1
|
Muszalska-Kolos I, Dwiecki PM. Searching for Conjugates as New Structures for Antifungal Therapies. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38470824 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The progressive increase in fungal infections and the decrease in the effectiveness of current therapy explain research on new drugs. The synthesis of compounds with proven antifungal activity, favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties affecting their pharmaceutical availability and bioavailability, and limiting or eliminating side effects has become the goal of many studies. The publication describes the directions of searching for new compounds with antifungal activity, focusing on conjugates. The described modifications include, among others, azoles or amphotericin B in combination with fatty acids, polysaccharides, proteins, and synthetic polymers. The benefits of these combinations in terms of activity, mechanism of action, and bioavailability were indicated. The possibilities of creating or using nanoparticles, "umbrella" conjugates, siderophores (iron-chelating compounds), and monoclonal antibodies were also presented. Taking into account the role of vaccinations in prevention, the scope of research related to developing a vaccine protecting against fungal infections was also indicated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Muszalska-Kolos
- Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 3, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
| | - Piotr Mariusz Dwiecki
- Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 3, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
- Pharmaceutical Company "Ziołolek" Sp. z o.o., Starolecka 189, 61-341 Poznan, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Safwan SM, Kumar N, Mehta D, Singh M, Saini V, Pandey N, Khatol S, Batheja S, Singh J, Walia P, Bajaj A. Xanthone Derivatives Enhance the Therapeutic Potential of Neomycin against Polymicrobial Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:527-540. [PMID: 38294409 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacterial infections are difficult to manage as many antibiotics are ineffective owing to the presence of impermeable bacterial membranes. Polymicrobial infections pose a serious threat due to the inadequate efficacy of available antibiotics, thereby necessitating the administration of antibiotics at higher doses. Antibiotic adjuvants have emerged as a boon as they can augment the therapeutic potential of available antibiotics. However, the toxicity profile of antibiotic adjuvants is a major hurdle in clinical translation. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and biological activities of xanthone-derived molecules as potential antibiotic adjuvants. Our SAR studies witnessed that the p-dimethylamino pyridine-derivative of xanthone (X8) enhances the efficacy of neomycin (NEO) against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and causes a synergistic antimicrobial effect without any toxicity against mammalian cells. Biochemical studies suggest that the combination of X8 and NEO, apart from inhibiting protein synthesis, enhances the membrane permeability by binding to lipopolysaccharide. Notably, the combination of X8 and NEO can disrupt the monomicrobial and polymicrobial biofilms and show promising therapeutic potential against a murine wound infection model. Collectively, our results unveil the combination of X8 and NEO as a suitable adjuvant therapy for the inhibition of the Gram-negative bacterial infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sayed Mohamad Safwan
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Third Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Neeraj Kumar
- Lord Shiva College of Pharmacy, Near Civil Hospital, Sirsa 125055, Haryana, India
| | - Devashish Mehta
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Third Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Mohit Singh
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Third Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Varsha Saini
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Third Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Nishant Pandey
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Third Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Steffi Khatol
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Third Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Shalini Batheja
- Lord Shiva College of Pharmacy, Near Civil Hospital, Sirsa 125055, Haryana, India
| | - Jitender Singh
- Lord Shiva College of Pharmacy, Near Civil Hospital, Sirsa 125055, Haryana, India
| | - Preeti Walia
- Lord Shiva College of Pharmacy, Near Civil Hospital, Sirsa 125055, Haryana, India
| | - Avinash Bajaj
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Third Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Giedroc DP, Antelo GT, Fakhoury JN, Capdevila DA. Sensing and regulation of reactive sulfur species (RSS) in bacteria. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 76:102358. [PMID: 37399745 PMCID: PMC10526684 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The infected host deploys generalized oxidative stress caused by small inorganic reactive molecules as antibacterial weapons. An emerging consensus is that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and forms of sulfur with sulfur-sulfur bonds termed reactive sulfur species (RSS) provide protection against oxidative stressors and antibiotics, as antioxidants. Here, we review our current understanding of RSS chemistry and its impact on bacterial physiology. We start by describing the basic chemistry of these reactive species and the experimental approaches developed to detect them in cells. We highlight the role of thiol persulfides in H2S-signaling and discuss three structural classes of ubiquitous RSS sensors that tightly regulate cellular H2S/RSS levels in bacteria, with a specific focus on the chemical specificity of these sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David P Giedroc
