Discovery of tropinone-thiazole derivatives as potent caspase 3/7 activators, and noncompetitive tyrosinase inhibitors with high antiproliferative activity: Rational design, one-pot tricomponent synthesis, and lipophilicity determination

Theoretical Investigation of Electric Polarizability in Porphyrin-Zinc and Porphyrin-Zinc-Thiazole Complexes Using Small Property-Oriented Basis Sets

Porphyrin complexes are of great importance due to their possible applications as sensors, solar cells and photocatalysts, as well as their ability to bind additional ligands. A valuable source of knowledge on their nature is their electric properties, which can be evaluated employing density functional theory (DFT) methods, supporting the experimental research. The present work aims at the application of small property-oriented basis sets in calculation of electric properties in transition metals, their oxides and test coordination complexes. Firstly, the existing polarized ZPol basis set for the first-row transition metals is modified in order to improve atomic polarizability results. For this purpose, optimization of the f-type polarization function exponent is carried out with respect to the value of average atomic polarizability of investigated metals. Next, both the original and the modified basis sets are employed in finite field CCSD(T) calculation of transition metal oxides' dipole moments, as well as DFT calculation of polarizabilities in porphyrin-zinc and porphyrin-zinc-thiazole complexes. The obtained results show that the ZPol and ZPol-A basis sets can be successfully employed in the calculation of linear electric properties in large systems. The optimization procedure used in the present work can be employed for other source basis sets and elements, leading to new efficient polarized basis sets.

Synthesis of Carborane-Thiazole Conjugates as Tyrosinase and 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Inhibitors: Antiproliferative Activity and Molecular Docking Studies

The presented study depicts the synthesis of 11 carborane-thiazole conjugates with anticancer activity, as well as an evaluation of their biological activity as inhibitors of two enzymes: tyrosinase and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1). The overexpression of tyrosinase results in the intracellular accumulation of melanin and can be observed in melanoma. The overexpression of 11β-HSD1 results in an elevation of glucocorticoid levels and has been associated with the aggravation of metabolic disorders such as type II diabetes mellitus and obesity. Recently, as the comorbidity of melanomas and metabolic disorders is being recognized as an important issue, the search for new therapeutic options has intensified. This study demonstrates that carborane-thiazole derivatives inhibit both enzymes, exerting beneficial effects. The antiproliferative action of all newly synthesized compounds was evaluated using three cancer cell lines, namely A172 (human brain glioblastoma), B16F10 (murine melanoma) and MDA-MB-231 (human breast adenocarcinoma), as well as a healthy control cell line of HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cells). The results show that 9 out of 11 newly synthesized compounds demonstrated similar antiproliferative action against the B16F10 cell line to the reference drug, and three of these compounds surpassed it. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate dual inhibitory action of carborane-thiazole derivatives against both tyrosinase and 11β-HSD1. Therefore, it represents the first step towards the simultaneous treatment of melanoma and comorbid diseases such as type II diabetes mellitus.

Human neutrophil elastase inhibitors: Classification, biological-synthetic sources and their relevance in related diseases

BACKGROUND

Human neutrophil elastase is a multifunctional protease enzyme whose function is to break the bonds of proteins and degrade them to polypeptides or amino acids. In addition, it plays an essential role in the immune mechanism against bacterial infections and represents a key mediator in tissue remodeling and inflammation. However, when the extracellular release of this enzyme is dysregulated in response to low levels of its physiological inhibitors, it ultimately leads to the degradation of proteins, in particular elastin, as well as other components of the extracellular matrix, producing injury to epithelial cells, which can promote sustained inflammation and affect the innate immune system, and, therefore, be the basis for the development of severe inflammatory diseases, especially those associated with the cardiopulmonary system.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to provide an update on the elastase inhibitory properties of several molecules, either synthetic or biological sources, as well as their classification and relevance in related pathologies since a clear understanding of the function of these molecules with the inhibitory capacity of this protease can provide valuable information for the development of pharmacological therapies that manage to modify the prognosis and survival of various inflammatory diseases.

METHODS

Collected data from scientific databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Nature, Wiley, Scopus, and Scielo. Articles published in any country and language were included.

