was helpful to enhance inhibitory activity against PDE4B.