Development of new combination anti-leishmanial complexes: Triphenyl Sb(V) mono-hydroxy mono-quinolinolates

Tri-aryl antimony(V) hydroximato and hydroxamato complexes: Combining lipophilic Sb(III/V) and hydroxamic acids in combating Leishmania

Six novel tri-aryl antimony(V) hydroximato complexes (3-8) with composition [SbAr3(O2NCR)] (3: Ar = Ph, R = o-(OH)Ph, 4: Ar = Ph, R = Me, 5: Ar = Ph, R = Ph; 6: Ar = Mes, R = Me, 7: Ar = Mes, R = Ph, 8: Ar = Mes, R = o-(OH)Ph (where Ph = phenyl, Me = methyl, Mes = mesityl)), were synthesised and evaluated for anti-parasitic activity towards Leishmania major (L. major) promastigotes and amastigotes. Complexes of the form [SbAr3(O2NCR)], with the dianionic hydroximato ligand binding O,O'-bidentate to the Sb(V) centre, exist in the solid-state for the mesityl-derived complexes. In contrast, the phenyl-ligated Sb(V) complexes crystallise as the hexacoordinate, hydroxamato species [SbPh3(O2NHC(OH))], with the OH ligand derived from entrained H2O in the crystallisation solvent. It is found that both the aryl and hydroximato ligands are found to influence the bioactivity of the Sb(V) complexes. Complexes 3-8 exhibited varied anti-promastigote activity with IC50 values ranging from 1.53 μM for 6 to 36.0 μM for 3, also reflected in varied anti-amastigote activity with a percentage infection range of 5.50% for 6 to 29.00% for 3 at a concentration of 10 μM. The complexes were relatively non-toxic to human fibroblasts with an IC50 value range of 59.3 μM (7) to ≥100 μM (3-6, 8), and exhibited varied toxicity towards J774.1 A macrophages (IC50: 3.97 (6) to ≥100 (8) μM). All complexes showed enhanced activity compared to the parent hydroxamic acids.

Synthetic product-based approach toward potential antileishmanial drug development

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease and is categorized as a tropically neglected disease (NTD) with no effective vaccines available. The available chemotherapeutics against leishmaniasis are associated with an increase in the incidence of toxicity and drug resistance. Consequently, targeting metabolic pathways and enzymes of parasites which differs from the mammalian host can be exploited to treat and overcome the resistance. The classical methods of identifying the structural fragments and the moieties responsible for the biological activities from the standard compounds and their modification are options for developing more effective novel compounds. Significant progress has been made in refining the development of potent non-toxic molecules and addressing the limitations of the current treatment available. Several examples of synthetic product-based approach utilizing their core heterocyclic rings including furan, pyrrole, thiazole, imidazole, pyrazole, triazole, quinazoline, quinoline, pyrimidine, coumarin, indole, acridine, oxadiazole, purine, chalcone, carboline, phenanthrene and metal containing derivatives and their structure-activity relationships are discussed in this review. It also analyses the groups/fragments interacting with the host cell receptors and will support the medicinal chemists with novel antileishmanial agents.

Structure-activity effects in the anti-leishmanial activity of di-alkyl gallium quinolin-8-olates

Six (G1-G6) novel organogallium complexes of the general formula [Ga(R)2quin] (where R = Et, iPr, nBu, tBu, sBu and hexyl; quin = quinolin-8-olate, C9H6NO) have been synthesised and fully characterised. Single crystal X-ray diffraction shows the complexes adopt a five-coordinate geometry through dimerisation. Complexes G1-G5 were analytically pure and could undergo further biological analysis. [Ga(hex)2quin] G6 could not be satisfactorily purified and was excluded from biological assays. 1H NMR spectroscopy indicated the complexes are stable to hydrolysis over 24 hours in 'wet' d6-DMSO. Complexes G1-G5 were assessed for their anti-leishmanial activity towards three separate strains: L. major, L. amazonensis and L. donovani, with varied results toward the promastigote form. G1 and G2 were found to be the most selective with little to no toxicity towards mammalian cell lines. Amastigote invasion assays on the three strains showed that [Ga(nBu)2quin] G3 and [Ga(tBu)2quin] G4 gave the best all round anti-parasitic activity with percentage infection ranges of 1.50-3.00% and 3.25-7.50% respectively, with G3 out-performing the drug control amphotericin B in all three assays. The activity was found to correlate with lipophilicity and water solubility, with the most effective G3 proving the most lipophilic and least water soluble.

