Green synthesis and anticancer potential of chalcone linked-1,2,3-triazoles

Design and synthesis of diosgenin derivatives as apoptosis inducers through mitochondria-related pathways

Diosgenin (DSG) has attracted attention recently as a potential anticancer therapeutic agent due to its profound antitumor activity. To better utilize DSG as an antitumor compound, two series of DSG-amino acid ester derivatives (3a-3g and 7a-7g) were designed and synthesized, and their cytotoxic activities against six human cancer cell lines (K562, T24, MNK45, HepG2, A549, and MCF-7) were evaluated. The results obtained showed that a majority of derivatives exhibited cytotoxic activities against these six human tumor cells. Structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that the introduction of l-tryptophan to the C-3 position of DSG and the C-26 position of derivative 5 was the preferred option for these compounds to display significant cytotoxic activities. Among them, compound 7g exhibited significant cytotoxicity against the K562 cell line (IC₅₀ = 4.41 μM) and was 6.8-fold more potent than diosgenin (IC₅₀ = 30.04 μM). Further cellular mechanism studies in K562 cells elucidated that compound 7g triggered mitochondrial-related apoptosis by increasing the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), which was associated with upregulation of the gene and protein expression levels of Bax, downregulation of the gene and protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and activation of the caspase cascade. The above results suggested that compound 7g might be considered a promising scaffold for further modification of more potent anticancer agents.

Synthesis, in silico ADME, molecular docking and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of stilbene linked 1,2,3-triazoles

Series of (E)-1-benzyl-4-((4-styrylphenoxy)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazoles 7a-x were obtained by Wittig reaction between 4-((1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)benzaldehydes 5a-d and benzyl triphenylphosphonium halides 6a-f in benzene. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by FTIR, NMR (1H and 13C NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. All synthesized compounds were screened for their cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines including pancreatic carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, lung carcinoma, and leukemias such as acute lymphoblastic, chronic myeloid, and non-Hodgkinson lymphoma cell lines. In vitro cytotoxicity data showed that compounds 7c, 7e, 7h, 7j, 7k, 7r, and 7w were moderately cytotoxic (11.6-19.3 μM) against the selected cancer cell lines. These cytotoxicity findings were supported using molecular docking studies of the compounds against 1TUB receptor. The drug-likeness properties of the compounds evaluated by in silico ADME analyses. Resveratrol linked 1,2,3-triazoles were more sensitive towards human carcinoma cell lines but least sensitive towards leukemia and lymphoma cell lines.

Antimicrobial Screening, in Silico Studies and QSAR of Chalcone-based 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole Hybrids

The in vitro antimicrobial properties of some chalcones (1A-1C: ) and chalcone tethred 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles (2A-2U: ) towards different microbial strains viz. Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans are reported. Compounds 2G: and 2U: exhibited better potency than the standard Fluconazole with MIC values of 0.0063 µmol/mL and 0.0068 µmol/mL, respectively. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to investigate the binding modes of two potent compounds 2Q: and 2G: with E. coli topoisomerase II DNA gyrase B and C. albicans lanosterol 14α-demethylase, respectively. Based on these results, a statistically significant quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) model was successfully summarized for antibacterial activity against B. subtilis.

Recent accomplishments on the synthetic/biological facets of pharmacologically active 1H-1,2,3-triazoles

The continuous demand of medicinally important scaffolds has prompted the synthetic chemists to identify simple and efficient routes for their synthesis. 1H-1,2,3-triazole, obtained by highly versatile, efficacious and selective "Click Reaction" has become a synthetic/medicinal chemist's favorite not only because of its ability to mimic different functional groups but also due to enhancement in the targeted biological activities. Triazole ring has also been shown to play a critical role in biomolecular mimetics, fragment-based drug design, and bioorthogonal methodologies. In addition, the availability of triazole containing drugs such as fluconazole, furacyclin, etizolam, voriconazole, triozolam etc. in market has underscored the potential of this biologically enriched core in expediting development of new scaffolds. The present review, therefore, is an attempt to highlight the recent synthetic/biological advancements in triazole derivatives that could facilitate the in-depth understanding of its role in the drug discovery process.

