Natural prenylated xanthones as potential inhibitors of PI3k/Akt/mTOR pathway in triple negative breast cancer cells

Three prenylated xanthones, garcinone E (1), bannaxanthone D (2) and bannanxanthone E (3) were isolated from the leaves of Garcinia mckeaniana Graib. Their structures were elucidated by spectral methods and compared with literature data. To evaluate their anti-proliferative effects in tumor cells, firstly, cisplatin was used as a positive control and the effects of compound 1-3 were determined by performing MTT assay in MDA-MB-231, CNE-2 and A549 cancer cells. The results showed compound 1-3 exhibited stronger inhibitory effect than cisplatin in MDA-MB-231. Further effects of compound 1-3 in TNBC MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells were examined by performing cell cycle and apoptosis assays. The results indicated that compound 1-3 had ability to arrest cell cycle at G2/M phase and induce apoptosis. Furthermore, compound 2 significantly down-regulated PI3K, Akt and mTOR levels in both total proteins and phosphorylated form, which is its potential anti-cancer mechanism. These findings indicated that those prenylated xanthones might serve as promising leading compounds for the development of anticancer drug for TNBC.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity and anti-oxidant potential of portulaca quadrifida linn.

Portulaca quadrifidaL. (PQ) having the phytochemicals like Alkaloids, flavonoids, Saponins, tannins, glycosides, carbohydrates, aminoacids, triterpenoids. The present study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities by using acetic acid induced vascular permeability model in mice & acetic acid induced colitis in rats significantly. PQ (100 mg/kg, p.o.) presented a significant anti-inflammatory activity towards acetic acid induced vascular permeability model in mice in comparison to Diclofenac sodium(10 mg/kg, s.c.) and acetic acid induced colitis in rats in comparison to 5-ASA. Our findings suggest that, PQ contains potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds which will aid us to conduct bioactivity guided isolation & characterization of leading compounds in due course.

Antimicrobial Properties and Cytotoxic Effect of Imidazolium Geminis with Tunable Hydrophobicity

Antimicrobial, membranotropic and cytotoxic properties of dicationic imidazolium surfactants of n-s-n (Im) series with variable length of alkyl group (n = 8, 10, 12, 14, 16) and spacer fragment (s = 2, 3, 4) were explored and compared with monocationic analogues. Their activity against a representative range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and also fungi, is characterized. The relationship between the biological activity and the structural features of these compounds is revealed, with the hydrophobicity emphasized as a key factor. Among dicationic surfactants, decyl derivatives showed highest antimicrobial effect, while for monocationic analogues, the maximum activity is observed in the case of tetradecyl tail. The leading compounds are 2–4 times higher in activity compared to reference antibiotics and prove effective against resistant strains. It has been shown that the antimicrobial effect is not associated with the destruction of the cell membrane, but is due to specific interactions of surfactants and cell components. Importantly, they show strong selectivity for microorganism cells while being of low harm to healthy human cells, with a SI ranging from 30 to 100.

In Silico, Design, and Development: Molecular Modeling towards B-RAF and VEGFR-2 of Novel Sorafenib Derivatives for Targeted Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cancer Inhibitors

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major public health problem and the leading cause of death of people around the world with a tendency to increase every year, leading to a large investigation on the development of HCC drugs. In this work, novel sorafenib derivatives containing 1,2,3-triazole moiety, M1-M5 were designed as potential HCC cancer inhibitors by targeting B-rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (B-RAF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). The bindings of M1-M5 in the cavity of B-RAF and VEGFR-2, which are kinases related to HCC cell growth, were investigated by molecular docking using iGEMDOCK v2.1 software. The results illustrated that M1-M5 bound in the binding site of B-RAF and VEGFR-2 in a similar manner to sorafenib. It was also found that the 1,2,3-triazole moiety of M1-M5 interacted well by hydrogen bonding with key amino acids in the binding site of B-RAF and VEGFR-2 which could inhibit the cancer cell growth. Although the binding energies of M1-M5 in B-RAF (-148.51 to -126.19 kcal/mol) were rather higher to that of sorafenib (-176.75 kcal/mol), the binding energies of M1-M5 in VEGFR-2 (-127.00 to -116.48 kcal/mol) were comparable to that of sorafenib (-127.03 kcal/mol). As a result, M1-M5 containing 1,2,3-triazole moiety were promising molecules to study in vitro on VEGFR-2 inhibitory assay and be leading compounds for the development as the anticancer drugs against HCC in the future.

