Synthesis and antituberculosis activity of novel 5-styryl-4-(hetero)aryl-pyrimidines via combination of the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling and S(N)(H) reactions

MDN-6, a Possible Therapeutic Candidate for Multidrug-Resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background: The rise of antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains has accelerated the hunt for novel drugs for tuberculosis (TB). Objectives: This study identified a novel compound with strong anti-TB efficacy against several resistant M. tuberculosis strains from a chemical library of naphthoquinone derivatives. Methods: The identified chemical was designated as MDN-6 (methyl-1,4-bis(2-(diethylamino)ethoxy)-2-naphthoate). Results: It significantly inhibited all the tested Mycobacterium strains, including 24 clinically isolated resistant strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of MDN-6 were between 0.02 and 25 g/mL. It also had partially synergistic activity against extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis when coupled with rifampicin and streptomycin. Additionally, MDN-6 demonstrated a superior post-antibiotic effect over isoniazid and exhibited comparable inhibitory efficacy against Mycobacterium marinum and Mycobacterium kansasii. Besides the antimicrobial effect, MDN-6 had a 50% lethal dosage (LD50) of 279.1 mg/kg in female BALB/c mice. Conclusions: MDN-6 is a promising anti-TB therapeutic candidate against drug-resistant M. tuberculosis. However, further investigation is necessary to elucidate the action mechanism and assess the drug’s in vivo therapeutic potential.

Molecule Property Analyses of Active Compounds for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to claim the lives of around 1.7 million people per year. Most concerning are the reports of multidrug drug resistance. Paradoxically, this global health pandemic is demanding new therapies when resources and interest are waning. However, continued tuberculosis drug discovery is critical to address the global health need and burgeoning multidrug resistance. Many diverse classes of antitubercular compounds have been identified with activity in vitro and in vivo. Our analyses of over 100 active leads are representative of thousands of active compounds generated over the past decade, suggests that they come from few chemical classes or natural product sources. We are therefore repeatedly identifying compounds that are similar to those that preceded them. Our molecule-centered cheminformatics analyses point to the need to dramatically increase the diversity of chemical libraries tested and get outside of the historic Mtb property space if we are to generate novel improved antitubercular leads.

Nucleophilic C–H functionalization of arenes: a new logic of organic synthesis

Direct metal-free C–H functionalization of arenes with nucleophiles is a new chapter in the chemistry of aromatics. Comprehensive studies on nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in arenes (the SNH reactions), including mechanisms, intermediates, mathematic and electrochemical modeling, kinetics, electron-transfer, etc. have shown that this is not the hydride ion, but C–H proton is departed, and this process is facilitated by the presence of an appropriate oxidant or an auxiliary group. The SNH reactions, as a part of the general C–H functionalization concept, change the logic of organic synthesis. They open new opportunities, avoiding incorporation of good leaving groups or other auxiliaries in an aromatic ring, as a prefunctionalization step, thus providing a better correspondence to the principles of green chemistry.

Advances in Drug Discovery of New Antitubercular Multidrug-Resistant Compounds

Tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused mainly by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is according to the World Health Organization (WHO) the infectious disease responsible for the highest number of deaths worldwide. The increased number of multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) strains, and the ineffectiveness of the current treatment against latent tuberculosis are challenges to be overcome in the coming years. The scenario of drug discovery becomes alarming when it is considered that the number of new drugs does not increase proportionally to the emergence of drug resistance. In this review, we will demonstrate the current advances in antitubercular drug discovery, focusing on the research of compounds with potent antituberculosis activity against MDR-TB strains. Herein, active compounds against MDR-TB with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) less than 11 µM and low toxicity published in the last 4 years in the databases PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus will be presented and discussed.

Synthesis and evaluation of antitubercular activity of fluorinated 5-aryl-4-(hetero)aryl substituted pyrimidines

Various 5-(fluoroaryl)-4-(hetero)aryl substituted pyrimidines have been synthesized based on the Suzuki cross-coupling and nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen (SN(H)) reactions starting from commercially available 5-bromopyrimidine and their antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv has been explored. The outcome of the study disclose that, some of the compounds have showed promising activity in micromolar concentration against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium terrae, and multidrug-resistant strains isolated from tuberculosis patients in Ural region (Russia). The data concerning the 'structure-activity' relationship for fluorinated compounds have been discussed.

Synthesis, and structure-activity relationship for C(4) and/or C(5) thienyl substituted pyrimidines, as a new family of antimycobacterial compounds

Combination of the Suzuki cross-coupling and nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen (SN(H)) reactions proved to be a convenient method for the synthesis of C(4) and/or C(5) mono(thienyl) and di(thienyl) substituted pyrimidines from commercially available 5-bromopyrimidine. All new pyrimidines were found to be active in micromolar concentrations in vitro against H37Rv, avium, terrae, rifampicin and isoniazid-resistance strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The data for acute in vivo toxicity in mice have been obtained for these compounds which appear to be promising antitubercular agents.

Synthesis, antimycobacterial and antifungal evaluation of some new 1-ethyl-5-(hetero)aryl-6-styryl-1,6-dihydropyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles

The Petasis reaction of 6-hydroxy adducts of 1-alkyl-2,3-dicyano-5-arylpyrazinium salts with trans-styrylboronic acids proved to proceed smoothly at room temperature to give the corresponding 5-(hetero)aryl-6-styryl substituted 1,6-dihydropyrazine derivatives. Also it has been found that C(6) unsubstituted 1,6-dihydro- or 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrazine derivatives can be easy prepared in high yields from the corresponding pyrazinium salts by reduction with triethylsilane. All synthesized compounds were screened in vitro for their antifungal activities against seven pathogenic fungal strains and antimycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, avium, terrae and multi-drug-resistant strains isolated from tuberculosis patients in the Ural region (Russia).