Molecular modeling of drug-pathophysiological Mtb protein targets: Synthesis of some 2-thioxo-1, 3-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives as anti-tubercular agents

Exploring the potential of machine learning to design antidiabetic molecules: a comprehensive study with experimental validation

Recent advances in hardware and software algorithms have led to the rise of data-driven approaches for designing therapeutic modalities. One of the major causes of human mortality is diabetes. Thus, there is a tremendous opportunity for research into effective antidiabetic designs. Therefore, in this study, we used machine learning-based small molecule design. We used various chemoinformatic and binary fingerprint techniques on small molecules to construct multiple models for alpha-amylase inhibitors. Among these models, the top models were used for ensemble-based machine learning predictions on libraries of organic molecules supplemented with synthetic scaffolds that could be used as antidiabetic agents. Further, involved identifying 10 promising molecules from computational studies and determining their inhibitory effects on alpha-amylase. These molecules were synthesised and thoroughly analysed to assess their biological inhibitory properties. Then, thermodynamic simulations were conducted to determine the stability and affinity of experimentally active molecules. The research results showcased the top 10 ML models recorded impressive statistics with an average model score of 0.8216, Pearson-r value of 0.827 and external validation yielding a Q2 value of 0.835, proving their reliability and accuracy. Ten derivatives of benzothiophene dioxolane was prime research focus due to computational predictions. The biological inhibitory assay of synthesised molecules showed that small molecules with ID ALC5 and ALC6 exhibited inhibitory efficiencies (IC50) of 2.1 ± 0.14 µM and 5.71 ± 0.02 µM against alpha-amylase enzyme, whereas other molecules showed moderate inhibition. In conclusion, the positive results of the experiment indicate that researchers should explore machine learning-driven design.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis of 5-arylidenerhodanines in L-proline-based deep eutectic solvent

Rhodanines and their derivatives are known to have many pharmacological activities that can be modulated through different functionalization sites. One of the most studied modification in those scaffolds is the introduction of a benzylidene moiety on C5 via a Knoevenagel reaction. Here, a facile synthesis of 5-arylidenerhodanines via a Knoevenagel reaction in an ʟ-proline-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) is reported. This method is fast (1 h at 60 °C), easy, catalyst-free and sustainable as no classical organic solvents were used. The expected compounds are recovered by a simple filtration after hydrolysis and no purification is required. Those derivatives were studied for their antioxidant activities and the results are consistent with those reported in the literature indicating that phenolic compounds are the more active ones.

Antitubercular properties of thiazolidin-4-ones - A review

Thiazolidin-4-one scaffold has great potential for medicinal chemistry and is of interest to scientists in view of wide spectrum of biological activity. This scaffold is often used for designing of small molecules with various biological activity including antituberculosis activity. The presented review is an attempt to gather, analyze and systemize data about antitubercular properties of thiazolidine-4-ones from two last decades. Some of them have promising antitubercular activity which is significantly higher than that of the reference drugs. Among them compounds 82c, 82d and 84 that were active against M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain with MICs in the range of 0.05-0.2 μg/mL and compound 108 exhibited activity with MIC = 0.36 μM. Compounds 115a-115c and 116a-116c were very effective against M. tuberculosis H37Ra with MIC values in the range of 0.031-0.125 μg/mL. Acidomycin was showed activity against seven MDR M. tuberculosis strains with MICs in the range of 0.6-0.62 μM and against two XDR M. tuberculosis strains with MICs 0.096 and 1.2 μM. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of some groups of compounds, as well as some potential molecular targets were also discussed.

Molecular Docking of 4-ethoxychalcones on Oxidoreductase/Pirin Inhibitors and Cytotoxic Evaluation on Breast/Skin Cancer Cell Lines

Background:

The role of α, β unsaturated propenone derivatives, has attracted the chemists for its biological importance. An attempt is made to reveal the interaction between breast and skin cancer cell lines with the help of molecular docking studies.

Objective:

The study aimed to synthesize and characterize 4-ethoxychalcones for testing breast and skin cancer targets.

Methods:

A series of chalcone analogues starting from 4-ethoxyacetophenone and substituted aromatic aldehydes were synthesized, well-characterized and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activities against human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and human metastatic melanoma (A-375) cell lines by MTT assay. Docking simulation was performed to study the drug-receptor interaction of chalcone scaffold on the active site of target inhibitor bound to cytochrome P450 family oxidoreductase for breast cancer and Pirin inhibiting target for skin cancer, respectively.

Results and Discussion:

After performing cytotoxic evaluation, it was observed that compounds having a substitution at the para position showed better results compared to ortho and meta positions for both the cell lines. Molecular docking studies revealed different types of interactions with selected oxidoreductase and Pirin inhibiting targets. Ligand-protein interactions and morphological changes are monitored by molecular dynamics.

Conclusion:

The presence of electron-withdrawing and donating groups on ring B marginally affected IC50 and docking scores. The stability of the binding mode of ligands having high inhibitory efficiency for compounds 8 and 10 predicted by docking studies was confirmed by molecular dynamics simulation. The pharmacokinetic parameters were found to be within the acceptable range. Further molecular dynamics study would provide the necessary information.