Theoretical and experimental study of interaction of macroheterocyclic compounds with ORF3a of SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic infectious disease (Covid-19) caused by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) is spreading rapidly around the world. Covid-19 does an irreparable harm to the health and life of people. It also has a negative financial impact on the economies of most countries of the world. In this regard, the issue of creating drugs aimed at combating this disease is especially acute. In this work, molecular docking was used to study the docking of 23 compounds with QRF3a SARS-CoV2. The performed in silico modeling made it possible to identify leading compounds capable of exerting a potential inhibitory and virucidal effect. The leading compounds include chlorin (a drug used in PDT), iron(III)protoporphyrin (endogenous porphyrin), and tetraanthraquinone porphyrazine (an exogenous substance). Having taken into consideration the localization of ligands in the QRF3a SARS-CoV2, we have made an assumption about their influence on the pathogenesis of Covid-19. The interaction of chlorin, iron(III)protoporphyrin and protoporphyrin with the viral protein ORF3a were studied by fluorescence and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The obtained experimental results confirm the data of molecular docking. The results showed that a viral protein binds to endogenous porphyrins and chlorins, moreover, chlorin is a competitive ligand for endogenous porphyrins. Chlorin should be considered as a promising drug for repurposing.

HYBRID MOLECULES BASED ON ALKALOIDS

This review has been summarized the data on the synthesis of new hybrid derivatives based on alkaloid molecules. At the same time, there have been analyzed methods for obtaining hybrid structures containing fragments of natural compounds molecules in combination with other biologically active plant metabolites, as leading compounds for the development of new pharmacologically valuable agents, with the aim of creating new original drugs. The combination of pharmacophoric residues in one molecule, namely various aromatic and heterocyclic substituents in the nucleoside position of natural alkaloids, opens up new possibilities for both the subsequent chemical modification of the polyfunctional derivatives obtained and their new diverse biological activity. Effective methods of synthesis have been developed on the basis of directed transformations of these compounds (or their precursors). A wide range of pharmaco-logical properties of combined compounds of these series with a combination of low toxicity is promising. Considering that the preparation of combined derivatives based on alkaloid molecules has been insufficiently studied, the targeted synthesis of new com-pounds is of interest both in terms of new medicinespreparation and the development of new methods of organic synthesis, as well as the molecules stereochemistry determination of a new series of compounds.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Some Novel Pyrazolo[5,1-b]thiazole Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial and Anticancer Agents

The pharmacological activities of thiazole and pyrazole moieties as antimicrobial and anticancer agents have been thoroughly described in many literature reviews. In this study, a convenient synthesis of novel pyrazolo[5,1-b]thiazole-based heterocycles was carried out. The synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Some selected examples were screened and evaluated for their antimicrobial and anticancer activities and showed promising results. These products could serve as leading compounds in the future design of new drug molecules.

Design, Synthesis and Antifungal Activity of Stapled Aurein1.2 Peptides

Aurein1.2 is a 13-residue antimicrobial peptide secreted by the Australian tree frog Litoria aurea. In order to improve its stabilities, the helical contents and corresponding biological activities of Aurein1.2 (a series of stapled analogues) were synthesized, and their potential antifungal activities were evaluated. Not surprisingly, the stapled Aurein1.2 peptides showed higher proteolytic stability and helicity than the linear counterpart. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ten stapled peptides against six strains of common pathogenic fungi was determined by the microscale broth dilution method recommended by CLSI. Of them, Sau-1, Sau-2, Sau-5, and Sau-9 exhibited better inhibitory effects on the fungi than the linear peptide. These stapled Aurein1.2 peptides may serve as the leading compounds for further optimization and antifungal therapy.

