Novel indole and triazole based hybrid molecules exhibit potent anti-adipogenic and antidyslipidemic activity by activating Wnt3a/β-catenin pathway

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel quinoline carboxylic acid based styryl/alkyne hybrid molecule as a potent anti-adipogenic and antidyslipidemic agent via activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Obesity has emerged as the root cause for various metabolic disorders worldwide and hence demands for urgent attention. In the same stride, a series of quinoline carboxylic acid-based styryl/alkyne hybrids were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anti-adipogenic activity. Based on the structure-activity relationship, functional groups and essential substituents to potentiate the anti-adipogenic activity were identified. The potent compound (E)-6-fluoro-2-(4-(4-methylstyryl)phenyl)quinoline-4-carboxylic acid (5m) suppresses the adipogenesis with IC50 value of 0.330 μM. In vitro studies in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes cell line show that compound 5m prevents adipogenesis by stopping the cell cycle at the early phase of differentiation, which is caused by stimulation of the Wnt3a/β-catenin pathway. Further compound 5m improves the blood lipid profile and reduces adipogenic marker proteins in the epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) of dyslipidemic hamster at 100 mg/kg/day oral dose. Treatment with compound 5m reduces the hypertrophied adipose tissue along with the decrease in the levels of adipogenic marker proteins such as PPARγ and CEBPα. The pharmacokinetic result establishes the molecule 5m to be stable with significant oral bioavailability. Henceforth, the present study provides a unique insight into the anti-adipogenic/anti-dyslipidemic properties of a novel styryl-quinoline carboxylic acid scaffold with a scope to enhance the anti-adipogenic potency for therapeutic intervention of obesity.

Regulation of adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism by novel synthetic chromenes exploring anti-obesity and broader therapeutic potential

Obesity poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating the search for novel therapeutic agents to address this epidemic. Chromenes, known for their diverse bioactivities, hold promise as potential anti-obesity compounds, yet research in this area remains limited. This pioneering study represents the first exploration of synthetic chromenes as potential anti-obesity agents, unveiling the underlying molecular pathways governing adipogenesis and lipolysis. Twenty-nine chromenes were synthesized using green chemistry approaches, resulting in five novel compounds: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Among them, 14 chromenes demonstrated a lack of toxicity to pre-adipocytes (PAs) and mature adipocytes (MAs) of 3T3-L1 cells. The anti-adipogenesis and lipolysis enhancement potential of these non-toxic 14 chromenes were comprehensively evaluated using Oil Red O staining technique, LDH activity measurement, and glycerol release assays. Notably, 4, 5, 21 and 25 exhibited remarkable efficacy in reducing intracellular lipid accumulation without inducing cellular stress or cell death. Molecular analysis revealed significant alterations in the expression of key transcription factors involved in adipogenesis and lipid metabolism, including PPARγ, C/EBPα, ADD-1, Pref-1, IRS-1, GLUT-4, adiponectin, FAS, aP2, ATGL, and HSL. This suggests their potential role in anti-adipogenesis. Additionally, the treatments with 4 and 25 showed potential for enhancing lipolysis, providing further evidence of their anti-obesity properties. This study presents several promising prospects for the development of synthetic chromenes as potential anti-obesity agents, opening new avenues for drug discovery and benefitting individuals worldwide in addressing obesity-related challenges to human health. In addition, predictive in silico modeling was performed on the identified candidate chromenes. This modeling provides prospective anti-HIV activity, pharmacokinetic, metabolism, and permeability data, setting the groundwork for further investigation into these potential new chemical entities.

The Role of Wnt3a/β-Catenin/TCF7L2 Pathway in Diabetes and Cardiorenal Complications

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent chronic disease that is becoming increasingly common worldwide and can lead to a number of dangerous complications. The Wnt signaling pathway is important for the onset and progression of diabetes. Wnt3a is a typical Wnt ligand that can increase the stability of β-catenin, control TCF7L2 expression, promote β-cell proliferation, and reduce apoptosis.

SUMMARY

The involvement of the Wnt3a/β-catenin/TCF7L2 signaling pathway in the development of diabetes and associated problems related to the kidneys is reviewed in this article.

KEY MESSAGE

We believe that a thorough comprehension of the molecular connections between diabetes and signaling pathways will eventually lead to improved diabetes management.

