Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of mutual prodrugs of aceclofenac with quercetin, vanillin and l-tryptophan as gastrosparing NSAIDS

Phytophenols as Promoieties for Prodrug Design

One lucrative method for overcoming challenges in drug discovery or for enhancing undesirable properties of already-approved medications is prodrug design. The goal of this review is to present researchers with a profile of naturally occurring Phytophenols as carriers that would be used for prodrug synthesis as well as their advantages. Phytophenols offer several advantages when used as promoieties as they also possess antioxidant and analgesic properties, they are obtained naturally and their safety profile is well established. Several phytophenols like menthol, thymol, eugenol, guaiacol, sesamol, vanillin, and umbelliferone are some of the phytophenols having several beneficial properties and are extensively employed in the field of food processing and medicine. In the current review, we have listed all types of promoieties that are used for prodrug synthesis and phytophenols are reviewed, which may help researchers to select phytophenols based on their need and suitability for drug candidates.

From lab to nature: Recent advancements in the journey of gastroprotective agents from medicinal chemistry to phytotherapy

Peptic ulcer, affecting 10 % of the global population, results from imbalances in gastric juice pH and diminished mucosal defences. Key underlying factors are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Helicobacter pylori infection, undermining mucosal resistance. Traditional treatments like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2 (H2) receptor antagonists exhibit drawbacks such as adverse effects, relapses, and drug interactions. This review extensively explores the ethnomedicinal, synthetic and pharmacological facets of various potential peptic ulcer treatments. Rigorous methodologies involving electronic databases, and chemical structure verification via 'PubChem' and 'SciFinder' enhance the review's credibility. The provided information, spanning medicinal insights to intricate pharmacological mechanisms, establishes a robust groundwork for future research and the development of plant-derived or synthetic molecules for peptic ulcers, offering a promising alternative to conventional therapies.

Insights into Prospects of Novel NSAID Prodrugs in the Management of Gastrointestinal Toxicity: A Perspective Review

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a long history in the healthcare system due to their therapeutic potential. These NSAIDs cause ulcerogenicity, stomach pains, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, mucosa bleeding, and pancreatitis when used moderately and consistently. With researchers, managing the aforementioned adverse effects therapeutically is getting increasingly difficult. One method for creating NSAID moieties with low penetration as well as ulcerogenic properties is the prodrug technique. During the oral consumption of NSAID-prodrugs, ulcerations, intestinal hemorrhage, and mucosa hemorrhage have significantly decreased. Considering this background, this review focussed on NSAID prodrugs as well as their justifications, the pathogenesis of NSAIDs inducing gastrointestinal toxicity, and the role of different antioxidants and spacer groups. Prodrug moieties have more advantages over parent medicines concerning both solubility and lipophilicity. In general, NSAID-class prodrugs can successfully treat both acute and long-term inflammation and aches without causing ulcerotoxicity and related gastrointestinal side effects, which reduces their burden from the pharmacoeconomic perspective.

Quercetin derivatives: Drug design, development, and biological activities, a review

More studies are needed to develop new drugs for problems associated with drug resistance and unfavorable side effects. The natural flavonoid of quercetin revealed a wide range of biological activities by the modulation of various targets and signaling pathways. However, quercetin's low solubility and poor bioavailability have restricted its applicability; as a result, researchers have attempted to design and synthesize numerous novel quercetin derivatives using various methodologies in order to modify quercetin's constraints; the physico-chemical properties of quercetin's molecular scaffold make it appealing for drug development; low molecular mass and chemical groups are two of these characteristics. Therefore, the biological activities of quercetin derivatives, as well as the relationship between activity and chemical structure and their mechanism of action, were investigated. These quercetin-based molecules could be valuable in the creation and discovery of medications for a number of diseases.

Nitrogen-containing derivatives of O-tetramethylquercetin: Synthesis and biological profiles in prostate cancer cell models

Forty-eight nitrogen-containing quercetin derivatives were synthesized from readily available rutin or quercetin for the in vitro evaluation of their biological profiles. The WST-1 cell proliferation assay data indicate that thirty-nine out of the forty-eight derivatives possess significantly improved antiproliferative potency as compared with quercetin and fisetin, as well as the parent 3,3',4',7-O-tetramethylquercetin toward both androgen-sensitive (LNCaP) and androgen-insensitive (PC-3 and DU145) human prostate cancer cell lines. 5-O-Aminoalkyl-3,3',4',7-O-tetramethylquercetins were established as a better scaffold for further development as anti-prostate cancer agents. Among them, 5-O-(N,N-dibutylamino)propyl-3,3',4',7-O-tetramethylquercetin (44) was identified as the optimal derivative with IC₅₀ values of 0.55-2.82 µM, being over 35-182 times more potent than quercetin. The flow cytometry-based assays further demonstrate that 44 effectively activates PC-3 cell apoptosis.

Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of Acrylate-Based Gastrosparing NSAID Prodrugs

Dexibuprofen and aceclofenac are well-known NSAID molecules, their oral use leads to gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. To circumvent that GI toxicity, the prodrug approach is a better alternative. Hence, this research was undertaken to synthesize prodrugs of dexibuprofen and aceclofenac using acrylic polymers with degradable ester bonds. Dexibuprofen was linked to 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate by an activated ester technique. The resulting material was copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate (in 1:3 mole ratios) by the free radical polymerization method, utilizing azoisobutyronitrile at 65-70°C. Similarly aceclofenac was also processed. The resulting prodrugs were characterized by IR, NMR, and elemental analysis. The synthesized prodrugs possess optimal physicochemical characteristics such as the intended molecular weight, lipophilicity, partition coefficient, and protein binding. The drug release on hydrolysis was studied in various fluids such as SGF (pH 1.2), SIF (pH 7.4), and SCF (pH 6.8), to establish the drug release kinetics. Pharmacological evaluation exhibited anti-inflammatory activity with remarkable reduction in ulcerogenicity compared to the parent drug. Under the conditions used, the prodrugs showed no antigenicity in Wistar rats. Thus, it was concluded that acrylic-based prodrugs were efficient in drug localization in the stomach, without gastric problems.