RESULTS

We reviewed and included 132 articles conceptualizing neutrophil elastase activity and known inhibitors.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the mechanism of action of elastase inhibitors based on particular aspects such as their kinetic behavior, structure-function relationship, chemical properties, origin, pharmacodynamics, and experimental progress has allowed for a broad classification of HNE inhibitors.

Alkaloids as Additional Weapons in the Fight against Breast Cancer: A Review

Breast carcinoma is among the most frequent cancerous tumour in females around the globe. The major modalities now employed in the therapeutic management of breast cancer include surgeries, chemotherapy, and specialized medicines. Despite their potential to help individuals' problems, they are also associated with many negative impacts. As a result, natural products are increasingly regarded to be a preferable alternative. Alkaloids are essential biochemical substances that can be used to develop new drugs. Numerous alkaloids that originate from natural plants have been shown in vitro and in vivo to have anti-proliferation and anti-metastasis actions on different kinds of carcinoma. According to the data collected in this study, the utilization of alkaloids as anti-tumor medicines appears to be extremely potent; nevertheless, extensive studies and clinical trials are required before utilizing individual alkaloids. In this overview, we provide a detailed and vital exploration of pre-existing alkaloids possessing anti-tumor activities due to bioactive compounds. This study also includes an overview of synthesized analogues and pharmacological characteristics that will be beneficial to scientists working on alkaloids for medicinal purposes. In a recent survey of the literature, alkaloids are an important component of plantderived antitumor medicines that hold great potential for the future development of cancer therapy and preventive therapies. We have also discussed structural analysis relationship (SAR) studies. Moreover, it covers clinical trial medications and FDA-approved medicines from the last five years that will be useful in further research.

Synthesis of flurbiprofen thiadiazole urea derivatives and assessment of biological activities and molecular docking studies

Totally 15 novel flurbiprofen urea derivatives were synthesized bearing the thiadiazole ring. Their inhibition effects on tyrosinase were determined. 3c was found to be the strongest inhibitor with the IC50 value of 68.0 μM against tyrosinase. The enzyme inhibition types of the synthesized compounds were determined by examining the kinetic parameters. The inhibition type of 3c was determined as uncompetitive and the Ki value was calculated as 36.3 μM. Moreover, their cytotoxic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), colorectal carcinoma (HT-29), and melanoma (B16F10) cell lines were evaluated. According to the cytotoxicity results, 3l (IC50  = 14.11 μM) showed the highest cytotoxicity on the HT-29 cells, while 3o (IC50  = 4.22 μM) exhibited the strongest cytotoxic effect on HepG2 cell lines. Also, 3j (IC50  = 7.55 μM strongly affected B16F10. The effects of synthesized compounds on the healthy cell line were evaluated on the CCD-986Sk cell line. Molecular modelling studies have indicated the potential binding interactions of the uncompetitive inhibitor 3c with the enzyme-substrate complex.

The patent review of the biological activity of tropane containing compounds

INTRODUCTION

Tropane-derived medications have historically played a substantial role in pharmacotherapy. Both natural and synthetic derivatives of tropane find application in addressing diverse medical conditions. Prominent examples of tropane-based drugs include hyoscine butylbromide, recognized for its antispasmodic properties, atropine, employed as a mydriatic, maraviroc, known for its antiviral effects. trospium chloride, utilized as a spasmolytic for overactive bladder, and ipratropium, a bronchodilator.

AREAS COVERED

We compiled patents pertaining to the biological activity of substances containing tropane up to the year 2023 and categorized them according to the specific type of biological activity they exhibit. ScienceFinder, ScienceDirect, and Patent Guru were used to search for scientific articles and patent literature up to 2023.

EXPERT OPINION

Pharmaceutical researchers in academic and industrial settings have shown considerable interest in tropane derivatives. Despite this, there remains a substantial amount of work to be undertaken. A focused approach is warranted for the exploration and advancement of both natural and synthetic bioactive molecules containing tropane, facilitated through collaborative efforts between academia and industry. Leveraging contemporary techniques and technologies in medicinal and synthetic chemistry, including high throughput screening, drug repurposing,and biotechnological engineering, holds the potential to unveil novel possibilities and accelerate the drug discovery process for innovative tropane-based pharmaceuticals.

