2-Acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazones. 1. A new class of potential antimalarial agents

Synthesis and antimalarial activity of novel dihydro-artemisinin derivatives

The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine protease falcipain-2, one of the most promising targets for antimalarial drug design, plays a key role in parasite survival as a major peptide hydrolase within the hemoglobin degradation pathway. In this work, a series of novel dihydroartemisinin derivatives based on (thio)semicarbazone scaffold were designed and synthesized as potential falcipain-2 inhibitors. The in vitro biological assay indicated that most of the target compounds showed excellent inhibition activity against P. falciparum falcipain-2, with IC₅₀ values in the 0.29–10.63 μM range. Molecular docking studies were performed to investigate the binding affinities and interaction modes for the inhibitors. The preliminary SARs were summarized and could serve as a foundation for further investigation in the development of antimalarial drugs.

Role of metalation in the topoisomerase IIα inhibition and antiproliferation activity of a series of α-heterocyclic-N4-substituted thiosemicarbazones and their Cu(II) complexes

The topoisomerase-IIα inhibition and antiproliferative activity of α-heterocyclic thiosemicarbazones and their corresponding copper(II) complexes have been investigated. The Cu(II)(thiosemicarbazonato)Cl complexes were shown to catalytically inhibit topoisomerase-IIα at concentrations (0.3-7.2 μM) over an order of magnitude lower than their corresponding thiosemicarbazone ligands alone. The copper complexes were also shown to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells expressing high levels of topoisomerase-IIα (SK-BR-3) at lower concentrations than cells expressing lower levels of the enzyme (MCF-7).

Pyridine-derived thiosemicarbazones and their tin(IV) complexes with antifungal activity against Candida spp

[(n-Bu)Sn(2Ac4oClPh)Cl2] (1), [(n-Bu)Sn(2Ac4oFPh)Cl2] (2), [(n-Bu)Sn(2Ac4oNO2Ph)Cl2] (3), [(n-Bu)Sn(2Bz4oClPh)Cl2] (4), [(n-Bu)Sn(2Bz4oFPh)Cl2] (5) and [(n-Bu)Sn(2Bz4oNO2Ph)Cl2] (6) were obtained by reacting [(n-Bu)SnCl3] with 2-acetylpyridine-N4-orthochlorophenyl thiosemicarbazone (H2Ac4oClPh), 2-acetylpyridine-N4-orthofluorphenyl thiosemicarbazone (H2Ac4oFPh), 2-acetylpyridine-N4-orthonitrophenyl thiosemicarbazone (H2Ac4oNO2Ph), and with the corresponding 2-benzoylpyridine-derived thiosemicarbazones (H2Bz4oClPh, H2ABz4oFPh and H2Bz4oNO2Ph). The antifungal activity of the studied compounds was evaluated against several Candida species. Upon coordination of H2Bz4oNO2Ph to tin in complex (6) the antifungal activity increased three times against Candida albicans and Candida krusei and six times against Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of H2Ac4oNO2Ph and its complex (3) against C. albicans, C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata are similar to that of fluconazole. All studied compounds were more active than fluconazole against C. krusei.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of New Steroidal Thiosemicarbazones Derived from methyl 3-Oxocholanate under Solvent-Free Conditions

A series of novel steroidal thiosemicarbazones derived from methyl 3-oxocholanate were synthesised in good yields via microwave irradiation under solvent-free conditions. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by spectroscopic data. Compared to the conventional method, microwave irradiation was a fast and simple method. These compounds were tested for antibacterial activity against S. aureus, S. pyogenes, and E. coli bacteria.

Bioorganometallic Chemistry and Malaria

This chapter summarizes recent developments in the design, synthesis, and structure–activity relationship studies of organometallic antimalarials. It begins with a general introduction to malaria and the biology of the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, with a focus on the heme detoxification system. Then, a number of metal complexes from the literature are reported for their antiplasmodial activity. The second half of the chapter deals with the serendipitous discovery of ferroquine, its mechanism(s) of action, and the failure to induce a resistance. Last, but not least, we suggest that the bioorganometallic approach offers the potential for the design of novel therapeutic agents.

Synthesis of Novel Alkoxycarbonyl Thiosemicarbazide Molecular Tweezers derived from Deoxycholic Acid under Microwave Irradiation

A series of novel 12α-alkoxycarbonyl thiosemicarbazide molecular tweezers based on 3α-(1-naphthoyl) deoxycholic acid methyl ester were synthesised under microwave irradiation. Their structures were characterised by 1H NMR, IR, MS spectra and elemental analysis. Their chiral recognition properties for the methyl esters of amino acids were investigated. The preliminary results showed that these molecular tweezers have good enantioselective recognition for D/L-amino acid methyl esters.

