Drug Resistance Reversal Potential of Ursolic Acid Derivatives against Nalidixic Acid‐ and Multidrug‐resistant Escherichia coli

As a part of our drug discovery program, ursolic acid was chemically transformed into six semi‐synthetic derivatives, which were evaluated for their antibacterial and drug resistance reversal potential in combination with conventional antibiotic nalidixic acid against the nalidixic acid‐sensitive and nalidixic acid‐resistant strains of Escherichia coli. Although ursolic acid and its all semi‐synthetic derivatives did not show antibacterial activity of their own, but in combination, they significantly reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration of nalidixic acid up to eightfold. The 3‐O‐acetyl‐urs‐12‐en‐28‐isopropyl ester (UA‐4) and 3‐O‐acetyl‐urs‐12‐en‐28‐n‐butyl ester (UA‐5) derivatives of ursolic acid reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration of nalidixic acid by eightfold against nalidixic acid‐resistant and four and eightfold against nalidixic acid‐sensitive, respectively. The UA‐4 and UA‐5 were further evaluated for their synergy potential with another antibiotic tetracycline against the multidrug‐resistant clinical isolate of Escherichia coli‐KG4. The results showed that both these derivatives in combination with tetracycline reduced the cell viability in concentration‐dependent manner by significantly inhibiting efflux pump. This was further supported by the in silico binding affinity of UA‐4 and UA‐5 with efflux pump proteins. These ursolic acid derivatives may find their potential use as synergistic agents in the treatment of multidrug‐resistant Gram‐negative infections.     

Exploration of 5‐(5‐nitrothiophen‐2‐yl)‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazoles as selective,multitargeted antimycobacterial agents

We report the biological evaluation of 5‐(5‐nitrothiophen‐2‐yl)‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole derivatives against bacteria, eukaryotic cell lines and the assessment of their mechanisms of action to determine their prospects of being developed into potent antituberculosis agents. The compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial property against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, multidrug‐resistant M. tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, Mycobacterium aurum, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus using high‐throughput spot‐culture growth inhibition assay. They were found to be selective toward slow‐growing mycobacteria and Gram‐positive bacteria. In M. bovis BCG, they exhibited a bactericidal mode of action. Cytotoxicity was assessed in human THP‐1 and murine RAW 264.7 cell lines, and the compounds showed a lower cytotoxicity potential when compared with their antibacterial activity. They were found to be excellent whole‐cell efflux pump inhibitors of the mycobacterial surrogate M. aurum, performing better than known efflux pump inhibitor verapamil. The 5‐nitrothiophene moiety was identified for the first time as a prospective inhibitor scaffold of mycobacterial arylamine N‐acetyltransferase enzyme, which is the key enzyme in metabolizing isoniazid, a first‐line antituberculosis drug. The two aforementioned findings make the compounds potential hits in the development of adjunctive tuberculosis therapy.     

Antibacterial and Synergy of Clavine Alkaloid Lysergol and its Derivatives Against Nalidixic Acid‐Resistant Escherichia coli

Antibacterial activity of lysergol ( 1 ) and its semi‐synthetic derivatives ( 2–14 ) and their synergy with the conventional antibiotic nalidixic acid (NA) against nalidixic acid‐sensitive (NASEC) and nalidixic acid‐resistant (NAREC) strains of Escherichia coli were evaluated. Lysergol ( 1 ) and derivatives ( 2 – 14 ) did not possess antibacterial activity of their own, but in combination, they significantly reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of NA. All the derivatives showed two‐ to eightfold reduction in the MIC of NA against NAREC and NASEC. Further, lysergol ( 1 ) and its derivatives 10 and 11 brought down eightfold reductions in the MIC of tetracycline (TET) against multidrug‐resistant clinical isolate of E. coli (MDREC). Treatment of these strains with the combinations of antibiotics and lysergol and its derivatives 10 and 11 (at reduced concentrations) significantly decreased the viability of cells. In an another observation, lysergol and its derivatives 10 and 11 inhibited ATP‐dependent efflux pumps, which was evident by ATPase inhibition and down‐regulation of multidrug ABC transporter ATP‐binding protein (yojI) gene. These results may be of great help in antibacterial drug development from a very common, inexpensive, and non‐toxic natural product.     

