Biological activities of pyrazoline-indole based Re(I) carbonyls: DNA interaction, antibacterial, anticancer, ROS production, lipid peroxidation, in vivo and in vitro cytotoxicity studies

Biological Applications, In Vitro Cytotoxicity, Cellular Uptake, and Apoptotic Pathway Studies Induced by Ternary Cu (II) Complexes Involving Triflupromazine with Biorelevant Ligands

The novel mixed-ligand complexes derived from the parent antidepressant phenothiazine drug triflupromazine (TFP) were synthesized along with the secondary ligands glycine and histidine. [Cu(TFP)(Gly)Cl]·2H2O (1) and [Cu(TFP)(His)Cl]·2H2O (2) were examined for their in vitro biological properties. Cyclic voltammetry was used to study the binding of both complexes to CT-DNA. The two complexes were examined for antiviral, antiparasite, and anti-inflammatory applications. An in vitro cytotoxicity study on two different cancer cell lines, MCF-7, HepG2, and a normal cell line, HSF, shows promising selective cytotoxicity for cancer cells. An investigation of the cell cycle and apoptosis rates was evaluated by flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/Propidium Iodide (PI) staining of the treated cells. Gene expression and western blotting were carried out to determine the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic markers and the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl2. The tested complexes decreased cell viability and triggered apoptosis in human tumor cell lines. Molecular docking was also used to simulate Bcl2 inhibition. Finally, complex (2) has potent antitumor effects on human tumor cells, especially against HepG2 cells, as seen in the cellular drug uptake assay. Consequently, complex (2) may prove useful against cancer, especially liver cancer. For further understanding, it needs to be explored in vivo.

Design, synthesis, in-silico studies and apoptotic activity of novel amide enriched 2-(1H)- quinazolinone derivatives

Cancer is a broad classification of diseases that can affect any organ or body tissue due to aberrant cellular proliferation for unknown reasons. Many present chemotherapeutic drugs are highly toxic and have little selectivity. Additionally, they lead to the development of medication resistance. Therefore, developing tailored chemotherapeutic drugs with minimal side effects and good selectivity is crucial for cancer treatment. 2-(1H)-Quinazolinone is one of the vital scaffold and anticancer activity is one of the prominent biological activities of this class. Here we report the novel set of amide-enriched 2-(1H)-quinazolinone derivatives (7a-j) and their apoptotic activity with the help of MTT assay method against four human cancer cell lines: PC3 (prostate cancer), DU-145 (prostate cancer), A549 (lung cancer), and MCF7 (breast cancer). When compared to etoposide, every synthetic test compound (7a-j) exhibited moderate to excellent activity. The IC50 values of the new amide derivatives (7a-j) varied from 0.07 ± 0.0061 μM to 10.8 ± 0.69 μM. While the positive control, etoposide, exhibited 1.97 ± 0.45 μM to 3.08 ± 0.135 μM range. Among the novel amide derivatives (7a-j), in particular, 7i and 7j showed strong apoptotic activity against MCF7; 7h showed against PC3, and 7g showed against DU-145. Molecular docking studies of test compounds (7a-j) with the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain (PDB ID: 1M17) protein provided the significant docking scores for each test compound (7a-j) (-9.00 to -9.67 kcal/mol). Additionally, DFT investigations and MD simulations validated the predictions of molecular docking. According to the findings of the ADME analysis, oral absorption by humans is anticipated to be higher than 85 % for all test compounds.

Indole-Containing Metal Complexes and Their Medicinal Applications

Indole is an important element of many natural and synthetic molecules with significant biological activity. Nonetheless, the co-presence of transitional metals in organic scaffold may represent an important factor in the development of effective medicinal agents. This review covers some of the latest and most relevant achievements in the biological and pharmacological activity of important indole-containing metal complexes in the area of drug discovery.

Design, Synthesis, and Potent Anticancer Activity of Novel Indole-Based Bcl-2 Inhibitors

The Bcl-2 family plays a crucial role in regulating cell apoptosis, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, a series of indole-based compounds, U1-6, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against Bcl-2-expressing cancer cell lines. The binding affinity, safety profile, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis effects of the compounds were tested. The designed compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity at sub-micromolar IC50 concentrations against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines. Notably, U2 and U3 demonstrated the highest activity, particularly against MCF-7 cells. Respectively, both U2 and U3 showed potential BCL-2 inhibition activity with IC50 values of 1.2 ± 0.02 and 11.10 ± 0.07 µM using an ELISA binding assay compared with 0.62 ± 0.01 µM for gossypol, employed as a positive control. Molecular docking analysis suggested stable interactions of compound U2 at the Bcl-2 binding site through hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, U2 demonstrated significant induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase. Importantly, U2 displayed a favourable safety profile on HDF human dermal normal fibroblast cells at 10-fold greater IC50 values compared with MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of compound U2 as a Bcl-2 inhibitor and provide insights into its molecular mechanisms of action.

