Design, Hemiysnthesis, crystal structure and anticancer activity of 1, 2, 3-triazoles derivatives of totarol

New 2-indolinone-indole hybrid compounds carrying a benzoyl moiety as tyrosine kinase inhibitors

In this study, new 2-indolinone-indole hybrid compounds (4a-s) carrying a benzoyl moiety were synthesized and their cytotoxic effects were examined against pancreatic (MIA-PaCa-2) and colon (HT-29 and HCT-116) cancer cells by MTT assays. Most of the tested compounds exhibited a better inhibitory activity and safety profile than the reference standard sunitinib malate against MIA-PaCa-2 and HCT-116 cancer cells. Compound 4e displayed the greatest cytotoxic effect on HCT-116 cell with an IC50 value of 0.16 µM and a remarkable selectivity profile (SI > 625). Compound 4g exhibited a selective activity against HCT-116 cancer cell (IC50 = 0.34 µM), with no activity against the other cells at the highest concentrations tested. Compound 4b demonstrated a potent inhibitory activity against MIA-PaCa-2 cell (IC50 = 0.54 µM). General tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) activities and apoptotic effects were examined for compounds 4b, 4e and 4g. The tested compounds were observed to significantly reduce general TK activities in HCT-116 cell and induce apoptosis in HCT-116 and MIA-PaCa-2 cells. Lead compound 4e, the most effective general TKI, was determined to have a specific SRC kinase inhibitor effect in HCT-116 cell and the molecular modelling studies were performed to understand the potential binding mode at the ATP-binding domain of SRC kinase.

Design, Hemisynthesis, Characterization, Molecular Docking, and Dynamics Evaluation of Novel Totarol-1,2,3-Triazole Derivatives as Leishmaniasis and Toxoplasmosis Agents

Tropical parasitic diseases like leishmaniasis pose significant public health challenges, impacting millions of individuals globally. Current drug treatments for these diseases have notable drawbacks and side effects, underscoring the pressing need for new medications with improved selectivity and reduced toxicity. Through structural modifications of both natural and synthetic compounds using click chemistry, researchers have been able to produce derivatives showing promising activity against these parasites. In this study, 21 novel 1,2,3-triazole analogues of totarol were synthesized using O-propargylated totarol derivatives and substituted arylazide. These compounds were characterized through various analytical techniques, including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. An x-ray crystallographic study of compounds 4 and 6 was carried out to fully establish the structure of the newly prepared totarol derivatives. All synthesized compounds were then screened in vitro for their antileishmanial activities against Leishmania major promastigotes, amastigotes, and Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites Out of the tested analogues, six compounds (7c, 8b-e, and 9 g) displayed antileishmanial activity against L. major amastigotes with IC50 17.3, 14.2, 13.1 18.2 13.2 and 17.3 μg mL-1 respectively, while only 8e gave antileishmanial activity against both promastigotes and amastigotes with IC50 11.7 and 13.2 μg mL-1 respectively. Additionally, the presence of a nitro group was correlated with enhanced antileishmanial activity. Moreover, a molecular docking study was conducted, focusing on 8e, the most active antileishmanial compound, to elucidate its putative binding pattern at the active site of the selected leishmanial trypanothione reductase target.

An updated review on 1,2,3-/1,2,4-triazoles: synthesis and diverse range of biological potential

The synthesis of triazoles has attracted a lot of interest in the field of organic chemistry because of its versatile chemical characteristics and possible biological uses. This review offers an extensive overview of the different pathways used in the production of triazoles. A detailed analysis of recent research indicates that triazole compounds have a potential range of pharmacological activities, including the ability to inhibit enzymes, and have antibacterial, anticancer, and antifungal activities. The integration of computational and experimental methods provides a thorough understanding of the structure-activity connection, promoting sensible drug design and optimization. By including triazoles as essential components in drug discovery, researchers can further explore and innovate in the synthesis, biological assessment, and computational studies of triazoles as drugs, exploring the potential therapeutic significance of triazoles.

