Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel γ-carboline ketones as anticancer agents

A series of novel γ-carboline ketones were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic activity in vitro against six human cancer cell lines (A549, SGC, HCT116, MCF-7, K562 and K562R). Biological evaluation revealed that almost all of the new compounds displayed moderate to potent cytotoxic activities against the tested cells. Among them, seven of the fourteen new compounds show more potent cytotoxic activities against K562R cell line than that of the positive control, taxol. Primary mechanism research on the most potent compound 6f indicated that it was a potent tubulin polymerization inhibitor, with IC₅₀ value of 4.3 μM, equivalent to that of CA-4, and arresting cell cycle in G₂/M phase.     

Synthesis and anticancer activity of 4β-alkylamidochalcone and 4β-cinnamido linked podophyllotoxins as apoptotic inducing agents

A series of 4β-alkylamidochalcone and 4β-cinnamido linked podophyllotoxin congeners have been synthesized. All the twenty nine compounds were evaluated for anticancer activity against five human cancer cell lines (A-549, A375, MCF-7, HT-29 and ACHN). Some of the synthesized compounds showed good anticancer activity that is comparable to etoposide. The IC(50) of compounds 17a and 17f is 2.7 and 2.1?μM respectively against A-549 cancer cell line. Flow cytometric analysis showed that these two compounds arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase leading to caspase-3 dependent apoptotic cell death. Further, Hoechst 33258 staining and DNA fragmentation assay also suggested that 17a and 17f induced cell death by apoptosis.     

Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of some 16β-azolyl-3β-amino-5α-androstane derivatives as potential anticancer agents

A series of new 16β-azolyl-3β-amino-5α-androstane derivatives were synthesized and characterized. The new compounds were screened for their anticancer activity against the human cancer cell lines SW480, A549, HepG2, HeLa and SiHa in vitro using the MTT assay. The results of the in vitro study showed that a number of compounds have shown IC₅₀ values lower than 20 μM against the five cancer cell lines.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1-substituted-3(5)-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(quinoxalin-6-yl)pyrazoles as transforming growth factor-β type 1 receptor kinase inhibitors

A series of 1-substituted-3(5)-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(quinoxalin-6-yl)pyrazoles 14a-d, 15a-d, 17a, 17b, 18a-d, 19a, and 19b has been synthesized and evaluated for their ALK5 inhibitory activity in an enzyme assay and in a cell-based luciferase reporter assay. The 2-[3-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(quinoxalin-6-yl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-N-phenylethanethioamide (18a) inhibited ALK5 phosphorylation with an IC₅₀ value of 0.013 μM and showed 80% inhibition at 0.1 μM in a luciferase reporter assay using HaCaT cells permanently transfected with p3TP-luc reporter construct.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of the glycoside (25R)-3β,16β-diacetoxy-22-oxocholest-5-en-26-yl β-d-glucopyranoside: a selective anticancer agent in cervicouterine cell lines

The synthesis and biological evaluation of the new cholestane glycoside (25R)-3β,16β-diacetoxy-22-oxocholest-5-en-26-yl β-d-glucopyranoside starting from diosgenin is described. This compound showed selective antiproliferative activity against CaSki, ViBo, and HeLa cervicouterine cancer cells. Its effect on the cell-cycle was determined. The cytotoxic effects of the title compound on cervicouterine cancer cell lines and human lymphocytes indicate that the main cell death process is not necrosis; hence it is not cytotoxic. The title compound induced apoptosis in cervicouterine cancer cells. Importantly, the antiproliferative activity on tumor cells did not affect the proliferative potential of peripheral blood lymphocytes. The title compound showed selective antitumor activity and greater antiproliferative activity than its aglycon, and therefore serves as a promising lead candidate for further optimization.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new 4β-anilino-4'-O-demethyl-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives as potential antitumor agents

A series of new 4β-anilino-4′-O-demethyl-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their cytotoxicities against four human cancer cell lines including KB, KB/VCR, A549 and 95D. Most compounds showed better growth-inhibition activities against tested cell lines than that of etoposide (VP-16). Preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) were concluded and it indicated that the side chains substituted at 4β position of podophyllotoxin significantly influenced the cytotoxic activity, especially for the drug resistance profile. In vivo studies of compound 26c on highly metastatic human lung cancer xenograft in nude mice showed that it can significantly inhibit tumor growth with administrating by oral route.     

