Structure-antifungal relationships and preventive effects of 1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methylpropan-1-one derivatives as potential inhibitors of class-II fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase

Antifungal Activity of Phloroglucinol Derivatives against Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola

Naturally derived compounds show promise as treatments for microbial infections. Polyphenols, abundantly found in various plants, fruits, and vegetables, are noted for their physiological benefits including antimicrobial effects. This study introduced a new set of acylated phloroglucinol derivatives, synthesized and tested for their antifungal activity in vitro against seven different pathogenic fungi. The standout compound, 3-methyl-1-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl) butan-1-one (2b), exhibited remarkable fungicidal strength, with EC50 values of 1.39 μg/mL against Botrytis cinerea and 1.18 μg/mL against Monilinia fructicola, outperforming previously screened phenolic compounds. When tested in vivo, 2b demonstrated effective antifungal properties, with cure rates of 76.26% for brown rot and 83.35% for gray mold at a concentration of 200 μg/mL, rivaling the commercial fungicide Pyrimethanil in its efficacy against B. cinerea. Preliminary research suggests that 2b's antifungal mechanism may involve the disruption of spore germination, damage to the fungal cell membrane, and leakage of cellular contents. These results indicate that compound 2b has excellent fungicidal properties against B. cinerea and holds potential as a treatment for gray mold.

Synthesis and Antifungal Activity of Derivatives of the Natural Product Griseofulvin against Phytopathogenic Fungi

Natural products are important sources for the discovery of new pesticides. Chemical synthesis and structural modification can lead to pesticides. Despite abundant research in fungicide discovery for crop protection, there is an emerging need for the development of novel antifungal agrochemicals. Herein, 39 diversified griseofulvin derivatives were effectively synthesized from the natural product griseofulvin by diversity-oriented synthesis through the reactions of demethylation, ammonolysis, methylation, nitration, acylation, reduction, and chlorination. Among them, 31 derivatives were novel. All structures were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), and the antifungal activity was investigated against five phytopathogenic fungi. Compounds 5h and 5l had excellent activity against Botrytis cinerea (5h, IC₅₀ = 17.29 ± 0.64 μg/mL) and Alternaria solani (5l, IC₅₀ = 22.52 ± 0.79 μg/mL), respectively. Compound 9 exhibited the more promising activities against three target fungi, especially against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (IC₅₀ = 7.24 ± 0.66 μg/mL), which is obviously better than positive control hymexazol, thifluzamide, and parent compound griseofulvin. In addition, compound 10 showed significant and extensive activities against four target fungi Cytospora sp. (IC₅₀ = 18.72 ± 0.35 μg/mL), C. gloeosporioides (IC₅₀ = 31.39 ± 1.48 μg/mL), A. solani (IC₅₀ = 40.82 ± 1.04 μg/mL), and Fusarium solani (IC₅₀ = 36.81 ± 0.82 μg/mL). Unexpectedly, 11 and 12, the chlorinated products of compound 9, exhibited the most promising activity against C. gloeosporioides (IC₅₀ = 4.48 ± 0.54 μg/mL for 11, 2.24 ± 0.76 μg/mL for 12). Furthermore, 12 showed remarkable activity against Cytospora sp. (IC₅₀ = 5.85 ± 0.72 μg/mL). Additionally, in vivo antifungal activity against C. gloeosporioides, homology modeling, and docking analysis of 11, 12, and griseofulvin were conducted. All results indicated that 11 and 12 had potency as antifungal agents against C. gloeosporioides, and the modifications of the 2' and 4' positions of griseofulvin should be further explored for higher-activity lead compounds or potential agricultural fungicides.

Traveling across Life Sciences with Acetophenone-A Simple Ketone That Has Special Multipurpose Missions

Each metabolite, regardless of its molecular simplicity or complexity, has a mission or function in the organism biosynthesizing it. In this review, the biological, allelochemical, and chemical properties of acetophenone, as a metabolite involved in multiple interactions with various (mi-cro)organisms, are discussed. Further, the details of its biogenesis and chemical synthesis are provided, and the possibility of its application in different areas of life sciences, i.e., the status quo of acetophenone and its simple substituted analogs, is examined. In particular, natural and synthetic simple acetophenone derivatives are analyzed as promising agrochemicals and useful scaffolds for drug research and development.

