Synthesis, in vivo and in silico evaluation of novel 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives as potential anticonvulsant agents

Design and synthesis of novel quinazolinones conjugated ibuprofen, indole acetamide, or thioacetohydrazide as selective COX-2 inhibitors: anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anticancer activities

Novel quinazolinones conjugated with indole acetamide (4a–c), ibuprofen (7a–e), or thioacetohydrazide (13a,b, and 14a-d) were designed to increase COX-2 selectivity. The three synthesised series exhibited superior COX-2 selectivity compared with the previously reported quinazolinones and their NSAID analogue and had equipotent COX-2 selectivity as celecoxib. Compared with celecoxib, 4 b, 7c, and 13 b showed similar anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, while 13 b and 14a showed superior inhibition of the inflammatory mediator nitric oxide, and 7 showed greater antioxidant potential in macrophages cells. Moreover, all selected compounds showed improved analgesic activity and 13 b completely abolished the pain response. Additionally, compound 4a showed anticancer activity in tested cell lines HCT116, HT29, and HCA7. Docking results were consistent with COX-1/2 enzyme assay results. In silico studies suggest their high oral bioavailability. The overall findings for compounds (4a,b, 7c, 13 b, and 14c) support their potential role as anti-inflammatory agents.

Experimental Models for the Discovery of Novel Anticonvulsant Drugs: Focus on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures and Associated Memory Deficits

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by irregular, excessive neuronal excitability, and recurrent seizures that affect millions of patients worldwide. Currently, accessible antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) do not adequately support all epilepsy patients, with around 30% patients not responding to the existing therapies. As lifelong epilepsy treatment is essential, the search for new and more effective AEDs with an enhanced safety profile is a significant therapeutic goal. Seizures are a combination of electrical and behavioral events that can induce biochemical, molecular, and anatomic changes. Therefore, appropriate animal models are required to evaluate novel potential AEDs. Among the large number of available animal models of seizures, the acute pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced myoclonic seizure model is the most widely used model assessing the anticonvulsant effect of prospective AEDs, whereas chronic PTZ-kindled seizure models represent chronic models in which the repeated administration of PTZ at subconvulsive doses leads to the intensification of seizure activity or enhanced seizure susceptibility similar to that in human epilepsy. In this review, we summarized the memory deficits accompanying acute or chronic PTZ seizure models and how these deficits were evaluated applying several behavioral animal models. Furthermore, major advantages and limitations of the PTZ seizure models in the discovery of new AEDs were highlighted. With a focus on PTZ seizures, the major biochemicals, as well as morphological alterations and the modulated brain neurotransmitter levels associated with memory deficits have been illustrated. Moreover, numerous medicinal compounds with concurrent anticonvulsant, procognitive, antioxidant effects, modulating effects on several brain neurotransmitters in rodents, and several newly developed classes of compounds applying computer-aided drug design (CADD) have been under development as potential AEDs. The article details the in-silico approach following CADD, which can be utilized for generating libraries of novel compounds for AED discovery. Additionally, in vivo studies could be useful in demonstrating efficacy, safety, and novel mode of action of AEDs for further clinical development.

Recent advancement in the discovery and development of anti-epileptic biomolecules: An insight into structure activity relationship and Docking

Although there have been many advancements in scientific research and development, the cause of epilepsy still remains an open challenge. In spite of high throughput research in the field of anti-epileptic drugs, efficacy void is still prevalent before the researchers. Researchers have persistently been exploring all the possibilities to curb undesirable side effects of the anti-epileptic drugs or looking for a more substantial approach to diminish or cure epilepsy. The drug development has shown a hope to medicinal chemists and researchers to carry further research by going through a substantial literature survey. This review article attempts to describe the recent developments in the anti-epileptic agents, pertaining to different molecular scaffolds considering their structure-activity relationship, docking studies and their mechanism of actions.

Gold(iii) promoted formation of dihydroquinazolinones: double X-H activation by gold

An efficient 2-furyl gold-carbene promoted synthetic method was developed for the formation of dihydroquinazolinones from enynones by dual insertion of anthranilamides. In this organic transformation a new C-O and two C-N bond formations occurred and dihydroquinazolinones were obtained with a quaternary centre in moderate to very good yields in one-pot synthesis.

Synthetic and therapeutic perspectives of nitrogen containing heterocycles as anti-convulsants

Epilepsy is one of the commonly prevailing neurological disorders. According to the reports, it is evident that about 80% of the epileptic cases have been observed in developing countries. Although there are many drugs with significant potency available in the market; still there is an issue of selectivity and toxicity. Therefore, continuous attempts have been made by the researchers to develop newer therapeutic agents against epilepsy. Many synthetic strategies have been available in the literature to synthesize various classes of anticonvulsants with promising activity. In the presented review, authors have summarized some newer synthetic routes being used for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing anticonvulsants taking a cue from the reported established anticonvulsant drugs viz. vigabatrin, sodium valproate, oxcarbazepine, felbamate, retigabine, and gabapentin. Various derivatives with the substitution for better anticonvulsant profile have been described in the figures for easy comparative study. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of compounds with maximum potency has also been discussed. This article may serve as a boost for the researchers to modify the pre-existing synthetic routes as well as to improve potency and yield of the compounds.

Salix tetrasperma Roxb. Extract Alleviates Neuropathic Pain in Rats via Modulation of the NF-κB/TNF-α/NOX/iNOS Pathway

Patients with neuropathic pain experience chronic painful tingling, burning, and prickling sensations accompanied with hyperalgesia and/or allodynia. In this study, 38 secondary metabolites of a methanol extract from Salix tetrasperma flowers were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The extract showed substantial anti-inflammatory, central and peripheral anti-nociceptive, antipyretic, and antioxidant activities in vitro and in different animal models. In the chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model, the extract was able to attenuate and significantly relieve hyperalgesia and allodynia responses in a dose dependent manner and restore the myelin sheath integrity and Schwann cells average number in the sciatic nerve. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the extract significantly reduced the expression of various pro-inflammatory biomarkers including nuclear factor kabba B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and the oxidative stress biomarker NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1), in brain stem and sciatic nerve tissues. These findings were supported by in vitro enzyme inhibition assays (COX-1, COX-2 and 5-LOX). Moreover, the extract significantly reduced p53 expression in the brain stem tissue. These findings support the use of S. tetrasperma in folk medicine to alleviate pain. It could be a promising natural product for further clinical investigations to treat inflammation, nociceptive pain and chronic neuropathic pain.