Discovery and optimisation studies of antimalarial phenotypic hits

Antioxidant, antibacterial, enzyme inhibition and fluorescence characteristics of unsymmetrical thiourea derivatives

A series of six unsymmetrical thiourea derivatives, namely 1-cyclohexyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl) thiourea (1), 1-cyclohexyl-3-(3-methylpyridin-2-yl)thiourea (2), 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2,4-dimethylphenyl) thiourea (3), 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclohexylthiourea (4), 1-(3-methylpyridin-2-yl)-3-phenylthiourea (5), and 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-phenylthiourea (6), were successfully synthesized via reaction between different amines with isothiocyanates under a non-catalytic environment. Structural elucidation of compounds (1-6) was performed using FT-IR and NMR (1H and 13C) spectroscopy. The infrared spectra displayed characteristic stretching vibrations, while the 13C NMR chemical shifts of the thiourea moiety (C[bond, double bond]S) were observed in the range of 179.1-181.4 ppm. The antioxidative and antimicrobial properties of the compounds were assessed, as well as their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase were evaluated. In order to analyze the fluorescence characteristics of each compound (1-6), the excitation (λex) and emission (λem) wavelengths were scanned within the range of 250-750 nm, with the solvent blank serving as a standard. It was observed that when dissolved in acetone, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, and ethyl acetate, these compounds exhibited emission peaks ranging from 367 to 581 nm and absorption peaks ranging from 275 to 432 nm.

A machine-learning tool to predict substrate-adaptive conditions for Pd-catalyzed C-N couplings

Machine-learning methods have great potential to accelerate the identification of reaction conditions for chemical transformations. A tool that gives substrate-adaptive conditions for palladium (Pd)-catalyzed carbon-nitrogen (C-N) couplings is presented. The design and construction of this tool required the generation of an experimental dataset that explores a diverse network of reactant pairings across a set of reaction conditions. A large scope of C-N couplings was actively learned by neural network models by using a systematic process to design experiments. The models showed good performance in experimental validation: Ten products were isolated in more than 85% yield from a range of couplings with out-of-sample reactants designed to challenge the models. Importantly, the developed workflow continually improves the prediction capability of the tool as the corpus of data grows.

Microwave Irradiated Synthesis of Pyrimidine Containing, Thiazolidin-4-ones: Antimicrobial, Anti-tuberculosis, Antimalarial, and Anti-protozoa evaluation

Aim:

This study aims to synthesize thiazolidine-4-one compounds with a pyrimidine nucleus and evaluate against different species of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and the malaria parasite.

Background:

Microwave irradiation was the best method for synthesizing the thiazolidin-4-one ring system. It took only 15 minutes for synthesizing thiazolidin-4-one while the conventional method required 12 hours. The rapid reaction was the main concern of this research.

Objective:

Pyrimidine and Thiazolidin-4-one nucleus have broad-spectrum biological activity and when it is introduced with other hetero atoms containing moiety, many types of biological activities have been found; antimicrobial, anti-tuberculosis, anti-protozoa, antimalarial are the main activities. The activity of these compounds inspired us to do extra research on Thiazolidin-4-one fused pyrimidines with different functional groups. The aim of this is to synthesize a combination of these two ring systems in less time by using a microwave irradiation method and to evaluate new compounds for different bioactivity.

Method:

2-(4-Chlorophenyl)-3-(4-(substituted phenyl)-6-(substituted aryl) pyrimidin-2-yl) thiazolidin-4-ones (6A-J) were synthesized by microwave irradiation to save energy and time. The structure of all newly synthesized motifs was characterized by spectral analysis (1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, spectroscopy) and screened for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes, antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus clavatus, anti-tuberculosis activity against M. tuberculosis H37RV, antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and anti-protozoa activity against L. mexicana and T. cruzi.

Result:

Because of microwave irradiation synthesis, time period is very less for preparing the new compound. Biological response given by compounds 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6G, 6H, and 6J was found excellent.

