Synthesis, anti-proliferative activity, gene expression, docking and DFT investigation of novel pyrazol-1-yl-thiazol-4(5H)-one derivatives

Comparison between conventional, grinding, and microwave synthesis of methylpyrazoles as VEGFR-2/HSP90 dual inhibitors

AIM

Embracing structure extension and substitution variation, methylpyrazolones 2-6 and dimethylpyrazoles 8-14 were synthesized as VEGFR-2/HSP90 dual inhibitors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The eco-friendly synthesis of the desired analogs was performed by conventional, grinding, and microwave-assisted methods.

RESULTS

All entities have been tested for their antitumor action against three carcinomas, whereas compounds 6, 12, and 13 showed significant cytotoxicity and selectivity toward the examined carcinomas. The consecutive molecular mechanistic studies proved that 6 and 12 exhibited dual inhibition of VEGFR-2 and HSP90 and prompted MCF-7 cycle arrest at G2/M phase followed by apoptosis stimulation.

CONCLUSION

Molecular docking revealed strong interaction between the potent analogs and VEGFR-2/HSP90 active sites inspiring these congeners to be potential drug candidates in cancer treatment.

Studying the impact of chitosan salicylaldehyde/schiff base/CuFe2O4 in PC3 cells via theoretical studies and inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling

In this elucidation, the nucleophilic attack of salicyladehyde with chitosan, which was obtained from the shrimp shell, afforded the cellulose aldehyde (Schiff base), and then the dispersion of CuFe2O4 on the surface of cellulose aldehyde gave the novel nanomaterial of bimetallic oxide, which was confirmed through spectral analysis such as FT-IR, NMR, SEM, and XRD analysis. Moreover, the anti-proliferative effect of chitosan, chitosan salicylaldehyde, and chitosan salicylaldehyde/CuFe2O4 was evaluated in PC3 human prostate cancer cells and HSF normal human skin fibroblasts. After 48 h, PC3 cell proliferation was significantly inhibited by chitosan salicylaldehyde/CuFe2O4 and chitosan salicylaldehyde (IC50 = 35.3 and 45.55 µg/ml, respectively) without any effects on normal HSF cells. The mRNA expression levels of PI3K, AKT, mTOR, and CCND1 were examined in PC3-treated cells by using QRT-PCR, and the results demonstrated that, by down-regulating the expression levels of these genes, chitosan salicylaldehyde/CuFe2O4 significantly affected prostate cancer cell proliferation, progression, and autophagy more than chitosan salicylaldehyde. Furthermore, the docking stimulation of the chitosan derivatives with different proteins showed the presence of CuFe2O4 particles effect on the interaction inside their pockets and increased the activities, and it's related to biological evaluation. Additionally, the theoretical investigation of these chitosan derivatives and the determination of their physical descriptors showed the activity of bimetallic oxide and the presence of electrostatic hydrogen bond interaction. Finally, these findings may suggest that chitosan salicylaldehyde/CuFe2O4 has a promising anticancer impact against prostate cancer.

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis and antitumor evaluation of novel variant heterocyclic compounds based on piperidine ring

Aim: This work explores the eco-friendly synthesis of various heterocycles from a piperidine-based compound (1) and explore their potential as antitumor agents.Materials & methods: Ultrasonic irradiation was used to synthesize heterocycles like pyridone, thiophene and coumarin, with computational tools analyzing stability and biological interactions.Results: Compounds 9 and 14 exhibit strong cytotoxic activity, surpassing doxorubicin. Compounds 2, 6, 10 and 13 exhibited intermediate activity, while compounds 3, 7 and 12 had minimal effects. Docking studies suggest potential ADORA1 receptor interaction. Computational tools analyze stability and interaction with biological systems, revealing potential antitumor mechanisms.Conclusion: Green synthesis of diverse heterocycles yielded potent antitumor agents (compounds 9 & 14). DFT and Docking studies suggest interaction with ADORA1 receptor, a potential mechanism.

Novel Pyrazole Acyl(thio)urea Derivatives Containing a Biphenyl Scaffold as Potential Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, Fungicidal Activity, and SAR

As part of a program to discover novel succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides, a series of new pyrazole acyl(thio)urea compounds containing a diphenyl motif were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, HRMS, and single X-ray crystal diffraction analysis. Most of these compounds possessed excellent activity against 10 fungal plant pathogens at 50 μg mL-1, especially against Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, and Cercospora arachidicola. Interestingly, compounds 3-(difluoromethyl)-1-methyl-N-((3',4',5'-trifluoro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)carbamoyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (9b, EC50 = 0.97 ± 0.18 μg mL-1), 1,3-dimethyl-N-((3',4',5'-trifluoro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)carbamoyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (9a, EC50 = 2.63 ± 0.41 μg mL-1), and N-((4'-chloro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)carbamoyl)-1,3-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (9g, EC50 = 1.31 ± 0.15 μg mL-1) exhibited activities against S. sclerotiorum that were better than the commercial fungicide bixafen (EC50 = 9.15 ± 0.05 μg mL-1) and similar to the positive control fluxapyroxad (EC50 = 0.71 ± 0.11 μg mL-1). These compounds were not significantly phytotoxic to monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) are discussed by substituent effects/molecular docking, and density functional theory analysis indicated that these compounds are succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors.