Indole-based COX-2 inhibitors: A decade of advances in inflammation, cancer, and Alzheimer's therapy

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a key enzyme in the cyclooxygenase family, is pivotal in producing pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, driving chronic inflammation and related disorders. Targeting COX-2 with selective inhibitors can mitigate these conditions while avoiding the gastrointestinal and hepatotoxic/nephrotoxic side effects of traditional NSAIDs. However, the selectivity towards COX-2 inhibition has been associated with cardiovascular risks, necessitating the discovery of novel molecular scaffolds avoiding CVS side effects. This review focuses on advancements in Indole-based COX-2 inhibitors from 2013 to 2024, emphasizing their potential in treating inflammation, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. The Indole scaffold, known for its versatility, allows for comprehensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis, facilitating the development of molecules with enhanced selectivity and potency. Molecules having different substituents attached to the Indole scaffold supported by molecular modeling data, is explored in detail. This review provides an concise overview of the pharmacophore profiles of Indole-based chemotherapeutics, contributing to the development of advanced strategies for selective COX-2 inhibition and addressing the challenges and opportunities in the field.

Design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship of novel 2-pyrimidinylindole derivatives as orally available anti-obesity agents

Due to the emerging global epidemic of obesity, developing safe and effective agents for anti-obesity is urgently needed. Our previous study found that 2-pyrimidinylindole derivative Wd3d exhibited potential anti-obesity activity. Herein, to further optimize the potential moiety, structural modifications were proceeded for two rounds in this study. Firstly, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated 36 new derivatives of 2-pyrimidinylindole scaffold with different substituents on the indole ring and pyrimidine ring to investigate their structure-activity relationship (SAR). Then, analogs with potent activity had the aldehyde group replaced with the acylhydrazone group to reduce cytotoxicity and improve metabolic stability. Detailed SAR studies and animal evaluation experiments led to the discovery of the compound 9ga, which significantly reduced TG accumulation with an EC50 value of 0.07 μM and showed relatively low cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of around 24 μM. Oral administration of 9ga effectively prevented the excessive growth of body weight and lessened fat mass as well as liver mass, decreased lipid accumulation in the liver and blood, and improved the heart injury parameter in the diet-induced obesity mouse model significantly better than Wd3d. A mechanism study showed that 9ga regulated the lipid metabolism during early adipogenesis by inhibiting PPARγ pathway. In conclusion, our study further highlights the anti-obesity potential of 2-pyrimidinylindole derivatives in diet-induced obesity.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 1,4-Dihydropyridine-Indole as a Potential Antidiabetic Agent via GLUT4 Translocation Stimulation

In the quest for the discovery of antidiabetic compounds, a series of 27 1,4-dihydropyridine-indole derivatives were synthesized using a diversity approach. These compounds were systematically evaluated for their antidiabetic activity, starting with an in vitro assessment for GLUT4 translocation stimulation in L6-GLUT4myc myotubes, followed by in vivo antihyperglycemic activity evaluation in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. Among the synthesized compounds, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 27, and 35 demonstrated significant potential to stimulate GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle cells. Compound 19 exhibited the highest potency and was selected for in vivo evaluation. A notable reduction of 21.6% (p < 0.01) in blood glucose levels was observed after 5 h of treatment with compound 19 in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic studies affirmed that compound 19 was favorable to oral exposure with suitable pharmacological parameters. Overall, compound 19 emerged as a promising lead compound for further structural modification and optimization.

Efficient synthesis of indole-chalcones based glycohybrids and their anticancer activity

Indole based glycosides belong to the class of pharmacologically active molecules and found in diverse natural compounds. Herein, we report the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole bridged chirally enriched diverse indole-chalcones based glycohybrids. Three series of glycohybrids were designed and efficiently synthesized using d-glucose, d-galactose and d-mannose derived 1-azido glycosides. The reactions sequence involved were, the synthesis of indole derived chalcones which were formed via Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction and subsequently N-propargylation which leads to the production of N-propargylated indole-chalcones. The N-propargylated indole-chalcones get transformed into 1,2,3-triazole bridged indole-chalcone based glycohybrids by reacting with 1-azido sugar glycosides under click-chemistry reaction conditions. Further, the biological activity of synthesized glycohybrids (n = 27) was assessed in-vitro against MDA-MB231, MCF-7, MDA-MB453 cancer, and MCF-10A normal cell lines. The selected compounds showed potent anti-oncogenic properties against MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 breast cancer cell line with IC50 values of 1.05 µM and 11.40 µM respectively, with very good selectivity index (SI > 161). The active compounds show better binding affinity as compared to co-crystallized inhibitor 1-(tert-butyl)-3-(p-tolyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-amine (PP1) with HCK (PTKs) proteins in molecular docking studies.

