Thiourea-functionalized aminoglutethimide derivatives as anti-leishmanial agents

Aim: We aim to develop new anti-leishmanial agents against Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica. Materials & methods: A total of 23 thiourea derivatives of (±)-aminoglutethimide were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro activity against promastigotes of L. major and L. tropica. Results & conclusion: The N-benzoyl analogue 7p was found potent (IC50 = 12.7 μM) against L. major and non toxic to normal cells. The docking studies, indicates that these inhibitors may target folate and glycolytic pathways of the parasite. The N-hexyl compound 7v was found strongly active against both species, and lacked cytotoxicity against normal cells, whereas compound 7r, with a 3,5-bis-(tri-fluoro-methyl)phenyl unit, was active against Leishmania, but was cytotoxic in nature. Compound 7v was thus identified as a hit for further studies.

On the Cytotoxicity of Chiral Ruthenium Complexes Containing Sulfur Amino Acids against Breast Tumor Cells (MDA-231 and MCF-7)

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is one of the most common types among women. Its incidence progressively increases with age, especially after age 50. Platinum compounds are not efficient in the treatment of breast cancer, highlighting the use of other metals for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to obtain three new ruthenium compounds that incorporate sulfur amino acids in their structures and to investigate their cytotoxic activity in breast tumor cell lines.

METHODS

Complexes with general formula [Ru(AA)(dppb)(bipy)] (complexes 1 and 2) or [Ru(AA)(dppb) (bipy)]PF6 (complex 3), where AA = L-cysteinate (1), D-penicillaminate (2), and L-deoxyalliinate (3), dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane and 2,2´-bipyridine, were obtained from the cis-[RuCl₂(dppb)(bipy)] precursor. The cytotoxicity of the complexes on MDA-MB-231 (triple negative human breast cancer); MCF-7 (double positive human breast cancer) and V79 (hamster lung fibroblast) was performed by the MTT (4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) method. The control agent was the cisplatin, which is a commercially available drug for cancer treatment.

RESULTS

In complexes (1) and (2), the ligands are coordinated to the metal center by nitrogen and sulfur atoms, while in complex (3), coordination is through the oxygen and nitrogen atoms. These suggestions are based on the infrared and 31P{1H} NMR data. For complexes (1) and (2), their X-ray structures were determined confirming this suggestion. The three complexes are stable in a mixture of DMSO (80%) and biological medium (20%) for at least 48h and presented cytotoxicity against the MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 tumor cells with reasonable selectivity indexes.

CONCLUSION

Our work demonstrated that ruthenium complexes containing sulfur amino acids, bipyridines and bisphosphines showed cytotoxicity against the MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, in vitro, and that they interact weakly with the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) and the HSA (Human Serum Albumin) biomolecules.

Positively charged styryl pyridine substituted Zn(II) phthalocyanines for photodynamic therapy and photoantimicrobial chemotherapy: effect of the number of charges

Cationic Zn phthalocyanine complexes were synthesized using Knoevenagel reaction starting from a Zn(ii) tetrakis(2-formylphenoxy)phthalocyanine (1) to form Zn(ii) tetrakis(1-butyl-4-(4-(tetraphenoxy)styryl)pyridin-1-ium) phthalocyanine (2) and Zn(ii) tetrakis(4-(4-(tetraphenoxy)styryl)-1-(4-(triphenylphosphonio)butyl)pyridin-1-ium)phthalocyanine (3). The photophysicochemical behaviours of the Pc complexes were assessed. The cationic complexes display high water-solubility and gave moderate singlet oxygen quantum yield in water. The cationic Pcs demonstrate good cellular uptake and photodynamic activity against MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 8.2 and 4.9 μM for 2 and 3, respectively. The cationic Pcs also demonstrate high photoantimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli with log reductions of 5.3 and 6.0 for 2 and 3, respectively.