Adsorption and quantum chemical studies on the inhibition potentials of some thiosemicarbazides for the corrosion of mild steel in acidic medium

Three thiosemicarbazides, namely 2-(2-aminophenyl)-N phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide (AP4PT), N,2-diphenylhydrazinecarbothioamide (D4PT) and 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-N-phenyl hydrazinecarbothioamide (HP4PT), were investigated as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in H(2)SO(4) solution using gravimetric and gasometric methods. The results revealed that they all inhibit corrosion and their % inhibition efficiencies (%IE) follow the order: AP4PT > HP4PT > D4PT. The %IE obtained from the gravimetric and gasometric experiments were in good agreement. The thermodynamic parameters obtained support a physical adsorption mechanism and the adsorption followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Some quantum chemical parameters were calculated using different methods and correlated with the experimental %IE. Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) approach was used on a composite index of some quantum chemical parameters to characterize the inhibition performance of the studied molecules. The results showed that the %IE were closely related to some of the quantum chemical parameters, but with varying degrees. The calculated/theoretical %IE of the molecules were found to be close to their experimental %IE. The local reactivity has been studied through the Fukui and condensed softness indices in order to predict both the reactive centers and to know the possible sites of nucleophilic and electrophilic attacks.

Mn(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes with heterocyclic substituted thiosemicarbazones: synthesis, characterization, X-ray crystal structures and antitumor comparison

Transition metal complexes Mn(L(1))(2) (1), Mn(L(2))(2) (2), Co(L(3))(2)Cl 4H(2)O (3), Zn(L(3))(2) DMF (4), Co(HL(4))(2)(ClO(4))(2) 3H(2)O (5) and Zn(L(5))(2) DMF (6) where HL(1)=2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone, HL(2)=2-acetylpyridine N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone, HL(3)=2-benzoylpyridine thiosemicarbazone, HL(4)=2-benzoylpyridine N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone and HL(5)=2-benzoylpyridine N(4)-phenylthiosemicarbazone, have been synthesized. The complexes 1, 2, 5 and 6 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Preliminary in vitro screening indicated that all the tested compounds showed significant antitumor activity against K562 leucocythemia cancer cell line.

Falcipain-2 inhibitors

Malaria, particularly that one caused by Plasmodium falciparum, remains a serious health problem in Africa, South America, and many parts of Asia where it afflicts about 500 million people and is responsible for the death of more than one million children each year. The main reasons for the persistence of malaria are the emergence of resistance to common antimalarial drugs, inadequate control of mosquito vectors, and the lack of effective vaccines. Therefore, the identification and characterization of new targets for antimalarial chemotherapy are of urgent priority. This review is focused on inhibitors of falcipain-2, a cysteine protease from P. falciparum, which represents one of the most promising targets for antimalarial drug design. Falcipain-2 is a key enzyme in the life cycle of P. falciparum since it degrades hemoglobin, at the early trophozoite stage, and cleaves ankyrin and protein 4.1, the cytoskeletal elements vital to the stability of red cell membrane, at the schizont stage. The main classes of falcipain-2 inhibitors are peptides or peptidomimetics bearing the most popular pharmacophores of cysteine protease inhibitors, such as vinyl sulfones, halomethyl ketones, and aldehydes. Furthermore, many other chemotypes have been identified as inhibitors of falcipain-2, such as isoquinolines, thiosemicarbazones, and chalcones. These inhibitors represent all classes, which, to the best of our knowledge, have been disclosed in journal articles to date.

SAR of Cu (II) thiosemicarbazone complexes as hypoxic imaging agents: MM3 analysis and prediction of biologic properties

Copper(II) bis(thiosemicarbazone) are very useful for blood flow and hypoxic imaging. The aim of this study was to identify structure-activity relationships (SARs) within a series of analogues with different substitution patterns in the ligands, in order to design improved hypoxia imaging agents and elucidate hypoxia selectivity mechanisms. Genetic algorithms (GAs) were used to develop specific copper metal-ligand force field parameters for the MM3 force-field calculations. These new parameters produced results in good agreement with experiment and previously reported copper metal-ligand parameters. A successful quantitative SAR (QSAR) for predicting the several classes of Cu(II)-chelating ligands was built using a training set of 21 Cu(II) complexes. The QSAR exhibited a correlation between the predicted and experimental test set. The QSAR preformed with great accuracy; r(2) = 0.95 and q(2) = 0.90 utilizing a leave-one-out cross-validation with multiple linear regression analysis to find correlation between different calculated molecular descriptors of these complexes. The final QSAR mathematical models were found as the following: Log P = {3.01698 (+/-0.0590)} - LUMO {0.1248 (+/-0.068)} + MR {0.3219 (+/-0.086)} n = 21 |r| = 0.972 s = 0.188 F = 98.102 The resulting models could act as an efficient strategy for estimating the hypoxic conditions through imaging and provide some insights into the structural features related to the biological activity of these compounds.