Synthesis and mycobacterial evaluation of 5‐substituted‐6‐acetyl‐2‐amino‐7‐methyl‐5,8‐dihydropyrido‐[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives

5‐Substituted‐6‐acetyl‐2‐amino‐7‐methyl‐5,8‐dihydropyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives were synthesized and evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Mycobacterium aurum, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus as well as a human monocyte‐derived macrophage (THP‐1), and murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) cell lines to assess their antibacterial and cytotoxic potential, respectively. The compounds showed activity in the range of 1.95–125 µg/ml against M. tuberculosis but showed no activity against M. aurum, E. coli, and S. aureus, indicating selectivity towards slow‐growing mycobacterial pathogens. The compounds exhibited very low to no cytotoxicity up to 500 µg/ml concentration against eukaryotic cell lines. The most potent molecule, 2l , showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 1.95 µg/ml against M. tuberculosis H37Rv and a selectivity index of >250 against both the eukaryotic cell lines. Furthermore, 2l showed moderate inhibition of whole‐cell mycobacterial drug‐efflux pumps when compared to verapamil, a known potent inhibitor of efflux pumps. Thus, derivative 2l was identified as an antituberculosis hit molecule, which could be used to yield more potent lead molecules.     

Discovery of Novel 2‐(piperidin‐4‐yl)‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole Derivatives as Potential Anti‐Inflammatory Agents

A novel 2‐(piperidin‐4‐yl)‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole derivative 5 with good anti‐inflammatory activity was identified from our in‐house library. Based on hit compound 5 , two series of 2‐(piperidin‐4‐yl)‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole derivative 6a – g and 7a – h were designed and synthesized as novel anti‐inflammatory agents. Most of synthesized compounds exhibited good inhibitory activity on NO and TNF‐α production in LPS‐stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, in which the compound 6e showed most potent inhibitory activity on NO (IC₅₀ = 0.86 μm ) and TNF‐α (IC₅₀ = 1.87 μm ) production. Further evaluation revealed that compound 6e displayed more potent in vivo anti‐inflammatory activity than ibuprofen did on xylene‐induced ear oedema in mice. Additionally, Western blot analysis revealed that compound 6e could restore phosphorylation level of IκBα and protein expression of p65 NF‐κB in LPS‐stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.     

Cerulenin Analogues as Inhibitors of Efflux Pumps in Drug‐resistant Candida albicans

Overexpression of the ABC transporters Cdr1 and Cdr2 or the major facilitator Mdr1 causes multidrug resistance in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. The fatty acid synthesis inhibitor cerulenin and the structurally unrelated Golgi transport inhibitor brefeldin A are substrates for both types of efflux pumps in Candida albicans. In an effort to overcome efflux pump‐mediated drug resistance in Candida albicans, cerulenin analogues were generated using a variety of synthesis pathways. The so obtained cerulenin derivatives were tested on multidrug‐resistant Candida albicans isolates which constitutively overexpress either Mdr1 or Cdr1 and Cdr2. Some of these compounds were found to decrease Mdr1‐mediated resistance to brefeldin A up to eightfold compared to the control.     

Synergy Potential of Indole Alkaloids and Its Derivative against Drug‐resistant Escherichia coli

Antibacterial and synergy potential of naturally occurring indole alkaloids (IA): 10‐methoxy tetrahydroalstonine ( 1 ), isoreserpiline ( 2 ), 10 and 11 demethoxyreserpiline ( 3 ), reserpiline ( 4 ), serpentine ( 5 ), ajmaline ( 6 ), ajmalicine ( 7 ), yohimbine ( 8 ), and α ‐yohimbine ( 9 ) was evaluated using microbroth dilution assay. Further, α ‐yohimbine ( 9 ) was chemically transformed into six semisynthetic derivatives ( 9A‐9F ), and their antibacterial and synergy potential in combination with nalidixic acid (NAL) against E. coli strains CA8000 and DH5α were also evaluated. The IA 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 9 and the derivative 9F showed eightfold reduction in the MIC of NAL against the DH5 α and four‐ to eightfold reduction against CA8000. These alkaloids also reduced MIC of another antibiotic, tetracycline up to 8folds, against the MDREC‐KG4, a multidrug‐resistant clinical isolate of E. coli. Mode of action study of these alkaloids showed efflux pumps inhibitory potential, which was supported by their in silico binding affinity and downregulation of efflux pump genes. These results may be of great help in the development of cost‐effective antibacterial combinations for treating patients infected with multidrug‐resistant Gram‐negative infections.     