HIF-1α inhibitors: synthesis and biological evaluation of novel moracin O and P analogues

The natural products moracins O and P exhibited potent in vitro inhibitory activity against hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1), which is a key mediator during adaptation of cancer cells to tumour hypoxia. Systematic variations of the structures of benzofuran type moracins were made and structure-activity relationship analysis showed the importance of the 2-arylbenzofuran ring and the (R)-configuration of the core scaffold. Further evaluation of the representative compound 5 showed its inhibitory effect on HIF-1α protein accumulation and target gene expression under hypoxia.     

Synthesis of 4β-triazole-podophyllotoxin derivatives by azide-alkyne cycloaddition and biological evaluation as potential antitumor agents

A representative synthetic process of derivatizing the natural product podophyllotoxin utilizing the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) is described including molecular design, reaction optimization and X-ray structure confirmation. Evaluation of cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines (Hela, K562 and K562/A02) using MTT assay proves that these triazole derivatives have good antitumor activities. High activities toward the drug resistant K562/A02 cell line reveal promising future for these derivatives. The rarely prepared 1,5-disubstituted triazole isomers, which would be omitted by the "click chemistry", were found to have superior cytotoxicities to that of the 1,4-disubstituted isomers.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of (±)-3-(2-(2-fluorobenzyloxy) naphthalen-6-yl)-2-aminopropanoic acid derivatives as novel PTP1B inhibitors

A series of novel nonphosphonate-based pTyr mimetics comprised (±)-3-(2-(2-fluorobenzyloxy)naphthalen-6-yl)-2-aminopropanoic acid derivatives were identified as reversible and competitive PTP1B inhibitors via a structure-based design approach. Among the compounds studied, 12h was found to have the best in vitro inhibition activity against PTP1B (IC₅₀ = 1.25 ± 0.24 μM) and the best selectivity (3-fold) between PTP1B and TCPTP. These results should provide suitable druglike lead compounds for the design of inhibitors of PTP1B as well as other PTPs.     

Development of a novel furocoumarin derivative inhibiting NF-κB dependent biological functions: design, synthesis and biological effects

Nuclear Factor kappaB (NF-κB) plays a very important role in the control of gene expression and is deeply involved in several human pathologies. Accordingly, molecules targeting NF-κB dependent biological functions are considered of great interest. Virtual screening of furocoumarin libraries against NF-κB p50 allowed to rank compounds in respect to their expected ability to bind NF-κB and the identified compound might be considered for the development of analogs to be tested for biological activity on inhibition of NF-κB/DNA complex formation. The data reported in the present paper suggest that, following this approach, the best ranked compounds identified by virtual screening (a) strongly bind in silico to NF-κB and (b) efficiently inhibit the molecular interactions between ³²P-labeled NF-κB double stranded DNA and p50 or p50/p65 complex. These data allowed to develop a novel lead of great interest for inhibiting NF-κB dependent biological functions. This novel molecule (compound 2), bearing a methyl group in the 9 position of the psoralen nucleus, exhibits high efficiency in inhibiting NF-κB/DNA interactions. In addition, we found that compound 2 is a potent inhibitor of IL-8 gene expression in TNF-α treated IB3-1 cystic fibrosis cells. Taken together, our data indicate that compound 2 might find an important place in the set of molecules of interest for the development of pharmaceutical strategies against the inflammatory phenotype of cystic fibrosis.     

