Synthesis and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study of novel N-arylsulfonyl-3-acylindole arylcarbonyl hydrazone derivatives as nematicidal agents

Synthesis of paeonol hydrazone derivatives and their anti-oomycete, anti-fungal, and nematicidal activities

BACKGROUND

The natural product paeonol is a rich and sustainable natural bioresource, and its derivatives have various unique biological efficacy. As is well known, Schiff bases are a class of organic compounds with a wide range of biological activities, including anti-fungal, insecticidal, anti-viral, and nematicidal.

RESULTS

To discover biorational natural product-based pesticides, nine intermediates (2-10), 12 sulfonylhydrazones (11a-11c, 12a-12c, 13a-13c, and 14a-14c) and 20 benzylidene hydrazones (18a-18r, 19a, and 20a) were synthesized by structural modification of paeonol, and their structures were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), carbon-13 (13C) NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The stereochemical configurations of compounds 14a, 18d, and 18r were unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, bioactivities of these compounds as anti-oomycete, anti-fungal, and nematicidal agents against three serious agricultural pests, Phytophthora capsici, Fusarium graminearum, and Heterodera glycines were evaluated. Among all tested compounds: (i) compound 7 exhibited promising anti-oomycete against Phytophthora capsici, with a half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 15.81 mg L-1; (ii) compounds 2, 7, 10, and 19a displayed promising anti-fungal against F. graminearum, with EC50 values of 12.22, 14.72, 23.39, and 33.10 mg L-1, respectively; (iii) ten compounds (12a-12c, 14c, 18g-18j, 18m, and 19a) showed significant nematicidal activity against H. glycines, with median lethal concentration (LC50) values all less than 30.00 mg L-1. Especially for compound 18g, its LC50 value is the smallest, at 12.65 mg L-1.

CONCLUSION

The research results indicate that introducing nitro groups at the C5 position of paeonol, or introducing halogens at both C5 and C3 positions, can significantly enhance its biological activity against Phytophthora capsici, F. graminearum, and H. glycines. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Discovery of 3-Formyl-N-(un)Substituted Benzylindole Pyrimidines as an Acaricidal Agent and Their Mechanism of Action

To discover the pronounced acaricide candidate, herein, a series of 3-formyl-N-(un)substituted benzylindole pyrimidines were prepared by structural modification of indoles at the N-1 and C-3 positions via the successive Vilsmeier-Haack-Arnold (VHA), aldol condensation, and cyclization reactions. The steric structures of nine compounds were undoubtedly confirmed by X-ray single-crystallography. Against Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisduval, compounds V-15, V-31, V-34, V-42, V-44, and V-60 exhibited promising acaricidal activity with LC50 values of 0.299-0.481 mg/mL. In particular, compound V-34 displayed 4.2 times the acaricidal activity of its precursor 6-methylindole. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging revealed that the construction of the cuticle layer of V-34-treated T. cinnabarinus was seriously destroyed. Furthermore, RNA-Seq analysis indicated that compound V-34 could regulate the homeostasis metabolism of T. cinnabarinus through arachidonic acid and linoleic acid metabolism and lysosome pathways. These results suggested that compound V-34 can be further studied as a lead acaricidal agent.

Natural products in crop protection: thiosemicarbazone derivatives of 3-acetyl-N-benzylindoles as antifungal agents and their mechanism of action

BACKGROUND

Phytopathogenic fungi can cause a direct loss in economic value of agriculture. Especially Valsa mali Miyabe et Yamada, a devastating phytopathogenic disease especially threatening global apple production, is very difficult to control and manage. To discover new potential antifungal agents, a series of thiosemicarbazone derivatives of 3-acetyl-N-benzylindoles were prepared. Their antifungal activities were first tested against six typically phytopathogenic fungi including Curvularia lunata, Valsa mali, Alternaria alternate, Fusarium graminearum, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium solani. Then their mechanism of action against V. mali was investigated.

RESULTS

Derivatives displayed potent antifungal activity against V. mali. Notably, 3-acetyl-N-benzylindole thiosemicarbazone (IV-1: EC₅₀ : 0.59 μg mL^-1 ), whose activity was comparable to that of a commercial fungicide carbendazim (EC₅₀ : 0.33 μg mL^-1 ), showed greater than 98-fold antifungal activity of the precursor indole. Moreover, compound IV-1 displayed good protective and therapeutic effects on apple Valsa canker disease. By scanning electron microscope (SEM) and RNA-Seq analysis, it was demonstrated that compound IV-1 can destroy the hyphal structure and regulate the homeostasis of metabolism of V. mali via the ergosterol biosynthesis and autophagy pathways.