Heterocyclic Compounds as Synthetic Tyrosinase Inhibitors: Recent Advances

Tyrosinase is a copper-containing enzyme which is widely distributed in nature (e.g., bacteria, mammals, fungi) and involved in two consecutive steps of melanin biosynthesis. In humans, an excessive production of melanin can determine hyperpigmentation disorders as well as neurodegenerative processes in Parkinson's disease. The development of molecules able to inhibit the high activity of the enzyme remain a current topic in medicinal chemistry, because the inhibitors reported so far present several side effects. Heterocycle-bearing molecules are largely diffuse in this sense. Due to their importance as biologically active compounds, we decided to report a comprehensive review of synthetic tyrosinase inhibitors possessing heterocyclic moieties reported within the last five years. For the reader's convenience, we classified them as inhibitors of mushroom tyrosinase (Agaricus bisporus) and human tyrosinase.

4-[Bis(thiazol-2-ylamino)methyl]phenol

We have designed and synthesized novel bis-thiazole derivative. A 4-[bis(thiazol-2-ylamino)methyl]phenol was efficiently prepared in 71% yield by the reaction of 2-aminothiazole with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde in ethanol for 24 h. The structure of newly obtained compound was characterized by 1H, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. Bis-thiazole derivative exhibits high tyrosinase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 29.71 μM. This inhibitory activity is 2.4 times higher than that of activity of kojic acid (IC50 72.27 µM) and almost 13 times higher than that of ascorbic acid (IC50 385.6 µM). Obtained data suggest that the presented compound may be a leading candidate for a tyrosinase inhibitor.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking of new triphenylamine-linked pyridine, thiazole and pyrazole analogues as anticancer agents

A new series of pyridine, thiazole, and pyrazole analogues were synthesized. The pyridone analogues 4a-e were synthesized by treating N-aryl-2-cyano-3-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)acrylamides 3a-e with malononitrile. Many 4-arylidene-thiazolidin-5-one analogues 6a-d were obtained by Knoevenagel reactions of 4-(diphenylamino)benzaldehyde (1) with their corresponding thiazolidin-5-one derivatives 5a-d. The structural elucidation of the products was proven by the collections of spectroscopic methods such as IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and MS data. Their anti-cancer activity was examined against two cell lines, MDA-MB-231 (mammary carcinomas) and A-549 (lung cancer). Compared with cisplatin as a reference standard drug, 6-amino-4-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-2-oxo-1-(p-tolyl)-1,2-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (4b) and 6-amino-4-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (4e) exhibited better efficiency against the A-549 cell line, with IC50 = 0.00803 and 0.0095 μM, respectively. Also, these compounds 4b and 4e showed the most potency among the examined compounds against MDA-MB-231 with IC50 = 0.0103 and 0.0147 μM, respectively. The newly synthesized compounds were docked inside the active sites of the selected proteins and were found to demonstrate proper binding. 2-Cyano-2-(4,4-(diphenylamino)benzylidene)-5-oxo-3-phenylthiazolidin-2-ylidene)-N-(p-tolyl)acetamide (6c) offered the highest binding affinity (− 8.1868 kcal/mol) when docked into (PDB ID:2ITO), in addition to 2-cyano-N-(4-(diethylamino)phenyl)-2-(4-(4-(diphenylamino)benzylidene)-5-oxo-3-phenylthiazolidin-2-ylidene)acetamide (6a) gave the highest energy score (− 9.3507 kcal/mol) with (PDB ID:2A4L).

Discovery of New 3,3-Diethylazetidine-2,4-dione Based Thiazoles as Nanomolar Human Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitors with Broad-Spectrum Antiproliferative Activity

A series of 3,3-diethylazetidine-2,4-dione based thiazoles 3a–3j were designed and synthesized as new human neutrophil elastase (HNE) inhibitors in nanomolar range. The representative compounds 3c, 3e, and 3h exhibit high HNE inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values of 35.02–44.59 nM, with mixed mechanism of action. Additionally, the most active compounds 3c and 3e demonstrate high stability under physiological conditions. The molecular docking study showed good correlation of the binding energies with the IC₅₀ values, suggesting that the inhibition properties are largely dependent on the stage of ligand alignment in the binding cavity. The inhibition properties are correlated with the energy level of substrates of the reaction of ligand with Ser195. Moreover, most compounds showed high and broad-spectrum antiproliferative activity against human leukemia (MV4-11), human lung carcinoma (A549), human breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231), and urinary bladder carcinoma (UMUC-3), with IC₅₀ values of 4.59–9.86 μM. Additionally, compounds 3c and 3e can induce cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and apoptosis via caspase-3 activation, leading to inhibition of A549 cell proliferation. These findings suggest that these new types of drugs could be used to treat cancer and other diseases in which immunoreactive HNE is produced.