Polyvinyl alcohol-based electrospun matrix as a delivery system for nanoemulsion containing chalcone against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a worldwide public health problem. Conventional therapies, in addition to the high cost, have many adverse effects and cases of parasite's resistance. Chalcones are secondary metabolites precursors in the flavonoid pathway and can be obtained naturally, but with low yield from plant raw material. Thus, the use of synthetic chalcones has been a promising strategy for the development of molecules with leishmanicidal activity. Thus, this work aimed to develop a controlled release system of two synthetic chalcone (trans-chalcones and 3'-(trifluormethyl)-chalcone) using polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers (PVA) as scaffold. The association of chalcones to the nanofibers was made by nanoemulsions (NE) thereof, i.e., a colloidal system on a nanometric scale, which allows compounds with opposite polarities to remain miscible and stable throughout their manipulation. Chalcone nanoemulsions were developed using the spontaneous emulsification technique. The NE were characterized regarding their particle size, polydispersion index (PDI), and zeta potential. The results showed NE with spherical shape, absolute values of zeta potential were higher than 30 mV and homogeneous distribution pattern (PDI < 0.3). Dynamics light scattering (DLS) analysis showed similar hydrodynamic rays, i.e., 180 nm (trans-chalcone NE) and 178 nm (NE containing 3'-(trifluormethyl)-chalcone, in addition to presenting encapsulation efficiency values close to 100 %. Subsequently, the NE were added to a polymeric solution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and processed via the electrospinning technique affording a PVA matrix (15 %, w/v) nanofiber containing the chalcones NE at 1 mg.mL^-1. In a follow-up experiment, the skin permeation assay of the PVA matrix-chalcone NE was performed in vitro using Franz type diffusion cells and porcine ear as biological model of study. The results showed that the treatments with the nanofibers containing the chalcone NE were retained mainly in the stratum corneum, while the NE suspensions containing chalcone were retained in the epidermis and dermis. This result is thought to be relevant, since parasites are located mainly in the dermis. Further, in vitro assay against the amastigote form of L. (L) amazonensis, showed IC₅₀ values to trans-chalcone and 3'-(trifluormethyl)-chalcone of 24.42 ± 6.76 μg.mL^-1 and 15.36 ± 4.61 μg.mL^-1, respectively. In addition to improving the solubility of the compounds tested in culture medium without using organic solvents, chalcones in nano-emulsified form reduced the IC₅₀ to 9.09 ± 1.24 μg.mL^-1 (trans-chalcone) and 10.27 ± 2.27 μg.mL^-1 (3'-(trifluormethyl)-chalcone) which confirmed the potential of the nanoemulsion containing chalcone for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.

1,4-Disubstituted-1,2,3-Triazole Compounds Induce Ultrastructural Alterations in Leishmania amazonensis Promastigote: An in Vitro Antileishmanial and in Silico Pharmacokinetic Study

The current standard treatment for leishmaniasis has remained the same for over 100 years, despite inducing several adverse effects and increasing cases of resistance. In this study we evaluated the in vitro antileishmanial activity of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3 triazole compounds and carried out in silico predictive study of their pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties. Ten compounds were analyzed, with compound 6 notably presenting IC₅₀: 14.64 ± 4.392 µM against promastigotes, IC₅₀: 17.78 ± 3.257 µM against intracellular amastigotes, CC₅₀: 547.88 ± 3.256 µM against BALB/c peritoneal macrophages, and 30.81-fold selectivity for the parasite over the cells. It also resulted in a remarkable decrease in all the parameters of in vitro infection. Ultrastructural analysis revealed lipid corpuscles, a nucleus with discontinuity of the nuclear membrane, a change in nuclear chromatin, and kinetoplast swelling with breakdown of the mitochondrial cristae and electron-density loss induced by 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole treatment. In addition, compound 6 enhanced 2.3-fold the nitrite levels in the Leishmania-stimulated macrophages. In silico pharmacokinetic prediction of compound 6 revealed that it is not recommended for topical formulation cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment, however the other properties exhibited results that were similar or even better than miltefosine, making it a good candidate for further in vivo studies against Leishmania parasites.