4‐Substituted‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine Derivatives: Design,Synthesis, Antitumor and EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitory Activity

Four series of some 4‐substituted‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine derivatives 5a – f , 6a – f , 8a – f , and 9a – f were designed to be screened for their antitumor activity. All compounds were evaluated against breast (MCF‐7) and lung (A‐549) cell lines. Six compounds 5a , 5b , 6b , 6e , 9e , and 9f displaying activity against both cell lines were further estimated for their EGFR‐TK inhibitory activity where they revealed 41–91% inhibition and compound 6b elicited the highest activity (91%). A docking study of these compounds into the ATP‐binding site of EGFR‐TK demonstrated their binding mode where H‐bonding interaction with Met793 through N¹ of pyrimidine or N² of pyrazole was observed.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2‐Mercapto‐1,3‐benzothiazole Derivatives with Potential Antimicrobial Activity

The enhancement of bacterial resistance of pathogens to currently available antibiotics constitutes a serious public health threat. So, intensive efforts are underway worldwide to develop new antimicrobial agents. To identify compounds with a potent antimicrobial profile, we designed and synthesized low molecular weight 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole derivatives 2a – 2l and 3a – 3l . Both series were screened for in‐vitro antibacterial activity against the representative panel of Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria strains. The biological screening identified compounds 2e and 2l as the most active ones showing an interesting antibacterial activity with MIC values of 3.12 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and 25 μg/mL against Escherichia coli, respectively. The replacement of the S‐H by the S‐Bn moiety resulted in considerable loss of the antibacterial action of the 3a – 3l series. The antibiotic action of compounds 2e and 2l was also investigated by testing their activity against some clinical isolates with different antimicrobial resistance profile. Moreover, the involvement of the NorA efflux pump in the antibacterial activity of our molecules was evaluated. Finally, in this paper, we also describe the cytotoxic activity of the most interesting compounds by MTS assay against HeLa and MRC‐5 cell lines.     

Synthesis and Antitubercular Activity of 2‐(substituted phenyl/benzyl‐amino)‐6‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐5‐(methoxycarbonyl)‐4‐methyl‐3,6‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium Chlorides

A series of 2‐(substituted phenyl/benzyl‐amino)‐6‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐5‐(methoxycarbonyl)‐4‐methyl‐3,6‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium chlorides 7–13 and 15 was synthesized in their hydrochloride salt form. The title compounds were characterized by FT‐IR, NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and elemental analysis. They were evaluated for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, multidrug resistance tuberculosis and extensively drug resistance tuberculosis by agar diffusion method and tested for the cytotoxic action on peripheral blood mononuclear cells by MTT assay. Among all the tested compounds in the series, compounds 7 and 11 emerged as promising antitubercular agents at 16 μg/mL against multidrug resistance tuberculosis and over 64 μg/mL against extensively drug resistance tuberculosis. The conformational features and supramolecular assembly of the promising compounds 7 and 11 were determined by single crystal X‐ray study.     