Novel Bis-1,2,3-triazole-thiazolidinone hybrid as anticancer agents that induce apoptosis and molecular modeling study

Aim: A series of (R)-Carvone-based 1,2,3-triazole-thiazolidinone 17a-h hybrids were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques NMR and HRMS. The chemical reactivity and the stability parameters were observed via DFT.Method/results: The objective was to evaluate the anticancer activity of the synthesized compounds against cancer cell lines. The mechanism of action by which the 17b and 17g exert their effect suggested that they may induce apoptosis through activation of caspase-3/7. This effect was observed against the most important NIMA-related kinases via Docking investigation. The designed compounds were identified as the best inhibitors of the NEK family via the inactivation of the caspase-3. The Docking results were supported by Dynamics where the binding energies justified the medicinal importance of the synthesized derivatives.

Discovery of a new Bcl-2 inhibitor through synthesis, anticancer activity, docking and MD simulations

A database of 300 compounds was virtually screened and docked against Bcl-2 protein; the stability of the best-formed complex was evaluated through Molecular dynamics, the top ten compounds with the best in-silico complexation affinities were synthesized, and their In-vitro cytotoxic activity was examined. Thiazolidinone (4e) and isoxazoline (4a-d) were evaluated in-silico. For further evaluation and examination, we designed and synthesized from naturally occurring (R)-carvone and characterized it via spectroscopic analysis, as well as tested for their anticancer activities towards human cancer cell lines such as HT-1080 (fibrosarcome cancer), MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) and A-549 (lung cancer) by using MTT method with Doxorubicin as standard drug. Among them, compound 4d showed the most promising anticancer activity against HT-1080, A-549, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values of 15.59 ± 3.21 µM; 18.32 ± 2.73 µM; 17.28 ± 0.33 µM and 19.27 ± 2.73 µM respectively.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The anti-breast cancer therapeutic potential of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids

Breast cancer, as one of the most common invasive malignancies and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women globally, poses a significant challenge in the world health system. Substantial advances in diagnosis and treatment have significantly improved the survival rate of breast cancer patients, but the number of incidences and deaths of breast cancer are projected to increase by 40% and 50%, respectively, by 2040. Chemotherapy is one of the principal treatments for breast cancer therapy, but multidrug resistance and severe side effects remain the major obstacles to the success of treatment. Hence, there is a vital need to develop novel chemotherapeutic agents to combat this deadly disease. 1,2,3-Triazole, which can be effectively constructed by click chemistry, not only can serve as a linker to connect different anti-breast cancer pharmacophores but also is a valuable pharmacophore with anti-breast cancer potential and favorable properties such as hydrogen bonding, moderate dipole moment, and enhanced water solubility. Particularly, 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids have demonstrated promising in vitro and in vivo anti-breast cancer potential against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant forms and possessed excellent selectivity by targeting different biological pathways associated with breast cancer, representing privileged scaffolds for the discovery of novel anti-breast cancer candidates. This review concentrates on the latest advancements of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids with anti-breast cancer potential, including work published between 2020 and the present. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) and mechanisms of action are also reviewed to shed light on the development of more effective and multitargeted candidates.

Cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of some (R)-carvone-isoxazoline derivatives on human fibrosarcoma and carcinoma cells: experimental evaluation for cytotoxicity, molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies

This study aimed to analyze the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of isoxazoline derivatives with monoterpene scaffold 9a-e in HT-1080 fibrosarcoma, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma, and A-549 lung carcinoma. The cytotoxic effects data revealed that compounds 9a-e generally induced significant cell growth inhibition in all cell lines, with IC₅₀ ranging from 10 to 30 µM. However, for compounds 9c and 9e, the IC₅₀ reached a value of 100 µM in HT-1080 cells. Compounds 9a, 9b, and 9d could induce apoptosis in HT-1080 cells as demonstrated by Annexin-V labeling and Caspase-3/7 activity. The apoptotic effect was accompanied by cell cycle arrest in the S phase. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics confirmed the empirical assay results and confirmed the stability of the complex with the inhibition of the anti-apoptotic protein, leading to cancer cell death. Overall, these data suggest that the proposed isoxazoline derivatives may be potential candidates for further investigation to evaluate their efficacy and optimal use in cancer treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Hybrids of thiazolidinone with 1,2,3-triazole derivatives: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, in silico studies, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and ADMET profiling