Synthesis, antimicrobial potency with in silico study of Boc-leucine-1,2,3-triazoles

A library of N-Boc protected Leucine-linked 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles was synthesized and fully characterized, in high yield via copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. In vitro antibacterial activity showed that compound 4h found to be more potent than the reference drug Ciprofloxacin (MIC: 0.0196 µmol/mL) against tested bacterial strains S. entrica, B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli and P. auroginosa with MIC: 0.0148, 0.0074, 0.0148, 0.0074, and 0.0074 µmol/mL, respectively and antifungal activity with MIC: 0.0148 µmol/mL as compared to reference drug Fluconazole (MIC: 0.0102 µmol/mL) against A. niger and C. albicans fungal strains. Further, the molecular docking study on 4h and its predecessor alkyne 3 by choosing E. coli topoisomerase II, DNA Gyrase (PDB ID: 1KZN) showed better binding with triazole than alkyne and these results were supported by DFT study using B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) basis set.

Cu-Al mixed oxide-catalysed multi-component synthesis of gluco- and allofuranose-linked 1,2,3-triazole derivatives

A series of carbohydrate-linked 1,2,3-triazole derivatives were synthesized in good yields from glucofuranose and allofuranose diacetonides using as key step a three-component 1,3-dipolar azide-alkyne cycloaddition catalysed by a Cu-Al mixed oxide. In this multi-component reaction, Cu-Al mixed oxide/sodium ascorbate system serves as a highly reactive, recyclable and efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the regioselective synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. The reported protocol has significant advantages over classical CuI/N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) or CuSO4/sodium ascorbate conditions in terms of efficiency and reduced synthetic complexity. In addition, the selective deprotection of synthesized di-O-isopropylidene derivatives was also carried out leading to the corresponding mono-O-isopropylidene products in moderate yields. Some of the synthesized triazole glycoconjugates were tested for their in vitro antimicrobial activity using the disc diffusion method against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), as well as fungus (Aspergillus niger) and yeast (Candida utilis). The results revealed that these compounds exhibit moderate to good antimicrobial activity mainly against Gram-negative bacteria.

Synthesis, Antiproliferative and Cytotoxic Activities, DNA Binding Features and Molecular Docking Study of Novel Enamine Derivatives

Novel enamine derivatives were synthesized from the reaction of lactone and chalcones and their antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities against six cancer cell lines (e. g., HeLa, HT29, A549, MCF7, PC3 and Hep3B) and one normal cell lines (e. g., FL) were investigated along with their mode of interactions with CT-DNA. Most of the enamine derivatives with IC₅₀ values of 86-168 μM demonstrated much stronger antiproliferative activity than the starting molecules against the cancer cells. While, among the enamine derivatives, four compounds displayed higher cytotoxic potency than the control drugs (5-fluorouracil and cisplatin) against the Hep3B cell lines, these compounds did not exhibit any significant toxicity against normal cells, FL. The UV/VIS spectral data suggest that eight compounds cause hypochromism with a slight bathochromic shift (∼6 nm), indicating that they bind to the DNA by way of an intercalative or minor groove binding mode. The binding constants of the compounds are in the range of 0.1×103 M^-1 -2.3×104 M^-1 . The antiproliferative activity of studied enamine derivatives could possibly be due to their DNA binding as well as their cytotoxic properties. In addition to these assays, the chalcones and enamine derivatives were investigated by molecular docking to calculate the synergistic effect of antiproliferative activities against six human cancer cell lines.

Chalcone hybrids as potential anticancer agents: Current development, mechanism of action, and structure-activity relationship

The continuous emergency of drug-resistant cancers and the low specificity of anticancer agents have been the major challenges in the control and treatment of cancer, making an urgent need to develop novel anticancer agents with high efficacy. Chalcones, precursors of flavonoids and isoflavonoids, exhibit structural heterogeneity and can act on various drug targets. Chalcones which demonstrated potential in vitro and in vivo activity against both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant cancers, are useful templates for the development of novel anticancer agents. Hybridization of chalcone moiety with other anticancer pharmacophores could provide the hybrids which have the potential to overcome drug resistance and improve the specificity, so it represents a promising strategy to develop novel anticancer agents. This review emphasizes the development, the mechanisms of action as well as structure-activity relationships of chalcone hybrids with potential therapeutic application for many cancers in recent 10 years.

Novel Steroidal 5α,8α-Endoperoxide Derivatives with Semicarbazone/Thiosemicarbazone Side-chain as Apoptotic Inducers through an Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway: Design, Synthesis and Biological Studies

A series of novel steroidal 5α,8α-endoperoxide derivatives bearing semicarbazone (7a–g) or thiosemicarbazone (7h–k) side chain were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicities in four human cancer cell lines (HepG2, HCT-116, MCF-7, and A549) using the MTT assay in vitro. The results showed that compound 7j exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells (IC₅₀ = 3.52 μM), being more potent than ergosterol peroxide. Further cellular mechanism studies in HepG2 cells indicated that compound 7j triggered the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis by decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), which was associated with up-regulation of Bax, down-regulation of Bcl-2, activation levels of the caspase cascade, and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The above findings indicated that compound 7j may be used as a promising skeleton for antitumor agents with improved efficacy.