Azole inhibitors of mushroom and human tyrosinases: Current advances and prospects of drug development for melanogenic dermatological disorders

Azoles are a famous and promising class of drugs for treatment of a range of ailments especially fungal infections. A wide variety of azole derivatives are also known to exhibit tyrosinase inhibition, some of which possess promising activity with potential for treatment of dermatological disorders such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, nevus, flecks, melasma, and melanoma. Recently, thiazolyl-resorcinol derivatives have demonstrated potent human tyrosinase inhibition with a safe and effective therapeutic profile for treatment of skin hyperpigmentation in humans, which are currently under clinical trials. If approved these derivatives would be the first azole drugs to be used for treatment of skin hyperpigmentation. Although the scientific literature has been witnessing general reviews on tyrosinase inhibitors to date, there is none that specifically and comprehensively discusses azole inhibitors of tyrosinase. Appreciating such potential of azoles, this focused review highlights a wide range of their derivatives with promising mushroom and human tyrosinase inhibitory activities and clinical potential for treatment of melanogenic dermatological disorders. Presently, these disorders have been treated with kojic acid, hydroquinone and other drugs, the design and development of which are based on their ability to inhibit mushroom tyrosinase. The active sites of mushroom and human tyrosinases carry structural differences which affect substrate or inhibitor binding. For this reason, kojic acid and other drugs pose efficacy and safety issues since they were originally developed using mushroom tyrosinase and have been clinically used on human tyrosinase. Design and development of tyrosinase inhibitors should be based on human tyrosinase, however, there are challenges in obtaining the human enzyme and understanding its structure and function. The review discusses these challenges that encompass structural and functional differences between mushroom and human tyrosinases and the manner in which they are inhibited. The review also gauges promising azole derivatives with potential for development of drugs against skin hyperpigmentation by analyzing and comparing their tyrosinase inhibitory activities against mushroom and human tyrosinases, computational data, and clinical profile where available. It aims to lay groundwork for development of new azole drugs for treatment of skin hyperpigmentation, melanoma, and related dermatological disorders.

New Potential Agents for Malignant Melanoma Treatment-Most Recent Studies 2020-2022

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most lethal skin cancer. Despite a 4% reduction in mortality over the past few years, an increasing number of new diagnosed cases appear each year. Long-term therapy and the development of resistance to the drugs used drive the search for more and more new agents with anti-melanoma activity. This review focuses on the most recent synthesized anti-melanoma agents from 2020-2022. For selected agents, apart from the analysis of biological activity, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) is also discussed. To the best of our knowledge, the following literature review delivers the latest achievements in the field of new anti-melanoma agents.

Thiazole and Related Heterocyclic Systems as Anticancer Agents: A Review on Synthetic Strategies, Mechanisms of Action and SAR Studies

Background:

Cancer is the second leading cause of death throughout the world. Many anticancer drugs are commercially available, but lack of selectivity, target specificity, cytotoxicity and development of resistance lead to serious side effects. There have been several experiments going on to develop compounds with minor or no side effects.

Objective:

This review mainly emphasizes synthetic strategies, SAR studies, and mechanism of action for thiazole, benzothiazole, and imidazothiazole containing compounds as anticancer agents.

Methods:

Recent literature related to thiazole and thiazole-related derivatives endowed with encouraging anticancer potential is reviewed. This review emphasizes contemporary strategies used for the synthesis of thiazole and related derivatives, mechanistic targets, and comprehensive structural activity relationship studies to provide perspective into the rational design of high-efficiency thiazole-based anticancer drug candidates.