CONCLUSION

3-Acetyl-N-(un)substituted benzylindoles thiosemicarbazones (IV-1-IV-5) can be studied as leads for further structural modification as antifungal agents against V. mali. Particularly, these ergosterol biosynthesis and autophagy pathways can be used as target receptors for design of novel green pesticides for management of congeneric phytopathogenic fungi. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

WRQ-2, a gemcitabine prodrug, reverses gemcitabine resistance caused by hENT1 inhibition

Gemcitabine is widely used in the clinic as a first-line antitumor agent. However, intrinsic and acquired resistance hinders its wide clinical application. In this study, a gemcitabine prodrug nominated as WRQ-2 was designed and synthesized by conjugating gemcitabine with the indole-3-methanol analogue OSU-A9 through a carbamate linkage. WRQ-2 exhibited high cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines (HeLa, A549, MDA-MB-231, HuH-7, MGC-803, and HCT-116) with IC₅₀ values in low micromolar range. WRQ-2 reversed the resistance of HeLa cells to gemcitabine caused by hENT1 inhibition. Compared to gemcitabine, WRQ-2 induced a higher degree of DNA damage and apoptosis in the presence of hENT1 inhibitor. Our study suggests that compound WRQ-2 is a potential gemcitabine prodrug and worth of further antitumor activity investigation.

Research Progress on the Biological Activities of Metal Complexes Bearing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrazones

Due to the abundant and promising biological activities of aromatic hydrazones, it is of great significance to study the biological activities of their metal complexes for the research and development of metal-based drugs. In this review, we focus on the metal complexes of polycyclic aromatic hydrazones, which still do not receive much attention, and summarize the studies related to their biological activities. Although the large number of metal complexes in phenylhydrazone prevent them all from being summarized, the significant value of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons themselves (such as naphthalene and anthracene) as pharmacophores are also considered. Therefore, the bioactivities of the metal complexes of naphthylhydrazone and anthrahydrazone are focused on, and the recent research progress on the metal complexes of anthrahydrazone by the authors is also included. In terms of biological activities, these complexes mainly show antibacterial and anticancer activities, along with less bioactivities. The present review demonstrates that the structural design and bioactivities of these complexes are fundamental, which also indicates a certain structure-activity relationship (SAR) in some substructural areas. However, a systematic and comprehensive conclusion of the SAR is still not available, which suggests that more attention should be paid to the bioactivities of the metal complexes of polycyclic aromatic hydrazones since their potential in structural design and biological activity remains to be explored. We hope that this review will attract more researchers to devote their interest and energy into this promising area.

Synthesis of paeonol ester derivatives and their insecticidal, nematicidal, and anti-oomycete activities

BACKGROUND

Paeonol is extracted and isolated as a rich and sustainable natural bioresource from the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa, the derivatives of which exhibit numerous biological activities. It is well known that ester compounds play a very important role in pest control, such as organophosphorus, carbamate and pyrethroid pesticides.

RESULTS

To discover biorational natural product-based pesticides, three series of (60) paeonol ester derivatives (7a-t, 8g,p, 9g,p, 10g-j,n-u, 11g,u, 12g,u, 13a-p, 14b,c, and 15b,c) were prepared by structural modification of paeonol, and their structures were well characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹ H-NMR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³ C-NMR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and melting point. Furthermore, we assessed the compounds as insecticidal, nematicidal, and anti-oomycete agents against three serious agricultural pests, Mythimna separata, Heterodera glycines, and Phytophthora capsici. Among all tested compounds: (i) compound 8p showed more significant insecticidal activity than toosendanin, and the final mortality rates of 8p and toosendanin against M. separata (1 mg mL^-1 ) were 70.4%, and 51.9%, respectively; (ii) compound 7a exhibited more promising nematicidal activity than paeonol, and the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀ ) values of 7a and 1 against H. glycines were 15.47 and 50.80 mg L^-1 , respectively; (iii) compounds 7n and 13m displayed more significant anti-oomycete activity compared to zoxamide against Phytophthora capsici, and the median effective concentration (EC₅₀ ) values of 7n, 13m, and zoxamide were 23.72, 24.51, and 26.87 mg L^-1 , respectively; and the protective effect of the compounds against Phytophthora capsici in vivo further confirmed the effectiveness of the agents.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that the introduction of a nitro at the C5 or C3 position of paeonol could improve its bioactivity against M. separata, H. glycines, and Phytophthora capsici. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

