A study on the genotoxic activities of some new benzoxazoles

Synthesis, Antimicrobial Activity, and Molecular Modeling Studies of Some Benzoxazole Derivatives

Background:

The need to develop novel antimicrobial agents is apparent as infectious diseases are increasing and resistance is rapidly developing against the drugs used in the treatment.

Objective:

This study aimed at the synthesis, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and computational elucidation of the mechanism of action of benzoxazole derivatives. It also aimed to compare the results obtained in this study with the previous studies by our group. This would pave the way for designing novel molecules with better antimicrobial activity. The other goal was pharmacophore analysis and in silico ADMET analysis of them.

Methods:

In this study, synthesis, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, molecular docking, pharmacophore analysis, and ADMET prediction were carried out.

Results:

The antimicrobial activity studies demonstrated that the synthesized compounds were active against standard strains and clinical isolates at high concentrations. Then, the antimicrobial testing results were compared to similar benzoxazoles tested by our group previously. Benzoxazole derivatives without a methylene bridge between oxazole and phenyl ring were found to be more active than those with the methylene bridge. This was also confirmed by molecular modeling undertaken in this study. The computational results indicated that the antibacterial activity could be achieved by DNA gyrase inhibition. Pharmacophore analysis showed that hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), hydrogen bond donor (HBD), and hydrophobicity features would contribute to the inhibition. In addition, in silico ADMET property investigation of the compounds exhibited that they had the desired pharmacokinetics.

Conclusion:

Although antibacterial activity by inhibiting DNA gyrase is selective, the synthesized compounds were active at much higher concentrations than the standards. Therefore, in prospective antimicrobial studies, it is better to focus on benzoxazole derivatives without the methylene bridge. Since the compounds had suitable in silico ADMET properties, screening them against the other pharmacologic activities should be carried out. It is recommended to support the molecular modeling results with in vitro or in vivo studies.

A green approach for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles via coupling/cyclization reactions

We have developed the green method for the synthesis of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles with moderate to good yields using imidazolium chlorozincate (II) ionic liquid supported into Fe3O4 nanoparticles (LAIL@MNP) under solvent-free sonication. The reaction was performed under mild conditions and only produced water as a sole byproduct. The reactions under solvent-free sonication showed advantages of faster reaction rate (30 min) and high yields of the products (up to 90%). Moreover, the LAIL@MNP material was easily separated from the reaction mixture and can be recycled for five consecutive runs with a slight decrease in its catalytic performance (from 82 to 73%).

Efficient Cu-catalyzed intramolecular O-arylation for synthesis of benzoxazoles in water

An efficient method was developed for synthesis of benzoxazoles by Cu-catalyzed intramolecular O-arylation of o-halobenzanilides in water. This strategy provides several advantages, such as high yields, water as a green solvent and functional groups tolerance.

An efficient method was developed for synthesis of benzoxazoles by Cu-catalyzed intramolecular O-arylation of o-halobenzanilides in water.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel oxo-bridged binuclear iron(iii) complex: its catalytic application in the synthesis of benzoxazoles using benzyl alcohol in water

A novel oxo-bridged binuclear iron(iii) complex was found to be an efficient catalyst in the synthesis of benzoxazoles from benzyl alcohols.

Monitoring of xenobiotic ligands for human estrogen receptor and aryl hydrocarbon receptor in industrial wastewater effluents

Industrial wastewater contains a variety of toxic substances, which may severely contaminate the aquatic environment if discharged without adequate treatment. In this study, effluents from a thin film transistor liquid crystal display wastewater treatment plant and the receiving water were analyzed by bioassays and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to investigate the presence of estrogenic compounds, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, and genotoxicants. Xenobiotic AhR agonists were frequently detected and, in particular, strong AhR agonist activity and genotoxicity were found in the suspended solids of the aeration tank outflow. The high AhR agonist activity in the final effluent (FE) and the downstream river water suggested that the treatment plant failed to remove the wastewater-related AhR agonists. In contrast, although significant estrogenic potency could be detected in raw wastewater or effluents from different treatment processes, the FE and the receiving river water exhibited no or weak estrogenicity. Instrumental analysis showed that bisphenol A was often detected in water samples. However, the investigated estrogenic compounds could only account for a small portion of the estrogenicity in the collected samples. Therefore, further investigation is necessary to identify the major estrogenic compounds and AhR agonist contaminants in the wastewater effluents.

Occurrence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists and genotoxic compounds in the river systems in Southern Taiwan

Water and sediment samples from river systems located in Southern Taiwan were investigated for the presence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists and genotoxicants by a combination of recombinant cell assays and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. AhR agonist activity and genotoxic response were frequently detected in samples collected during different seasons. In particular, dry-season water and sediment samples from Erren River showed strong AhR agonist activity (201-1423 ng L(-1) and 1374-5631 ng g(-1) β-naphthoflavone equivalents) and high genotoxic potential. Although no significant correlation was found between AhR agonist activity and genotoxicity, potential genotoxicants in sample extracts were suggested to be causative agents for yeast growth inhibition in the AhR-responsive reporter gene assay. After high performance liquid chromatography fractionation, AhR agonist candidates were detected in several fractions of Erren River water and sediment extracts, while possible genotoxicants were only found in water extracts. In addition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the typical contaminants showing high AhR binding affinity, were only minor contributors to the AhR agonist activity detected in Erren River sediment extracts. Our findings displayed the usefulness of bioassays in evaluating the extent of environmental contamination, which may be helpful in reducing the chances of false-negative results obtained from chemical analysis of conventional contaminants. Further research will be undertaken to identify major candidates for xenobiotic AhR agonists and genotoxicants to better protect the aquatic environments in Taiwan.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Benzothiazole Derivatives using Glycerol as Green Solvent

A rapid method has been developed for the synthesis of benzothiazoles via the condensation of 2-aminothiophenol with aldehydes under CEM-focused microwave irradiation conditions. The reaction used glycerol as a green solvent without any catalyst, rendering this methodology valuable from both economic and environmental points of view.

Synthesis, antimicrobial activity and QSAR studies of 2,5-disubstituted benzoxazoles

In this study, a new series of 2,5-disubstituted benzoxazoles was synthesized and their structures were elucidated by elemental analysis, MASS, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR and IR spectral data. Newly and previously synthesized 2,5-disubstituted benzoxazole derivatives were evaluated for antibacterial and antifungal activity against standard strains and their drug-resistant isolates. Microbiological results showed that the compounds presented a large spectrum of activity having MIC values of 250-7.8 microg mL(-1) against the tested microorganisms. Among the newly synthesized derivatives 3-22, compound 11 was the most active against Candida krusei out of all; however, it was one dilution less potent than standard drug fluconazole. In addition, all the new and previous compounds were more active than standard drugs ampicillin trihydrate and rifampicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its gentamicin-resistant isolate. The 2D-QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship) analysis of a set of newly and previously synthesized benzoxazoles tested for growth inhibitory activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was also performed by using multivariable regression analysis. The activity contributions for substituent effects of these compounds were determined from the correlation equation for predictions of the lead optimization.