Results:

Exhaustive literature survey indicated that thiazole derivatives are associated with properties of inducing apoptosis and disturbing tubulin assembly. Thiazoles are also associated with the inhibition of NFkB/mTOR/PI3K/AkT and regulation of estrogen-mediated activity. Furthermore, thiazole derivatives have been found to modulate critical targets such as topoisomerase and HDAC.

Conclusion:

Thiazole derivatives seem to be quite competent and act through various mechanisms. Some of the thiazole derivatives, such as compounds 29, 40, 62, and 74a with IC50 values of 0.05 μM, 0.00042 μM, 0.18 μM, and 0.67 μM, respectively not only have anticancer activity but they also have lower toxicity and better absorption. Therefore, some other similar compounds could be investigated to aid in the development of anticancer pharmacophores.

Synthesis, electrochemical, optical and biological properties of new carbazole derivatives

Carbazole skeleton is the key structural motif of many biologically active compounds including synthetic and natural products. Based on the (E)-2-(2-(4-9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzylidene) hydrazinyl)thiazole as skeleton, three novel carbazole dyes were synthesized. The scientific analysis includes the effect of changing the strength of the activating substituents and their exchange for the deactivating substituent on the chemical and biological properties. The presented research showed a significant influence of the CH₃, OCH₃ and CH₂COOC₂H₅ groups on the spectral properties of the tested derivatives. Their significant influence is also visible in electrochemical, nonlinear-optic and biological properties. The study also included the analysis of the use of the presented derivatives as potential fluorescent probes for in vivo and in vitro tests. Quantum-chemical calculations complement the conducted experiments.

Design, Synthesis, Cytotoxic Screening and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Hybrid Thiosemicarbazone Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

Thiosemicarbazones have been the focus of scientists owing to their broad clinical anticancer range. Herein, A Series of new thiosemicarbazone derivatives 5-9 were synthesized and confirmed through the use of different spectroscopic techniques along with elemental analysis. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of compounds 5-9 against MCF-7 and A549 cell lines and normal breast cells were assessed. Several compounds were found to be active. The most active compound 7 caused MCF-7 cell cycle arrest at G1/ S phases; and induced apoptosis at the pre-G1 phase. The apoptosis-inducing activity of compound 7 was proofed by the elevation of caspase 3/7 activity and also by up-regulation of the expression of Bax and p53 proteins together with the down-regulation of the expression of the Bcl-2 protein. It also had a strong inhibitory effect topoisomerase IIβ enzyme. Molecular Docking study revealed that the synthesized compounds had good docking scores compared to the standard drug Etoposide towards the topoisomerase IIβ protein (3QX3). Overall, these findings confirmed that the new thiosemicarbazone derivatives could aid in the development of promising cancer drug candidates.

The newly synthesized thiazole derivatives as potential antifungal compounds against Candida albicans

Abstract

Recently, the occurrence of candidiasis has increased dramatically, especially in immunocompromised patients. Additionally, their treatment is often ineffective due to the resistance of yeasts to antimycotics. Therefore, there is a need to search for new antifungals. A series of nine newly synthesized thiazole derivatives containing the cyclopropane system, showing promising activity against Candida spp., has been further investigated. We decided to verify their antifungal activity towards clinical Candida albicans isolated from the oral cavity of patients with hematological malignancies and investigate the mode of action on fungal cell, the effect of combination with the selected antimycotics, toxicity to erythrocytes, and lipophilicity. These studies were performed by the broth microdilution method, test with sorbitol and ergosterol, checkerboard technique, erythrocyte lysis assay, and reversed phase thin-layer chromatography, respectively. All derivatives showed very strong activity (similar and even higher than nystatin) against all C. albicans isolates with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 0.008–7.81 µg/mL Their mechanism of action may be related to action within the fungal cell wall structure and/or within the cell membrane. The interactions between the derivatives and the selected antimycotics (nystatin, chlorhexidine, and thymol) showed additive effect only in the case of combination some of them and thymol. The erythrocyte lysis assay confirmed the low cytotoxicity of these compounds as compared to nystatin. The high lipophilicity of the derivatives was related with their high antifungal activity. The present studies confirm that the studied thiazole derivatives containing the cyclopropane system appear to be a very promising group of compounds in treatment of infections caused by C. albicans. However, this requires further studies in vivo.