(NH4)2S2O8-Mediated Metal-Free Decarboxylative Formylation/Acylation of α-Oxo/Ketoacids and Its Application to the Synthesis of Indole Alkaloids

A metal-free method for the formylation/acylation of indoles and β-carbolines with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ via direct decarboxylative cross-coupling of α-oxo/ketoacids in moderate to good yields is described. The reaction occurs between ambient temperature and 40 °C under mild reaction conditions with commercially available starting materials. This methodology can be expanded to some biologically active indole alkaloids like pityriacitrins, eudistomins Y₁ and Y₃, and marinacarbolines A-D.

Role of Indole Derivatives in Agrochemistry: Synthesis and Future Insights

Abstract:

Heterocycles constitute a wider class of organic compounds which contribute significantly in every facet of pure and applied chemistry. Indole, one of the bicyclic heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen atom, witnessed unparalleled biological activity such as antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-depressant and antifungal activities. Different biological activities exhibited by indole derivatives provide the impulsion to explore its activity against anti-phytopathogenic microbes to save the plants from pests and disease, as food security will once again become a rigid demand. This review mainly focuses on various methods related to the synthesis of indole derivatives and its role in agriculture.

Synthesis of novel 3/5(3,5)-(di)nitropaeonol hydrazone derivatives as nematicidal agents

Eighteen novel 3/5(3,5)-(di)nitropaeonol hydrazone derivatives were prepared, and their structures well characterized by ¹H NMR, HRMS, and mp. Due to the steric hindrance, the substituents on the C = N double bond of all hydrazine compounds (except E/Z = 4/1 for IV-1g, IV-1l, IV-2b, and E/Z = 3/2 for IV-1n, IV-3a) adopted E configuration. Among all compounds, four compounds 2, 4, IV-1j, and IV-1n exhibited potent nematicidal activity than their precursor paeonol, especially 5-nitropaeonol (2) and 3,5-dinitropaeonol (4) displayed the most potent nematicidal activity Heterodera glycines in vivo with LC₅₀ values of 32.3307 and 36.7074 mg/L, respectively.

Controlled synthesis of N, N-dimethylarylsulfonamide derivatives as nematicidal agents

Gramine can be intelligently and efficiently supplied with N, N-dimethylamino group and then reacted with the corresponding sulfonyl chlorides to synthesize N, N-dimethylarylsulfonamides. We herein designed and controlled synthesis of N, N-dimethylarylsulfonamide derivatives, and first reported the results of the nematicidal activity of 15 title compounds 3a-o against Meloidogyne incongnita in vitro, respectively. Among all of the title derivatives, compounds 3a, 3c, 3k, and 3o exhibited potent nematicidal activity with median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) values ranging from 0.22 to 0.26 mg/L. Most noteworthy, N, N-dimethyl-4-methoxyphenylsulfonamide (3c) and N, N-dimethyl-8-quinolinesulfonamide (3o) showed the best promising and pronounced nematicidal activity, with LC₅₀ values of 0.2381 and 0.2259 mg/L, respectively.

Chemical Nematicides: Recent Research Progress and Outlook

Plant-parasitic nematodes have caused huge economic losses to agriculture worldwide and seriously threaten the sustainable development of modern agriculture. Chemical nematicides are still the most effective means to manage nematodes. However, the long-term use of organophosphorus and carbamate nematicides has led to a lack of field control efficacy and increased nematode resistance. To meet the huge market demand and slow the growth of resistance, new nematicides are needed to enter the market. The rational design and synthesis of new chemical scaffolds to screen for new nematicides is still a difficult task. We reviewed the latest research progress of nematicidal compounds in the past decade, discussed the structure-activity relationship and mechanism of action, and recommended some nematicidal active fragments. It is hoped that this review can update the recent progress on nematicide discoveries and provide new ideas for the design and mechanism of action studies of nematicides.

