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Yang W, Liu R, Li Z, Tu J, Xu D, Liu N, Sheng C. Discovery of New Tricyclic Oxime Sampangine Derivatives as Potent Antifungal Agents for the Treatment of Cryptococcosis and Candidiasis. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38489247 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans) and Candida albicans (C. albicans) are classified as the critical priority groups among the pathogenic fungi, highlighting the urgent need for developing more effective antifungal therapies. On the basis of antifungal natural product sampangine, herein, a series of tricyclic oxime and oxime ether derivatives were designed. Among them, compound WZ-2 showed excellent inhibitory activity against C. neoformans (MIC80 = 0.016 μg/mL) and synergized with fluconazole to treat resistant C. albicans (FICI = 0.078). Interestingly, compound WZ-2 effectively inhibited virulence factors (e.g., capsule, biofilm, and yeast-to-hypha morphological transition), suggesting the potential to overcome drug resistance. In a mouse model of cryptococcal meningitis, compound WZ-2 (5 mg/kg) effectively reduced the brain C. neoformans H99 burden. Furthermore, compound WZ-2 alone and its combination with fluconazole also significantly reduced the kidney burden of the drug-resistant strain (0304103) and sensitive strain (SC5314) of C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanzhen Yang
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ruxiong Liu
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhuang Li
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jie Tu
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dongjian Xu
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Na Liu
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chunquan Sheng
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
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Liu F, Dong H, Zhong S, Wu X, Wang T, Wang X, Liu Y, Zhu M, Lo IMC, Zhan S, Guan X. Selective electrocatalytic transformation of highly toxic phenols in wastewater to para-benzoquinone at ambient conditions. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 251:121106. [PMID: 38183841 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
The selective transformation of organics from wastewater to value-added chemicals is considered an upcycling process beneficial for carbon neutrality. Herein, we present an innovative electrocatalytic oxidation (ECO) system aimed at achieving the selective conversion of phenols in wastewater to para-benzoquinone (p-BQ), a valuable chemical widely utilized in the manufacturing and chemical industries. Notably, 96.4% of phenol abatement and 78.9% of p-BQ yield are synchronously obtained over a preferred carbon cloth-supported ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru/C) anode. Such unprecedented results stem from the weak Ru-O bond between the Ru active sites and generated p-BQ, which facilitates the desorption of p-BQ from the anode surface. This property not only prevents the excessive oxidation of the generated p-BQ but also reinstates the Ru active sites essential for the rapid ECO of phenol. Furthermore, this ECO system operates at ambient conditions and obviates the need for potent chemical oxidants, establishing a sustainable avenue for p-BQ production. Importantly, the system efficacy can be adaptable in actual phenol-containing coking wastewater, highlighting its potential practical application prospect. As a proof of concept, we construct an electrified Ru/C membrane for ECO of phenol, attaining phenol removal of 95.8% coupled with p-BQ selectivity of 73.1%, which demonstrates the feasibility of the ECO system in a scalable flow-through operation mode. This work provides a promising ECO strategy for realizing both phenols removal and valuable organics recovery from phenolic wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqiang Liu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Hongyu Dong
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shifa Zhong
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xuechen Wu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Tong Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xuelu Wang
- Physics Department & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yanbiao Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Mingshan Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Irene M C Lo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Sihui Zhan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
| | - Xiaohong Guan
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
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Yang C, Yang J, Gong X, Wei Y, Xu X. Investigation on the photoinduced chemical reaction between p-benzoquinone and tryptophan in homogeneous solution. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:14947-14952. [PMID: 35686516 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01447e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and energy transfer between amino acids and bioquinones have become research hotspots, due to the important roles they play in a physiological environment. However, as classic benzoquinones and amino acids, the reaction mechanism of p-benzoquinone (PBQ) and tryptophan (Trp) is still unclear. In this work, the photoinduced chemical reaction of PBQ and Trp was investigated in homogeneous solution using time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance and laser flash photolysis techniques. Under photoexcitation at 355 nm, the 3PBQ* produced via intersystem crossing (ISC) in ethylene glycol aqueous (EG-H2O) solution followed by the H-atom transfer (HAT) from EG to 3PBQ* was a significant process in competition with the non-radiative transition of 3PBQ*, which was clearly observed in the transient absorption spectra and chemically induced dynamic electron polarization spectra. When Trp was added into the PBQ/EG-H2O solution, a new decay channel of 3PBQ* was produced that reacted with Trp to form a p-benzoquinone anion radical (PBQ˙-) and a tryptophan cationic radical (Trp˙+), indicating that the photoinduced chemical reaction mechanism was the electron transfer. By fitting the decay dynamic curves, the quenching rate constant of 3PBQ* to Trp in homogeneous solution was determined as 6.8 × 108 M-1 s-1, which was close to the diffusion-controlled rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Yang
- School of Physics and Electronic Information, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China.