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - Giuliano T Antelo
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA-CONICET), C1405BWE Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Joseph N Fakhoury
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA
| | - Daiana A Capdevila
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA-CONICET), C1405BWE Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mehta D, Saini V, Bajaj A. Recent developments in membrane targeting antifungal agents to mitigate antifungal resistance. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1603-1628. [PMID: 37731690 PMCID: PMC10507810 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00151b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections cause severe and life-threatening complications especially in immunocompromised individuals. Antifungals targeting cellular machinery and cell membranes including azoles are used in clinical practice to manage topical to systemic fungal infections. However, continuous exposure to clinically used antifungal agents in managing the fungal infections results in the development of multi-drug resistance via adapting different kinds of intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. The unique chemical composition of fungal membranes presents attractive targets for antifungal drug discovery as it is difficult for fungal cells to modify the membrane targets for emergence of drug resistance. Here, we discussed available antifungal drugs with their detailed mechanism of action and described different antifungal resistance mechanisms. We further emphasized structure-activity relationship studies of membrane-targeting antifungal agents, and classified membrane-targeting antifungal agents on the basis of their core scaffold with detailed pharmacological properties. This review aims to pique the interest of potential researchers who could explore this interesting and intricate fungal realm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devashish Mehta
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology Faridabad-121001 Haryana India
| | - Varsha Saini
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology Faridabad-121001 Haryana India
| | - Avinash Bajaj
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology Faridabad-121001 Haryana India
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cadelis MM, Kim J, Rouvier F, Gill ES, Fraser K, Bourguet-Kondracki ML, Brunel JM, Copp BR. Exploration of Bis-Cinnamido-Polyamines as Intrinsic Antimicrobial Agents and Antibiotic Enhancers. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1087. [PMID: 37509123 PMCID: PMC10377643 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The marine natural product ianthelliformisamine C is a bis-cinnamido substituted spermine derivative that exhibits intrinsic antimicrobial properties and can enhance the action of doxycycline towards the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As part of a study to explore the structure-activity requirements of these activities, we have synthesized a set of analogues that vary in the presence/absence of methoxyl group and bromine atoms and in the polyamine chain length. Intrinsic antimicrobial activity towards Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans was observed for only the longest polyamine chain examples of non-brominated analogues while all examples bearing either one or two bromine atoms were active. Weak to no activity was typically observed towards Gram-negative bacteria, with exceptions being the longest polyamine chain examples 13f, 14f and 16f against Escherichia coli (MIC 1.56, 7.2 and 5.3 µM, respectively). Many of these longer polyamine-chain analogues also exhibited cytotoxic and/or red blood cell hemolytic properties, diminishing their potential as antimicrobial lead compounds. Two of the non-toxic, non-halogenated analogues, 13b and 13d, exhibited a strong ability to enhance the action of doxycycline against P. aeruginosa, with >64-fold and >32-fold enhancement, respectively. These results suggest that any future efforts to optimize the antibiotic-enhancing properties of cinnamido-polyamines should explore a wider range of aromatic ring substituents that do not include bromine or methoxyl groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M Cadelis
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jisoo Kim
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Florent Rouvier
- Membranes et Cibles Therapeutiques (MCT), SSA, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Universite, 27 bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France
| | - Evangelene S Gill
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Kyle Fraser
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Marie-Lise Bourguet-Kondracki