Versatile modelling of polyoxymethylene-water partition coefficients for hydrophobic organic contaminants using linear and nonlinear approaches

Environmental fate or transport of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) depends on the partitioning properties of compounds within various environmental phases. Due to the wide application of polyoxymethylene (POM) in the passive sampling technique, several in silico models were developed to predict POM-water partition coefficients (K_POM-w) in accordance with the guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is an attempt to combine conventional linear method (multiple linear regression, MLR) and popular nonlinear algorithm (artificial neural network, ANN) for estimating partition coefficients of HOCs. All models were performed on a dataset of 210 chemicals from 13 different classes. The polyparameter linear free energy relationship (pp-LFER) model included 5 molecular descriptors, namely, E, S, A, B and V, and predicted log K_POM-w with R²_adj of 0.825. The values of statistical parameters including R²_adj, Q²_ext, RMSE_tra and RMSE_ext for quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR)-MLR and QSPR-ANN models with four descriptors (ALOGP, MeanDD, E1m and Mor24s) were: (0.928, 0.877, 0.498 and 0.649) and (0.943, 0.905, 0.443 and 0.571), with high similarity for both models, which confirmed the robustness, significance, and remarkable prediction accuracy of the QSPR models. Moreover, the mechanism interpretation revealed that the molecular volume and hydrophobicity had a major impact on distribution procedure of HOCs. The models developed herein, with the broad applicability domain (AD), provide suitable tools to fill the experimental data gap for untested chemicals and help researchers better understand the mechanistic basis of adsorption behavior of POM.

Synthesis of sulfonate derivatives of maltol and their biological activity against Phytophthora capsici and Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in vitro

Sixteen sulfonate derivatives of maltol were synthesized and screened in vitro for their anti-oomycete and nematicidal activity against Phytophthora capsici and Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, respectively. Among all the compounds, 3e, 3m, and 3p exhibited the most promising and pronounced anti-oomycete activity against P. capsici than zoxamide, and the EC₅₀ values of 25.42, 18.44, 23.69, and 27.99 mg/L, respectively; compounds 3e, 3m, 3n, and 3p exhibited potent nematicidal activity with LC₅₀ values ranging from 1 to 2 mg/L, especially 3m and 3n showed the best promising and pronounced nematicidal activity, with LC₅₀ values of 1.1762 and 1.2384 mg/L, respectively. [Formula: see text].

Synthesis and Antibacterial Evaluation of N-phenylacetamide Derivatives Containing 4-arylthiazole Moieties

A series of new N-phenylacetamide derivatives containing 4-arylthiazole moieties was designed and synthesized by introducing the thiazole moiety into the amide scaffold. The structures of the target compounds were confirmed by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and HRMS. Their in vitro antibacterial activities were evaluated against three kinds of bacteria-Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae (Xoo), Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Citri (Xac) and X.oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc)-showing promising results. The minimum 50% effective concentration (EC₅₀) value of N-(4-((4-(4-fluoro-phenyl)thiazol-2-yl)amino)phenyl)acetamide (A₁) is 156.7 µM, which is superior to bismerthiazol (230.5 µM) and thiodiazole copper (545.2 µM). A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation has confirmed that compound A₁ could cause cell membrane rupture of Xoo. In addition, the nematicidal activity of the compounds against Meloidogyne incognita (M. incognita) was also tested, and compound A₂₃ displayed excellent nematicidal activity, with mortality of 100% and 53.2% at 500 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL after 24 h of treatment, respectively. The preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of these compounds are also briefly described. These results demonstrated that phenylacetamide derivatives may be considered as potential leads in the design of antibacterial agents.

Nematicidal activity of 5-iodoindole against root-knot nematodes

Multi-drug resistance in nematodes is a serious problem as lately several resistant phenotypes have emerged following the intermittent usage of synthetic nematicides. Contemporary research continues to focus on developing and/or repurposing small molecule inhibitors that are eco-friendly. Here, we describe the repurposing of the indole derivative, 5-iodoindole, as a nematicide for the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. 5-Iodoindole effectively killed juveniles and freshly hatched juveniles by inducing multiple vacuole formation. Notably, at higher dosage (50 μg/mL), 5-iodoindole induced rapid juvenile death within 6 h. Microscopic analysis confirmed that the rapid death was due to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Computational docking attributed this ROS production to the antagonistic effect of 5-iodoindole on glutathione S-transferase (GST), which is known to play a critical role in the suppression of ROS in nematode models. Furthermore, 5-iodoindole also effectively reduced the gall formations and eggs masses of M. incognita on Solanum lycopersicum roots in pot experiments, and importantly it did not harm the physiological properties of the plant. Overall, the study provides valuable insights on the use of 5-iodoindole as an alternate measure to control root-knot nematodes. Overall, our findings suggest the efficacy of 5-iodoindole should be studied under field conditions.