Key points

• The newly thiazoles showed high antifungal activity and some of them — additive effect in combination with thymol.

• Their mode of action may be related with the influence on the structure of the fungal cell wall and/or the cell membrane.

• The low cytotoxicity against erythrocytes and high lipophilicity of these derivatives are their additional good properties.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-021-11477-7.

Recent advances in the design and discovery of synthetic tyrosinase inhibitors

Tyrosinase is a copper-containing metalloenzyme that is responsible for the rate-limiting catalytic step in the melanin biosynthesis and enzymatic browning. As a promising target, tyrosinase inhibitors can be used as skin whitening agents and food preservatives, thus having broad potential in the fields of food, cosmetics, agriculture and medicine. From 2015 to 2020, numerous synthetic inhibitors of tyrosinase have been developed to overcome the challenges of low efficacy and side effects. This review summarizes the enzyme structure and biological functions of tyrosinase and demonstrates the recent advances of synthetic tyrosinase inhibitors from the perspective of medicinal chemistry, providing a better understanding of the catalytic mechanisms and more effective tyrosinase inhibitors.

Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of Novel Dicyclopropyl-Thiazole Compounds as Nontoxic and Promising Antifungals

There is a need to search for new antifungals, especially for the treatment of the invasive Candida infections, caused mainly by C. albicans. These infections are steadily increasing at an alarming rate, mostly among immunocompromised patients. The newly synthesized compounds (3a-3k) were characterized by physicochemical parameters and investigated for antimicrobial activity using the microdilution broth method to estimate minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). Additionally, their antibiofilm activity and mode of action together with the effect on the membrane permeability in C. albicans were investigated. Biofilm biomass and its metabolic activity were quantitatively measured using crystal violet (CV) staining and tetrazolium salt (XTT) reduction assay. The cytotoxic effect on normal human lung fibroblasts and haemolytic effect were also evaluated. The results showed differential activity of the compounds against yeasts (MIC = 0.24-500 µg/mL) and bacteria (MIC = 125-1000 µg/mL). Most compounds possessed strong antifungal activity (MIC = 0.24-7.81 µg/mL). The compounds 3b, 3c and 3e, showed no inhibitory (at 1/2 × MIC) and eradication (at 8 × MIC) effect on C. albicans biofilm. Only slight decrease in the biofilm metabolic activity was observed for compound 3b. Moreover, the studied compounds increased the permeability of the membrane/cell wall of C. albicans and their mode of action may be related to action within the fungal cell wall structure and/or within the cell membrane. It is worth noting that the compounds had no cytotoxicity effect on pulmonary fibroblasts and erythrocytes at concentrations showing anticandidal activity. The present studies in vitro confirm that these derivatives appear to be a very promising group of antifungals for further preclinical studies.

Effect of the Chloro-Substitution on Electrochemical and Optical Properties of New Carbazole Dyes

Carbazole derivatives are the structural key of many biologically active substances, including naturally occurring and synthetic ones. Three novel (E)-2-(2-(4-9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzylidene)hydrazinyl)triazole dyes were synthesized with different numbers of chlorine substituents attached at different locations. The presented research has shown the influence of the number and position of attachment of chlorine substituents on electrochemical, optical, nonlinear, and biological properties. The study also included the analysis of the use of the presented derivatives as potential fluorescent probes for in vivo and in vitro tests. Quantum-chemical calculations complement the conducted experiments.

Effect of the dichloro-substitution on antiproliferative activity of phthalimide-thiazole derivatives. Rational design, synthesis, elastase, caspase 3/7, and EGFR tyrosine kinase activity and molecular modeling study