The role of wnt signaling in diabetes-induced osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus, is characterized by a reduction in bone mass, destruction of bone microarchitecture, decreased bone strength, and increased bone fragility. Because of its insidious onset, osteoporosis renders patients highly susceptible to pathological fractures, leading to increased disability and mortality rates. However, the specific pathogenesis of osteoporosis induced by chronic hyperglycemia has not yet been fully elucidated. But it is currently known that the disruption of Wnt signaling triggered by chronic hyperglycemia is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic osteoporosis. There are two main types of Wnt signaling pathways, the canonical Wnt signaling pathway (β-catenin-dependent) and the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway (non-β-catenin-dependent), both of which play an important role in regulating the balance between bone formation and bone resorption. Therefore, this review systematically describes the effects of abnormal Wnt pathway signaling on bone homeostasis under hyperglycemia, hoping to reveal the relationship between Wnt signaling and diabetic osteoporosis to further improve understanding of this disease.

Design, Synthesis of 3-(5-Substituted Phenyl-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-yl)-1H-indole and Its Microbial Activity

Fischer indole synthesis of indole by using phenyl-hydrazine and acetaldehyde resulted 1H-Indole while phenyl-hydrazine reacted with malonaldehyde gives 1H-Indole-3-carbaldehyde. Also Vilsmeier-Haack formylation of 1H-Indole gives 1H-Indole-3-carbaldehyde. 1H-Indole-3-carbaldehyde were oxidized to form 1H-Indole-3-carboxylic acid. 1H-Indole reacted with excess of BuLi at -78 °C using dry ice also gives 1H-Indole-3-carboxylic acid. Obtained 1H-Indole-3-carboxylic acid was converted to ester and ester in to acid hydrazide. Finally 1H-Indole-3-carboxylic acid hydrazide reacted with substituted carboxylic acid gives microbial active indole substituted oxadiazoles. Synthesized compounds 9a-j showing promising in vitro anti microbial activities against S. aureus bacteria compared with Streptomycin. Compound 9a, 9f and 9g showing activities against E. coli compared with standards. Compound 9a and 9f are found potent active against B. subtilis compared with reference standard while compound 9a, 9c and 9j active against S. typhi.

Mechanosynthesis of Triazolyl-bis(indolyl)methane Pharmacophores via Gold Catalysis: A Prelude to Their Molecular Electronic Properties and Biological Potency

Chemical structures possessing both 1,2,3-triazole and bis(indolyl)methane fragments gained considerable interest in drug synthesis owing to their established biological efficacies. However, 1,2,3-triazoles linked at the bridging position of bis(indolyl)methane is a logical and unexplored design approach. In this regard, nine new triazolyl-bis(indolyl)methane conjugates under AuCl catalyzed ball-milling conditions were accomplished. Comparative evaluation on absorptive and emissive properties of the synthesized dyads were also analyzed. To unravel the influence of different peripheral substituents on the electronic structure and π-orbital properties, theoretical investigations were performed. Screening of molecules for free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic showed comparable potency against reference drugs. In particular, compounds 7 h, 7 d and 7 a displayed good efficiency of α-amylase inhibition. The DNA gyrase inhibitory potential of all compounds were assessed in silico which revealed high binding affinity (ΔG=-8.99 Kcal/mol) for 7 i followed by 7 h (ΔG=-7.80 Kcal/mol) with the targeted protein.

Recent progress in biologically active indole hybrids: a mini review

The indole moiety is one of the most widespread heterocycles found in both natural products and biological systems. Indoles have important biological activities including anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anticholinesterase, and antibacterial properties. Scientists are therefore interested in the synthesis of biologically active indole-based hybrids such as indole-coumarin, indole-chalcone, indole-isatin, indole-pyrimidine and so on, with the aim of improving activity, selectivity, and mitigating side effects. This review will discuss the newly synthesized indole-based hybrids along with their biological activity which will be useful in drug discovery and development.