Conversion of di-aryl-chalcones into 4,5-di-hydro-pyrazole-1-carbo-thio-amides: mol-ecular and supra-molecular structures of two precursors and three products

Chalcones of type 4-XC6H4C(O)CH=CHC6H4(OCH2CCH)-4, where X = Cl, Br or MeO, have been converted to the corresponding 4,5-di-hydro-pyrazole-1-carbo-thio-amides using a cyclo-condensation reaction with thio-semicarbazide. The chalcones 1-(4-chloro-phen-yl)-3-[4-(prop-2-yn-yloxy)phen-yl]prop-2-en-1-one, C18H13ClO2, (I), and 1-(4-bromo-phen-yl)-3-[4-(prop-2-yn-yloxy)phen-yl]prop-2-en-1-one, C18H13BrO2, (II), are isomorphous, and their mol-ecules are linked into sheets by two independent C-H⋯π(arene) inter-actions, both involving the same aryl ring with one C-H donor approaching each face. In each of the products (RS)-3-(4-chloro-phen-yl)-5-[4-(prop-2-yn-yloxy)phen-yl]-4,5-di-hydro-pyrazole-1-carbo-thio-amide, C19H16ClN3OS, (IV), (RS)-3-(4-bromo-phen-yl)-5-[4-(prop-2-yn-yloxy)phen-yl]-4,5-di-hydro-pyrazole-1-carbo-thio-amide, C19H16BrN3OS, (V), and (RS)-3-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)-5-[4-(prop-2-yn-yloxy)phen-yl]-4,5-di-hydro-pyrazole-1-carbo-thio-amide, C20H19N3O2S, (VI), the reduced pyrazole ring adopts an envelope conformation with the C atom bearing the 4-prop-2-yn-yloxy)phenyl substituent, which occupies the axial site, displaced from the plane of the four ring atoms. Compounds (IV) and (V) are isomorphous and their mol-ecules are linked into chains of edge-fused rings by a combination of N-H⋯S and C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds. The mol-ecules of (VI) are linked into sheets by a combination of N-H⋯S, N-H⋯N and C-H⋯π(arene) hydrogen bonds. Comparisons are made with the structures of some related compounds.

New chalcone-type compounds and 2-pyrazoline derivatives: synthesis and caspase-dependent anticancer activity

Aim: There is a continuous and urgent need for new anticancer agents with novel structures and target selectivity. Methods & results: The anticancer activity of the prepared compounds was assessed against human lung (A549) and stomach (AGS) cancer cell lines and evaluated in the noncancer human lung fibroblast (MRC-5) cell line. 2-Pyrazolines were devoid of toxicity in all cell lines used, chalcones bearing a β-(benz)imidazole moiety being toxic toward AGS cell line. Mechanistic studies showed that these compounds trigger loss of cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential, while eliciting morphological traits compatible with regulated cell death, which was ultimately shown to derive from caspase activation, specifically caspase-3. Conclusion: Chalcones 1-3 have been identified as new and promising anticancer agents toward the AGS cell line.

1,2,3-Triazole-Chalcone hybrids: Synthesis, in vitro cytotoxic activity and mechanistic investigation of apoptosis induction in multiple myeloma RPMI-8226

A new series of 1,2,3-triazole-chalcone hybrids has been synthesized and screened in vitro against a panel of 60 human cancer cell lines according to NCI (USA) protocol. Compound 4d having 3, 4-dimethoxyphenyl chalcone moiety, the most potent derivative, inhibited the growth of RPMI-8226 and SR leukemia cell lines by 99.73% and 94.95% at 10 μM, respectively. Also, it inhibited the growth of M14 melanoma, K-562 leukemia, and MCF7 breast cancer cell lines by more than 80% at the same test concentration. 4d showed IC₅₀ values less than 1 μM on six types of tumor cells and high selectivity index reached to 104 fold on MCF7. Compound 4d showed superior activity than methotrexate and gefitinib against the most sensitive leukemia cell lines in addition to higher or comparable activity against the rest sensitive cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis in RPMI-8226 cells revealed that compound 4d caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and induced apoptosis in a dose dependant manner. Mechanistic evaluation referred this apoptosis induction to triggering mitochondrial apoptotic pathway through inducing ROS accumulation, increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and activation of caspases 3, 7 and 9.