A class of oral N-[(1S,3S)-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carbonyl]- N'-(amino-acid-acyl)hydrazine: discovery, synthesis, in vitro anti-platelet aggregation/in vivo anti-thrombotic evaluation and 3D QSAR analysis

The in vivo anti-thrombotic activities of amino acid modified tetrahydro-β-carbolines depended upon the proximity of the side chain of the amino acid residue to the carboline-cycle. Based on this proximity the computerized screening of various tetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives was performed and N-[(1S,3S)-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carbonyl]-N′-(amino-acid-acyl)hydrazines were explored having large proximity. The in vivo anti-thrombotic assays explored that at a dose of 10 nmol/kg eighteen novel N-[(1S,3S)-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carbonyl]-N′-(amino-acid-acyl)hydrazines were orally efficacious.     

Synthesis and evaluation of aroylthiourea derivatives of 4-β-amino-4'-O-demethyl-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin as novel topoisomerase II inhibitors

A novel series of aroylthiourea derivatives of 4-β-amino-4′-O-demethyl-4-desoxy- podophyllotoxin were synthesized. Their cytotoxicities against three cancer cell lines were investigated by MTT assay. The kDNA decatenation assay indicated that compounds 5a, 5f, 5h and 5l inhibited topoisomerase II-mediated kDNA decatenation. DNA flow cytometric analysis revealed that compound 5a induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in HCT-116 cell line.     

Synthesis, antitumor and antimicrobial activities of 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-cyano-2-(β-O-glycosyloxy)-6-(thien-2-yl)-nicotinonitrile

4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-3-cyano-6-(thien-2-yl)-1H-pyridin-2-one (2) was obtained by reaction of 2-acetyl thiophene with 4-chlorobenzaldehyde and ethyl cyanoacetate in presence of ammonium acetate or by the reaction of α,β-unsaturated compound 1 with ethyl cyanoacetate in the presence of ammonium acetate. 4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-2-(2′,3′,4′,6′-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-gluco/galactopyranosyloxy)-6-(thien-2-yl)nicotinonitrile (5a and 5b), riboside 11, xyloside 12 and lactoside 16 were prepared by the reaction of 2 with glycosyl/galactosyl/xylosyl/lactosyl bromide and peracetylated xylose/ribose under the conventional and microwave irradiation methods. The reaction has regioselectively gave the O-glycosides and not the N-glycosides. The glycosides 5a,b, riboside 11, xyloside 12 and lactoside 16 were deacetylated in the presence of Et₃N/MeOH and few drops of water to give 7a,b, 13, 14 and 17. The structure of the new synthesized compounds was confirmed by using IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectra and microanalysis. Selected members of these compounds were screened for antitumor and antibacterial activity.     

Structure-based design and biological profile of (E)-N-(4-Nitrobenzylidene)-2-naphthohydrazide, a novel small molecule inhibitor of IκB kinase-β

In this study, we describe the rational design, molecular modeling and pharmacological profile of a novel IKK-β inhibitor (E)-N-(4-nitrobenzylidene)-2-naphthohydrazide (LASSBio-1524). The design based on the IKK-β active site, and a privileged structure template yielded a novel IKK-β inhibitor scaffold with significant selectivity over IKK-α and CHK2, as assessed by an in vitro kinase assay. For a better understanding of the structural requirements of IKK-β inhibition, molecular dynamics simulations of LASSBio-1524 (3) were performed. The NAH derivative LASSBio-1524 (3), was able to suppress arachidonic acid-induced edema formation in a dose-dependent manner, demonstrating an in vivo anti-inflammatory effect. The molecular architecture of this novel, low-molecular weight IKK-β inhibitor is encouraging for further lead optimization toward the development of innovative anti-inflammatory drug candidates.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 2-arylamino-3-(arylsulfonyl)quinoxalines as PI3Kα inhibitors

A series of novel 2-arylamino-3-(arylsulfonyl)quinoxalines was synthesized through a newly developed approach. All synthesized target compounds were screened for their cytotoxicities against cancer cell lines including PC3, A549, HCT116, HL60 and KB. Representative compounds with favorable cytotoxicities were tested for their PI3Kα inhibitory activities. Among the synthesized target compounds, 17 (PI3Kα IC₅₀: 0.07 μM) displayed the most potent cellular activities (IC₅₀ values of 0.14 μM, 0.07 μM, 0.95 μM and 0.05 μM against PC3, A549, HCT116 and HL 60, respectively).     

