In vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of TAK-456, a novel oral triazole with a broad antifungal spectrum

Metal-free oxoammonium salt-mediated C(sp3)-H oxidative Ugi-azide multicomponent reaction

In this work, an efficient oxidative C(sp³)-H Ugi-azide multicomponent reaction of cyclic benzylic amines to the corresponding α-tetrazolo compounds using a TEMPO salt as mild hydride abstractor-type oxidant is reported. This simple one-pot approach allows the direct functionalization of N-heterocycles such as tetrahydroisoquinolines with a variety of isocyanides and NaN₃ as a practical azide source. The reaction proceeds at room temperature and without the need of acid additives, allowing for the use of sensitive substrates, while minimizing isocyanide polymerization to provide the desired heterocycle-tetrazole products in synthetically useful yields (up to 99%).

Recent developments in selective N-arylation of azoles

Transition-metal based carbon-heteroatom (C-X) bond formation has attracted the attention of synthetic chemists over the past few years because the resultant aryl/heteroaryl motifs are important substructures in many natural products, pharmaceuticals, etc. Several efficient protocols such as Buchwald-Hartwig amination, Ullmann coupling, Chan-Lam coupling and metal-free approaches have proved beneficial in C-X bond formation. Selective arylation of one hetero-centre over other centres without protection/deprotection thus allowing minimum synthetic manipulation has been achieved for several substrates using these protocols. Azoles are one such novel five-membered heterocyclic core with huge pharmaceutical applications. Though N-arylation on azole-bearing analogues has been extensively practised, selective N-arylation either on one N-centre or the exocyclic N-site of the azole ring in competition with other hetero-centres in the framework has been recently explored for azole-carrying systems. Thus, this review would focus on recent advances in chemo- and regio-selective N-arylation (either on one N-centre or the exocyclic N-site of the azole ring) on azole-containing frameworks.

Antifungal Activity of the Ethanol Extract from Flos Rosae Chinensis with Activity against Fluconazole-Resistant Clinical Candida

This study was designed to investigate the antifungal activity of a hydroalcoholic extract from Flos Rosae Chinensis (FRC) combined with fluconazole (FCZ) against clinical isolates of Candida albicans resistant to FCZ. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of FRC was determined using a checkerboard microdilution assay. The synergistic effects of the combination of FRC and FCZ against clinical isolates of C. albicans resistant to FCZ were further confirmed by constructing time-growth curves and performing an agar diffusion test. FRC alone exerted efficient antifungal activities against C. albicans within a MIC₈₀ ranging from 20 μg/ml to 40 μg/ml. FRC failed to enhance the effects of FCZ against sensitive C. albicans strains, although it rendered FCZ-resistant C. albicans more sensitive. These results were further confirmed by the result of in vivo study. Our study is the first to discover that FRC can inhibit the growth of C. albicans to a certain degree. An FRC antifungal mechanism study showed that FRC strengthens FCZ to inhibit the action of ergosterol biosynthesis by promoting the transformation of lanosterol to eburicol, suggesting that the antifungal mechanism of FRC involves the inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis.

Tetrazolylmethyl quinolines: Design, docking studies, synthesis, anticancer and antifungal analyses

A new series of 2,5 and 1,5-regioisomers of the tetrazolyl group viz., 3-[(5-benzyl/benzylthio-2H-tetrazol-2-yl) methyl]-2-chloro-6-substituted quinoline 6h-q and 3-[(5-benzyl/benzylthio-1H-tetrazol-1-yl) methyl]-2-chloro-6-substituted quinolines 7h-q were synthesized. Docking studies of all these compounds with DNA as target using PDB: 1AU5 and 453D revealed that the compounds 6h and 6i act as covalent cross linker on the DNA helix of the former and intercalate the latter both with higher C score values. Another set of docking studies in the active pocket of dihydrofolate reductase and N-myristoyl transferase as targets to assess antifungal activity revealed that compounds 6k, 6l, 6p and 7q (with bromo and fluro substituents) showcases different binding modes and hydrogen bonding. Further, the compounds were screened for anticancer activity (primary cytotoxicity) against NCI-60 Human tumor cell line at a single high dose (10^-5 M) concentration assay. Among the tested compounds, 6h has shown 99.28% of GI against Melanoma (SK-MEL-5) and compound 6i has shown 97.56% of GI against Breast Cancer (T-47D). Further, in vitro antifungal assay against A. fumigatus and C. albicans for these compounds 6h-q and 7h-q revealed potential to moderate activities as compared to the standard.