3,3-Bis(2-hy-droxy-eth-yl)-1-(4-nitro-benzo-yl)thio-urea: crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational study

In the title compound, C12H15N3O5S, a tris-ubstituted thio-urea derivative, the central CN2S chromophore is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.018 Å) and the pendant hy-droxy-ethyl groups lie to either side of this plane. While to a first approximation the thione-S and carbonyl-O atoms lie to the same side of the mol-ecule, the S-C-N-C torsion angle of -47.8 (2)° indicates a considerable twist. As one of the hy-droxy-ethyl groups is orientated towards the thio-amide residue, an intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond is formed which leads to an S(7) loop. A further twist in the mol-ecule is indicated by the dihedral angle of 65.87 (7)° between the planes through the CN2S chromophore and the 4-nitro-benzene ring. There is a close match between the experimental and gas-phase, geometry-optimized (DFT) mol-ecular structures. In the crystal, O-H⋯O and O-H⋯S hydrogen bonds give rise to supra-molecular layers propagating in the ab plane. The connections between layers to consolidate the three-dimensional architecture are of the type C-H⋯O, C-H⋯S and nitro-O⋯π. The nature of the supra-molecular association has been further analysed by a study of the calculated Hirshfeld surfaces, non-covalent inter-action plots and computational chemistry, all of which point to the significant influence and energy of stabilization provided by the conventional hydrogen bonds.

3,3-Bis(2-hy-droxy-eth-yl)-1-(4-methyl-benzoyl)thio-urea: crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational study

In the title tri-substituted thio-urea derivative, C13H18N2O3S, the thione-S and carbonyl-O atoms lie, to a first approximation, to the same side of the mol-ecule [the S-C-N-C torsion angle is -49.3 (2)°]. The CN2S plane is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.018 Å) with the hy-droxy-ethyl groups lying to either side of this plane. One hy-droxy-ethyl group is orientated towards the thio-amide functionality enabling the formation of an intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond leading to an S(7) loop. The dihedral angle [72.12 (9)°] between the planes through the CN2S atoms and the 4-tolyl ring indicates the mol-ecule is twisted. The experimental mol-ecular structure is close to the gas-phase, geometry-optimized structure calculated by DFT methods. In the mol-ecular packing, hydroxyl-O-H⋯O(hydrox-yl) and hydroxyl-O-H⋯S(thione) hydrogen bonds lead to the formation of a supra-molecular layer in the ab plane; no directional inter-actions are found between layers. The influence of the specified supra-molecular inter-actions is apparent in the calculated Hirshfeld surfaces and these are shown to be attractive in non-covalent inter-action plots; the inter-action energies point to the important stabilization provided by directional O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Two new phthalide derivatives from the endophytic fungus Penicillium vulpinum isolated from Sophora tonkinensis

Two new phthalide derivatives, (-)-3-carboxypropyl-7-hydroxyphthalide (1) and (-)-3-carboxypropyl-7-hydroxyphthalide methyl ester (2), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Penicillium vulpinum isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Sophora tonkinensis. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, mainly on 1D and 2D NMR. Compound 1 exhibited medium antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis, Shigella dysenteriae and Enterobacter areogenes with MIC values of 12.5-25 μg/mL, and 2 showed a medium inhibition to E. areogenes with MIC value of 12.5 μg/mL.

1-[N-Methyl-N-(Phenyl)amino]-3- (4-Methylphenyl)Thiourea

The title compound, 1-[N-methyl-N-(phenyl)amino]-3-(4-methylphenyl)thiourea (1), was synthesized by the reaction of 1-methyl-1-phenyl hydrazine and 4-tolyl isothiocyanate, and was characterized by spectroscopy (1H and 13C{1H} NMR, IR, and UV), elemental analysis as well as by single crystal X-ray crystallography. In the solid state, the molecule exists as the thioamide tautomer and features an anti-disposition of the thioamide–N–H atoms; an intramolecular N–H⋯N hydrogen bond is noted. The molecular conformation resembles that of the letter L. In the molecular packing, thioamide-N1–H⋯S1(thione) hydrogen bonds lead to centrosymmetric eight-membered {⋯HNCS}2 synthons. The dimers are assembled into a supramolecular layer in the bc-plane by phenyl- and methyl-C–H⋯π(phenyl) interactions.