Recent advances in the development of active hybrid molecules in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Multifactorial nature of the underlying pathophysiology of chronic disorders hinders in the effective treatment and management of many complex diseases. The conventional targeted therapies have limited applications due to highly complicated disease etiology. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Currently, there is limited knowledge on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of many of the CVDs due to their complex pathophysiology and co-morbidities. Their management with conventional medications results in failure due to adverse drug reactions and clinical specificity of solo-targeting drug therapy. Therefore, it is critical to introduce an alternative strategy to treat multi-factorial diseases. In the past few years, discovery and use of multi-targeted drug therapy with hybrid molecules have shown promising results with minimal side effects, and thus considered a most effective approach. In this review article, prominent hybrid molecules combining with different active moieties are reported to synergistically and simultaneously block different pathways involved in CVDs. Here, we provide a critical evaluation and discussion on their pharmacology with mechanistic insights and the structure activity relationship. The timely information provided in this article reveals the recent trends of molecular hybridization to the scientific community interested in CVDs and help them in designing the next generation of multi-targeting drug therapeutics.

A magnetic porous organic polymer: catalytic application in the synthesis of hybrid pyridines with indole, triazole and sulfonamide moieties

Herein, the synthesis and characterization of a triazine-based magnetic ionic porous organic polymer are reported. The structure, morphology, and components of the prepared structure have been investigated with several spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as FT-IR, EDX, elemental mapping, TGA/DTA, SEM, TEM, VSM, and BET analysis. Also, catalytic application of the prepared triazine-based magnetic ionic porous organic polymer was investigated for the synthesis of hybrid pyridine derivatives bearing indole, triazole and sulfonamide groups. Furthermore, the prepared hybrid pyridine systems were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass analysis. A cooperative vinylogous anomeric-based oxidation pathway was suggested for the synthesis of target molecules.

The Potential to Fight Obesity with Adipogenesis Modulating Compounds

Obesity is an increasingly severe public health problem, which brings huge social and economic burdens. Increased body adiposity in obesity is not only tightly associated with type 2 diabetes, but also significantly increases the risks of other chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, fatty liver diseases and cancers. Adipogenesis describes the process of the differentiation and maturation of adipocytes, which accumulate in distributed adipose tissue at various sites in the body. The major functions of white adipocytes are to store energy as fat during periods when energy intake exceeds expenditure and to mobilize this stored fuel when energy expenditure exceeds intake. Brown/beige adipocytes contribute to non-shivering thermogenesis upon cold exposure and adrenergic stimulation, and thereby promote energy consumption. The imbalance of energy intake and expenditure causes obesity. Recent interest in epigenetics and signaling pathways has utilized small molecule tools aimed at modifying obesity-specific gene expression. In this review, we discuss compounds with adipogenesis-related signaling pathways and epigenetic modulating properties that have been identified as potential therapeutic agents which cast some light on the future treatment of obesity.

Novel anti-adipogenic effect of CF3-allylated indole in 3T3-L1 cells

Indole derivatives from various plants are known to have health benefits because of their anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tubercular effects. However, their effects on adipogenesis have not been fully elucidated yet. Herein, we show that a newly synthesized indole derivative, CF₃-allylated indole, [(E)-1-(pyrimidin- 2-yl)-2-(4,4,4- trifluorobut-2-enyl)-1H-indole], effectively inhibits adipogenesis. We found that CF₃-allylated indole inhibited lipid accumulation and suppressed the expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in 3T3-L1 cells. The inhibitory effect of CF₃-allylated indole primarily occurred at the early phase of adipocyte differentiation by increasing intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels and enhancing protein kinase A (PKA) and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling. Conversely, depletion of PKA or treatment with a protein kinase A inhibitor (H89) reversed such inhibitory effects of CF₃-allylated indole on adipogenesis and PPARγ expression. These results suggest that CF₃-allylated indole inhibits early stages of adipogenesis by increasing phosphorylation of PKA/AMPK, leading to decreased expression of adipogenic genes in 3T3-L1 cells. These results indicate that CF₃-allylated indole has potential for controlling initial adipocyte differentiation in metabolic disorders such as obesity.