Isolation and Characterization of New 16-Membered Macrolides from the aveA3 Gene Replacement Mutant Strain Streptomyces avermitilis TM24 with Acaricidal and Nematicidal Activities

Polyketides represent an important class of biologically active and structurally diverse compounds found in nature. They are biosynthesized from acyl CoA precursors by polyketide synthases (PKSs). The use of combinatorial biosynthesis to form hybrid PKSs is considered to be an excellent approach for the development of novel polyketides. Here, 10 new 16-membered macrolide compounds were isolated from the broth of the genetically engineered strain Streptomyces avermitilis TM24, in which the PKS gene aveA3 was seamlessly replaced by the milbemycin PKS gene milA3. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses. The acaricidal and nematicidal activities of them against Tetranychus cinnabarinus and Bursaphelenchus xylophilus were tested. The results indicated that compound 1 had potent acaricidal activity against adult mites with an LC₅₀ value of 0.0022 mg L^-1, while compounds 5 and 7 possessed potent nematicidal activity with LC₅₀ values of 4.56 and 4.30 mg L^-1, respectively.

Regioselective N-1 and C-2 diacylation of 3-substituted indoles with arylglyoxal hydrates for the synthesis of indolyl diketones

A highly regioselective N-1 and C-2 diacylation of 3-substituted indoles with arylglyoxal hydrates to afford N-1 and C-2 indolyl diketones in moderate to good yields is described. Notably, the control of regioselectivity is achieved by small changes in the Cu catalyst, additive and solvent. Importantly, the intermediates for N-1 and C-2 diacylation were detected and two plausible pathways were also proposed.

Nematicidal and insecticidal activities of halogenated indoles

Parasite death via ion channel activations is the hallmark of anthelmintic and antiparasitic drugs. Glutamate gated chloride channel (GluCl) is a prominent targets for drug selection and design in parasitology. We report several iodine-fluorine based lead activators of GluCl by computational studies and structure-activity relationship analysis. 5-Fluoro-4-iodo-1H-pyrrolo [2, 3-b] pyridine and 5-iodoindole were bioactive hits that displayed in vitro anthelmintic and insecticidal activities against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, Meloidogyne incognita, and Tenebrio molitor. Two important findings stood out: (i) 5F4IPP induced parasite death, and interacted proficiently with Gln²¹⁹ amino acid of pentameric GluCl in docking analysis, and (ii) 5-iodoindole appeared to act by forming giant vacuoles in nematodes, which led to a form of non-apoptotic death known as methuosis. The study suggests halogenated-indoles and 1H-pyrrolo [2, 3-b] pyridine derivatives be regarded potential biocides for plant-parasitic nematodes and insects, and warrants further research on the mode of actions, and field investigations.

Design, synthesis, and insecticidal activity evaluation of novel 4-(N, N-diarylmethylamines)furan-2(5H)-one derivatives as potential acetylcholine receptor insecticides

BACKGROUND

Flupyradifurone is a member of a novel class of insecticides that possess excellent insecticidal activities. Halogen-containing phenyl groups are important and indispensable structural components of many pesticides. However, replacement of the difluoromethyl group of flupyradifurone with halogen-containing phenyl groups has not been reported. Hence, a series of novel butenolide derivatives containing phenyl groups were synthesized and bioassayed to discover novel compounds with excellent insecticidal activities.

RESULTS

Some target molecules exhibited good insecticidal activities against Aphis craccivora. Among the title compounds, 4cc showed the best insecticidal activities with an 50% lethal concentration (LC₅₀ ) value of 1.72 μg mL^-1 , which is superior to that of pymetrozine (LC₅₀  = 6.86 μg mL^-1 ). Molecular docking indicated that 4cc lacks oxidative metabolism by CYP6CM1 and metabolic resistance with imidacloprid. Furthermore, label-free quantitative proteomic analysis indicated that 4cc may be a potential acetylcholine receptor insecticide that acts on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Compound 4cc also decreased the capability for oxidative metabolism, which further supported the molecular docking results.