Biomedical applications of selective metal complexes of indole, benzimidazole, benzothiazole and benzoxazole: A review (From 2015 to 2022)

Indole, benzoxazole benzothiazole and benzimidazole are excellent classes of organic heterocyclic compounds. These compounds show significant application in pharmacy, industries, dyes, medicine, polymers and food packages. These compounds also form metal complexes with copper, zinc, cadmium, nickel, cobalt, platinum, gold, palladium chromium, silver, iron, and other metals that have shown to be significant applications. Recently, researchers have attracted enormous attention toward heterocyclic compounds such as indole, benzimidazole, benzothiazole, benzoxazole, and their complexes due to their excellent medicinal applications such as anti-ulcerogenic, anti-cancer, antihypertensive, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antitubercular, antiparasitic, anti-obesity, antimalarial, antiglycation, antiviral potency, antineuropathic, analgesic antioxidant, antihistaminic, and antibacterial potentials. In this article, we summarize the medicinal applications of these compounds as well as their metal complexes. We hope this article will help researchers in designing and synthesizing novel and potent compounds with significant applications in various fields.

Ultrasonic-Assisted Synthesis of Heterocyclic Curcumin Analogs as Antidiabetic, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Agents Combined with in vitro and in silico Studies

Background

Heterocyclic analogs of curcumin have a wide range of therapeutic potential and the ability to control the activity of a variety of metabolic enzymes.

Methods

1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopic techniques were used to determine the structures of synthesized compounds. The agar disc diffusion method and α-amylase inhibition assay were used to examine the antibacterial and anti-diabetic potential of the compounds against α-amylase enzyme inhibitory activity, respectively. DPPH-free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays were used to assess the in vitro antioxidant potential.

Results and Discussion

In this work, nine heterocyclic analogs derived from curcumin precursors under ultrasonic irradiation were synthesized in excellent yields (81.4-93.7%) with improved reaction time. Results of antibacterial activities revealed that compounds 8, and 11 displayed mean inhibition zone of 13.00±0.57, and 19.66±00 mm, respectively, compared to amoxicillin (12.87±1.41 mm) at 500 μg/mL against E. coli, while compounds 8, 11 and 16 displayed mean inhibition zone of 17.67±0.57, 14.33±0.57 and 23.33±00 mm, respectively, compared to amoxicillin (13.75±1.83 mm) at 500 μg/mL against P. aeruginosa. Compound 11 displayed a mean inhibition zone of 11.33±0.57 mm compared to amoxicillin (10.75±1.83 mm) at 500 μg/mL against S. aureus. Compound 11 displayed higher binding affinities of -7.5 and -8.3 Kcal/mol with penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and β-lactamases producing bacterial strains, compared to amoxicillin (-7.2 and -7.9 Kcal/mol, respectively), these results are in good agreement with the in vitro antibacterial activities. In vitro antidiabetic potential on α-amylase enzyme revealed that compounds 11 (IC50=7.59 µg/mL) and 16 (IC50=4.08 µg/mL) have higher inhibitory activities than acarbose (IC50=8.0 µg/mL). Compound 8 showed promising antioxidant inhibition efficacy of DPPH (IC50 = 2.44 g/mL) compared to ascorbic acid (IC50=1.24 g/mL), while compound 16 revealed 89.9±20.42% inhibition of peroxide generation showing its potential in reducing the development of lipid peroxides. In silico molecular docking analysis, results are in good agreement with in vitro biological activity. In silico ADMET profiles suggested the adequate oral drug-likeness potential of the compounds without adverse effects.

Conclusion

According to our findings, both biological activities and in silico computational studies results demonstrated that compounds 8, 11, and 16 are promising α-amylase inhibitors and antibacterial agents against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus, whereas compound 8 was found to be a promising antioxidant agent.

Synthesis, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Activities of Thiazolyl-Pyrazoline Schiff Base Hybrids: A Combined Experimental and Computational Study