Efflux transport of nicotine,cotinine and trans‐3′‐hydroxycotinine glucuronides by human hepatic transporters

Nicotine is the addiction causing alkaloid in tobacco, and it is used in smoking cessation therapies. Although the metabolic pathways of nicotine are well known and mainly occur in the liver, the transport of nicotine and its metabolites is poorly characterized. The highly hydrophilic nature and urinary excretion of nicotine glucuronide metabolites indicate that hepatic basolateral efflux transporters mediate their excretion. We aimed here to find the transporters responsible for the hepatic excretion of nicotine, cotinine and trans‐3′‐hydroxycotinine (OH‐cotinine) glucuronides. To this end, we tested their transport by multidrug resistance‐associated proteins 1 (MRP1, ABCC1) and MRP3‐6 (ABCC3‐6), which are located on the basolateral membranes of hepatocytes, as well as MRP2 (ABCC2), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2) and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1, P‐gp, ABCB1) that are expressed in the apical membranes of these cells. ATP‐dependent transport of these glucuronides was evaluated in inside‐out membrane vesicles expressing the transporter of interest. In addition, potential interactions of both the glucuronides and parent compounds with selected transporters were tested by inhibition assays. Considerable ATP‐dependent transport was observed only for OH‐cotinine glucuronide by MRP3. The kinetics of this transport activity was characterized, resulting in an estimated K_m value of 895 µmol/L. No significant transport was found for nicotine or cotinine glucuronides by any of the tested transporters at either 5 or 50 µmol/L substrate concentration. Furthermore, neither nicotine, cotinine nor OH‐cotinine inhibited MRP2‐4, BCRP or MDR1. In this study, we directly examined, for the first time, efflux transport of the three hydrophilic nicotine glucuronide metabolites by the major human hepatic efflux transporters. Despite multiple transporters studied here, our results indicate that an unknown transporter may be responsible for the hepatic excretion of nicotine and cotinine glucuronides.     

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of a Novel Series of 2,3‐Diaryl‐substituted‐imidazo(2,1‐b)‐benzothiazole Derivatives

Benzothiazole and imidazole compounds are extensively studied heterocyclics due to their wide spectrum of bioactivities. Among them, the imidazo(2,1‐b)‐benzothiazole derivatives are pharmacologically important because of their immunostimulant, anti‐inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial, antitumor, and other activities. In the present research work, a novel series of 2,3‐diaryl‐substituted imidazo(2,1‐b)‐benzothiazoles 13a–o have been synthesized by reaction of substituted 2‐aminobenzothiazoles 1–8 and an appropriately substituted α‐bromo‐1‐(4′′‐substituted)‐phenyl‐2‐(4′‐substituted)‐phenyl‐1‐ethanones 9–12 in the presence of anhydrous acetonitrile. They were characterized by physicochemical, elemental, and spectral (IR, ¹H‐NMR, and Mass) data. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their in‐vitro antibacterial activity against Gram‐positive, Gram‐negative bacteria. The investigation of antibacterial screening data revealed that most of the compounds tested have demonstrated congruent activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as compared with the standard ampicillin. Among the series, compounds 13d , 13h , and 13m exhibited excellent an antibacterial activity profile as compared with the standard. In summary, preliminary results indicate that some of the newly synthesized title compounds exhibited promising antibacterial activities and they warrant more consideration as prospective antimicrobials.     

Design,synthesis, and biological evaluation of 1‐ethyl‐3‐(thiazol‐2‐yl)urea derivatives as Escherichia coli DNA gyrase inhibitors

Discovery of novel DNA gyrase B inhibitors remains an attractive field in the search for new antibacterial drugs to overcome the known bacterial resistance mechanisms. In the present study, we designed and synthesized novel ethylurea derivatives of 4,5,6,7‐tetrahydrobenzo[1,2‐d]thiazole‐2,6‐diamine, 2‐(2‐aminothiazol‐4‐yl)acetic acid, and benzo[1,2‐d]thiazole‐2,6‐diamine and evaluated their Escherichia coli DNA gyrase inhibition. The most potent DNA gyrase inhibitors in the prepared library of compounds were benzo[1,2‐d]thiazoles 32–34 , 36 , and 37 with IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar range. The most promising inhibitors identified were evaluated against selected Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacterial strains. Compound 33 showed a MIC of 50 μM against an E. coli efflux pump‐defective strain, which suggests that efflux decreases the on‐target concentrations of these compounds.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of new 2‐piperazin‐1‐yl‐N‐1,3‐thiazol‐2‐ylacetamides of cyclopenta[c]pyridines and pyrano[3,4‐c]pyridines