A new series of thiazolidinone linked 1,2,3-triazole hybrids 5a-h was designed and synthesized using the copper-catalyzed Huisgen azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) between thiazolidinone linked alkyne and aromatic azides. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were established by NMR (1H and 13C) and HRMS. The targeted thiazolidinone-1,2,3-triazole hybrids were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines, including fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), lung carcinoma (A-549), and breast carcinoma (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliun bromide (MTT). The obtained data showed that most of these compounds have moderate anti-proliferative activity with IC50 values between 10.26 ± 0.71 and 53.93 ± 1.20 μM. The compound 5a exhibited higher activity with an IC50 value of 10.26 ± 0.71 µM, compared to 5d with an IC50 value of 11.56 ± 1.98 µM for the HT-1080 and MCF-7 cancer cells line, respectively. Moreover, Annexin-V apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry for hybrid compounds 5a and 5d against HT-1080 and MCF-7 competitor cell lines, as they increase the level of active caspase 3/7. The experimental results were further confirmed by docking studies followed by molecular dynamic simulations. Both the potent derivatives i.e. 5a and 5d have comparable docking scores and MD simulations results showed that the docked complex of 5a is somewhat more stable than 5d primarily for protein p53. The ADMET profile of both derivatives established their safety zone and drug-like potential.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis of Novel Ferrocene-Benzofuran Hybrids via Palladium- and Copper-Catalyzed Reactions

The combination of the ferrocene skeleton with pharmacophores often leads to molecules with interesting biological properties. Five ferrocene-benzofuran hybrids of different structures were synthesized by transition metal catalyzed reactions. The efficiency of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic methods was tested. The products were characterized using 1H, 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopy, HRMS and cyclic voltammetry. The structure of one of the new compounds was also proved with X-ray crystallography. The new hybrids showed moderate cytotoxicity on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. It is remarkable that the less curable MDA-MB-231 cell line was more sensitive to treatment with three ferrocene derivatives.

Synthesis, characterization, molecular docking, and anticancer activities of new 1,3,4-oxadiazole-5-fluorocytosine hybrid derivatives

Analogs of pyrimidine and 1,3,4-oxadiazole are two well established class of molecules proven as potent antiviral and anticancer agents in the pharmaceutical industry. We envisioned designing new molecules where these two heterocycles were conjugated with the goal of enhancing biological activity. In this vein, we synthesized a series of novel pyrimidine-1,3,4-oxadiazole conjugated hybrid molecules as potential anticancer and antiviral agents. Herein, we present a new design for 5-fluorocytosine-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids (5a-h) connected via a methylene bridge. An efficient synthesis of new derivatives was established, and all compounds were fully characterized by NMR and MS. Eight compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), breast (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), lung carcinoma (A-549), and for their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Among all compounds tested, the compound 5e showed marked growth inhibition against all cell lines tested, particularly in HT-1080, with IC50 values of 19.56 µM. Meanwhile, all tested compounds showed no anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, with EC50 >100 µM. The mechanism of cell death was investigated using Annexin V staining, caspase-3/7 activity, and analysis of cell cycle progression. The compound 5e induced apoptosis by the activation of caspase-3/7 and cell-cycle arrest in HT-1080 and A-549 cells at the G2M phase. The molecular docking suggested that the compound 5e activated caspase-3 via the formation of a stable complex protein-ligand.