New Insights Into Gut-Bacteria-Derived Indole and Its Derivatives in Intestinal and Liver Diseases

The interaction between host and microorganism widely affects the immune and metabolic status. Indole and its derivatives are metabolites produced by the metabolism of tryptophan catalyzed by intestinal microorganisms. By activating nuclear receptors, regulating intestinal hormones, and affecting the biological effects of bacteria as signaling molecules, indole and its derivatives maintain intestinal homeostasis and impact liver metabolism and the immune response, which shows good therapeutic prospects. We reviewed recent studies on indole and its derivatives, including related metabolism, the influence of diets and intestinal commensal bacteria, and the targets and mechanisms in pathological conditions, especially progress in therapeutic strategies. New research insights into indoles will facilitate a better understanding of their druggability and application in intestinal and liver diseases.

Research progress of indole compounds with potential antidiabetic activity

New types of antidiabetic agents are continually needed with diabetes becoming the epidemic in the world. Indole alkaloids play an important role in natural products owing to their variable structures and versatile biological activities like anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities, which are a promising source of novel antidiabetic drugs discovery. The synthesized indole derivatives possess similar properties to natural indole alkaloids. In the last two decades, more and more indole derivatives have been designed and synthesized for searching their bioactivities. This present review describes comprehensive structures of indole compounds with the potential antidiabetic activity including natural indole alkaloids and the synthetic indole derivatives based on the structure classification, summarizes their approaches isolated from natural sources or by synthetic methods, and discusses the antidiabetic effects and the mechanisms of action. Furthermore, this review also provides briefly synthetic procedures of some important indole derivatives.

Murine in vitro cellular models to better understand adipogenesis and its potential applications

Adipogenesis has been extensively studied using in vitro models of cellular differentiation, enabling long-term regulation of fat cell metabolism in human adipose tissue (AT) material. Many studies promote the idea that manipulation of this process could potentially reduce the prevalence of obesity and its related diseases. It has now become essential to understand the molecular basis of fat cell development to tackle this pandemic disease, by identifying therapeutic targets and new biomarkers. This review explores murine cell models and their applications for study of the adipogenic differentiation process in vitro. We focus on the benefits and limitations of different cell line models to aid in interpreting data and selecting a good cell line model for successful understanding of adipose biology.

Exploration of carbamide derived pyrimidine-thioindole conjugates as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors with anti-angiogenesis effect

The development of new small molecules from known structural motifs through molecular hybridization is one of the trends in drug discovery. In this connection, we have combined the two pharmacophoric units (pyrimidine and thioindole) in a single entity via molecular hybridization strategy along with introduction of urea functionality at C2 position of pyrimidine to increase the efficiency of H-bonding interactions. Among the synthesized conjugates 12a-aa, compound 12k was found to exhibit significant IC₅₀ values 5.85, 7.87, 6.41 and 10.43 μM against MDA-MB-231 (breast), HepG2 (liver), A549 (lung) and PC-3 (prostate) cancer cell lines, respectively. All these compounds were further evaluated for their inhibitory activities against VEGFR-2 protein. The results specified that among the tested compounds, 12d, 12e, 12k, 12l, 12p, 12q, 12t and 12u prominently suppressed VEGFR-2, with IC₅₀ values of 310-920 nM in association to the positive control (210 nM). Angiogenesis inhibition was evident by tube formation assay in HUVECs and cell-invasion by transwell assay. The mechanism of cellular toxicity on MDA-MB-231 was found through depolarisation of mitochondrial membrane potential, increased ROS production and subsequent DNA damage resulting in apoptosis induction. Moreover, clonogenic and wound healing assays designated the inhibition of colony formation and cell migration by 12k in a dose-dependent manner. Molecular docking studies also shown that compound 12k capably intermingled with catalytically active residues GLU-885, ASP-1046 of the VEGFR-2 through hydrogen-bonding interactions.

