Synthesis, Antimicrobial and In Silico EGFR Inhibitory Activity Evaluation of Sulfonylamino Pyrrolidine Derivatives

In vitro anticancer activity of Hirudinaria manillensis methanolic extract and its validation using in silico molecular docking approach

Cancer has emerged as a potentially lethal illness, which recently upsurged in the mortality rate. Animal-derived compounds could be promising targets with higher efficacy and low toxicity in anticancer therapy. The present study aimed to explore the presence of anticancer potential compounds in Hirudinaria manillensis methanolic extract and their anticancer potential against various cancer cell types and target identification by Auto dock method. Initially, the identification of bioactive compounds was achieved by GC-MS analysis followed by the anticancer activity by MTT assay against A549, HeLa, MDA-MB-231, MG-63, and MOLT-4. Further, the effect of a lead compound on the cancer cell target was analyzed by the Auto dock method. GC-MS analysis results revealed the presence of 25 different bioactive compounds including anticancer potential compounds, such as Lupeol, Carvacrol, and Demecolcine. Interestingly, MTT assay results demonstrated the anticancer potential of Hirudinaria manillensis extract (LE) against various cancer cell lines, such as A549 (54.60 µg/ml), HeLa (19.93 µg/ml), MDA-MB-231 (20.23 µg/ml), MG-63 (20.04 µg/ml), and MOLT-4 (171.8 µg/ml), respectively. Among these cell types, the maximum inhibition was observed against HeLa with the IC50 concentration of 19.93 µg/ml. Furthermore, Demecolcine compound was docked with the EGFR tyrosine kinase showed the binding affinity of the docked complex was predicted to be - 6.2 kcal/mol. Thus, we conclude that H. manillensis has a significant anticancer effect on human cancer cell lines and could be used as a natural target which paves the way for further studies on biomedical applications in cancer therapeutics.

Recent insights about pyrrolidine core skeletons in pharmacology

To overcome numerous health disorders, heterocyclic structures of synthetic or natural origin are utilized, and notably, the emergence of various side effects of existing drugs used for treatment or the resistance of disease-causing microorganisms renders drugs ineffective. Therefore, the discovery of potential therapeutic agents that utilize different modes of action is of utmost significance to circumvent these constraints. Pyrrolidines, pyrrolidine-alkaloids, and pyrrolidine-based hybrid molecules are present in many natural products and pharmacologically important agents. Their key roles in pharmacotherapy make them a versatile scaffold for designing and developing novel biologically active compounds and drug candidates. This review aims to provide an overview of recent advancements (especially during 2015-2023) in the exploration of pyrrolidine derivatives, emphasizing their significance as fundamental components of the skeletal structure. In contrast to previous reviews that have predominantly focused on a singular biological activity associated with these molecules, this review consolidates findings from various investigations encompassing a wide range of important activities (antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, cholinesterase inhibition, and carbonic anhydrase inhibition) exhibited by pyrrolidine derivatives. This study is also anticipated to serve as a valuable resource for drug research and development endeavors, offering significant insights and guidance.

Thiophene-containing compounds with antimicrobial activity

Thiophene, as a member of the group of five-membered heterocycles containing one heteroatom, is one of the simplest heterocyclic systems. Many synthetic strategies allow the accurate positioning of various functionalities onto the thiophene ring. This review provides a comprehensive, systematic and detailed account of the developments in the field of antimicrobial compounds featuring at least one thiophene ring in their structure, over the last decade.

Evaluation of Benzamide-chalcone Derivatives as EGFR/CDK2 inhibitor: Synthesis, in-vitro Inhibition, and Molecular Modeling Studies

BACKGROUND

EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) and CDK2 (Cyclin Dependent Kinase 2) are important targets in the treatment of many solid tumors and different ligands of these receptors share many common structural features.

OBJECTIVE

The study involved synthesis of benzamide-substituted chalcones and determination of their antiproliferative activity as well as preliminary evaluation of EGFR and CDK2 inhibitory potential using both receptor binding and computational methods.

METHODS

We synthesized 13 benzamide-substituted chalcone derivatives and tested their antiproliferative activity against MCF-7, HT-29 and U373MG cell-lines using Sulforhodamine B Assay. Four compounds were examined for activity against EGFR and CDK2 kinase. The compounds were docked into both EGFR and CDK2 using Glide software. The stability of the interactions for most active compound was evaluated by Molecular Dynamics Simulation using Desmond software. Molecular Docking studies on mutant EGFR (T790M, T790M/L858R, and T790M/C797S) were also carried out.

RESULTS

From the SRB assay, we concluded that compounds 1g, and 1k were effective in inhibiting the growth of MCF-7 cell line whereas the other compounds were moderately active. Most compounds were either moderately active or inactive on U373 MG and HT-29 cell line. Compounds 1g and 1k showed good inhibitory activity against CDK2 kinase while 1d and 1f were moderately active. Compounds 1d, 1f, 1g, and 1k were moderately active against EGFR kinase. Molecular docking reveals involvement of one hydrogen bond with Met793 in binding with EGFR however; it was not stable during simulation and these compounds bind to the receptor mainly via hydrophobic contacts. This fact also points towards a different orientation of the inhibitor within the active site of EGFR kinase. Binding mode analysis for CDK2 inhibition studies indicate that hydrogen bonding interaction with Lys 33 and Leu83 are important for the activity. These interactions were found to be stable throughout the simulation. Considering the results for wild-type EGFR inhibition, the docking studies on mutants were performed and which indicate that the compounds bind to the mutant EGFR but the amino acid residues involved are similar to the wild-type EGFR and therefore, the selectivity seems to be limited.

CONCLUSION

These benzamide-substituted chalcone derivatives will be useful as lead molecules for the further development of newer inhibitors of EGFR and/or CDK2 kinases.