Study on the synthesis and structure-activity relationship of 1,2,3-triazoles against toxic activities of Bothrops jararaca venom

Snakebite envenoming is a health concern and has been a neglected tropical disease since 2017, according to the World Health Organization. In this study, we evaluated the ability of ten 1,2,3-triazole derivatives AM001 to AM010 to inhibit pertinent in vitro (coagulant, hemolytic, and proteolytic) and in vivo (hemorrhagic, edematogenic, and lethal) activities of Bothrops jararaca venom. The derivatives were synthesized, and had their molecular structures fully characterized by CHN element analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and Nuclear magnetic resonance. The derivatives were incubated with the B. jararaca venom (incubation protocol) or administered before (prevention protocol) or after (treatment protocol) the injection of B. jararaca venom into the animals. Briefly, the derivatives were able to inhibit the main toxic effects triggered by B. jararaca venom, though with varying efficacies, and they were devoid of toxicity through in vivo, in silico or in vitro analyses. However, it seemed that the derivatives AM006 or AM010 inhibited more efficiently hemorrhage or lethality, respectively. The derivatives were nontoxic. Therefore, the 1,2,3-triazole derivatives may be useful as an adjuvant to more efficiently treat the local toxic effects caused by B. jararaca envenoming.

New 1,3,4-thiadiazoles derivatives: synthesis, antiproliferative activity, molecular docking and molecular dynamics

Aim: A series of 1,3,4-thiadiazole himachalene hybrids were prepared from the treatment of a himachalen-4-one thiosemicarbazone derivative with N-aryl-C-ethoxycarbonyl-nitrilimines and diarylnitrilimines via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Materials & methods: The structures were confirmed by NMR, IR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS). Results & conclusion: The newly synthesized hybrid compounds were tested for their in vitro antitumor activities against a panel of cancer cell lines including fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), lung carcinoma (A-549) and breast carcinoma (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Among the tested products, 4a showed excellent activity against the HT-1080 and MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 values of 11.18 ± 0.69 and 12.38 ± 0.63 μm, comparable to that of the reference drug. Docking results confirmed that the active inhibitors were well accumulated in the mushroom tyrosinase active site. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that hybrid 4a induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. Molecular modeling studies affirmed the intercalative binding of compound 4a in the active site.

Novel hydrazono-2-iminothiazolidin-4-ones based on a monoterpenic skelton as potential antitumor agents: Synthesis, DFT studies, in vitro cytotoxicity, apoptosis inducing properties and molecular docking

A new series of analogs-2-imino-4-thiazolidinone hybrid derivatives were synthesized by treatment of limonaketone-thiosemicarbazone derivatives with ethyl bromoacetate and dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) as the cyclizing reagents. The new derivatives were characterized by HRMS, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy techniques and one of them is characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The newly synthesized products were biologically evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines including fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), lung carcinoma (A549), and breast carcinoma (MCF-7). Data showed that compounds 9 and 10 were the most active against HT-1080 cancer cell lines with the IC 50 values of 15.85±1.75 and16.13±1.55µM, respectively. The possible mechanism of apoptosis induction by the derivatives was investigated using Annexin V staining, caspase-3/7 activity and cell cycle analysis. Compound 10 was highly induced apoptosis through caspase-3/7 activation and S-phase arrest in HT-1080, while compound 9 showed a moderate induction of apoptosis through G0/G1-phase arrest in the same cell line. The molecular docking showed that compounds 9 and 10 activated the caspase-3 by forming a stable protein-ligand complex. Besides, the presence of phenyl moiety in ligand 10 is responsible for the enhancement of the caspase-3 activation by the apparition of two additional hydrogen bonds with Cys163 and Gln161amino acids.

Novel isoxazoline-linked 1,3,4-thiadiazole hybrids as anticancer agents: Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation

In the current study, natural (R)-carvone was utilized as a starting material for the efficient synthesis of two series of isoxazoline derivatives bearing the 1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety. The new compounds were obtained in good yields and were characterized by ¹ H and ¹³ C NMR and HRMS analysis. The newly synthesized monoterpenic isoxazoline 1,3,4-thiadiazole and their thiosemicarbazone intermediate derivatives were evaluated for their anticancer activity in four cancer cell lines (HT-1080, A-549, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231). Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited moderate to high anticancer effects. Compound 13c showed the highest anticancer activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 19.33 ± 1.81 to 34.81 ± 3.03 µM. Further investigation revealed that compounds 12e and 13c could inhibit the cell growth of HT-1080 and MCF-7 cells by inducing apoptosis through caspase-3/7 activation. The apoptotic effect was accompanied by an S phase and G2/M cell cycle arrest for 13c and 12e, respectively. Compounds 12e and 13c were assessed in silico using molecular docking and molecular dynamics. We found that compound 13c is moderately active against the caspase-3 protein, which triggers apoptosis via intrinsic and extrinsic routes, making compound 13c a promising candidate to activate the proapoptotic protein (caspase-3).