Synthesis, characterization and in vitro anticancer activity of thiabendazole-derived 1,2,3-triazole derivatives

Thiabendazolium salts with 1,2,3-triazole motifs were synthesized and characterized; they exhibit good cytotoxic activity.

Computational investigations and molecular dynamics simulations envisioned for potent antioxidant and anticancer drugs using indole-chalcone-triazole hybrids

Cancer, also called malignancy, is a disease which is closely related with the oxidative stress instigated by the overproduction of vulnerable oxygen and nitrogen species. Available drugs are relatively painful and toxic and so are trailing their captivation. Keeping this in mind, we have attempted to reach a novel anti-cancer drug by taking a set of nineteen ligands which are hybrids of Indole-chalcone and triazole. These ligands were allowed to interact with the DNA dodecamer 5'(CGCGAATTCGCG)3' one by one using various docking protocols of Glide. Better docked complexes screened through docking scores and reported activity data were selected and exposed to molecular dynamics run of 20 ns. The dynamical pathways were investigated for each complex comparing the pre- and post- dynamics run. The outcome of the work is discussed in this paper. Among the better hybrids of this series, one of the molecules has shown interesting features, confirming its non-toxic nature and working as intercalator as well minor groove binder, perhaps making it suitable as a potent drug for further pharmacological use.

Continued exploration and tail approach synthesis of benzenesulfonamides containing triazole and dual triazole moieties as carbonic anhydrase I, II, IV and IX inhibitors

A library of twenty two novel 1,2,3-triazole benzenesulfonamides incorporating thiosemicarbazide, 5(4H)-thione-1,2,4-triazole and variously substituted phenacyl appended 1,2,4-triazole as tail were designed, synthesized and assessed for their efficacy as inhibitors against carbonic anhydrase human (h) isoforms hCA I, II, IV and IX. The physiologically important and off-target cytosolic isoform hCA I was weakly inhibited by most of the newly synthesized sulfonamides while the glaucoma associated isoform hCA II was moderately inhibited with KIs spanning in low nanomolar range (KI = 8.0 nM-0.903 μM). The membrane bound isoform hCA IV, which is known to be involved in glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa among others, was strongly inhibited by all newly synthesized sulfonamides out of which nine compounds inhibited isoform hCA IV even more effectively as compared to standard drug acetazolamide (AAZ). The membrane bound isoform hCA IX, associated with growth of tumor cells, was moderately inhibited with KIs ranging between 51 nM-3.198 μM. The effect of appending variously substituted tails on heterocyclic moieties over inhibition potential of synthesized sulfonamides is also disclosed which can be of further interest in pharmacological studies for exploring synthesis of isoform selective inhibitors.

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Evaluation of Novel Hybrids of Dehydroabietic Acid Bearing 1,2,3-Triazole Moiety

To discover novel potent cytotoxic diterpenoids, a series of hybrids of dehydroabietic acid containing 1,2,3-triazole moiety were designed and synthesized. The target compounds were characterized by means of FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis techniques. The in vitro cytotoxicity of these compounds was evaluated by standard MTT (methyl thiazolytetrazolium) assay against CNE-2 (nasopharynx), HepG2 (liver), HeLa (epithelial cervical), BEL-7402 (liver) human carcinoma cell lines and human normal liver cell (HL-7702). The screening results revealed that most of the hybrids showed significantly improved cytotoxicity over parent compound DHAA. Among them, [1-(3-fluorobenzyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-yl]dehydroabietic acid methyl ester (3c), and [1-(2-nitrobenzyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-yl]dehydroabietic acid methyl ester (3k) displayed better antiproliferative activity with IC₅₀ (50% inhibitory concentration) values of 5.90 ± 0.41 and 6.25 ± 0.37 µM toward HepG2 cells compared to cisplatin, while they exhibited lower cytotoxicity against HL-7702. Therefore, the 1,2,3-triazole-hybrids could be a promising strategy for the synthesis of antitumor diterpenoids and it also proved the essential role of 1,2,3-triazole moiety of DHAA in the biological activity.