Conclusion:

Good yield with purity of the newly synthesized thiazolidine-4-one compounds obtained in less time by using microwave irradiation. The biological response of some of the compounds of this series was found excellent

Thiourea Derivatives, Simple in Structure but Efficient Enzyme Inhibitors and Mercury Sensors

In this study six unsymmetrical thiourea derivatives, 1-isobutyl-3-cyclohexylthiourea (1), 1-tert-butyl-3-cyclohexylthiourea (2), 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclohexylthiourea (3), 1-(1,1-dibutyl)-3-phenylthiourea (4), 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-3-phenylthiourea (5) and 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-phenylthiourea (6) were obtained in the laboratory under aerobic conditions. Compounds 3 and 4 are crystalline and their structure was determined for their single crystal. Compounds 3 is monoclinic system with space group P2₁/n while compound 4 is trigonal, space group R³:H. Compounds (1–6) were tested for their anti-cholinesterase activity against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase (hereafter abbreviated as, AChE and BChE, respectively). Potentials (all compounds) as sensing probes for determination of deadly toxic metal (mercury) using spectrofluorimetric technique were also investigated. Compound 3 exhibited better enzyme inhibition IC₅₀ values of 50, and 60 µg/mL against AChE and BChE with docking score of −10.01, and −8.04 kJ/mol, respectively. The compound also showed moderate sensitivity during fluorescence studies.

Synthesis and Antiplasmodial Activity of Novel Bioinspired Imidazolidinedione Derivatives

Malaria is an enormous threat to public health, due to the emergence of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to widely-used antimalarials, such as chloroquine (CQ). Current antimalarial drugs are aromatic heterocyclic derivatives, most often containing a basic component with an added alkyl chain in their chemical structure. While these drugs are effective, they have many side effects. This paper presents the synthesis and preliminary physicochemical characterisation of novel bioinspired imidazolidinedione derivatives, where the imidazolidinedione core was linked via the alkylene chain and the basic piperazine component to the bicyclic system. These compounds were tested against the asexual stages of two strains of P. falciparum—the chloroquine-sensitive (D10) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains. In parallel, in vitro cytotoxicity was investigated on a human keratinocyte cell line, as well as their hemolytic activity. The results demonstrated that the antiplasmodial effects were stronger against the W2 strain (IC₅₀ between 2424.15–5648.07 ng/mL (4.98–11.95 µM)), compared to the D10 strain (6202.00–9659.70 ng/mL (12.75–19.85 µM)). These molecules were also non-hemolytic to human erythrocytes at a concentration active towards the parasite, but with low toxicity to mammalian cell line. The synthetized derivatives, possessing enhanced antimalarial activity against the CQ-resistant strain of P. falciparum, appear to be interesting antimalarial drug candidates.

Discovery of fast-acting dual-stage antimalarial agents by profiling pyridylvinylquinoline chemical space via copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions

To identity fast-acting, multistage antimalarial agents, a series of pyridylvinylquinoline-triazole analogues have been synthesized via CuAAC. Most of the compounds display significant inhibitory effect on the drug-resistant malarial Dd2 strain at low submicromolar concentrations. Among the tested analogues, compound 60 is the most potent molecule with an EC₅₀ value of 0.04 ± 0.01 μM. Our current study indicates that compound 60 is a fast-acting antimalarial compound and it demonstrates stage specific action at the trophozoite phase in the P. falciparum asexual life cycle. In addition, compound 60 is active against both early and late stage P. falciparum gametocytes. From a mechanistic perspective, compound 60 shows good activity as an inhibitor of β-hematin formation. Collectively, our findings suggest that fast-acting agent 60 targets dual life stages of the malarial parasites and warrant further investigation of pyridylvinylquinoline hybrids as new antimalarials.

Discovery of prolyl hydroxylase 2 inhibitors with new chemical scaffolds as in vivo active erythropoietin inducers through a combined virtual screening strategy

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is identified to be a promising target to mediate the response to hypoxia. Its stability and activation are negatively controlled by prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2). Thus, PHD2 inhibition has been perceived as a promising anti-anemia therapy. In this study, we carried out a structure-based virtual screening followed by in vitro and in vivo biological validation, with the goal to identify novel PHD2 inhibitors. As a result, a set of hits with new chemical scaffolds were revealed to be active in vitro for PHD2 inhibition. Compounds 2 and 3 were revealed to be capable of stabilizing HIF-α and stimulating erythropoietin (EPO) expression in cell-based assays. Notably, further in vivo assays revealed that 2 was capable of elevating the EPO plasma levels in C57BL/6 mice model. These findings provide new chemical scaffolds for further development of PHD2 inhibitors.