CONCLUSION

This work can be used to further investigate the mechanism underlying the insecticidal activity of butenolide derivatives and develop potential novel butenolide insecticides. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

A combination of ternary classification models and reporter gene assays for the comprehensive thyroid hormone disruption profiles of 209 polychlorinated biphenyls

Computational toxicology is widely applied to screen tens and thousands of potential environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs) for its great efficiency and rapid evaluation in recent years. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with 209 congeners have not been comprehensively tested for their ability to interact with the thyroid receptor (TR), which is one of the most extensively studied targets related to the effects of EDCs. In this study, we aimed to determine the thyroid-disrupting mechanisms of 209 PCBs through the combination of a novel computational ternary classification model and luciferase reporter gene assay. The reporter gene assay was performed to examine the hormone activities of 22 PCBs via TR to classify their profiles as agonistic, antagonistic or inactive. Thus, six agonists, eleven antagonists and seven inactive chemicals against TR were identified in in vitro assays. Then, six relevant variables, including molecular structural descriptors and molecular docking scores, were selected for describing compounds. Machine learning methods (i.e., linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machines (SVM)) were used to build classification models. The optimal model was obtained by using SVM, with an accuracy of 88.24% in the training set, 80.0% in the test set and 75.0% in 10-fold cross-validation. The remaining 187 PCB congeners' hormone activities were predicted using the obtained models. Out of these PCBs, the SVM model predicted 38 agonists and 81 antagonists. The findings revealed that higher chlorinated PCBs tended to have TR-antagonistic activities, whereas lower chlorinated PCBs were agonists. This study provided a reference for further exploring PCBs' thyroid effect.

Development and Validation of a Robust QSAR Model for Benzothiazole Hydrazone Derivatives as Bcl-XL Inhibitors

Background:

B-cell Lymphoma Extra Large (Bcl-XL) belongs to B-cell Lymphoma two (Bcl-2) family. Due to its over-expression and anti-apoptotic role in many cancers, it has been proven to be a more biologically relevant therapeutic target in anti-cancer therapy. In this study, a Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) modeling was performed to establish the link between structural properties and inhibitory potency of benzothiazole hydrazone derivatives against Bcl-XL.

Methods:

The 53 benzothiazole hydrazone derivatives have been used for model development using genetic algorithm and multiple linear regression methods. The data set is divided into training and test set using Kennard-Stone based algorithm. The best QSAR model has been selected with statistically significant r2 = 0.931, F-test =55.488 RMSE = 0.441 and Q2 0.900.

Results:

The model has been tested successfully for external validation (r2 pred = 0.752), as well as different criteria for acceptable model predictability. Furthermore, analysis of the applicability domain has been carried out to evaluate the prediction reliability of external set molecules. The developed QSAR model has revealed that nThiazoles, nROH, EEig13d, WA, BEHv6, HATS6m, RDF035u and IC4 descriptors are important physico-chemical properties for determining the inhibitory activity of these molecules.

Conclusion:

The developed QSAR model is stable for this chemical series, indicating that test set molecules represent the training dataset. The model is statistically reliable with good predictability. The obtained descriptors reflect important structural features required for activity against Bcl-XL. These properties are designated by topology, shape, size, geometry, substitution information of the molecules (nThiazoles and nROH) and electronic properties. In a nutshell, these characteristics can be successfully utilized for designing and screening of novel inhibitors.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel zanamivir derivatives as potent neuraminidase inhibitors

Neuraminidase (NA) is an important antiviral drug target. Zanamivir is one of the most potent NA inhibitors. In this paper, a series of zanamivir derivatives as potential NA inhibitors were studied by combination of molecular modeling techniques including 3D-QSAR, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results show that the best CoMFA (comparative molecular field analysis) model has q² = 0.728 and r² = 0.988, and the best CoMSIA (comparative molecular similarity indices analysis) model has q² = 0.750 and r² = 0.981, respectively. The built 3D-QSAR models show significant statistical quality and excellent predictive ability. Seven new NA inhibitors were designed and predicted. 20 ns of MD simulations were carried out and their binding free energies were calculated. Two designed compounds were selected to be synthesized and biologically evaluated by NA inhibition and virus inhibition assays. One compound (IC₅₀ = 0.670 µM, SI > 149) exhibits excellent antiviral activity against A/WSN/33 H1N1, which is superior to the reference drug zanamivir (IC₅₀ = 0.873 µM, SI > 115). The theoretical and experimental results may provide reference for development of new anti-influenza drugs.