Insights into the interaction of potent antimicrobial chalcone triazole analogs with human serum albumin: spectroscopy and molecular docking approaches

Mechanistic insights into the interaction of five previously chemically synthesized triazole-linked chalcone analogs (CTs) with human serum albumin (HSA) were sought using various spectroscopic techniques (UV-visible absorption, fluorescence, and circular dichroism) and molecular docking. The fluorescence quenching experiments performed at three different temperatures (288, 298 and 308 K) revealed the static mode of quenching and the binding constants (K b ∼ 106-9) obtained indicated the strong affinity of these analogs for HSA. Furthermore, significant changes in the secondary structure of HSA in the presence of these analogs were also confirmed by far UV-CD spectroscopy. The thermodynamic properties such as the enthalpy change (ΔH°), Gibbs free energy change (ΔG°) and entropy change (ΔS°) revealed that the binding process was spontaneous and exothermic. Theoretical studies, viz., DFT and molecular docking corroborated the experimental results as these five analogs could bind with HSA through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The present study provides useful information regarding the interaction mechanism of these analogs with HSA, which can provide a new avenue to design more potent chalcone triazole analogs for use in the biomedical field.

1,2,3-Triazole-containing hybrids as potential anticancer agents: Current developments, action mechanisms and structure-activity relationships

Anticancer agents are critical for the cancer treatment, but side effects and the drug resistance associated with the currently used anticancer agents create an urgent need to explore novel drugs with low side effects and high efficacy. 1,2,3-Triazole is privileged building block in the discovery of new anticancer agents, and some of its derivatives have already been applied in clinics or under clinical trials for fighting against cancers. Hybrid molecules occupy an important position in cancer control, and hybridization of 1,2,3-triazole framework with other anticancer pharmacophores may provide valuable therapeutic intervention for the treatment of cancer, especially drug-resistant cancer. This review emphasizes the recent advances in 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids with anticancer potential, covering articles published between 2015 and 2019, and the structure-activity relationships, together with mechanisms of action are also discussed.

Dibenzepinones, dibenzoxepines and benzosuberones based p38α MAP kinase inhibitors: Their pharmacophore modelling, 3D-QSAR and docking studies

In the present study, a series of dibenzepinones, dibenzoxepines, and benzosuberones targeting p38α MAP kinase were subjected to pharmacophore modelling, 3D-QSAR and molecular docking studies. The IC₅₀ values for these 67 compounds ranged between 0.003 and 6.80 μM. A five-point model (DDHHR.8) was generated using these compounds. This model was found to be statistically significant and was found to have high correlation (R² = 0.98), cross-validation coefficient (Q² = 0.95) and F (330) values at six component PLS factor. Tests were performed to ascertain the efficacy of the generated model. These tests included external validation, Tropsha's test for predictive ability, Y-randomisation test and domain of applicability (APD). In order to check the restrictivity of the model, enrichment studies were performed with inactive compounds by using decoy set molecules. To evaluate the effectiveness of the docking protocol, the co-crystallised ligand was extracted from the ligand-binding domain of the protein and was re-docked into the same position. Both the conformers were then superimposed, suggesting satisfactory docking parameters with an RMSD value of less than 1.0 Å (0.853 Å). A 10 ns molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the docking results of the 3UVP-ligand complex and the presumed active conformation. The outcome of the present study provides insight into the molecular features that promote bioactivity and can be exploited for the prediction of novel potent p38α MAP kinase inhibitors before carrying out their synthesis and anticancer evaluation.

Preparation of novel 1,2,3-triazole furocoumarin derivatives via click chemistry and their anti-vitiligo activity

The extracts of Psoralea corylifolia L. were often used for the repigmentation of leukoderma (vitiligo) in traditional Uygur medicine thousands years ago. Nowadays, its active ingredient, furocoumarins, has been clinically applied since it exhibited strong photosensitivity. Thus, a new series of furocoumarin derivatives (8a-8o) containing 1,2,3-triazole were designed and synthesized based on our previous work. After biological evaluation for melanin contents and tyrosinase activity in B16 murine cells, the SAR was summarized. The results indicated that five compounds (8a, 8j, 8m-8o) were more potent than the positive control (8-MOP) on melanogenesis. Among them, 8a and 8o showed the best stimulating effect on tyrosinase activity as well, and were submitted for further pharmacological study of anti-vitiligo.