In this study, we report the synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some new disubstituted piperazines. Thus, 3‐chlorocyclopenta[c]pyridines and 6‐chloropyrano[3,4‐c]pyridine 1 under mild reaction conditions with piperazine gave the 3(6)‐piperazine‐substituted cyclopenta[c]pyridines and pyrano[3,4‐c]pyridine 2 . Furthermore, the latter, by alkylation with 2‐chloro‐N‐1,3‐thiazol‐2‐ylacetamide, led to the formation of the target compounds. The evaluation of the antibacterial activity revealed that 3k was the most potent compound. The most sensitive bacterium was found to be Listeria monocytogenes, whereas Staphylococcus aureus was the most resistant one. Three compounds, 3d , 3g , and 3k , were tested also against the following resistant strains: methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All three compounds appeared to be more potent than ampicillin against MRSA. Moreover, compound 3d showed a better activity than the reference drug ampicillin against P. aeruginosa, whereas 3g was more efficient against E. coli. The best antifungal activity was observed again for compound 3k . The most resistant fungi appeared to be Aspergillus fumigatus, whereas Trichoderma viride seemed the most sensitive one toward the compounds tested. Molecular docking studies on E. coli MurB, as well as on Candida albicans CYP51 and dihydrofolate reductase, were used for the prediction of the mechanisms of the antibacterial and antifungal activities, confirming the experimental results.     

Synthesis,In Vitro Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase Inhibition,and Herbicidal Activity of N‐(Benzothiazol‐5‐yl)hexahydro‐1H‐isoindole‐1,3‐diones and N‐(Benzothiazol‐5‐yl)hexahydro‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐ones

Protoporphyrinogen oxidase ( EC 1.3.3.4 ) is one of the most significant targets for a large family of herbicides. As part of our continuous efforts to search for novel protoporphyrinogen oxidase‐inhibiting herbicides, N‐(benzothiazol‐5‐yl)tetrahydroisoindole‐1,3‐dione was selected as a lead compound for structural optimization, leading to the syntheses of a series of novel N‐(benzothiazol‐5‐yl)hexahydro‐1H‐isoindole‐1,3‐diones ( 1a – o ) and N‐(benzothiazol‐5‐yl)hexahydro‐1H‐isoindol‐1‐ones ( 2a – i ). These newly prepared compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, ¹H NMR, and ESI‐MS, and the structures of 1h and 2h were further confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analyses. The bioassays indicated that some compounds displayed comparable or higher protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibition activities in comparison with the commercial control. Very promising, compound 2a , ethyl 2‐((6‐fluoro‐5‐(4,5,6,7‐tetrahydro‐1‐oxo‐1H‐isoindol‐2(3H)‐yl)benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐yl)‐sulfanyl)acetate, was recognized as the most potent candidate with K_i value of 0.0091 μm . Further greenhouse screening results demonstrated that some compounds exhibited good herbicidal activity against Chenopodium album at the dosage of 150 g/ha.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel FtsZ‐targeted 3‐arylalkoxy‐2,6‐difluorobenzamides as Potential Antimicrobial Agents

Novel series of 3‐O‐arylalkylbenzamide and 3‐O‐arylalkyl‐2,6‐difluorobenzamide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their on‐target activity and antibacterial activity. The results indicated that the 3‐O‐arylalkyl‐2,6‐difluorobenzamide derivatives possessed much better on‐target activity and antibacterial activity than the 3‐O‐arylalkylbenzamide derivatives. Among them, 3‐O‐chlorobenzyl derivative 36 was the most effective in antibacterial activity (0.5, 4, and 8 μg/mL) against Bacillus subtilis ATCC9372, methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213, and penicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus PR, while 3‐O‐methylbenzyl derivative 41 only exhibited the most potent activity (2 μg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923.     