- Laboratoire Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Micro-Organismes, UMR 7245 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 Rue Cuvier (C.P. 54), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean Michel Brunel
- Membranes et Cibles Therapeutiques (MCT), SSA, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Universite, 27 bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France
| | - Brent R Copp
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Agarwal DS, Sakhuja R, Beteck RM, Legoabe LJ. Steroid-triazole conjugates: A brief overview of synthesis and their application as anticancer agents. Steroids 2023:109258. [PMID: 37330161 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2023.109258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Steroids are biomolecules that play pivotal roles in various physiological and drug discovery processes. Abundant research has been fuelled towards steroid-heterocycles conjugates over the last few decades as potential therapeutic agents against various diseases especially as anticancer agents. In this context various steroid-triazole conjugates have been synthesized and studied for their anticancer potential against various cancer cell lines. A thorough search of the literatures revealed that a concise review pertaining the present topic is not compiled. Therefore, in thus review we summarize the synthesis, anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines and structure activity relationship (SAR) of various steroid-triazole conjugates. This review can lay down the path towards the development of various steroid-heterocycles conjugates with lesser side effects and profound efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devesh S Agarwal
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Rajeev Sakhuja
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani 333 031, India
| | - Richard M Beteck
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Lesetja J Legoabe
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Enright TP, Garcia DL, Storti G, Heindl JE, Sidorenko A. Synthesis and Antibiotic Activity of Chitosan-Based Comb-like Co-Polypeptides. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21040243. [PMID: 37103382 PMCID: PMC10143536 DOI: 10.3390/md21040243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have been named one of the most urgent global health threats due to antimicrobial resistance. Considerable efforts have been made to develop new antibiotic drugs and investigate the mechanism of resistance. Recently, Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs) have served as a paradigm in the design of novel drugs that are active against multidrug-resistant organisms. AMPs are rapid-acting, potent, possess an unusually broad spectrum of activity, and have shown efficacy as topical agents. Unlike traditional therapeutics that interfere with essential bacterial enzymes, AMPs interact with microbial membranes through electrostatic interactions and physically damage cell integrity. However, naturally occurring AMPs have limited selectivity and modest efficacy. Therefore, recent efforts have focused on the development of synthetic AMP analogs with optimal pharmacodynamics and an ideal selectivity profile. Hence, this work explores the development of novel antimicrobial agents which mimic the structure of graft copolymers and mirror the mode of action of AMPs. A family of polymers comprised of chitosan backbone and AMP side chains were synthesized via the ring-opening polymerization of the N-carboxyanhydride of l-lysine and l-leucine. The polymerization was initiated from the functional groups of chitosan. The derivatives with random- and block-copolymer side chains were explored as drug targets. These graft copolymer systems exhibited activity against clinically significant pathogens and disrupted biofilm formation. Our studies highlight the potential of chitosan-graft-polypeptide structures in biomedical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Enright
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dominic L Garcia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gia Storti
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jason E Heindl
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Alexander Sidorenko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Investigation of α,ω-Disubstituted Polyamine-Cholic Acid Conjugates Identifies Hyodeoxycholic and Chenodeoxycholic Scaffolds as Non-Toxic, Potent Antimicrobials. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12020404. [PMID: 36830315 PMCID: PMC9951859 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
With the increased incidence of antibiotic resistance, the discovery and development of new antibacterials is of increasing importance and urgency. The report of the natural product antibiotic squalamine in 1993 has stimulated a lot of interest in the study of structurally simplified cholic acid-polyamine derivatives. We report the synthesis of a focused set of deoxycholic acid-polyamine conjugates and the identification of hyodeoxycholic acid derivatives as being potently active towards S. aureus MRSA and some fungal strains, but with no attendant cytotoxicity or hemolytic properties. Analogue 7e exhibited bactericidal activity towards a range of Gram-positive bacteria, while preliminary investigation of its mechanism of action ruled out the bacterial membrane as being a primary cellular target as determined using an ATP-release bioluminescence assay.
