Antimycobacterial activity of azepanobetulin and its derivative: In vitro, in vivo, ADMET and docking studies

S-Alkylated sulfonium betulin derivatives: Synthesis, antibacterial activities, and wound healing applications

Betulin, a bioactive triterpenoid derived from Betulaceae bark with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, holds great potential as a therapeutic agent. In this work, cationic sulfonium-modified betulin derivatives were synthesized to enhance their antibacterial efficacy for wound healing application. Mono- and dual S-alkylated sulfonium derivatives significantly outperformed betulin in antibacterial activity against pathogens such as S. aureus, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and E. coli. S-nonylated sulfonium betulin reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration of betulin against MRSA from 24 to 0.015 mM. The sulfonium modification enhanced cationic interactions, leading to bacterial membrane disruption. The derivatives expedited the process of wound healing by mitigating inflammation and exhibited satisfactory biosafety, proposing a viable approach to the development of antibacterial agents.

Tackling Nontuberculous Mycobacteria by Repurposable Drugs and Potential Leads from Natural Products

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) refer to bacteria other than all Mycobacterium species that do not cause tuberculosis or leprosy, excluding the species of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, M. leprae and M. lepromatosis. NTM are ubiquitous and present in soils and natural waters. NTM can survive in a wide range of environmental conditions. The direct inoculum of the NTM from water or other materials is most likely a source of infections. NTMs are responsible for several illnesses, including pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pneumoconiosis, and pulmonary disease. Recent reports suggest that NTM species have become insensitive to sterilizing agents, antiseptics, and disinfectants. The efficacy of existing anti-NTM regimens is diminishing and has been compromised due to drug resistance. New and recurring cases of multidrug-resistant NTM strains are increasing. Thus, there is an urgent need for ant-NTM regimens with novel modes of action. This review sheds light on the mode of antimicrobial resistance in the NTM species. Then, we discussed the repurposable drugs (antibiotics) that have shown new indications (activity against NTM strains) that could be developed for treating NTM infections. Also, we have summarised recently identified natural leads acting against NTM, which have the potential for treating NTM-associated infections.

Antioxidant evaluation and computational prediction of prospective drug-like compounds from polyphenolic-rich extract of Hibiscus cannabinus L. seed as antidiabetic and neuroprotective targets: assessment through in vitro and in silico studies

BACKGROUND

Reports have implicated diabetes mellitus (DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) as some of the global persistent health challenges with no lasting solutions, despite of significant inputs of modern-day pharmaceutical firms. This study therefore, aimed to appraise the in vitro antioxidant potential, enzymes inhibitory activities, and as well carry out in silico study on bioactive compounds from polyphenolic-rich extract of Hibiscus cannabinus seed (PEHc).

METHODS

In vitro antioxidant assays were performed on PEHc using standard methods while the identification of phytoconstituents was carried out with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). For the in silico molecular docking using Schrodinger's Grid-based ligand docking with energetics software, seven target proteins were retrieved from the database ( https://www.rcsb.org/ ).

RESULTS

HPLC technique identified twelve chemical compounds in PEHc, while antioxidant quantification revealed higher total phenolic contents (243.5 ± 0.71 mg GAE/g) than total flavonoid contents (54.06 ± 0.09 mg QE/g) with a significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of ABTS (IC₅₀ = 218.30 ± 0.87 µg/ml) and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radicals (IC₅₀ = 227.79 ± 0.74 µg/ml). In a similar manner, the extract demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) inhibitory activity against α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 256.88 ± 6.15 µg/ml) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 183.19 ± 0.23 µg/ml) as well as acetylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ = 262.95 ± 1.47 µg/ml) and butyrylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ = 189.97 ± 0.82 µg/ml), respectively. Furthermore, In silico study showed that hibiscetin (a lead) revealed a very strong binding affinity energies for DPP-4, (PDB ID: 1RWQ) and α-amylase (PDB ID: 1SMD), gamma-tocopherol ( for peptide-1 receptor; PDB ID: 3C59, AChE; PDB ID: 4EY7 and BChE; PDB ID: 7B04), cianidanol for α-glucosidase; PDB ID: 7KBJ and kaempferol for Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP-1); PDB ID: 6BHV, respectively. More so, ADMET scores revealed drug-like potentials of the lead compounds identified in PEHc.

CONCLUSION

As a result, the findings of this study point to potential drug-able compounds in PEHc that could be useful for the management of DM and AD.

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a New 1,2,3-Triazole Derivative of Pentacyclic Triterpene

The new 30-substituted triazole derivative of 3,28-O,O′-diacetylbetulin was obtained in the copper(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). The title compound was characterized by NMR, IR, HR-MS, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The X-ray diffraction study showed that the 1,2,3-triazole derivative crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P212121, Z = 4, and unit cell parameters are as follows a = 9.4860(10) Å, b = 13.9440(2) Å, and c = 30.2347(4) Å. The molecular packing is stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen interactions C-H…O. The Hirshfeld surface analysis showed the presence of the O…H interactions with a percentage of the 16.5% in the total Hirshfeld area. The MEP analysis showed that the nucleophilic regions are located near the oxygen atoms of the acyl and carbonyl groups of betulin moiety and the sulfur atom in the triazole linker. The HOMO and LUMO orbitals are located near the triazole moiety. The obtained results indicated that this new betulin derivative is more reactive with electrophilic than nucleophilic molecules.

