Diaminomaleonitrile derivatives as new potential antichagasic compounds: a study of structure-activity relationships

Pyrazolines as potential anti-Alzheimer's agents: DFT, molecular docking, enzyme inhibition and pharmacokinetic studies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized as the main dementia in the elderly. Eighteen pyrazolines were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory effects against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in vitro. Possible interactions between pyrazolines and the enzyme were explored by in silico experiments. Compound 2B of the series was the most active pyrazoline with an IC50 value of 58 nM. Molecular docking studies revealed two important π-π interactions with residues Trp 286 and Tyr 341. A correlation between the HOMO-1 surface and AChE inhibition was observed. ADMET assays demonstrated a good profile for compound 2B. From the abovementioned findings, a new avenue of compound 2B analogues could be explored to develop anti-AD agents.

Novel trypanocidal thiophen-chalcone cruzain inhibitors: structure- and ligand-based studies

Background: Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions of people worldwide and for which no effective treatment is available. Materials & methods: 17 chalcones were synthesized, for which the inhibition of cruzain and trypanocidal activity were investigated. Results: Chalcone C8 showed the highest cruzain inhibitory (IC₅₀ = 0.536 μM) and trypanocidal activity (IC₅₀ = 0.990 μM). Molecular docking studies showed interactions involving Asp161 and the thiophen group interacting with the S2 subsite. Furthermore, quantitative structure-activity relationship (q² = 0.786; r² = 0.953) and density functional theory studies were carried out, and a correlation between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital surface and trypanocidal activity was observed. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that these chalcones are worthwhile hits to be further optimized in Chagas disease drug discovery programs.