5,5-trans lactone-containing inhibitors of serine proteases: identification of a novel, acylating thrombin inhibitor

Natural occurring polyphenols as template for drug design. Focus on serine proteases

Several major physio-pathological processes, including cancer, inflammatory states and thrombosis, are all strongly dependent upon the fine regulation of proteolytic enzyme activities, and dramatic are the consequences of unbalanced equilibria between enzymes and their cognate inhibitors. In this perspective, the discovery of small-molecule ligands able to modulate catalytic activities has a massive therapeutic potential and is a stimulating goal. Numerous recent experimental evidences revealed that proteolytic enzymes can be opportunely targeted, reporting on small ligands capable of binding to these biological macromolecules with drug-like potencies, and primarily with comparable (or even higher) efficiency with respect to their endogenous binding partner. In particular, natural occurring polyphenols and their derivatives recently disclosed these intriguing abilities, making them promising templates for drug design and development. In this review, we compared the inhibitory capacities of a set of monomeric polyphenols toward serine proteases activity, and finally summarized the data with an emphasis on the derivation of a pharmacophore model.

A review of the hepatotoxic plant Lantana camara

Lantana (Lantana camara Linn) is a noxious weed that grows in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Ingestion of lantana foliage by grazing animals causes cholestasis and hepatotoxicity. Both ruminants and nonruminant animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits, and female rats are susceptible to the hepatotoxic action of lantana toxins. The hepatotoxins are pentacyclic triterpenoids called lantadenes. Molecular structure of lantadenes has been determined. Green unripe fruits of the plant are toxic to humans. Lantana spp. exert allelopathic action on the neighboring vegetation. The allelochemicals have been identified as phenolics, with umbelliferone, methylcoumarin, and salicylic acid being the most phytotoxic. In addition to phenolics, a recent report indicates lantadene A and B as more potent allelochemicals. Management of lantana toxicosis in animals is achieved by drenching with activated charcoal and supportive therapy. Recent reports on the bilirubin clearance effect of Chinese herbal tea Yin Zhi Huang (decoction of the plant Yin Chin, Artemisia capillaries, and three other herbs) or its active ingredient 6,7-dimethylesculetin, in jaundice are very exciting and warrant investigations on its, possible, ameliorative effects in lantana intoxicated animals. Research is being conducted on new drug discovery based on natural products in different parts of the lantana plant.

Progress in the design of low molecular weight thrombin inhibitors

Intravascular thrombosis and its complication, embolism, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Past few decades have seen a great deal of progress in the development of antithrombotic agents, though the current treatment options are limited to heparin, LMW heparins, and warfarin. Detailed understanding of the biochemical and biophysical mechanisms of activation and regulation of blood coagulation have helped in developing specific inhibitors of enzymes, especially thrombin, within the coagulation cascade. Thrombin plays a central role in the coagulation cascade and so has become the primary target for the development of antithrombotic drugs. The review covers the main pharmacological aspects of haemostasis and thrombosis and provides an update on low molecular weight thrombin inhibitors along with the limitations of the prevalent antithrombotic agents. Recent developments in small molecule inhibitors of Protease Activated Receptor-1 (PAR-1) which can be helpful for the treatment of thrombotic and vascular proliferative disorders, have also been discussed.

Medicinal chemistry of target family-directed masterkeys

The majority of pharmaceutically relevant drug targets cluster into densely populated target families, thus offering a novel approach that complements the currently favoured screening paradigm in medicinal chemistry. This approach uses a privileged structure concept whereby molecular masterkeys are developed that account for a target family wide structural or functional commonality. Numerous lead compounds, based on multipurpose privileged structures, can be generated that address a variety of targets from a gene family of interest, irrespective of therapeutic area. Several different interpretations of the privileged structure concept will be highlighted, with a strong emphasis on the most stringent application: the optimization of a molecular masterkey for a distinct target family of interest.

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae)

Lantana camara L. is regarded both as a notorious weed and a popular ornamental garden plant and has found various uses in folk medicine in many parts of the world. Some taxa of the widely variable L. camara complex are toxic to small ruminants and this effect has been associated with the types and relative amounts of some triterpene ester metabolites. However, L. camara also produces a number of metabolites in good yields and some have been shown to possess useful biological activities. All these aspects are considered in this review to allow an evaluation of the potential for utilisation of the large biomass of Lantana available. The phytochemistry of other members of the Lantana genus is included.

Thrombin inhibitors based on [5,5] trans-fused indane lactams

A series of trans-fused lactams containing the indane nucleus has been prepared. Compound 19 has much enhanced plasma stability compared with its lactone counterpart and shows appreciable in vitro anticoagulant activity.

Synthetic [5,5] trans-fused indane lactones as inhibitors of thrombin

Synthesis of trans-fused lactones containing the indane nucleus has resulted in a series of potent acylating inhibitors of thrombin. As an example compound 11e has an apparent second order rate constant of 11 x 10(6) M(-1)sec(-1) for the inhibition of thrombin. The anticoagulant activity of these compounds is discussed.