Differential Analysis of Mycelial Proteins and Metabolites From Rigidoporus Microporus During In Vitro Interaction With Hevea Brasiliensis

Rigidoporus microporus is the fungus accountable for the white root rot disease that is detrimental to the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. The pathogenicity mechanism of R. microporus and the identity of the fungal proteins and metabolites involved during the infection process remain unclear. In this study, the protein and metabolite profiles of two R. microporus isolates, Segamat (SEG) and Ayer Molek (AM), were investigated during an in vitro interaction with H. brasiliensis. The isolates were used to inoculate H. brasiliensis clone RRIM 2025, and mycelia adhering to the roots of the plant were collected for analysis. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images acquired confirms the hyphae attachment and colonization of the mycelia on the root of the H. brasiliensis clones after 4 days of inoculation. The protein samples were subjected to 2-DE analysis and analyzed using MALDI-ToF MS/MS, while the metabolites were extracted using methanol and analyzed using LC/MS-QTOF. Based on the differential analyses, upregulation of proteins that are essential for fungal evolution such as malate dehydrogenase, fructose 1,6-biphosphate aldolase, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase hints an indirect role in fungal pathogenicity, while metabolomic analysis suggests an increase in acidic compounds which may lead to increased cell wall degrading enzyme activity. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the carbohydrate and amino acid metabolisms were prominently affected in response to the fungal pathogenicity. In addition to that, other pathways that were significantly affected include "Protein Ubiquitination Pathway," Unfolded Protein Response," "HIFα Signaling," and "Sirtuin Signaling Pathway." The identification of responsive proteins and metabolites from this study promotes a better understanding of mechanisms underlying R. microporus pathogenesis and provides a list of potential biological markers for early recognition of the white root rot disease.

Cytoskeletal Alteration Is an Early Cellular Response in Pulmonary Epithelium Infected with Aspergillus fumigatus Rather than Scedosporium apiospermum

Invasive aspergillosis and scedosporiosis are life-threatening fungal infections with similar clinical manifestations in immunocompromised patients. Contrarily, Scedosporium apiospermum is susceptible to some azole derivative but often resistant to amphotericin B. Histopathological examination alone cannot diagnose these two fungal species. Pathogenesis studies could contribute to explore candidate protein markers for new diagnosis and treatment methods leading to a decrease in mortality. In the present study, proteomics was conducted to identify significantly altered proteins in A549 cells infected with or without Aspergillus fumigatus and S. apiospermum as measured at initial invasion. Protein validation was performed with immunogold labelling alongside immunohistochemical techniques in infected A549 cells and lungs from murine models. Further, cytokine production was measured, using the Bio-Plex-Multiplex immunoassay. The cytoskeletal proteins HSPA9, PA2G4, VAT1, PSMA2, PEX1, PTGES3, KRT1, KRT9, CLIP1 and CLEC20A were mainly changed during A. fumigatus infection, while the immunologically activated proteins WNT7A, GAPDH and ANXA2 were principally altered during S. apiospermum infection. These proteins are involved in fungal internalisation and structural destruction leading to pulmonary disorders. Interleukin (IL)-21, IL-1α, IL-22, IL-2, IL-8, IL-12, IL-17A, interferon-γ and tumour necrosis factor-α were upregulated in both aspergillosis and scedosporiosis, although more predominately in the latter, in accordance with chitin synthase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase levels. Our results demonstrated that during invasion, A. fumigatus primarily altered host cellular integrity, whereas S. apiospermum chiefly induced and extensively modulated host immune responses.

Exploring efficacy of natural-derived acetylphenol scaffold inhibitors for α-glucosidase: Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo biochemical studies

The discovery of novel α-glucosidase inhibitors and anti-diabetic candidates from natural or natural-derived products represents an attractive therapeutic option. Here, a collection of acetylphenol analogues derived from paeonol and acetophenone were synthesized and evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Most of derivatives, such as 9a-9e, 9i, 9m-9n and 11d-1e, (IC₅₀ = 0.57 ± 0.01 μM to 8.45 ± 0.57 μM), exhibited higher inhibitory activity than the parent natural products and were by far more potent than the antidiabetic drug acarbose (IC₅₀ = 57.01 ± 0.03 μM). Among these, 9e and 11d showed the most potent activity in a non-competitive manner. The binding processes between the two most potent compounds and α-glucosidase were spontaneous. Hydrophobic interactions were the main forces for the formation and stabilization of the enzyme - acetylphenol scaffold inhibitor complex, and induced the topography image changes and aggregation of α-glucosidase. In addition, everted intestinal sleeves in vitro and the maltose loading test in vivo further demonstrated the α-glucosidase inhibition of the two compounds, and our findings proved that they have significant postprandial hypoglycemic effects.