Synthesis, activity, and pharmacophore development for isatin-beta-thiosemicarbazones with selective activity toward multidrug-resistant cells

We have recently identified a new class of compounds that selectively kill cells that express P-glycoprotein (P-gp, MDR1), the ATPase efflux pump that confers multidrug resistance on cancer cells. Several isatin-beta-thiosemicarbazones from our initial study have been validated and a range of analogues synthesized and tested. A number demonstrated improved MDR1-selective activity over the lead, NSC73306 (1). Pharmacophores for cytotoxicity and MDR1 selectivity were generated to delineate the structural features required for activity. The MDR1-selective pharmacophore highlights the importance of aromatic/hydrophobic features at the N4 position of the thiosemicarbazone and the reliance on the isatin moiety as key bioisosteric contributors. Additionally, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model that yielded a cross-validated correlation coefficient of 0.85 effectively predicts the cytotoxicity of untested thiosemicarbazones. Together, the models serve as effective approaches for predicting structures with MDR1-selective activity and aid in directing the search for the mechanism of action of 1.

Antimalarial activity of thiosemicarbazones and purine derived nitriles

Malaria is a devastating illness caused by multiple species of the Plasmodium genus. The parasite's falcipain proteases have been extensively studied as potential drug targets. Here we report the testing of two established cysteine protease inhibitor scaffolds against both chloroquine sensitive and chloroquine resistant parasites. A subset of purine derived nitriles killed the parasite with moderate potency, and these inhibitors do not seem to exert their antiproliferative effects as cysteine protease inhibitors. Compound potency was determined to be similar against both parasite strains, indicating a low probability of cross resistance with chloroquine. These compounds represent a novel antimalarial scaffold, and a potential starting point for the development new inhibitors.

Synthesis, characterization and deepening in the comprehension of the biological action mechanisms of a new nickel complex with antiproliferative activity

Thiosemicarbazones are versatile organic compounds that present considerable pharmaceutical interest because of a wide range of properties. In our laboratory we synthesised some new metal-complexes with thiosemicarbazones derived from natural aldehydes which showed peculiar biological activities. In particular, a nickel complex [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] (S-tcitr=S-citronellalthiosemicarbazonate) was observed to induce an antiproliferative effect on U937, a human histiocytic lymphoma cell line, at low concentrations (IC(50)=14.4microM). Therefore, we decided to study the interactions of this molecule with various cellular components and to characterise the induced apoptotic pathway. Results showed that [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] causes programmed cell death via down-regulation of Bcl-2, alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase-3 activity, regardless of p53 function. The metal complex is not active on G(0) cells (i.e. fresh leukocytes) but is able to induce perturbation of the cell cycle on stimulated lymphocytes and U937 cells, in which a G(2)/M block was detected. It reaches the nucleus where it induces, at low concentrations (2.5-5.0microM), DNA damage, which could be partially ascribed to oxidative stress. [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] is moreover able to strongly reduce the telomerase activity. Although the biological target of this metal complex is still unknown, the reported data suggest that [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] could be a good model for the synthesis of new metal thiosemicarbazones with specific biological activity.

(E)-4-[(1,5-Dimethyl-3-oxo-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)iminomethyl]phenyl 4-bromobenzenesulfonate

In the title compound, C₂₄H₂₀BrN₃O₄S, the central benzene ring makes dihedral angles of 17.13 (13), 39.83 (13) and 58.37 (13)°, respectively, with the pyrazolone ring, the bromo­benzene ring and the terminal phenyl ring. In the crystal structure, the packing is stabilized by a weak non-classical inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond which links the mol­ecules into a chain propagating in [100].