Designing a green poly(β-amino ester) for the delivery of nicotinamide drugs with biological activities and conducting a DFT investigation

The environmentally friendly polymerization process was carried out using microwave irradiation without additional solvents or catalysts to produce poly(β-amino ester) (PβAE) which served as a drug delivery system. PβAE was synthesized through Michael addition polymerization of 1,4-butane diol diacrylate and piperazine. Swelling and biodegradation studies were conducted in various solvents and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) at 37 °C to evaluate the properties of the polymeric gel. The PβAE matrix demonstrated solubility enhancement for hydrophobic antimicrobial and antitumor-active nicotinamide derivatives (TEINH, APTAT, and MOAPM), controlling their release over 10 days in (PBS). The successful formation of free and loaded PβAE with nicotinamide active materials was confirmed by spectroscopic analysis including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Optimization and physical descriptor determination via the DFT/B3LYP-631(G) basis set were performed to aid in the biological evaluation of these compounds with elucidation of their physical and chemical interaction between poly(β-amino ester) and nicotinamide drugs.

Spectroscopic, theoretical and computational investigations of novel benzo[b]thiophene based ligand and its M(II) complexes: As high portentous antimicrobial and antioxidant agents

The reaction of 3-chlorobenzo[b]thiophene-2-carbohydrazide with 4-(diethylamino) salicylaldehyde gave the new ligand; 3-chloro-N'-(4-(diethylamino)-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-benzo[b]thiophene-2-carbohydrazide. The Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes have been successfully prepared. The ligand and the complexes were characterized by analytical, FT-IR, 1H NMR, mass, UV-visible spectroscopy, molar conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The FT-IR spectral data showed that the ligand adopted a tridentate fashion when binding with the metal ions via the nitrogen atoms of the imine (C = N), carboxyl (C = O), and phenolic oxygen (O-H) donor atoms. Density Functional Theory (DFT) estimations for the ligand at the DFT/B3LYP level via 6-31G++ (d, p) replicate the structure and geometry. Finally, HOMO and LUMO analyses were used for the charge transfer interface of the structure. Furthermore, molecular docking and ADME calculations were also performed to correlate and interpret the experimental results. The antimicrobial activity study illustrated enhancement in the activity of the free ligand upon complex formation, and the Cu(II) complex (MIC 25 µg mL-1) may be considered a promising antibacterial agent, and the Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes (MIC 25 µg mL-1) as promising antifungal agents. Also, synthesized Cu(II) and Zn(II) metal complexes (MIC 3.125 µg mL-1) showed promising anti-TB activity against M. tuberculosis. Further, benzo[b]thiophene-based ligand and its metal complexes were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activity, and in silico docking studies were carried out against Cytochrome c Peroxidase (PDB ID: 2X08).

Ultrasonic-induced synthesis of novel diverse arylidenes via Knoevenagel condensation reaction. Antitumor, QSAR, docking and DFT assessment

A series of arylidenes derivatives was synthesized under ultrasonic methodology via Knoevenagel condensation reaction of cyanoacetohydrazide derivative with the appropriate aldehydes and/or ketone. The anticancer properties of the newly synthesized compounds were tested against four different human cancer cell lines (HEPG-2, MCF-7, HCT-116, and PC-3); compounds 5d and 6 demonstrated the greatest anticancer activity against all cancer cell lines. The MLR technique was used to create the QSAR model using five molecular descriptors (AATS6p, AATS7p, AATS8p, AATS0i, and SpMax4_Bhv). The examination of the constructed QSAR model equations revealed that the selected descriptors influence the tested compound's anti-proliferative activity. The descriptors identified in this work by QSAR models can be utilized to predict the anticancer activity levels of novel arylidenes derivatives. This will allow for significant cost savings in the drug development process and synthesis at pharmaceutical chemistry laboratories. According to the physicochemical properties, the results revealed that all of these compounds comply with Lipinski's Rule of Five, indicating that they may have high permeability across biological membranes and reveal drug-relevant properties. The Swiss Target Prediction webtool was used to assess the probable cellular mechanism for the promising candidate compounds (5d and 6), and the results revealed that adenosine A1 receptor (ADORA1) was a common target for both compounds. ADORA1 is involved in the regulation of cell metabolism and gene transcription. ADORA1 overexpression has been linked to a variety of cancers, including colon cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, and melanoma. The docking study of tested compounds 5d and 6 revealed that their binding scores to ADORA1 are more favorable than those of its co-crystalized ligand (DU172, selective ADORA1 antagonist) and adenosine (ADORA1 endogenous agonist), implying that they may hold great promise as an anti-cancer therapy. Density functional theory (DFT) with a (B3LYP)/6-31G (d,p) basis set was used to calculate the physicochemical parameters of these compounds. The theoretical data from the DFT computation was found to be in good agreement with the experimental values.