Phthalimide derivatives are a promising group of anticancer drugs, while aminothiazoles have great potential as elastase inhibitors. In these context fourteen phthalimido-thiazoles containing a dichloro-substituted phenyl ring with high antiproliferative activity against various cancer cell lines were designed and synthesized. Among the screened derivatives, compounds 5a-5e and 6a-6f showed high activity against human leukemia (MV4-11) cells with IC₅₀ values in the range of 5.56-16.10 µM. The phthalimide-thiazoles 5a, 5b and 5d showed the highest selectivity index (SI) relative to MV4-11 with 11.92, 10.80 and 8.21 values, respectively. The antiproliferative activity of compounds 5e, 5f and 6e, 6f against human lung carcinoma (A549) cells is also very high, with IC₅₀ values in the range of 6.69-10.41 µM. Lead compounds 6e and 6f showed elastase inhibition effect, with IC₅₀ values about 32 μM with mixed mechanism of action. The molecular modeling studies showed that the binding energies calculated for all set of compounds are strongly correlated with the experimentally determined values of IC₅₀. The lead compound 6e also increases almost 16 times caspase 3/7 activity in A549 cells compared to control. We have also demonstrated that compound 6f reduced EGFR tyrosine kinase levels in A549 cells by approximately 31%. These results clearly suggest that 3,4-dichloro-derivative 6e and 3,5-dichloro-derivative 6f could constitute lead dual-targeted anticancer drug candidates.

Design, synthesis, in vitro and in silico studies of novel Schiff base derivatives of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzamide as tyrosinase inhibitors

Due to the fact that tyrosinase is responsible for biosynthesis and regulation of melanins and browning food products, tyrosinase inhibitors can be favorable agents in cosmetics and medicinal industries. A series of novel 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzohydrazide were designed, synthesized, and their new application as tyrosinase inhibitors was also disclosed. Based on in vitro tyrosinase inhibitory assay, 4d as the strongest inhibitor of tyrosinase with an IC₅₀ value of 7.57 μM showed approximately 2.5-fold better inhibition than kojic acid as positive control followed by two compounds 4b (IC₅₀  = 8.19 ± 0.25 μM) and 4j (IC₅₀  = 8.92 ± 0.016) which displayed preferable tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Detailed investigations on the mechanism of action of the 4d reported mix type of inhibition. More importantly, molecular modeling assessments proposed the ability of 4d for potential interaction with Cu (metal)-His (residue) within tyrosinase active site. Overall, 4d is a promising candidate for the development of anti-tyrosinase agents.

Tropinone-Derived Alkaloids as Potent Anticancer Agents: Synthesis, Tyrosinase Inhibition, Mechanism of Action, DFT Calculation, and Molecular Docking Studies

A new series of hybrid compounds with tropinone and thiazole rings in the structure was designed and synthesized as potential anticancer agents. They were tested against human multiple myeloma (RPMI 8226), lung carcinoma (A549), breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231), and mouse skin melanoma (B16-F10) cell lines. Toxicity was tested on human normal skin fibroblasts (HSF) and normal colon fibroblasts (CCD-18Co). The growth inhibition mechanism of the most active derivative was analyzed through investigation of its effect on the distribution of cell cycle phases and ability to induce apoptosis and necrosis in RPMI 8226 and A549 cancer cells. The tyrosinase inhibitory potential was assessed, followed by molecular docking studies. Compounds 3a–3h show high anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 and B16-F10 cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 1.51–3.03 µM. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity of the investigated compounds against HSF and CCD-18Co cells was 8–70 times lower than against the cancer cells or no toxicity was shown in our tests, with derivative 3a being particularly successful. The mechanism of action of compound 3a in RPMI 8226 cell was shown to be through induction of cell death through apoptosis. The derivatives show ability to inhibit the tyrosinase activity with a mixed mechanism of inhibition. The final molecular docking results showed for IC₅₀ distinct correlation with experiment.

Facile Synthesis of Novel Hexahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine Derivatives by One-Pot, Multicomponent Reaction under Ambient Conditions

An efficient one-pot multicomponent reaction for the synthesis of novel tetrasubstituted hexahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines starting from readily available cinnamaldehydes, ethylenediamines, and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds catalyzed by AcOH is described. Two new cycles and four new bonds are constructed with all reactants being efficiently utilized in this transformation. The products could be obtained in 1-3 h under ambient conditions exclusively as a single isomer (trans). Single-crystal X-ray analysis confirmed the trans derivative as the only isomer.