QuBiLs-MAS method in early drug discovery and rational drug identification of antifungal agents

The QuBiLs-MAS approach is used for the in silico modelling of the antifungal activity of organic molecules. To this effect, non-stochastic (NS) and simple-stochastic (SS) atom-based quadratic indices are used to codify chemical information for a comprehensive dataset of 2478 compounds having a great structural variability, with 1087 of them being antifungal agents, covering the broadest antifungal mechanisms of action known so far. The NS and SS index-based antifungal activity classification models obtained using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) yield correct classification percentages of 90.73% and 92.47%, respectively, for the training set. Additionally, these models are able to correctly classify 92.16% and 87.56% of 706 compounds in an external test set. A comparison of the statistical parameters of the QuBiLs-MAS LDA-based models with those for models reported in the literature reveals comparable to superior performance, although the latter were built over much smaller and less diverse datasets, representing fewer mechanisms of action. It may therefore be inferred that the QuBiLs-MAS method constitutes a valuable tool useful in the design and/or selection of new and broad spectrum agents against life-threatening fungal infections.

Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of 5-phenylthio-2,4-bisbenzyloxypyrimidine: a novel nucleobase

A pyrimidne nucleobase, 5-phenylthio-2,4-bisbenzyloxypyrimidine and its analogs were synthesized and scanned for in vitro antifungal activity using cup-plate and macrobroth dilution method against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergllus fumigatus. In the cup-plate method, 5-phenylthio-2,4-bisbenzyloxypyrimidine showed very good antifungal activity compared to clotrimazole at the concentrations of 100 and 1000 μg/ml and in the macrobroth dilution method, it showed comparable activity with respect to standard drugs fluconazole and itraconaole. In vivo antifungal activity of 5-phenylthio-2,4-bisbenzyloxypyrimidine at the dose levels of 10 and 30 mg/kg was carried by causing systemic infection of mice using the same fungi used in in vitro testing. The results from in vivo studies with 5-phenylthio-2,4-bisbenzyloxypyrimidine and fluconazole indicated that 5-phenylthio-2,4-bisbenzyloxypyrimidine had similar potency as fluconazole at both dose levels.

Laboratory evaluation of new antifungal agents against rare and refractory mycoses

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

An increase in refractory invasive fungal infections in the setting of marrow/solid organ transplantation and other immune-compromising clinical entities has provided the impetus for the development of new, more efficacious/less toxic antifungal agents. This review (1) examines currently available laboratory methods for the in-vitro evaluation of these new agents against both yeasts and filamentous fungi; (2) provides a summary of the most attractive investigational agents currently undergoing clinical trials/development; and (3) outlines the major refractory mycoses in contemporary medicine.

RECENT FINDINGS

Fluconazole-resistant Candida spp., Trichosporon spp., zygomycetous genera, the endemic mycoses, Scedosporium, Aspergillus, and Fusarium spp., and an ever-expanding list of lesser-known hyaline and phaeoid genera inciting invasive fungal infections comprise the bulk of refractory mycoses in the immune-compromised host. In-vitro data generated from reference-based antifungal susceptibility testing methods indicate an increased armamentarium of potentially efficacious agents against most of these mycoses.

SUMMARY

The newly approved antifungal agents caspofungin and voriconazole, used either as monotherapy or in combination regimens, have a significantly improved spectrum of activity over previously available therapeutic options. Correlation of clinical outcomes with investigational agents demonstrating in-vivo/in-vitro activity will provide critical information needed for the development of clinically significant minimum inhibitory concentration interpretative breakpoints.