Design, synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of new benzothiazinones inspired by rifampicin/rifapentine

Structure-activity relationship mediated molecular insights of DprE1 inhibitors: A Comprehensive Review

Emerging threats of multi-drug resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and totally drug-resistant (TDR) tuberculosis led to the discovery of a novel target which was entitled Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose 2'-epimerase (DprE1) enzyme. DprE1 is composed of two isoforms, decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose oxidase (DprE1) and decaprenylphosphoryl-D-2-keto erythro pentose reductase (DprE2). The enzymes, DprE1 and DprE2, regulate the two-step epimerization process to form DPA (Decaprenylphosphoryl arabinose) from DPX (Decaprenylphosphoryl-D-ribose), which is the sole precursor in the cell wall synthesis of arabinogalactan (AG) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM). Target-based and whole-cell-based screening played an imperative role in the identification of the druggable target, DprE1, whereas the druggability of the DprE2 enzyme is not proved yet. To date, diverse scaffolds of heterocyclic and aromatic ring systems have been reported as DprE1 inhibitors based on their interaction mode, i.e. covalent, and non-covalent inhibitors. This review describes the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of reported covalent and non-covalent inhibitors to enlighten about the crucial pharmacophoric features required for DprE1 inhibition, along with in-silico studies which characterize the amino acid residues responsible for covalent and non-covalent interactions.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Revolutionizing Tuberculosis Treatment: Uncovering New Drugs and Breakthrough Inhibitors to Combat Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health threat that causes significant mortality. This review explores chemotherapeutics that target essential processes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, such as DNA replication, protein synthesis, cell wall formation, energy metabolism, and proteolysis. We emphasize the need for new drugs to treat drug-resistant strains and shorten the treatment duration. Emerging targets and promising inhibitors were identified by examining the intricate biology of TB. This review provides an overview of recent developments in the search for anti-TB drugs with a focus on newly validated targets and inhibitors. We aimed to contribute to efforts to combat TB and improve therapeutic outcomes.

Design, synthesis and antitubercular activity of novel N-(amino)piperazinyl benzothiazinones with improved safety

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains a major global health problem and new therapeutic antitubercular agents are urgent needed. Among the novel antituberculosis drugs in the pipeline, Benzothiazinones (BTZs) are among the most potent antituberculosis agents against both drug-susceptible and multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. Our group has focused on structural modifications of the side chain at C-2 position of the BTZ core and WAP-2101/2102 with excellent in vitro activity were discovered in our lab. However, the severe in vivo toxicity was observed during subsequent acute toxicity evaluation. Herein, a series of novel N-(amino)piperazinyl benzothiazinone derivatives were designed and synthesized as new anti-TB agents to reduce the in vivo toxicity. Our results show that majority of them exhibit the same potent or comparable activity against both MTB H₃₇Rv and MDR-MTB strains (MIC: 4.00 - <1 ng/mL) as PBTZ169. Especially, compound 2c with low cardiac toxicity, low cell cytotoxicity and acceptable oral pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles have low acute toxicity in mice (LD₅₀ > 500 mg/kg), suggesting it may serve as a promising lead compound for further antitubercular drug discovery.

Recent Advances of DprE1 Inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Computational Analysis of Physicochemical and ADMET Properties

Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose 2'-epimerase (DprE1) is a critical flavoenzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, catalyzing a vital step in the production of lipoarabinomannan and arabinogalactan, both of which are essential for cell wall biosynthesis. Due to its periplasmic localization, DprE1 is a susceptible target, and several compounds with diverse scaffolds have been discovered that inhibit this enzyme, covalently or noncovalently. We evaluated a total of ∼1519 DprE1 inhibitors disclosed in the literature from 2009 to April 2022 by performing an in-depth analysis of physicochemical descriptors and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET), to gain new insights into these properties in DprE1 inhibitors. Several molecular properties that should facilitate the design and optimization of future DprE1 inhibitors are described, allowing for the development of improved analogues targeting M. tuberculosis.

Bioevaluation of quinoline-4-carbonyl derivatives of piperazinyl-benzothiazinones as promising antimycobacterial agents

The quinoline moiety remains a privileged antitubercular (anti-TB) pharmacophore, whereas 8-nitrobenzothiazinones are emerging potent antimycobacterial agents with two investigational candidates in the clinical pipeline. Herein, we report the synthesis and bioevaluation of 30 piperazinyl-benzothiazinone-based quinoline hybrids as prospective anti-TB agents. Preliminary evaluation revealed 24/30 compounds exhibiting substantial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] = 0.06-1 µg/ml) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) H37Rv. Cytotoxicity analysis against Vero cells found these to be devoid of any significant toxicity, with the majority displaying a selectivity index of >80. Furthermore, potent nontoxic compounds, when screened against clinical isolates of drug-resistant Mtb strains, demonstrated equipotent inhibition with MIC values of 0.03-0.25 µg/ml. A time-kill study identified a lead compound exhibiting concentration-dependent bactericidal activity, with 10× MIC completely eliminating Mtb bacilli within 7 days. Along with acceptable aqueous solubility and microsomal stability, the optimum active compounds of the series manifested all desirable traits of a promising antimycobacterial candidate.

The piperazine scaffold for novel drug discovery efforts: the evidence to date

INTRODUCTION

. Piperazine is a structural element present in drugs belonging to various chemical classes and used for numerous different therapeutic applications; it has been considered a privileged scaffold for drug design.

AREAS COVERED

The authors have searched examples of piperazine-containing compounds among drugs recently approved by the FDA, and in some research fields (nicotinic receptor modulators, compounds acting against cancer and bacterial multi-drug resistance), looking in particular to the design behind the insertion of this moiety.

EXPERT OPINION

Piperazine is widely used due to its peculiar characteristics, such as solubility, basicity, chemical reactivity, and conformational properties. This moiety has represented an important tool to modulate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of drugs.