A Series of Benzylidenes Linked to Hydrazine-1-carbothioamide as Tyrosinase Inhibitors: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Structure-Activity Relationship

Tyrosinase is a type 3 copper enzyme responsible for skin pigmentation disorders, skin cancer, and enzymatic browning of vegetables and fruits. In the present article, 12 small molecules of 2-benzylidenehydrazine-1-carbothioamide were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-tyrosinase activities followed by molecular docking and pharmacophore-based screening. Among synthesized thiosemicarbazone derivatives, one compound, (2E)-2-[(4-nitrophenyl)methylidene]hydrazine-1-carbothioamide, is the strongest inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase with IC₅₀ of 0.05 μM which demonstrated a 128-fold increase in potency compared to the positive control. Kinetic studies also revealed mix type inhibition by this compound. Docking studies confirmed the complete fitting of the synthesized compounds into the tyrosinase active site. The results underline the potential of 2-benzylidenehydrazine-1-carbothioamides as potent pharmacophore to extend the tyrosinase inhibition in drug discovery.

Synthesis, pharmacological evaluation and structure-activity relationship of recently discovered enzyme antagonist azoles

Global people are suffering from the legion of diseases. Cytotoxic property of the chemical compound would not solely influence effective drug properties and reduce unnecessary side effects. Proteins/enzymes responsible for microbe proliferation or survival are specifically targeted and inhibited successfully making the cells to undergo apoptosis. Furthermore, isoforms of essential enzymes have distinct physiological functions; thereby inhibition of essential enzyme isoforms is an apt way to the clinical approach of disease neutralization. Drugs are designed so as to play significant roles such as signaling pathways in the oncogenic process including cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. The present review comprises collective information of the recent synthesis of various organic drug compounds in brief, which could inhibit particular enzyme. The review also covers the correlation of the structure of a drug molecule designed and its inhibitory activity. Also, the most significant enzyme inhibitors are highlighted and structural moieties/core units responsible for remarkable inhibitory values are emphasized.

Benzo[b]thiophene-thiazoles as potent anti-Toxoplasma gondii agents: Design, synthesis, tyrosinase/tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitors, molecular docking study, and antioxidant activity

Synthesis and investigation of anti-Toxoplasma gondii activity of novel thiazoles containing benzo [b]thiophene moiety are presented. Among the derivatives, compound 3k with adamantyl group shows exceptionally high potency against Me49 strain with IC₅₀ (8.74 μM) value which is significantly lower than the activity of trimethoprim (IC₅₀ 39.23 μM). In addition, compounds 3a, 3b and 3k showed significant activity against RH strain (IC₅₀ 51.88-83.49 μM). The results of the cytotoxicity evaluation showed that Toxoplasma gondii growth was inhibited at non-cytotoxic concentrations for the mammalian L929 fibroblast (CC₃₀ ∼ 880 μM). The most active compound 3k showed tyrosinase inhibition effect, with IC₅₀ value of 328.5 μM. The binding energies calculated for compounds 3a-3e, 3k are strongly correlated with the experimentally determined values of tyrosinase inhibition activity. Moreover, the binding energies corresponding to the same ligands and calculated for both tyrosinase and tyrosine hydroxylase are also correlated with each other, suggesting that tyrosinase inhibitors may also have an inhibitory effect on tyrosine hydroxylase. Compounds 3j and 3k have also very strong antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 15.9 and 15.5 μM), respectively, which is ten times higher than well-known antioxidant BHT.

Synthesis, antimicrobial activity, and determination of the lipophilicity of ((cyclohex-3-enylmethylene)hydrazinyl)thiazole derivatives

Synthesis and investigation of antimicrobial activity of fifteen novel thiazoles containing cyclohexene moiety are presented. Among the derivatives, compounds 3a–3d, 3f, 3n, and 3o showed very strong activity against the reference Candida spp. strains with MIC = 0.015–3.91 µg/ml. The activity of these compounds is similar and even higher than the activity of nystatin used as positive control. Compounds 3d, 3f, 3n, 3o showed the highest activity with very strong effect towards most of yeasts isolated from clinical materials with MIC = 0.015–7.81 µg/ml. The cytotoxicity studies for the most active compounds showed that Candida spp. growth was inhibited at noncytotoxic concentrations for the mammalian L929 fibroblast. In addition, a good correlation was obtained between lipophilicity of compounds determined using reversed phase thin-layer chromatography and their antifungal activity.