Anti-proliferative activity, molecular genetics, docking analysis, and computational calculations of uracil cellulosic aldehyde derivatives

In this study, the oxidation of microcrystalline cellulose using NaIO4 to yield the corresponding cellulose aldehyde utilized microwave irradiation as a green tool, the obtained cellulosic aldehyde was confirmed through spectral analysis and it has an active site to react with the synthesized uracil acetamide to afford the corresponding arylidene cellulosic MDAU(4), the latter compound which can easily due to presence of active CH=group behind a cyano group react with nitrogen nucleophile's and cyclized with hydrazine hydrate to give pyrazole cellulosic MDPA(5). The spectral analysis of the obtained cellulosic derivatives was confirmed with FT-IR, NMR, and SEM. Additionally, a neutral red uptake analysis has been used to investigate the cytotoxic activity of the cellulosic compounds MDAC(2), MDAU(4), and MDAP(5) against the cancer cells A549 and Caco2. After 48 h, Compound MDAU(4) had a stronger inhibitory effect on the growth of A549 and Caco2, compared to standard values. Then, using QRT-PCR, the appearance sites of the genes -Catenin, c-Myc, Cyclin D1, and MMP7 in A549 cells were examined. By reducing the expression levels of the Wnt signaling cascade genes -Catenin, c-Myc, Cyclin D1, and MMP7 when administered to A549 cells, compound MDAU(4) was shown in this investigation to be a viable candidate compared to lung cancer. Additionally, docking simulation was used to explore the uracil cellulosic heterocycles attached to different proteins, and computational investigations of these compounds looked at how well their physical characteristics matched the outcomes of their experiments.

Antioxidant activity of novel nitrogen scaffold with docking investigation and correlation of DFT stimulation

Heterocyclic scaffolds are frequently employed in drug development to treat a variety of conditions, including cancers. These substances have the ability to engage covalently or non-covalently with particular residues in the target proteins, inhibiting them. In this study, the formation of N-, S-, and O-containing heterocycles by the interaction of chalcone with nitrogen-containing nucleophiles such as hydrazine, hydroxyl amine, guanidine, urea, and aminothiourea was explored. FT-IR, UV-visible, NMR, and mass spectrometric studies were used to confirm the heterocyclic compounds that were produced. These substances were tested for their antioxidant activity by their capacity to scavenge the artificial radicals 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The strongest antioxidant activity was demonstrated by compound 3 (IC50 = 93.4 μM), whereas compound 8 (IC50 = 448.70 μM) had the lowest activity when compared to vitamin C (IC50 141.9 μM). Also, the experimental findings and the docking estimation of these heterocyclic compounds with PDBID:3RP8 were in agreement. Additionally, the compounds' global reactivity characteristics, such as HOMO-LUMO gaps, electronic hardness, chemical potential, electrophilicity index, and Mulliken charges, were identified using DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) basis sets. The two chemicals that displayed the best antioxidant activity also had their molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) ascertained using DFT simulations.

Exploring the cytotoxic effect and CDK-9 inhibition potential of novel sulfaguanidine-based azopyrazolidine-3,5-diones and 3,5-diaminoazopyrazoles

Regarding the structural analysis of variable effective CDK-9 suppressors, we record the design and synthesis of two new sets of sulfaguanidine-based azopyrazolidine-3,5-diones and 3,5-diaminoazopyrazoles with expected anticancer and CDK-9 inhibiting activity. In the designed molecules, the pyrazole ring and sulphaguanidine fragment were linked together for the first time through diazo linkers as they are expected to enhance the anticancer activity and CDK degrading interaction. All derivatives have been estimated regarding their cytotoxic activity toward three tumor cells where CDK overexpression has been reported (HePG2, HCT-116, and MCF-7). Among these, four derivatives VII, VIII, X, and XIII exerted potent cytotoxicity against the chosen tumor cells presenting IC₅₀ range equal to 2.86-25.89 µM. As well cytotoxicity on non-cancer cells and CDK-9 inhibition assay have been also assessed for these candidates to evaluate their selectivity indices and enzyme inhibition. The 3,5-diaminopyrazole-1-carboxamide derivative XIII showed a superior combined profile as cytotoxic with high selectivity toward cancer cells (HePG2: IC₅₀ = 6.57 µM, SI = 13.31; HCT-116: IC₅₀ = 9.54 µM, SI = 9.16; MCF-7: IC₅₀ = 7.97 µM, SI = 10.97). Accordingly, it has been chosen to evaluate its probable mechanistic effect both in vitro (via enzyme assay, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle study) as well as in silico (through molecular docking). Overall, this work introduces the 3,5-diaminopyrazole-1-carboxamide derivative XIII as a potent CDK-9 inhibitor candidate (IC₅₀ = 0.16 µM) that merits further investigations for the management of breast, colorectal, and hepatic malignancies.