Screening of anxiolytic properties and analysis of structure-activity relationship of new derivatives of 6-(4-methoxy)-7H-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a][2,3]benzodiazepine under the code RD

Introduction: Searching for new compounds with anti-anxiety activity resulting from the combination of privileged scaffolds is a promising direction in medicinal chemistry and in the development of new drugs. Anxiolytic potential and cytotoxic properties of previously synthesized molecules, containing fragments of 2,3-benzodiazepine and 1,2,4-triazole – 6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-7H-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-A][2,3]benzodiazepines under the generic code RD were studied. Materials and methods: Screening for anxiolytic activity was performed on elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF) test models. Structural and functional analysis of the anti-anxiety activity of the studied substances was carried out. A degree of muscle relaxant effect of the substances was assessed in the tests Grid, Wire, and Rotarod. A cytotoxicity study of RD compounds was carried out using an MTT assay on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells HepG2. Results and discussion: For a number of novel triazolo[3,4-a][2,3]benzodiazepine derivatives, a prominent anxiolytic activity was manifested in terms of EPM test. The results of OF test were consistent with the obtained data and confirmed the presence of the sought activity in the leading compounds. There was no significant effect on muscle tone for the compounds under study. It was observed that RD compounds possessed no cytotoxic properties and were safe for further studies in vivo. Conclusion: Among the new derivatives of 6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-7H-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a][2,3]benzodiazepine under the code RD, substances (RD-4, 12, 13) with a high anxiolytic activity comparable to diazepam and tofisopam were found. The most promising compound is RD-4 due to its pronounced anxiolytic and low cytotoxic properties.

Targeted Synthesis and Analysis of Biologically Active Azomethine Derivatives of 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carboxamide

Introduction. Azomethine derivatives of 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carboxamide are acyclic precursors of biologically active compounds derived from 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-3H-benzoteopheno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-4-one. Examples of these groups of compounds with different pharmacological properties are given in the literature, but their cytostatic effect is mainly described. These data and the preparative availability allow us to judge the prospects for further study and molecular design in a number of azomethine derivatives of 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carboxamide. Optimization of methods for the synthesis and analysis of substances of this series and the identification of structure-activity relationship are of considerable interest for medical chemistry and pharmaceutical science. The resulting leading compounds will allow us to further develop laboratory requirements for the synthesis of an active pharmaceutical substance.Aim. To make a predict, optimize the synthesis conditions and develop a method for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of pharmacologically active azomethine derivatives of 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carboxamide.Materials and methods. The prediction of biological activity was carried out through the web resource PASS Online. The synthesis of the target azomethines was carried out by the interaction of aromatic aldehydes with 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carboxamide in an ethanol. The reaction was monitored by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The determination of related impurities was done by HPLC. The analysis was carried out under the conditions of isocratic elution with a mobile phase of acetonitrile – water (70:30).Results and discussion. The results of the prediction of the biological activity of the constructed structures suggest the manifestation of cytostatic, antitubercular and anti-inflammatory activity characteristic of all target azomethines. The analysis of the reactivity revealed the influence of substituents of aldehydes contained in the aromatic core on the completeness of the condensation reaction. The spectral characteristics clearly confirmed the structure of the products, and the HPLC results showed the purity of the obtained substances, which is more than 95 %.Conclusion. As a result of the conducted studies, the structure of promising azomethine derivatives of 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carboxamide was justified and the method of their synthesis and analysis by HPLC was optimized. In the future, the results of the research will allow us to identify the leading compounds with the specified pharmacological properties.