Synthesis of a novel hydrazone-based compound applied as a fluorescence turn-on chemosensor for iron(iii) and a colorimetric sensor for copper(ii) with antimicrobial, DFT and molecular docking studies

Hydrazone-hydrazide-based linkers perform a crucial role in environmental as well as biological fields. Such linkers are employed to detect exact metal ions at a minute level; hence, numerous probes are available. Even though thiophene-based molecules have a unique position in the medicinal arena, only very few chemosensors are reported based on such a moiety. In this current work, a novel hydrazide-hydrazone-based fluorogenic molecule 5-bromo-2-hydroxy-N'-[(1E)-1-(thiophen-2-yl)ethylidene]benzohydrazide (L) has been successfully designed and synthesized. The sensing studies of L demonstrated a ratio metric as well as turn-on-enhanced fluorescence and colorimetric response toward Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions, respectively and it was observed to be insensitive toward various metal ions. The Job plots revealed that the binding stoichiometry of L and metal ions is 2 : 1. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) results strongly suggested that L can be used as a powerful colorimetric sensor for the detection of Cu2+ ions. In vitro antimicrobial activities of L were evaluated by disk diffusion and results revealed good antibacterial activities against E. coli. Further, molecular docking was executed with DNA gyrase (PDB ID: 1KZN) of E. coli and the calculated interaction energy value was found to be -7.7 kcal mol-1. Finally, molecular docking, fluorescence, colorimetry and the HOMO-LUMO energy gap of the compound can provide new insights into developing drugs and detecting metals in biomolecules.

Preparation and biological assessment of some aromatic hydrazones derived from hydrazides of phenolic acids and aromatic aldehydes

There has been substantial interest over the past many years in the design of novel chemical compounds containing the azomethine group (-NH-N=CH) and exhibiting various medicinal properties such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities. Herein, hydrazones were synthesized via the chemical reaction of substituted aromatic hydrazides with various aromatic aldehydes. The obtained products were confirmed using different physical and spectroscopic techniques, such as m.p., IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. The present study was designed to synthesize different aromatic hydrazones assembled by various combinations of aromatic hydrazides and aromatic benzaldehydes containing different substituents such as hydroxyl and polyhydroxyl groups as key structural features. Thus, incorporating such moieties and simultaneously creating highly-conjugated systems was expected to create novel species to mimic as much as possible natural phenolics, chalcones and stilbenes. Compounds of aromatic hydrazones synthesized in the present study were tested in vitro for their direct and indirect antioxidant activities using different methods such as DPPH, ABTS and FTC. The antioxidant activities of the new compounds ranged from very weak to very high activity. In addition, the inhibition of tyrosinase and cholinesterase by these compounds was tested. The new compounds containing two or three hydroxyl groups attached to aldehyde rings exhibited significantly greater inhibition effects on tyrosinase or cholinesterase activities in comparison to other compounds of the same series containing only one hydroxyl group.

Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Hydrazide-Hydrazones as Inhibitors of Laccase from Trametes versicolor

A series of hydrazide-hydrazones 1-3, the imine derivatives of hydrazides and aldehydes bearing benzene rings, were screened as inhibitors of laccase from Trametes versicolor. Laccase is a copper-containing enzyme which inhibition might prevent or reduce the activity of the plant pathogens that produce it in various biochemical processes. The kinetic and molecular modeling studies were performed and for selected compounds, the docking results were discussed. Seven 4-hydroxybenzhydrazide (4-HBAH) derivatives exhibited micromolar activity Ki = 24-674 µM with the predicted and desirable competitive type of inhibition. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that a slim salicylic aldehyde framework had a pivotal role in stabilization of the molecules near the substrate docking site. Furthermore, the presence of phenyl and bulky tert-butyl substituents in position 3 in salicylic aldehyde fragment favored strong interaction with the substrate-binding pocket in laccase. Both 3- and 4-HBAH derivatives containing larger 3-tert-butyl-5-methyl- or 3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-benzylidene unit, did not bind to the active site of laccase and, interestingly, acted as non-competitive (Ki = 32.0 µM) or uncompetitive (Ki = 17.9 µM) inhibitors, respectively. From the easily available laccase inhibitors only sodium azide, harmful to environment and non-specific, was over 6 times more active than the above compounds.