Development of QSAR model for predicting the inclusion constants of organic chemicals with α-cyclodextrin

Solubility is a crucial limiting factor in pharmaceutical research and contaminated site remediation. Cyclodextrin, with its structure of hydrophilic exterior and hydrophobic cavity, has a potential ability to enhance the hydrophobic chemical's solubility through the formation of host-guest complex. The stability of host-guest complex is often quantified by the inclusion constant. In this study, the logarithm of 1:1 α-cyclodextrin inclusion constants (log K_α) for 195 organic chemicals was collected. With this parameter as the endpoint, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was developed using DRAGON descriptors and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. The model statistics parameters indicated that the established model had a good determination coefficient of 0.857, a high cross-validation coefficient of 0.835, a low root mean square error of 0.380, together with the acceptable results of external validation, which indicate a satisfactory goodness-of-fit, robustness, and predictive ability of the model. Based on the screened eight descriptors, we propose an appropriate mechanism interpretation for the inclusion interaction. Additionally, the applicability domain of the current model was characterized by the Euclidean distance-based method and Williams plot, and results indicated that the model covered a large number of structurally diverse chemicals belonging to 13 different classes. Comparing with the previous reported models, this model has obvious advantages with a larger dataset, a higher value of correlation coefficient, and a wider application domain.

Copper-catalyzed synthesis of indolyl diketones via C–H oxidation/diacylation of indoles with arylglyoxal hydrates

Copper-catalyzed synthesis of indolyl diketonesviaC–H oxidation/diacylation of indoles with arylglyoxal hydrates is described.

Enantioselective Model Synthesis and Progress toward the Putative Structure of Yuremamine

An enantioselective model synthesis of the 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole core of the putative structure of yuremamine is reported in 39% overall yield and 96% ee over five steps. The model synthesis leverages enantioselective, rhodium-catalyzed hydroacylation of an N-vinylindole-2-carboxaldehyde as the key step in the installation of the stereochemical triad. An enantioselective synthesis of a densely functionalized dihydropyrroloindolone that maps onto the putative structure of yuremamine is demonstrated in 26% yield and 97% ee over eight steps.

Synthesis and in vitro anti-HIV-1 activity of a series of N-arylsulfonyl-3-propionylindoles

Fifteen N-arylsulfonyl-3-propionylindoles (3a-o) were prepared and preliminarily evaluated as in vitro inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Three compounds 3c, 3g and 3i exhibited potent anti-HIV-1 activity with effective concentration (EC(50)) values of 0.8, 4.0 and 1.2 μg/mL, and therapeutic index (TI) values of 11.7, 16.6 and 84.1, respectively. N-(m-Nitro)phenylsulfonyl-3-propionyl-6-methylindole (3i) exhibited the most promising and best activity against HIV-1 replication. The cytotoxicity of these compounds was assessed as well.

Evaluation of some quinoline-based hydrazone derivatives as insecticidal agents

Seven-day mortality rates of compounds 3c, 3e, 4g, 4h and 6f at 1 mg mL⁻¹ against three-day-old larvae of Spodoptera litura were all greater than 93%. They may be considered as promising insecticidal candidates.

In vitro nematicidal activity of aryl hydrazones and comparative GC-MS metabolomics analysis

A series of aryl hydrazones were synthesized and in vitro assayed for their activity on the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. The phenylhydrazones of thiophene-2-carboxyaldehyde 5, 3-methyl-2-thiophenecarboxyaldehyde, 6, and salicylaldehyde, 2, were the most potent with EC50/48h values of 16.6 ± 2.2, 23.2 ± 2.7, and 24.3 ± 1.4 mg/L, respectively. A GC-MS metabolomics analysis, after in vitro nematode treatment with hydrazone 6 at 100 mg/L for 12 h, revealed elevated levels of fatty acids such as lauric acid, stearic acid, 2-octenoic acid, and palmitic acid. Whereas control samples showed the highest levels of monoacylglycerols such as monostearin and 2-monostearin, surprisingly, 2 h after treatment with hydrazone 6, nematodes excreted 3 times the levels of ammonia eliminated in the same conditions by controls. Thus, phenylhydrazones may represent a good scaffold in the discovery and synthesis of new nematicidal compounds, and a metabolomics approach may be helpful in understanding their mechanisms of toxicity and mode of action.

A Simple, Effective, Green Method for the Regioselective 3-Acylation of Unprotected Indoles

A fast and green method is developed for regioselective acylation of indoles in the 3-position without the need for protection of the NH position. The method is based on Friedel-Crafts acylation using acid anhydrides. The method has been optimized, and Y(OTf)₃ in catalytic amounts is found to be the best catalyst together with the commercially available ionic liquid [BMI]BF₄ (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoro-borate) as solvent. The reaction is completed in a very short time using monomode microwave irradiation. The catalyst can be reused up to four times without significant loss of activity. A range of substituted indoles are investigated as substrates, and thirteen new compounds have been synthesized.

