Design, synthesis and biological assessment of new 1-benzyl-4-((4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)methyl) pyridin-1-ium derivatives (BOPs) as potential dual inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase

The Structure-Antiproliferative Activity Relationship of Pyridine Derivatives

Pyridine, a compound with a heterocyclic structure, is a key player in medicinal chemistry and drug design. It is widely used as a framework for the design of biologically active molecules and is the second most common heterocycle in FDA-approved drugs. Pyridine is known for its diverse biological activity, including antituberculosis, antitumor, anticoagulant, antiviral, antimalarial, antileishmania, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer's, antitrypanosomal, antimalarial, vasodilatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative effects. This review, spanning from 2022 to 2012, involved the meticulous identification of pyridine derivatives with antiproliferative activity, as indicated by their minimum inhibitory concentration values (IC50) against various cancerous cell lines. The aim was to determine the most favorable structural characteristics for their antiproliferative activity. Using computer programs, we constructed and calculated the molecular descriptors and analyzed the electrostatic potential maps of the selected pyridine derivatives. The study found that the presence and positions of the -OMe, -OH, -C=O, and NH2 groups in the pyridine derivatives enhanced their antiproliferative activity over the cancerous cellular lines studied. Conversely, pyridine derivatives with halogen atoms or bulky groups in their structures exhibited lower antiproliferative activity.

Recent developments in the design and synthesis of benzylpyridinium salts: Mimicking donepezil hydrochloride in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an advanced and irreversible degenerative disease of the brain, recognized as the key reason for dementia among elderly people. The disease is related to the reduced level of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain that interferes with memory, learning, emotional, and behavior responses. Deficits in cholinergic neurotransmission are responsible for the creation and progression of numerous neurochemical and neurological illnesses such as AD.

Aim: Herein, focusing on the fact that benzylpyridinium salts mimic the structure of donepezil hydrochlorideas a FDA-approved drug in the treatment of AD, their synthetic approaches and inhibitory activity against cholinesterases (ChEs) were discussed. Also, molecular docking results and structure–activity relationship (SAR) as the most significant concept in drug design and development were considered to introduce potential lead compounds. Key scientific concepts: AChE plays a chief role in the end of nerve impulse transmission at the cholinergic synapses. In this respect, the inhibition of AChE has been recognized as a key factor in the treatment of AD, Parkinson’s disease, senile dementia, myasthenia gravis, and ataxia. A few drugs such as donepezil hydrochloride are prescribed for the improvement of cognitive dysfunction and memory loss caused by AD. Donepezil hydrochloride is a piperidine-containing compound, identified as a well-known member of the second generation of AChE inhibitors. It was established to treat AD when it was assumed that the disease is associated with a central cholinergic loss in the early 1980s. In this review, synthesis and anti-ChE activity of a library of benzylpyridinium salts were reported and discussed based on SAR studies looking for the most potent substituents and moieties, which are responsible for inducing the desired activity even more potent than donepezil. It was found that linking heterocyclic moieties to the benzylpyridinium salts leads to the potent ChE inhibitors. In this respect, this review focused on the recent reports on benzylpyridinium salts and addressed the structural features and SARs to get an in-depth understanding of the potential of this biologically improved scaffold in the drug discovery of AD.

Synthesis, anticholinesterase activity, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation studies of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives

Two new series of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles bearing pyridine and thiazole heterocycles (4a-h and 5a-h) were synthesized (2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-oxadiazoles). The structures of these newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by ¹ H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³ C NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometric and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic methods. All these compounds were evaluated for their enzyme inhibitory activities against two cholinesterase enzymes, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). From the studies, we identified compounds 4a, 4h, 5a, 5d, and 5e as selective AChE inhibitors, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.023 to 0.037 μM. Furthermore, docking studies of these compounds were performed at the active sites of their target enzymes. The molecular docking study showed that 5e possessed an ideal docking pose with interactions inside AChE.

Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Role of Acetylcholinesterase in their Pathogenesis

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases by influencing the inflammatory response, apoptosis, oxidative stress and aggregation of pathological proteins. There is a search for new compounds that can prevent the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases and slow down their course. The aim of this review is to present the role of AChE in the pathomechanism of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, this review aims to reveal the benefits of using AChE inhibitors to treat these diseases. The selected new AChE inhibitors were also assessed in terms of their potential use in the described disease entities. Designing and searching for new drugs targeting AChE may in the future allow the discovery of therapies that will be effective in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Inhibitory effects of honey from arid land on some enzymes and protein damage

Although arid land honey is outstanding for its conventional uses in food and medicine, there is an absence of data regarding its health benefits from the perspective of enzyme inhibitory effects that are affirmed by the current study. For the first time, this investigation demonstrates that different types of honey exert inhibitory effects on the activities of angiotensin, tyrosinase, xanthine oxidase, -α -amylase, acetylcholinesterase, and lipase, in addition to the inhibition of bovine serum albumin damage. The present study also provides a comparison with perceived healthy honey from non-arid areas. The results indicated huge contrasts among honey samples through all assessed parameters. Results also demonstrated that at least one type of honey from arid land contained a higher inhibition effect when compared with honey from other regions. Therefore, a possible application of arid land honey and its active compounds can be the utilization as a therapeutic agent against several diseases.