Thiazole-pyrazoline Schiff base hybrids have a broad range of pharmacological potential with an ability to control the activity of numerous metabolic enzymes. In this work, a greener and more efficient approach has been developed to synthesize a novel series of thiazole-pyrazoline Schiff base hybrids using ZnO nanoparticle-assisted protocol in good to excellent yields (78.3–96.9%) and examined their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as their antioxidant activity. Compound 24 (IZD = 18.67 ± 0.58) displayed better activity against P. aeruginosa compared with amoxicillin (IZD = 14.33 ± 2.52) at 250 μg/mL, whereas compounds 22 and 24 (IZD = 13.33 ± 0.58 mm and 17.00 ± 1.00 mm, respectively) showed better activity against E. coli compared with amoxicillin (IZD = 14.67 ± 0.58 mm) at 500 μg/mL. The remaining compounds showed moderate to weak activity against the tested bacterial strains. Compound 21 displayed significant inhibition of DPPH (IC50 = 4.63 μg/mL) compared with ascorbic acid (IC50 = 3.21 μg/mL). Compound 21 displayed 80.01 ± 0.07% inhibition of peroxide formation, suggesting its potential in preventing the formation of lipid peroxides. The results of the ADMET study showed that all synthesized compounds obeyed Lipinski's rule of five. In silico pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that compound 24 had superior intestinal absorption compared with amoxicillin. In silico molecular docking analysis revealed a binding affinity of −9.9 Kcal/mol for compound 24 against PqsA compared with amoxicillin (−7.3 Kcal/mol), whereas compounds 22 and 24 displayed higher binding affinity (−8.5 and −7.9 Kcal/mol, respectively) with DNA gyrase B compared with amoxicillin (-7.1 Kcal/mol), in good agreement with in vitro antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa and E. coli. In silico toxicity study showed that all synthesized compounds had LD50 (mg/kg) values ranging from 800 to 1,000 putting them in ProTox-II class 4. The in vitro antibacterial activity and molecular docking analysis showed that compound 24 is a promising antibacterial therapeutic agent against P. aeruginosa and E. coli and compound 22 is a promising antibacterial agent against E. coli, whereas compound 21 is found to be a potential natural antioxidant agent. Moreover, the green synthesis approach using ZnO nanoparticle as catalyst was found to be a very efficient method to synthesize biologically active thiazole-pyrazoline Schiff base hybrids compared with the conventional method.

ROS-Scavenging Glyco-Nanoplatform for Synergistic Antibacteria and Wound-Healing Therapy of Bacterial Keratitis

Infectious keratitis is a serious disease originating from a corneal trauma infected with bacteria, which is intractable to heal due to stubborn infection and persistent inflammation featured with high reactive...

A simple theoretical approach to converging of Myoglobin-Assay with different pH values

Many metal carbonyl complexes have been synthesized and analyzed as CO-releasing agents. As in many bioactivity assays, differences between in-vitro and in-vivo studies in Myoglobin Assay have been observed. Adjustment of in-vitro conditions to in-vivo conditions is one way to overcoming this problem. Changing the conditions of each in-vivo assay is not possible considering the available grant, material, and labor facilities. In-silico methods are suitable as they provide better in-vitro conditions before experimental procedures. A method which is easy to employ on a basic computer could be more suitable to observe the assay convergence. In this study, global reactivity descriptors were used as an approach to investigate pH differences in myoglobin assay. Global reactivity descriptors of the molecules were compared with myoglobin assay results at different pH values and molecular docking results performed with optimized molecules in different solvents. The following complexes were studied: [Mn(CO)3(bpy)(L)]PF6 (bpy: 2,2-bipyridyl, L: benzylbenzimidazole, 4-chlorobenzylbenzimidazole).

Pyrazoline analogs as potential anticancer agents and their apoptosis, molecular docking, MD simulation, DNA binding and antioxidant studies

N-formyl pyrazoline derivatives (3a-3l) were designed and synthesized via Michael addition reaction through cyclization of chalcones with hydrazine hydrate in presence of formic acid. The structural elucidation of N-formyl pyrazoline derivatives was carried out by various spectroscopic techniques such as ¹H, ¹³C NMR, FT-IR, UV-visible spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Anticancer activity of the pyrazoline derivatives (3a-3l) was evaluated against human lung cancer (A549), fibrosarcoma cell lines (HT1080) and human primary normal lung cells (HFL-1) by MTT assay. The results of anticancer activity showed that potent analogs 3b and 3d exhibited promising activity against A549 (IC₅₀ = 12.47 ± 1.08 and 14.46 ± 2.76 µM) and HT1080 (IC₅₀ = 11.40 ± 0.66 and 23.74 ± 13.30 µM) but low toxic against the HFL-1 (IC₅₀ = 116.47 ± 43.38 and 152.36 ± 22.18 µM). The anticancer activity of potent derivatives (3b and 3d) against A549 cancer cell line was further confirmed by flow cytometry based approach. DNA binding interactions of the pyrazoline derivatives 3b and 3d have been carried out with calf thymus DNA (Ct-DNA) using absorption, fluorescence and viscosity measurements, circular dichroism and cyclic voltammetry. Antioxidant potential of N-formyl pyrazoline derivatives (3a-3l) has been also estimated through DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical and H₂O_2. Results revealed that all the compounds exhibited significant antioxidant activity. In silico molecular modelling and ADMET properties of pyrazoline derivatives were also studied using PyRx software against topoisomerase II receptor with PDB ID: 1ZXM to explore their best hits. MD simulation of 3b and 3d was also carried out with topoisomerase II for structure-function correlation in a protein. HuTopoII inhibitory activity of the analogs (3a-3l) was examined by relaxation assay at varying concentrations 100-1000 µM.