Synthesis,molecular docking studies,and biological evaluation of novel alkyl bis(4‐amino‐5‐cyanopyrimidine) derivatives

A series of bis(4‐amino‐5‐cyano‐pyrimidines) was synthesized and evaluated as dual inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). To further explore the multifunctional properties of the new derivatives, their antioxidant and antibacterial activities were also tested. The results showed that most of these compounds could effectively inhibit AChE and BChE. Particularly, compound 7c exhibited the best AChE inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 5.72 ± 1.53 μM), whereas compound 7h was identified as the most potent BChE inhibitor (IC₅₀ = 12.19 ± 0.57 μM). Molecular modeling study revealed that compounds 7c, 7f , and 7b showed a higher inhibitory activity than that of galantamine against both AChE and BChE. Anticholinesterase activity of compounds 7h, 7b , and 7c was significant in vitro and in silico for both enzymes, since these compounds have hydrophobic rings (Br‐phenyl, dimethyl, and methoxyphenyl), which bind very well in both sites. In addition to cholinesterase inhibitory activities, these compounds showed different levels of antioxidant activities. Indeed, in the superoxide–dimethyl sulfoxide alkaline assay, compound 7j showed very high inhibition (IC₅₀ = 0.37 ± 0.28 μM). Also, compound 7l exhibited strong and good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Taking into account the results of biological evaluation, further modifications will be designed to increase potency on different targets. In this study, the obtained results can be a new starting point for further development of multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.     

Synthesis and In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of 7‐(3‐Alkoxyimino‐4‐methyl‐4‐methylaminopiperidin‐1‐yl)‐fluoroquinolone Derivatives

A series of novel 7‐(3‐alkoxyimino‐4‐methyl‐4‐methylaminopiperidin‐1‐yl)fluoroquinolone derivatives were designed, synthesized, and characterized by ¹H‐NMR, MS, and HRMS. These fluoroquinolones were evaluated for their in‐vitro antibacterial activity against representative Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative strains. Generally, all of the target compounds have considerable antibacterial activity against the tested forty strains, and exhibit exceptional potency in inhibiting the growth of methicillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) ATCC33591 (MICs: 0.06 to 2 μg/mL). In particular, compounds 14 , 19 , 28 , and 29 are fourfold more potent than ciprofloxacin against MSSA 08‐49. Compounds 23 , 26 , and 27 are twofold more potent than ciprofloxacin against MRSA ATCC33591 and MSSA ATCC29213. In addition, compound 14 exhibits excellent activity (MIC: 0.06 μg/mL) against Acinetobactes calcoaceticus, which is two‐ to 16‐fold more potent than the reference drugs gemifloxacin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin.     

Synthesis and Anti‐neuroinflammatory Activity of Lactone Benzoyl Hydrazine and 2‐nitro‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐Indole Derivatives as p38α MAPK Inhibitors

Inhibition of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) would allow significant modulation of the neuroinflammation condition associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inspired from the pharmacophore of natural NF‐κB and p38α MAPK inhibitor 5,6‐dehydrokawain and p38α MAPK inhibitors 1a, 1‐pyrazolyl‐3‐(4‐((2‐anilinopyrimidin‐4‐yl)oxy)napththalen‐1‐yl)ureas, and 1b , a class of indole–pyrimidinyl compounds which were patented respectively, we designed, de novo synthesized, and evaluated two kinds of novel series of lactone benzoyl hydrazine derivatives and 2‐nitro‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐indole derivatives in an effort to develop pharmacologically tractable agents to alleviate the progression of AD. Fourteen of the seventeen synthesized compounds exhibit significant inhibitory effect on the nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced microglia activation with IC₅₀ less than the control 5,6‐dehydrokawain. Notably, compound 27 , 6‐methoxy‐2‐nitro‐1‐(1H‐1, 2, 3‐triazol‐1‐yl)‐1H‐indole, with IC₅₀ values of 1.6  μ m can markedly inhibit p38 α MAPK and NO release in BV‐2 microglial cells. The molecular dynamic (MD) simulations demonstrate that compound 27 inhibits p38 α MAPK through binding to the Glu71 and Asp168 residues. Moreover, in vitro study shows that all compounds can easily cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and did not exhibit any acute cellular toxicity checked by MTT assay. These investigations provide promising chemical lead candidate as anti‐neuroinflammatory agents for AD.