Insights of metal 8-hydroxylquinolinol complexes as the potential anticancer drugs

8-Hydroxyquinoline and its derivatives, which belong to a well-known class of quinoline based drugs with varied biological activities, have been extensively explored for the treatments of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, neurodegenerative diseases and other life-threatening diseases. In virtue of the existence of bicyclic heterocyclic scaffold, their bidentate chelators can further bind to metal ions via O- and N-donors from 8-hydroxylquinolinol skeletons to yield a variety of metal 8-hydroxylquinolinol complexes appealing as the anticancer drugs with low toxicity, due to their better biological effects and higher anticancer activities than free 8-hydroxylquinolinol ligands and cis-diammine-dichloro-platinum. The present review summarizes the recent developments in the syntheses, crystal structures, and anticancer activities of metal 8-hydroxylquinolinol complexes, attempting to discover a correlation between their structures and anticancer activities, and to provide an evidence for their potential application perspectives. It means to offer the helpful and meaningful guidance for the researchers in the future syntheses of new and highly efficient anticancer metal 8-hydroxylquinolinol complexes based drugs.

Binuclear Triphenylantimony(V) Catecholates through N-Donor Linkers: Structural Features and Redox Properties

A series of binuclear triphenylantimony(V) bis-catecholato complexes 1–11 of the type (Cat)Ph₃Sb-linker-SbPh₃(Cat) was prepared by a reaction of the corresponding mononuclear catecholates (Cat)SbPh₃ with a neutral bidentate donor linker ligands pyrazine (Pyr), 4,4′-dipyridyl (Bipy), bis-(pyridine-4-yl)-disulfide (PySSPy), and diazobicyclo[2,2,2]octane (DABCO) in a dry toluene: Cat = 3,6-di-tert-butyl-catecholate (3,6-DBCat), linker = Pyr (1); PySSPy (2); Bipy (3); DABCO (4); Cat = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-catecholate (3,5-DBCat), linker = Bipy (5); DABCO (9); Cat = 4,5-(piperazine-1,4-diyl)-3,6-di-tert-butylcatecholate (pip-3,6-DBCat), linker = Bipy (6); DABCO (10); Cat = 4,5-dichloro-3,6-di-tert-butylcatecholate (4,5-Cl₂-3,6-DBCat), linker = Bipy (7); DABCO (11); and Cat = 4,5-dimethoxy-3,6-di-tert-butylcatecholate (4,5-(MeO)₂-3,6-DBCat), linker = Bipy (8). The same reaction of (4,5-Cl₂-3,6-DBCat)SbPh₃ with DABCO in an open atmosphere results in a formation of 1D coordination polymer {[(4,5-Cl₂-3,6-DBCat)SbPh₃·H₂O]·DABCO}_n (12). Bis-catecholate complex Ph₃Sb(Cat-Spiro-Cat)SbPh₃ reacts with Bipy as 1:1 yielding a rare macrocyclic tetranuclear compound {Ph₃Sb(Cat-Spiro-Cat)SbPh₃∙(Bipy)}₂ (13). The molecular structures of 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 13 in crystal state were established by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Complexes demonstrate different types of relative spatial positions of mononuclear moieties. The nature of chemical bonds, charges distribution, and the energy of Sb...N interaction were investigated in the example of complex 5. The electrochemical behavior of the complexes depends on the coordinated N-donor ligand. The coordination of pyrazine, Bipy, and PySSPy at the antimony atom changes their mechanism of electrooxidation: instead of two successive redox stages Cat/SQ and SQ/Cat, one multielectron stage was observed. The coordination of the DABCO ligand is accompanied by a significant shift in the oxidation potentials of the catecholate ligand to the cathodic region (by 0.4 V), compared to the initial complex.

A bibliographic survey of the supramolecular architectures sustained by delocalised C–I⋯π(arene) interactions in metal-organic crystals

A survey of the crystallographic literature of metal-organic crystal structures for the presence of C–I···π(arene) interactions where the iodide atom occupies a position close to plumb to the ring centroid, corresponding to a delocalised interaction, and is within the assumed sum of the van der Waals radii, i.e. 3.88 Å, has been undertaken. The majority of the 26 identified examples feature supramolecular chains of varying topology whereby C–I···π(arene) contacts are readily identified and apparently operating independently of other obvious supramolecular synthons. The next most prevalent supramolecular aggregate was zero-dimensional, containing up to a maximum of three molecules. While there were three examples of two-dimensional arrays among a series of isostructural crystal structures, no examples of three-dimensional structures largely sustained by C–I···π(arene) interactions were noted. This distribution of supramolecular aggregation patterns matched that noted for all-organic systems. In terms of the overall adoption rate, delocalised C–I···π(arene) interactions were found in 3% of crystals of metal-organic species where they could form, a percentage lower than 4% noted for all-organic crystals.