New Silver Complexes with Mixed Thiazolidine and Phosphine Ligands as Highly Potent Antimalarial and Anticancer Agents

Five silver(I) complexes containing a mixed ligand system of phosphine and thiazolidine were successfully synthesized. The structural information of the complexes was assembled using various spectroscopic techniques such as CHN elemental analysis, Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR), 1H, 13C, and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A bidentate phosphine ligand acted as a chelating agent which bond to the silver in 1 : 2 molar ratios. Meanwhile, thiazolidine was attached to the silver in a 1 : 1 molar ratio. The antiplasmodial properties of all synthesized complexes were investigated on chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum parasite via HRP2 assays and cytotoxicity tests on Vero cells. Of all the synthesized complexes, complex 2 showed the highest SI value (more than 12.4) followed by complex 5 (6.6). The potent properties of compounds 2 and 5 were also noted in the in vitro antiproliferative assays involving MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines as well as HT-29 colon cancer cell line. Complex 2 was selective for MDA-MB-231 cells (GI50 = 1.9 ± 0.3 µM), while complex 5 acted predominantly on breast carcinoma cells (GI50 MDA-MB-231 = 4.7 ± 1.1 µM; MCF-7 = 2.9 ± 0.9 µM) instead of colon carcinoma (HT-29) cells (GI50 = 15.1 ± 1.9 µM).

The crystal structure of 6-(4-bromobenzyl)-1,3,5-trimethyl-7-phenyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine-2,4(3H)-dione, C22H20BrN3O2

C22H20BrN3O2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 15.889(12) Å, b = 16.332(13) Å, c = 7.324(5) Å, β = 94.985(5), V = 1893(2) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0295, wRref(F2) = 0.0790, T = 100(2) K.

First homology model of Plasmodium falciparum glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase: Discovery of selective substrate analog-based inhibitors as novel antimalarial agents

In Plasmodium falciparum the bifunctional enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase‒6-phosphogluconolactonase (PfG6PD‒6PGL) is involved in the catalysis of the first reaction of the pentose phosphate pathway. Since this enzyme has a key role in parasite development, its unique structure represents a potential target for the discovery of antimalarial drugs. Here we describe the first 3D structural model of the G6PD domain of PfG6PD‒6PGL. Compared to the human enzyme (hG6PD), the 3D model has enabled the identification of a key difference in the substrate-binding site, which involves the replacement of Arg365 in hG6PD by Asp750 in PfG6PD. In a prospective validation of the model, this critical change has been exploited to rationally design a novel family of substrate analog-based inhibitors that can display the necessary selectivity towards PfG6PD. A series of glucose derivatives featuring an α-methoxy group at the anomeric position and different side chains at position 6 bearing distinct basic functionalities has been synthesized, and their PfG6PD and hG6PD inhibitory activities and their toxicity against parasite and mammalian cells have been assessed. Several compounds displayed micromolar affinity (K_i up to 23 μM), favorable selectivity (up to > 26-fold), and low cytotoxicity. Phenotypic assays with P. falciparum cultures revealed high micromolar IC₅₀ values, likely as a result of poor internalization of the compounds in the parasite cell. Overall, these results endorse confidence to the 3D model of PfG6PD, paving the way for the use of target-based drug design approaches in antimalarial drug discovery studies around this promising target.

Probing the Azaaurone Scaffold against the Hepatic and Erythrocytic Stages of Malaria Parasites

The potential of azaaurones as dual-stage antimalarial agents was investigated by assessing the effect of a small library of azaaurones on the inhibition of liver and intraerythrocytic lifecycle stages of the malaria parasite. The whole series was screened against the blood stage of a chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain and the liver stage of P. berghei, yielding compounds with dual-stage activity and sub-micromolar potency against erythrocytic parasites. Studies with genetically modified parasites, using a phenotypic assay based on the P. falciparum Dd2-ScDHODH line, which expresses yeast dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), showed that one of the azaaurone derivatives has the potential to inhibit the parasite mitochondrial electron-transport chain. The global urgency in finding new therapies for malaria, especially against the underexplored liver stage, associated with chemical tractability of azaaurones, warrants further development of this chemotype. Overall, these results emphasize the azaaurone chemotype as a promising scaffold for dual-stage antimalarials.

Identification of β-Amino alcohol grafted 1,4,5 trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles as potent antimalarial agents

In a quest to discover new drugs, we have synthesized a series of novel β-amino alcohol grafted 1,2,3-triazoles and screened them for their in vitro antiplasmodial and in vivo antimalarial activity. Among them, compounds 16 and 25 showed potent activity against chloroquine-sensitive (Pf3D7) strain with IC50 of 0.87 and 0.3 μM respectively, while compounds 7 and 13 exhibited better activity in vitro than the reference drug against chloroquine-resistance strain (PfK1) with IC50 of 0.5 μM each. Compound 25 showed 86.8% in vivo antimalarial efficacy with favorable pharmacokinetic parameters. Mechanistic studies divulged that potent compounds significantly boosted p53 protein levels to exhibit the antimalarial activity.