Wnt signaling mediates TLR pathway and promote unrestrained adipogenesis and metaflammation: Therapeutic targets for obesity and type 2 diabetes

Diabesity is the combination of type 2 diabetes and obesity characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation. The Wnt signaling act as an evolutionary pathway playing crucial role in regulating cellular homeostasis and energy balance from hypothalamus to metabolic organs. Aberrant activity of certain appendages in the canonical and non-canonical Wnt system deregulates metabolism and leads to adipose tissue expansion, this key event initiates metabolic stress causing metaflammation and obesity. Metaflammation induced obesity initiates abnormal development of adipocytes mediating through the non-canonical Wnt signaling inhibition of canonical Wnt pathway to fan the flames of adipogenesis. Moreover, activation of toll like receptor (TLR)-4 signaling in metabolic stress invites immune cells to release pro-inflammatory cytokines for recruitment of macrophages in adipose tissues, further causes polarization of macrophages into M1(classically activated) and M2 (alternatively activated) subtypes. These events end with chronic low-grade inflammation which interferes with insulin signaling in metabolic tissues to develop type 2 diabetes. However, there is a dearth in understanding the exact mechanism of Wnt-TLR axis during diabesity. This review dissects the molecular facets of Wnt and TLRs that modulates cellular components during diabesity and provides current progress, challenges and alternative therapeutic strategies at preclinical and clinical level.

1,2,3-Triazole-containing hybrids as leads in medicinal chemistry: A recent overview

The 1,2,3-triazole ring is a major pharmacophore system among nitrogen-containing heterocycles. These five-membered heterocyclic motifs with three nitrogen heteroatoms can be prepared easily using 'click' chemistry with copper- or ruthenium-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions. Recently, the 'linker' property of 1,2,3-triazoles was demonstrated, and a novel class of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids and conjugates was synthesised and evaluated as lead compounds for diverse biological targets. These lead compounds have been demonstrated as anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-tubercular, antiviral, antidiabetic, antimalarial, anti-leishmanial, and neuroprotective agents. The present review summarises advances in lead compounds of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids, conjugates, and their related heterocycles in medicinal chemistry published in 2018. This review will be useful to scientists in research fields of organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, phytochemistry, and pharmacology.

An insight into the medicinal perspective of synthetic analogs of indole: A review

Heterocycles occupy a salient place in chemistry due to their wide range of activity in the fields of drug design, photochemistry, agrochemicals, dyes, and so on. Amongst all, indole scaffold is considered as one of the most promising heterocycles found in natural and synthetic sources and has been shown to possess various biological activity, including anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, antitubercular, antimalarial, anticonvulsant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, analgesics, antidepressant, anticancer, antioxidant, antifungal, and antimicrobial, etc. All the reported indole molecules bind to multiple receptors with high affinity, thus expedite the research on the development of novel biologically active compounds through the various approach. In this review, we aimed to highlight synthetic and medicinal perspective on the development of indole-based analogs. In addition, structural activity relationship (SAR) study to correlate for their biological activity also discussed.

Medicinal chemistry of indole derivatives: Current to future therapeutic prospectives

Indole is a versatile pharmacophore, a privileged scaffold and an outstanding heterocyclic compound with wide ranges of pharmacological activities due to different mechanisms of action. It is an superlative moiety in drug discovery with the sole property of resembling different structures of the protein. Plenty of research has been taking place in recent years to synthesize and explore the various therapeutic prospectives of this moiety. This review summarizes some of the recent effective chemical synthesis (2014-2018) for indole ring. This review also emphasized on the structure-activity relationship (SAR) to reveal the active pharmacophores of various indole analogues accountable for anticancer, anticonvulsant, antimicrobial, antitubercular, antimalarial, antiviral, antidiabetic and other miscellaneous activities which have been investigated in the last five years. The precise features with motives and framework of each research topic is introduced for helping the medicinal chemists to understand the perspective of the context in a better way. This review will definitely offer the platform for researchers to strategically design diverse novel indole derivatives having different promising pharmacological activities with reduced toxicity and side effects.

Catalytic One-Step Deoxytrifluoromethylation of Alcohols

A new bench-stable trifluoromethylation reagent, phenyl bromodifluoroacetate, converts readily available alcohols to trifluoromethanes in a Cu-catalyzed deoxytrifluoromethylation reaction. This reaction streamlines access to target biologically active molecules, and should be useful for a variety of medicinal, agricultural, and materials chemists.