Acylhydrazone derivatives as potential anticancer agents: Synthesis, bio-evaluation and mechanism of action

A series of novel acylhydrazone derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their potential cytotoxic effects against human cancer cell lines. The preliminary results indicated that some of the obtained compounds (such as 8b, 13c) exhibited good to moderate cytotoxic activities against human HepG2, Huh-7, and BCG-823 cell lines. Especially, compounds 8c and 8e presented obviously selective cytotoxic activities against Huh-7 in vitro (8c, IC50=7.74±2.18μg/mL; 8e, IC50=4.46±1.05μg/mL) compared to 5-FU (IC50=10.41±3.41μg/mL). The highly potential compounds to induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the apoptotic effects of compounds 8b and 13c were further evaluated using Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide dual staining assay.

Synthesis and Nematicidal Activities of 1,2,3-Benzotriazin-4-one Derivatives against Meloidogyne incognita

A series of novel 1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of 3-bromoalkyl-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-ones with potassium salt of 2-cyanoimino-4-oxothiazolidine in the presence of potassium iodide. Nematicidal assays in vivo showed that some of them exhibited good control efficacy against the cucumber root-knot nematode disease caused by Meloidogyne incognita, up to 100% at the concentration of 10.0 mg L(-1), which indicated that 1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one derivatives might be potential for novel promising nematicides. The nematicidal activity was influenced by the combination of substituent type, substituted position, and linker length in the molecule. The inhibition rate data at the concentrations of 5.0 and 1.0 mg L(-1) for the compounds with high inhibitory activities were also provided. When tested in vitro, none of them showed direct inhibition against M. incognita. The investigation of a significant difference between in vivo and in vitro data is in progress.

Spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of group 12 acetates of di-2-pyridylketone thiophene-2-carboxylic acid hydrazone (dpktch-H) complexes. The structure of [Cd(η³-N,N,O-dpktch-H)₂]

The reaction between [dpktch] and [M(OAc)2] (M=group 12 metal atom) in refluxing CH3CN gave [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O (n=0 or 1). The infrared and (1)H NMR spectra are consistent with the coordination of [η(2)-O,O-OAc] and [η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H](-) and the proposed formulations. The electronic absorption spectra of [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O measured in non-aqueous solvents revealed a highly intense intra-ligand-charge transfer (ILCT) transition due to π-π∗ of dpk followed by dpk→thiophene charge transfer. The electronic transitions of [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O are solvent and concentration dependent. Spectrophotometric titrations of dmso solutions of [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O with benzoic acid revealed irreversible inter-conversion between [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O and it conjugate acid [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch)]·nH2O pointing to ligand exchange between the acetate and benzoate anions. When CH2Cl2 solutions of [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O were titrated with dmso, changes appeared pointing to solvolysis or ligand exchange reactions. Electrochemical measurements on dmso solutions of [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O divulged irreversible redox transformations consistent with electrochemical decomposition of [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O. The solid state structure of a single crystal of [Cd(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)2] obtained from a dmso solution of [Cd(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O confirmed the ligand scrambling of [M(η(2)-O,O-OAc)(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)]·nH2O. The extended structure of [Cd(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)2] revealed stacks of [Cd(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)2] locked via a network of hydrogen bonds. A significant amount of empty space (35.5%) was observed in the solid state structure of [Cd(η(3)-N,N,O-dpktch-H)2].

Design, synthesis, and insecticidal activity of some novel diacylhydrazine and acylhydrazone derivatives

In this study a series of diacylhydrazine and acylhydrazone derivatives were designed and synthesized according to the method of active group combination and the principles of aromatic group bioisosterism. The structures of the novel derivatives were determined on the basis on ¹H-NMR, IR and ESI-MS spectral data. All of the compounds were evaluated for their in vivo insecticidal activity against the third instar larvae of Spodopteraexigua Hiibner, Helicoverpaarmigera Hubner, Plutellaxyllostella Linnaeus and Pierisrapae Linne, respectively, at a concentration of 10 mg/L. The results showed that all of the derivatives displayed high insecticidal activity. Most of the compounds presented higher insecticidal activity against S. exigua than the reference compounds tebufenozide, metaflumizone and tolfenpyrad, and approximately identical insecticidal activity against H.armigera, P.xyllostella and P.rapae as the references metaflumizone and tolfenpyrad.

N-2-Hydroxybenzaldehyde acylhydrazone–Fe(iii) complex: synthesis, crystal structure and its efficient and selective N-methylation

The n-acylhydrazone–Fe(iii) complexes permit ligand's amide N to be easily methylated and suppress the O-methylation side reactions of phenol.