Synthesis of novel p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene Schiff bases and their complexes with C60, potential HIV-Protease inhibitors

Drug Discovery and Exploration of Heterocycles for the Development of Anti-HIV Agents

It is a known fact that HIV infection remains a serious public health problem throughout the world, and the need to constantly develop new antiretroviral drugs to combat HIV emerges from the fact that repetitive mutations occurring in viral enzymes make this virus resistant to antiretroviral drugs. This resistance causes failure of treatment, and hence, for many years, extensive research has been to discover newer possibilities for fighting this disease at a molecular level, along with many long-standing and expensive clinical trials. Many scientific research programs have either been discarded or unsuccessful. However, the research has not stopped, and in the process, many heterocyclic scaffolds have been used to build up novel drug molecules to combat this disease. A literature survey reveals that many heterocycles have been explored and were found to be very useful in treating different types of viral infections. This concise and rigorous literature explains the journey and highlights the various strategies to develop new anti-HIV drug candidates.

Identification of Potential Drug Targets of Calix[4]arene by Reverse Docking

Calixarenes are displaying great potential for the development of new drug delivery systems, diagnostic imaging, biosensing devices and inhibitors of biological processes. In particular, calixarene derivatives are able to interact with many different enzymes and function as inhibitors. By screening of the potential drug target database (PDTD) with a reverse docking procedure, we identify and discuss a selection of 100 proteins that interact strongly with calix[4]arene. We also discover that leucine (23.5 %), isoleucine (11.3 %), phenylalanines (11.3 %) and valine (9.5 %) are the most frequent binding residues followed by hydrophobic cysteines and methionines and aromatic histidines, tyrosines and tryptophanes. Top binders are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors that already are targeted by commercial drugs, demonstrating the practical interest in calix[4]arene. Nuclear receptors, potassium channel, several carrier proteins, a variety of cancer-related proteins and viral proteins are prominent in the list. It is concluded that calix[4]arene, which is characterized by facile access, well-defined conformational characteristics, and ease of functionalization at both the lower and higher rims, could be a potential lead compound for the development of enzyme inhibitors and theranostic platforms.

Carbon-based antiviral nanomaterials: graphene, C-dots, and fullerenes. A perspective

The appearance of new and lethal viruses and their potential threat urgently requires innovative antiviral systems. In addition to the most common and proven pharmacological methods, nanomaterials can represent alternative resources to fight viruses at different stages of infection, by selective action or in a broad spectrum. A fundamental requirement is non-toxicity. However, biocompatible nanomaterials have very often little or no antiviral activity, preventing their practical use. Carbon-based nanomaterials have displayed encouraging results and can present the required mix of biocompatibility and antiviral properties. In the present review, the main candidates for future carbon nanometric antiviral systems, namely graphene, carbon dots and fullerenes, have been critically analysed. In general, different carbon nanostructures allow several strategies to be applied. Some of the materials have peculiar antiviral properties, such as singlet oxygen emission, or the capacity to interfere with virus enzymes. In other cases, nanomaterials have been used as a platform for functional molecules able to capture and inhibit viral activity. The use of carbon-based biocompatible nanomaterials as antivirals is still an almost unexplored field, while the published results show promising prospects.

Spectroscopic evidence on improvement in complex formation of O2N2 aza-crown macrocyclic ligands with Cu(II) acetate upon incorporation with [60]Fullerene

The present paper reports the spectroscopic investigations on the complexation of Cu(II) with two macrocyclic ligands bonded to [60]Fullerene (L1 and L2) measured in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent. On the basis of UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy applying Jobs method of continuous variation, typical 1:1 stoichiometries were established for the complexes of Cu(II) with L1, and L2. DFT calculations suggested that superior HOMO distributions spread over the nitrogen-donor (as well as somehow oxygen- donor in L2) groups of L1 and L2 macrocycles were the key factor for the observed Kb value enhancement. Thermodynamic stabilities for these complexes have also been determined employing Benesi-Hildebrand equation and the results were compared in terms of their calculated binding constants (Kb). These measurements showed that L1 and L2 bound to these cations stronger than their parent free macrocyclic ligands 1 and 2, respectively. Furthermore, Kb values found for L2 complexes revealed that it could coordinate Cu(II) cation better than L1. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG, ∆H, and -ΔS) derived from Van't Hoff equation showed that L1 and L2 coordination of Cu(II) cation were occurred due to both enthalpic and entropic factors while the coordination of Cu(II) with their parent macrocyclic ligands 1 and 2 only enjoyed from only enthalpic advantages.