New Investigations with Lupane Type A-Ring Azepane Triterpenoids for Antimycobacterial Drug Candidate Design

Twenty lupane type A-ring azepano-triterpenoids were synthesized from betulin and its related derivatives and their antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mono-resistant MTB strains, and nontuberculous strains Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium avium were investigated in the framework of AToMIc (Anti-mycobacterial Target or Mechanism Identification Contract) realized by the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, National Institute of Health. Of all the tested triterpenoids, 17 compounds showed antitubercular activity and 6 compounds were highly active on the H37Rv wild strain (with MIC 0.5 µM for compound 7), out of which 4 derivatives also emerged as highly active compounds on the three mono-resistant MTB strains. Molecular docking corroborated with a machine learning drug-drug similarity algorithm revealed that azepano-triterpenoids have a rifampicin-like antitubercular activity, with compound 7 scoring the highest as a potential M. tuberculosis RNAP potential inhibitor. FIC testing demonstrated an additive effect of compound 7 when combined with rifampin, isoniazid and ethambutol. Most compounds were highly active against M. avium with compound 14 recording the same MIC value as the control rifampicin (0.0625 µM). The antitubercular ex vivo effectiveness of the tested compounds on THP-1 infected macrophages is correlated with their increased cell permeability. The tested triterpenoids also exhibit low cytotoxicity and do not induce antibacterial resistance in MTB strains.

Evaluation of A-azepano-triterpenoids and related derivatives as antimicrobial and antiviral agents

A series of semisynthetic triterpenoids with A-ring azepano- and A-seco-fragments as well as hydrazido/hydrazono-substituents at C3 and C28 has been synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against key ESKAPE pathogens and DNA viruses (HSV-1, HCMV, HPV-11). It was found that azepanouvaol 8, 3-amino-3,4-seco-4(23)-en derivatives of uvaol 21 and glycyrrhetol-dien 22 as well as azepano-glycyrrhetol-tosylate 32 showed strong antimicrobial activities against MRSA with MIC ≤ 0.15 μM that exceeds the effect of antibiotic vancomycin. Azepanobetulinic acid cyclohexyl amide 4 exhibited significant bacteriostatic effect against MRSA (MIC ≤ 0.15 μM) with low cytotoxicity to HEK-293 even at a maximum tested concentration of >20 μM (selectivity index SI 133) and may be considered a noncytotoxic anti-MRSA agent. Azepanobetulin 1, azepanouvaol 8, and azepano-glycyrrhetol 15 showed high potency towards HCMV (EC50 0.15; 0.11; 0.11 µM) with selectivity indexes SI50 115; 136; 172, respectively. The docking studies suggest the possible interactions of the leading compounds with the molecular targets.

Cytotoxic Potential of a-Azepano- and 3-Amino-3,4-SeCo-Triterpenoids

Semi-synthetic triterpenoids, holding an amino substituted seven-membered A-ring (azepano-ring), which could be synthesized from triterpenic oximes through a Beckmann type rearrangement followed by a reduction of lactame fragment, are considered to be novel promising agents exhibiting anti-microbial, alpha-glucosidase, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. In this study, in an attempt to develop new antitumor candidates, a series of A-ring azepano- and 3-amino-3,4-seco-derivatives of betulin, oleanolic, ursolic, and glycyrrhetinic acids were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against five human cancer cell lines and non-malignant mouse fibroblasts by means of a colorimetric sulforhodamine assay. Azepanoallobetulinic acid amide derivative 11 was the most cytotoxic compound of this series but showed little selectivity between the different human tumor cell lines. Flow cytometry experiments showed compound 11 to act mainly by apoptosis (44.3%) and late apoptosis (21.4%). The compounds were further screened at the National Cancer Institute towards a panel of 60 cancer cell lines. It was found that compounds 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 19, and 20 showed growth inhibitory (GI₅₀) against the most sensitive cell lines at submicromolar concentrations (0.20–0.94 μM), and their cytotoxic activity (LC₅₀) was also high (1–6 μM). Derivatives 3, 8, 11, 15, and 16 demonstrated a certain selectivity profile at GI₅₀ level from 5.16 to 9.56 towards K-562, CCRF-CEM, HL-60(TB), and RPMI-8226 (Leukemia), HT29 (Colon cancer), and OVCAR-4 (Ovarian cancer) cell lines. Selectivity indexes of azepanoerythrodiol 3 at TGI level ranged from 5.93 (CNS cancer cell lines SF-539, SNB-19 and SNB-75) to 14.89 for HCT-116 (colon cancer) with SI 9.56 at GI₅₀ level for the leukemia cell line K-562. The present study highlighted the importance of A-azepano-ring in the triterpenic core for the development of novel antitumor agents, and a future aim to increase the selectivity profile will thus lie in the area of modifications of azepano-triterpenic acids at their carboxyl group.