Synthesis of novel fluorinated benzothiazol-2-yl-1,2,4-triazoles: Molecular docking, antifungal evaluation and in silico evaluation for SAR

Research Progress of Benzothiazole and Benzoxazole Derivatives in the Discovery of Agricultural Chemicals

Benzoxazole and benzothiazole have a broad spectrum of agricultural biological activities, such as antibacterial, antiviral, and herbicidal activities, which are important fused heterocyclic scaffold structures in agrochemical discovery. In recent years, great progress has been made in the research of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles, especially in the development of herbicides and insecticides. With the widespread use of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles, there may be more new products containing benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles in the future. We systematically reviewed the application of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles in discovering new agrochemicals in the past two decades and summarized the antibacterial, fungicidal, antiviral, herbicidal, and insecticidal activities of the active compounds. We also discussed the structural-activity relationship and mechanism of the active compounds. This work aims to provide inspiration and ideas for the discovery of new agrochemicals based on benzoxazole and benzothiazole.

Novel 1, 2, 4-Triazoles as Antifungal Agents

The development of innovative antifungal agents is essential. Some fungicidal agents are no longer effective due to resistance development, various side effects, and high toxicity. Therefore, the synthesis and development of some new antifungal agents are necessary. 1,2,4-Triazole is one of the most essential pharmacophore systems between five-membered heterocycles. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound showed potential antifungal activity. The 1,2,4-triazole core is present as the nucleus in a variety of antifungal drug categories. The most potent and broad activity of triazoles have confirmed them as pharmacologically significant moieties. The goal of this review is to highlight recent developments in the synthesis and SAR study of 1,2,4-triazole as a potential fungicidal compound. In this study, we provide the results of a biological activity evaluation using various structures and figures. Literature investigation showed that 1, 2, 4-triazole derivatives reveal the extensive span of antifungal activity. This review will assist researchers in the development of new potential antifungal drug candidates with high effectiveness and selectivity.

Physicochemical and Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Anacardic Acid Derivatives

Anacardic acid (AA) and its derivatives are well-known for their therapeutic applications ranging from antitumor, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and so forth. However, their poor pharmacokinetic and safety properties create significant hurdles in the formulation of the final drug molecule. As a part of our endeavor to enhance the potential and exploration of the anticancer activities, a detailed study on the properties of selected AA derivatives was performed in this work. A comprehensive analysis of the drug-like properties of 100 naturally occurring AA derivatives was performed, and the results were compared with certain marketed anticancer drugs. The work focused on the understanding of the interplay among eight physicochemical properties. The relationships between the physicochemical properties, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion attributes, and the in silico toxicity profile for the set of AA derivatives were established. The ligand efficacy of the finally scrutinized 17 AA derivatives on the basis of pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity parameters was further subjected to dock against the potential anticancer target cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (PDB ID: 1W98). In the docked complex, the ligand molecules (AA derivatives) selectively bind with the target residues, and a high binding affinity of the ligand molecules was ensured by the full fitness score using the SwissDock Web server. The BOILED-Egg model shows that out of 17 scrutinized molecules, 3 molecules exhibit gastrointestinal absorption capability and 14 molecules exhibit permeability through the blood-brain barrier penetration. The analysis can also provide some useful insights to chemists to modify the existing natural scaffolds in designing new anacardic anticancer drugs. The increased probability of success may lead to the identification of drug-like candidates with favorable safety profiles after further clinical evaluation.

Antifungal Activity of the Lipophilic Antioxidant Ferrostatin-1

Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) is a lipophilic antioxidant that effectively blocks ferroptosis, a distinct non-apoptotic form of cell death caused by lipid peroxidation. During many infections, both pathogens and host cells are subjected to oxidative stress, but the occurrence of ferroptosis had not been investigated. We examined ferroptosis in macrophages infected with the pathogenic yeast Histoplasma capsulatum. Unexpectedly, Fer-1 not only reduced the death of macrophages infected in vitro, but inhibited the growth of H. capsulatum and related species Paracoccidioides lutzii and Blastomyces dermatitidis at concentrations under 10 μm. Other antioxidant ferroptosis inhibitors, including liproxstatin-1, did not prevent fungal growth or reduce macrophage death. Structural analysis revealed a potential similarity of Fer-1 to inhibitors of fungal sterol synthesis, and ergosterol content of H. capsulatum decreased more than twofold after incubation with Fer-1. Strikingly, additional Fer-1 analogues with slight differences from Fer-1 had limited impact on fungal growth. In conclusion, the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 has unexpected antifungal potency distinct from its antiferroptotic activity.