| | - Jiangxue Yang
- School of Physics and Electronic Information, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China.
| | - Xianling Gong
- School of Physics and Electronic Information, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China.
| | - Yaxiong Wei
- School of Physics and Electronic Information, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China. .,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Optoelectric Materials Science and Technology, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Xinsheng Xu
- School of Physics and Electronic Information, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China. .,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Optoelectric Materials Science and Technology, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
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Sebastián-Pérez V, Martínez de Iturrate P, Nácher-Vázquez M, Nóvoa L, Pérez C, Campillo NE, Gil C, Rivas L. Naphthoquinone as a New Chemical Scaffold for Leishmanicidal Inhibitors of Leishmania GSK-3. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10051136. [PMID: 35625873 PMCID: PMC9139002 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 1 billion people live in areas endemic for leishmaniasis, which is a relevant threat for public health worldwide. Due to the inadequate treatments, there is an urgent need to develop novel alternative drugs and to validate new targets to fight this disease. One appealing approach is the selective inhibition of protein kinases (PKs), enzymes involved in a wide range of processes along the life cycle of Leishmania. Several PKs, including glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), have been validated as essential for this parasite by genetic or pharmacological methods. Recently, novel chemical scaffolds have been uncovered as Leishmania GSK-3 inhibitors with antiparasitic activity. In order to find new inhibitors of this enzyme, a virtual screening of our in-house chemical library was carried out on the structure of the Leishmania GSK-3. The virtual hits identified were experimentally assayed both for leishmanicidal activity and for in vitro inhibition of the enzyme. The best hits have a quinone scaffold. Their optimization through a medicinal chemistry approach led to a set of new compounds, provided a frame to establish biochemical and antiparasitic structure–activity relationships, and delivered molecules with an improved selectivity index. Altogether, this study paves the way for a systemic search of this class of inhibitors for further development as potential leishmanicidal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Sebastián-Pérez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.S.-P.); (P.M.d.I.); (M.N.-V.); (L.N.); (N.E.C.)
| | - Paula Martínez de Iturrate
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.S.-P.); (P.M.d.I.); (M.N.-V.); (L.N.); (N.E.C.)
| | - Montserrat Nácher-Vázquez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.S.-P.); (P.M.d.I.); (M.N.-V.); (L.N.); (N.E.C.)
| | - Luis Nóvoa
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.S.-P.); (P.M.d.I.); (M.N.-V.); (L.N.); (N.E.C.)
| | | | - Nuria E. Campillo
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.S.-P.); (P.M.d.I.); (M.N.-V.); (L.N.); (N.E.C.)
| | - Carmen Gil
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.S.-P.); (P.M.d.I.); (M.N.-V.); (L.N.); (N.E.C.)
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (L.R.)
| | - Luis Rivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.S.-P.); (P.M.d.I.); (M.N.-V.); (L.N.); (N.E.C.)
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (L.R.)