Chemical profiling, cytotoxic activities through apoptosis induction in human fibrosarcoma and carcinoma cells, and molecular docking of some 1,2,3-triazole-isoxazoline hybrids using the eugenol as a precursors

In this research paper, we report the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives in a unique 7a-g or hybrid form with isoxazoline 8a-g using the eugenol as a precursor in HT-1080 fibrosarcoma, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma, and A-549 lung carcinoma. Data obtained on the cytotoxic effects have shown that hybrid compounds 8a-e induced a significant anticancer activity and are more important than the ones of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives 7a-g with IC₅₀ ranging from 18 to 43 μM for the hybrids 8a-e and from 15 to 29 μM for mono-adducts 7a-g in all cell lines. Concerning the apoptotic study, compounds 7b and 8a can induce apoptosis in HT-1080 and A-549 cells as revealed by Annexin-V labeling and caspase-3/7 activity, also, the apoptotic effect was accompanied by cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in the case of compounds 7b and 8a. Both compounds were evaluated in-silico through molecular docking and molecular dynamics and compound 8a is very active against Bcl-2 protein triggering apoptosis phenomenon by intrinsic pathway, therefore compound 8a is a potential candidate to inhibit the anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2).Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

New 1,2,3-Triazoles from (R)-Carvone: Synthesis, DFT Mechanistic Study and In Vitro Cytotoxic Evaluation

Aseries of novel 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized from an (R)-carvone terminal alkyne derivative via a Cu (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction using CuSO4,5H2O as the copper (II) source and sodium ascorbate as a reducing agent which reduces Cu (II) into Cu (I). All the newly synthesized 1,2,3-triazoles 9a-h were fully identified on the basis of their HRMS and NMR spectral data and then evaluated for their cell growth inhibition potential by MTS assay against HT-1080 fibrosarcoma, A-549 lung carcinoma, and two breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) cell lines. Compound 9d showed notable cytotoxic effects against the HT-1080 and MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 25.77 and 27.89 µM, respectively, while compound 9c displayed significant activity against MCF-7 cells with an IC50 value of 25.03 µM. Density functional calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory were used to confirm the high reactivity of the terminal alkyne as a dipolarophile. Quantum calculations were also used to investigate the mechanism of both the uncatalyzed and copper (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). The catalyzed reaction gives complete regioselectivity via a stepwise mechanism streamlining experimental observations. The calculated free-energy barriers 4.33 kcal/mol and 29.35 kcal/mol for the 1,4- and 1,5-regioisomers, respectively, explain the marked regioselectivity of the CuAAC reaction.

Network Pharmacology-Based Prediction and Verification of Shikonin for the mechanism treating colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Shikonin (SKN), a naturally occurring naphthoquinone, is a major active chemical component isolated from Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb Zucc, Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst, or Arnebia guttata Bunge, and commonly used to treat viral infection, inflammation, and cancer. However, the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the antitumor mechanism of SKN in colorectal cancer (CRC) through network pharmacology and cell experiments.

METHODS

Using SymMap database and Genecards to predict the potential targets of SKN and CRC, while the cotargets were obtained by Venn diagram. The cotargets were imported into website of String and DA DAVID, constructing the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, performing Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, the Compound-Target-Pathway (C-T-P) network was generated by connecting potential pathways with the corresponding targets.

RESULTS

According to the results of network pharmacological analysis, the cell experiments were used to verify the key signal pathway. The most relevant target of SKN for the treatment of CRC was PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN inhibited CRC cells (HT29 and HCT116) proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis by targeting IL6 and inhibiting the IL6R/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN promotes apoptosis and suppresses CRC cells (HT29 and HCT116) activity through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

This research not only provides a theoretical and experimental basis for more in-depth studies but also offers an efficient method for the rational utilization of a series of Traditional Chinese medicines as anti-CRC drugs.