Perspective Design of Chalcones for the Management of CNS Disorders: A Mini-Review

The development of chalcone-based compounds for CNS disorders has been explored by many research groups. Chalcones are being considered as a potent organic scaffold with widespread applications in the field of drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. The planar or semi-planar geometry of chalcones with various functionalities impinged on the terminal aromatic systems renders the molecule its bio-activity including anti-cancer, anti-malarial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, antileishmanial, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive properties, etc. Moreover, cutting-edge research has been executed in the domain of Central Nervous System (CNS) based scheme, further, their identification and classifications also remain of high interest in the field of medicinal chemistry but the specific reviews are limited. Hence, the present review highlights the significance of chalcones toward their CNS activities (up to 2019), which include anti-depressant activity, anxiolytic activity, activity with GABA receptors, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyryl cholinesterase (BChE) inhibitions, activity as adenosine receptor antagonists anti-Alzheimer's agents, β-amyloid plaques imaging agents, monoamine oxidase inhibition. To our knowledge, this is the first review exclusively for CNS activity profile of chalcones.

Synthesis, in-Vitro Cytotoxicity and Antimicrobial Evaluations of Some Novel Thiazole Based Heterocycles

Condensation of rhodanine (1) with pyrazol-3(2H)-one derivatives (2a-f) gave 5-substituted-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives (3a-f). Reaction of compound (1) with 2-arylmethylidene-malononitrile (4a-d) yielded the unexpected derivatives (5a-d). The latter compounds were subjected to cyclization reactions with malononitrile under different basic conditions, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and/or thiourea to furnish the fused thiazole derivatives (6a-d) and (8-10a-d). Coupling of (1) with diazotized aromatic amines (11a-c) in pyridine afforded the arylhydrazones (12a-c). Fusion of latter compounds with malononitrile afforded the thiazolopyridazine derivatives (13a-c). The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were elucidated via spectral data and elemental analyses. The in-vitro cytotoxic activity of compounds (3a-f) against the cell line MCF-7 was evaluated. Also, the synthesized products were investigated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against six standard organisms including the G⁺ bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, G^- bacteria, Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris in addition to fungi, Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus.

Emerging therapeutic potentials of dual-acting MAO and AChE inhibitors in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

No drug has been approved to prevent neuronal cell loss in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) or Alzheimer's disease (AD); despite increased comprehension of the underlying molecular causes, therapies target cognitive functional improvement and motor fluctuation control. Drug design strategies that adopt the "one protein, one target" philosophy fail to address the multifactorial aetiologies of neurodegenerative disorders such as AD and PD optimally. On the contrary, restoring neurotransmitter levels by combined combinatorial inhibition of cholinesterases, monoamine oxidases, and adenosine A_2A A receptors, in conjunction with strategies to counter oxidative stress and beta-amyloid plaque accumulation, would constitute a therapeutically robust, multitarget approach. This extensive review delineates the therapeutic advantages of combining dual-acting molecules that inhibit monoamine oxidases and cholinesterases and/or adenosine A_2A A receptors, and describes the structure-activity relationships of compound classes that include, but are not limited to, alkaloids, coumarins, chalcones, donepezil-propargylamine conjugates, homoisoflavonoids, resveratrol analogs, hydrazones, and pyrazolines. In the wake of recent advances in network biology, in silico approaches, and omics, this review emphasizes the need to consider conceptually informed research strategies for drug discovery, in the context of the mounting burden posed by chronic neurodegenerative diseases with complex aetiologies and pathophysiologies involving multiple signalling pathways and numerous drug targets.

Potent and highly selective dual-targeting monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors: Fluorinated chalcones of morpholine versus imidazole

Two series of fluorinated chalcones containing morpholine and imidazole-based compounds (f1-f8) were synthesized and evaluated for recombinant human monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A and -B as well as acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Our results indicate that morpholine containing chalcones are highly selective MAO-B inhibitors having reversibility properties. All the imidazole-based fluorinated chalcones showed weak MAO inhibitions in both isoforms. Among the tested compounds, (2E)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)-1-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]prop-2-en-1-one (f2) showed potent inhibitory activity for recombinant human MAO-B (IC₅₀  = 0.087 μM) with a high selectivity index (SI) of 517.2. In the recovery experiments using dialysis, the residual activity of MAO-B inhibited by f2 was close to that with the reversible reference inhibitor. Inhibition assays revealed that the K_i values of f1 and f2 for MAO-B were 0.027 and 0.020 μM, respectively, with competitive patterns. All the morpholine-based compounds (f1-f4) showed moderate inhibition toward acetylcholinesterase with IC₅₀ values ranging between 24 and 54 μM. All morpholine-containing compounds exhibit good blood-brain barrier permeation in the PAMPA method. The rational approach regarding the highly selective MAO-B inhibitor f2 was further ascertained by induced fit docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies.

Uses of 2-(Thiophene-2-carbonylcarbamothioylthio)acetic Acid as a Good Synthon for Construction of Some New Thiazole and Annulated Thiazole Derivatives

The reaction of thiophene-2-carbonyl isothiocyanate 2 with thioglycolic acid gave 2-(thiophene-2-carbonylcarbamothioylthio)acetic acid 3. Compound 3 was subjected to some selected reactions with sulphuric acid as well as benzaldehyde, piperonal and isatin under different reaction conditions. The products obtained were new derivatives of thiazole and annulated thiazole derivatives bearing thiophene moiety in some cases. The structures of the new synthesized compounds were confirmed on the basis of their microanalytical and spectral properties. Some compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activity against six selected microorganisms using the standard antibacterial Gentamycin and antifungal Ketoconazole as references.