Potential role of circulating microRNAs (486-5p, 497, 509-5p and 605) in metabolic syndrome Egyptian male patients

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the expression pattern of circulating microRNAs (miR)-486-5p, miR-497, miR-509-5p, and miR-605 in the serum of metabolic syndrome (MetS) Egyptian male patients. Methods: In this study, the circulating miR-486-5p, miR-497, miR509-5p, and miR-605 were amplified and quantitatively detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in sera of 55 MetS male patients in comparison to 20 male controls. The level of fasting plasma glucose and triacylglycerol (TAG) were measured using calorimetric assay. Blood pressure was measured using mercuric sphygmomanometer. Anthropometric measurements were done to each individual. Furthermore, MetS patients were defined according to the criteria proposed by the American Heart Association and divided into three groups according to MetS index. Results: The study was performed on three groups and a control group defined as follows: group 1: 15 MetS patients who fulfilled all diagnostic criteria of MetS; group 2: 20 MetS patients with normal blood pressure; group 3: 20 MetS patients with normal TAG levels.The levels of miRs are expressed as [median (IQR)]. miR-486-5-p and miR-497 expression were elevated in group 1 [31.9(49), p˂0.0001; 73.1(42.5), p˂0.0001], group 2 [36.4(15.7), p˂0.0001; 68.3(54.8), p˂0.0001], and group (3) [10.8(18.9), p=0.0014; 27.5(39.7), p=0.0012]. MiR-509-5p was elevated in groups 1 and 2 [501(468), p=0.0001], [309(436), p=0.0006], respectively, while normally expressed in group 3 [0.93(0.077), p=0.0001]. miR-605 was elevated in groups 1 and 3 [25.4(20.0), p=0.0018], [54.8(65.8), p˂0.0001], while normally expressed in group 2 [0.84(0.67), p˂0.0001]. Conclusion: miRs (486-5p, 497, 509-5p, and 605) serum levels were higher in MetS patients than in healthy control subjects; therefore, these serum miRs can serve as early biomarkers and can be used to follow-up the prognosis of MetS.

One-Pot Approach for the Synthesis of Bis-indole-1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles

A new strategy for the synthesis of bis-indoletriazoles was developed using a sequential one-pot four-step procedure via I₂ and H₂SO₄-SiO₂ catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reactions of indole with aldehyde followed by N-alkylation with propargyl bromide, azidation, and copper(I)-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). The reaction proceeded smoothly at room temperature in a short time, and a series of bis-indoletriazoles were obtained in good to excellent yields proving the generality of this one-pot methodology.

Aegeline inspired synthesis of novel β3-AR agonist improves insulin sensitivity in vitro and in vivo models of insulin resistance

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In our drug discovery program of natural product, earlier we have reported Aegeline that is N-acylated-1-amino-2- alcohol, which was isolated from the leaves of Aeglemarmelos showed anti-hyperlipidemic activity for which the QSAR studies predicted the compound to be the β3-AR agonist, but the mechanism of its action was not elucidated. In our present study, we have evaluated the β3-AR activity of novel N-acyl-1-amino-3-arylopropanol synthetic mimics of aegeline and its beneficial effect in insulin resistance. In this study, we have proposed the novel pharmacophore model using reported molecules for antihyperlipidemic activity. The reported pharmacophore features were also compared with the newly developed pharmacophore model for the observed biological activity.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Based on 3D pharmacophore modeling of known β3AR agonist, we screened 20 synthetic derivatives of Aegeline from the literature. From these, the top scoring compound 10C was used for further studies. The in-slico result was further validated in HEK293T cells co-trransfected with human β3-AR and CRE-Luciferase reporter plasmid for β3-AR activity.The most active compound was selected and β3-AR activity was further validated in white and brown adipocytes differentiated from human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Insulin resistance model developed in hMSC derived adipocytes was used to study the insulin sensitizing property. 8 week HFD fed C57BL6 mice was given 50 mg/Kg of the selected compound and metabolic phenotyping was done to evaluate its anti-diabetic effect.

RESULTS

As predicted by in-silico 3D pharmacophore modeling, the compound 10C was found to be the most active and specific β3-AR agonist with EC₅₀ value of 447 nM. The compound 10C activated β3AR pathway, induced lipolysis, fatty acid oxidation and increased oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in human adipocytes. Compound 10C induced expression of brown adipocytes specific markers and reverted chronic insulin induced insulin resistance in white adipocytes. The compound 10C also improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in 8 week HFD fed C57BL6 mice.

CONCLUSION

This study enlightens the use of in vitro insulin resistance model close to human physiology to elucidates the insulin sensitizing activity of the compound 10C and edifies the use of β3AR agonist as therapeutic interventions for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.