Synthesis and ribonucleotide reductase inhibitory activity of thiosemicarbazones

Ribonucleotide reductase (RR) is an important therapeutic target for anticancer drugs. The structure of human RR features a 1:1 complex of two homodimeric subunits, hRRM1 and hRRM2. Prokaryotically expressed and highly purified recombinant human RR subunits, hRRM1 and hRRM2, were used for holoenzyme-based [(3)H]CDP reduction in vitro assay. Ten new thiosemicarbazones (7-16) were synthesized and screened for their RR inhibitory activity. Two thiosemicarbazones derived from p-hydroxy benzaldehyde (9 and 10) were found to be active but less potent than the standard, Hydroxyurea (HU). Guided by the activity of compounds 9 and 10, 11 new thiosemicarbazones (17-27) derived from p-hydroxy benzaldehyde were prepared and screened for their RR inhibitory activity. All the 11 compounds were more potent than HU.

Synthesis, antibacterial and antifungal activities of some N-nitroso-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-one semicarbazones and QSAR analysis

A series of N-nitroso-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-one semicarbazones and thiosemicarbazones were synthesized, characterized by IR, NMR and elemental analysis. All the compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and fungi Candida albicans. These compounds have showed moderate and very good antibacterial activity. Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis was performed for these compounds by the application of Semiempirical calculations and molecular modeling. Different logP values were also evaluated to further the analysis.

Discovery of trypanocidal thiosemicarbazone inhibitors of rhodesain and TbcatB

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. The cysteine proteases of T. brucei have been shown to be crucial for parasite replication and represent an attractive point for therapeutic intervention. Herein we describe the synthesis of a series of thiosemicarbazones and their activity against the trypanosomal cathepsins TbcatB and rhodesain, as well as human cathepsins L and B. The activity of these compounds was determined against cultured T. brucei, and specificity was assessed with a panel of four mammalian cell lines.

Synthesis, spectral and structural studies of zinc(II) complexes of salicylaldehyde N4-phenylthiosemicarbazone

Five Zn(II) complexes of salicylaldehyde N(4)-phenylthiosemicarbazone (H(2)L) have been synthesized and physicochemically characterized. Out of the five Zn(II) complexes, one is binuclear {[(ZnL)(2)].3C(2)H(5)OH (1)} and the other four are mononuclear {[Zn(HL)(2)].C(2)H(5)OH (2), [ZnLbipy].1/2H(2)O (3), [ZnLphen].H(2)O (4) and [ZnLdmbipy] (5)} in nature. In complex 2, IR band due to nu(Zn-O) is absent and also the -OH signal due to the phenolic -OH group appears at delta=11.38ppm obtained from the (1)H NMR spectrum supports the existence of free -OH group. Complexes 3-5 are heterocyclic base adducts and their IR spectra display bands characteristic of coordinated heterocyclic bases. The molecular structure of one of the complex 3 is resolved by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The complex 3 is orthorhombic with a space group P2(1)cn. The Zn(II) in 3 is five coordinated and is having an approximately trigonal bipyramidal geometry with distortion from square based pyramid (TBDSBP).

Structural and biological studies of mononuclear palladium(II) complexes containing N-substituted thiosemicarbazones

New complexes of Pd(II) with N-substituted thiosemicarbazone (1)-(3) have been synthesised and characterised by elemental analyses, IR, electronic, (1)H NMR spectroscopies. The electrochemical behaviour of the complexes has been tested by using cyclic voltammetry. The crystal structures of the complexes have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. In all the complexes the thiosemicarbazone ligand is coordinated to palladium through ONS mode. The complex 1 crystallises in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with two molecules per unit cell, has the dimensions of a=9.4390(19)A, b=10.645(2)A, c=13.668(3)A, alpha=90 degrees , beta=91.43 degrees and gamma=90 degrees . The complex 3 crystallises in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with four molecules per unit cell, has the dimensions of a=14.119(3)A, b=11.155(2)A, c=18.503(4)A, alpha=90 degrees , beta=112.02 degrees and gamma=90 degrees . The new complexes have been tested for their antibacterial activity against various pathogenic bacteria. From this study, it was found out that the activity of the complex 2 almost reaches the effectiveness of the conventional bacteriocide Streptomycin.

Design, synthesis, and antimalarial activity of structural chimeras of thiosemicarbazone and ferroquine analogues

The design, synthesis, and antimalarial activity of chimeras of thiosemicarbazones (TSC) and ferroquine (FQ) is reported. Key structural elements derived from FQ were coupled to fragments capable of coordinating metal ions. Biological evaluation was conducted against four strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and against the parasitic cysteine protease falcipain-2. To establish the role of the ferrocenyl moiety in the antiplasmodial activity of this series, purely organic parent compounds were also synthesized and tested. The presence of the aminoquinoline structure, allowing transport of the compounds to the food vacuole of the parasite, seems to be the major contributor to antimalarial activity.