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Wang S, Wang JS, Le Z, Ying J, Wu XF. Palladium-catalyzed carbonylative synthesis of aryl esters from p-benzoquinones and aryl triflates. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 19:7353-7356. [PMID: 34387297 DOI: 10.1039/d1ob01400e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A palladium-catalyzed dicarbonylation of p-benzoquinones with aryl triflates has been developed. Using Cr(CO)6 as the CO source, the reaction proceeds smoothly and efficiently to give a series of aryl esters in moderate to good yields (up to 90%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science of Polymer Materials of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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Silakari P, Silakari O, Piplani P. Systematic In Silico Design, Synthesis, and Biological Studies of Some Novel 1,4-Benzoquinone Derivatives for the Prospective Management of Cognitive Decline. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:1648-1666. [PMID: 33852798 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholinesterases are significant biological targets for the regulation of cholinergic neurotransmission, and their inhibitors are being exploited for the management of cognitive decline in various neurological conditions. The 1,4-benzoquinone scaffold possesses antioxidant potential along with AChE inhibition activity in various neurological disorders. To design novel and potent selective 1,4-benzoquinone analogues as cholinesterase inhibitors, a ligand-based drug design strategy was followed to develop a 3D quantitative structure-selectivity relationship (QSSR) model. On the basis of the best fit model, eight novel 1,4-benzoquinone derivatives were designed and synthesized implementing appropriate synthetic procedures and were characterized by various spectral and elemental techniques. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their selective in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory potential at different concentrations using mice brain homogenate as the source of the enzyme. Out of these compounds, the three most selective compounds were further evaluated for behavioral variations using step down passive avoidance and escape learning procedure at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg taking donepezil as the reference drug. Biochemical estimation of the markers of oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and catalase) has also been carried out to determine the role of the synthesized molecules on the scopolamine induced oxidative damage. Compound 2a displayed appreciable selectivity index values as predicted through the 3D-QSSR model. Further, docked complexes of compound 2a with AChE and BChE were subjected to molecular dynamic simulations for a period of 30 ns to study the orientations and stable conformations of the most active molecules in the catalytic domain of these enzymes. The results obtained from the 3D-QSSR analysis, docking, and molecular dynamic studies were found to be appreciable and provided a deep insight into the structural features required for the selectivity of AChE inhibitors over BChE. The outcome of this study may be used as a novel tool to design new highly selective and more potent molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragati Silakari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Om Silakari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab 147002, India
| | - Poonam Piplani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
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Effects of Benzoquinones on Radicles of Orobanche and Phelipanche Species. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10040746. [PMID: 33920368 PMCID: PMC8070214 DOI: 10.3390/plants10040746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The holoparasitic broomrape weeds (Orobanche and Phelipanche species) cause severe yield losses throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and Southern and Eastern Europe. These parasitic weeds form an haustorium at the tip of their radicles to infect the crop upon detection of the host-derived haustorium-inducing factors. Until now, the haustorial induction in the broomrapes remains less studied than in other parasitic plant species. Known haustorium-inducing factors active in hemiparasites, such as Striga and Triphysaria species, were reported to be inefficient for the induction of haustoria in broomrape radicles. In this work, the haustorium-inducing activity of p-benzoquinone and 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone (BQ and DMBQ) on radicles of three different broomrapes, namely Orobanche cumana, Orobanche minor and Phelipanche ramosa, is reported. Additional allelopathic effects of benzoquinones on radicle growth and radicle necrosis were studied. The results of this work suggest that benzoquinones play a role in the induction of haustorium in broomrapes. Although dependent on the broomrape species assayed and the concentration of quinones used in the test, the activity of BQ appeared to be stronger than that of DMBQ. The redox property represented by p-benzoquinone, which operates in several physiological processes of plants, insects and animals, is invoked to explain this different activity. This work confirms the usefulness of benzoquinones as haustorium-inducing factors for holoparasitic plant research. The findings of this work could facilitate future studies in the infection process, such as host-plant recognition and haustorial formation.
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