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking study of 3-(3'-heteroatom substituted-2'-hydroxy-1'-propyloxy) xanthone analogues as novel topoisomerase IIα catalytic inhibitor

Epoxide ring-opened xanthone derivatives were synthesized and tested for their topoisomerase inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity. Most of the compounds showed topo IIα specific inhibitory activity. To clarify the mechanism of action of these compounds, the most potent compound (compound 14) of the synthesized analogues was further studied by testing its ATPase inhibitory activity and through molecular docking experiments. The results showed that the topo IIα inhibitory activity of compound 14 was inversely proportional to ATP concentration. In the ATPase inhibitory test, ATP hydrolysis was reduced less efficiently by compound 14 (28.5±4.6%) than novobiocin (60.4±8.1%). Molecular docking study revealed compound 14 to have a stable binding pattern to the ATP-binding domain of human topo II.     

A class of novel N-(1-methyl-β-carboline-3-carbonyl)-N'-(aminoacid-acyl)-hydrazines: aromatization leaded design, synthesis, in vitro anti-platelet aggregation/in vivo anti-thrombotic evaluation and 3D QSAR analysis

High anti-thrombotic activity of aminoacid modified tetrahydro-β-carbolines was generally correlated with a small proximity of the side chain of the aminoacid residue to the carboline-cycle. This paper explored that the aromatization of the tetrahydro-β-carboline-cycle of N-(1-methyl-β-tetrahydrocarboline-3-carbonyl)-N′-(aminoacid-acyl)-hydrazines leaded to N-(1-methyl-β-carboline-3-carbonyl)-N′-(aminoacid-acyl)-hydrazines and decreased the proximity of the side chain of the aminoacid residue to the carboline-cycle. The in vitro activities of inhibiting pig platelet aggregation induced by PAF, ADP, and AA, as well as the in vivo anti-thrombotic activities of inhibiting rat thrombosis of these aromatized derivatives were generally higher than that of N-(1-methyl-β-tetrahydrocarboline-3-carbonyl)-N′-(aminoacid-acyl)-hydrazines. The understanding was also obtained from the 3D QSAR analysis.     

Synthesis, biopharmaceutical characterization, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of 1-(4'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy-2'-hydroxyphenyl)-3-aryl-propane-1,3-diones

This research communication is toward the investigation of the antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities of the synthesized compounds 1-(4′-O-β-d-glucopyranosyloxy-2′-hydroxyphenyl)-3-aryl-propane-1,3-diones (5a)-(5h). These compounds have been obtained by the interaction of α-acetobromoglucose with 1-(2′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-aryl-propane-1,3-diones (3a)-(3h) under anhydrous condition and at lower temperature. The structures of these newly synthesized O-β-d-glucopyranosides were established on the basis of chemical, elemental, and spectral analyses. Further, the compounds (5b), (5c), (5d) and (5g) showed potent antibacterial and antifungal activity. A good correlation was obtained between the theoretical predictions of bioavailability using Lipinski’s rule-of-five and experimental verification.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of dl-N-methyl-3-phenyl-3-[(α,α,α-trifluoro-p-tolyl)oxy]propylamine in pharmaceuticals and chitosan solution

A spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of d,l-N-methyl-3-phenyl-3-[(α,α,α-trifluoro-p-tolyl)oxy]propylamine, fluoxetine (F), in pharmaceuticals was evaluated in the 50.0–500.0 μg ml^{? 1} range. Linearity, sensibility, quantification and detection limit, and precision values are satisfactory. The method does not need pre-treatment and was successfully applied to the determination in pharmaceuticals and chitosan (Ch) solution. Ch has an ability to carry and absorb fat and may eventually be used together with F in slimming diets, and then interactions of Ch–F may occur. This work seeks to study these interactions by monitoring the photophysics of a drug in the presence of Ch. The results warn about the care that must be taken when both compounds are prescribed together.