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang L, Fan Y, Galantini L, Schillén K, Del Giudice A, Du G, Wang Y. Noncovalent Bile Acid Oligomers as Facial Amphiphilic Antimicrobials. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:495-506. [PMID: 36529944 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
New antimicrobial agents are needed to address the ever-growing risk of bacterial resistance, particularly for methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Here, we report a class of bile acid oligomers as facial amphiphilic antimicrobials, which are noncovalently fabricated by cholic acid (CA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) with polyamines (e.g., diamines, diethylenetriamine, spermidine, and spermine). The antibacterial activities of these bile acid oligomers (CA/polyamines and DCA/polyamines) against S. aureus become stronger with increasing the amine group numbers of polyamines without obviously enhanced cytotoxicity and skin irritation. DCA/spermine, entirely composed of natural products, exhibits the best antibacterial activity but the lowest cytotoxicity and the weakest skin irritation. All CA/polyamines and DCA/polyamines form well-ordered ribbon-like aggregates, collecting numerous facial amphiphilic structures to significantly enhance the interactions with bacterial membranes. In particular, the biogenic polyamines with more than two amine groups provide extra positively charged sites, hence facilitating the binding of bile acid oligomers to the negatively charged outer membrane of the bacteria via electrostatic interaction. This in turn promotes more oligomeric bile acid units that can be inserted into the membrane through hydrophobic interaction between bile acids and lipid domains. The noncovalently constructed and separable amphiphilic antimicrobials can avoid the long-term coexistence of microorganisms and antibacterial molecules in different acting modes. Therefore, the noncovalent bile acid oligomers, especially those with higher oligomerization degrees, can be a potential approach to effectively enhance antibacterial activity, improve environmental friendliness, and reduce bacterial drug resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liangchen Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface, and Chemical Thermodynamics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaxun Fan
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface, and Chemical Thermodynamics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Luciano Galantini
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.O. Box 34-Roma 62, Piazzale A. Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Karin Schillén
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Alessandra Del Giudice
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.O. Box 34-Roma 62, Piazzale A. Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Guanqun Du
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Yilin Wang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface, and Chemical Thermodynamics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bansal R, Suryan A. A Comprehensive Review on Steroidal Bioconjugates as Promising Leads in Drug Discovery. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2022; 2:340-369. [PMID: 37102169 PMCID: PMC10125316 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.1c00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ever increasing unmet medical requirements of the human race and the continuous fight for survival against variety of diseases give birth to novel molecules through research. As diseases evolve, different strategies are employed to counter the new challenges and to discover safer, more effective, and target-specific therapeutic agents. Among several novel approaches, bioconjugation, in which two chemical moieties are joined together to achieve noticeable results, has emerged as a simple and convenient technique for a medicinal chemist to obtain potent molecules. The steroid system has been extensively used as a privileged scaffold gifted with significantly diversified medicinal properties in the drug discovery and development process. Steroidal molecules are preferred for their rigidness and good ability to penetrate biological membranes. Slight alteration in the basic ring structure results in the formation of steroidal derivatives with a wide range of therapeutic activities. Steroids are not only active as such, conjugating them with various biologically active moieties results in increased lipophilicity, stability, and target specificity with decreased adverse effects. Thus, the steroid nucleus prominently behaves as a biological carrier for small molecules. The steroid bioconjugates offer several advantages such as synergistic activity with fewer side effects due to reduced dose and selective therapy. The steroidal bioconjugates have been widely explored for their usefulness against various disorders and have shown significant utility as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antimicrobial, insecticidal/pesticidal, antioxidant, and antiviral agents along with several other miscellaneous activities. This work provides a comprehensive review on the therapeutic progression of steroidal bioconjugates as medicinally active molecules. The review covers potential biological applications of steroidal bioconjugates and would benefit the wider scientific community in their drug discovery endeavors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ranju Bansal
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Amruta Suryan
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Discovery and biological evaluation of tanshinone derivatives as potent dual inhibitors of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 and tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 235:114294. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
|
12
|
Unlocking the bacterial membrane as a therapeutic target for next-generation antimicrobial amphiphiles. Mol Aspects Med 2021; 81:100999. [PMID: 34325929 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2021.100999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Gram-positive bacteria like Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative bacteria like Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter Spp. are responsible for most of fatal bacterial infections. Bacteria present a handful of targets like ribosome, RNA polymerase, cell wall biosynthesis, and dihydrofolate reductase. Antibiotics targeting the protein synthesis like aminoglycosides and tetracyclines, inhibitors of RNA/DNA synthesis like fluoroquinolones, inhibitors of cell wall biosynthesis like glycopeptides and β-lactams, and membrane-targeting polymyxins and lipopeptides have shown very good success in combating the bacterial infections. Ability of the bacteria to develop drug resistance is a serious public health challenge as bacteria can develop antimicrobial resistance against newly introduced antibiotics that enhances the challenge for antibiotic drug discovery. Therefore, bacterial membranes present a suitable therapeutic target for development of antimicrobials as bacteria can find it difficult to develop resistance against membrane-targeting antimicrobials. In this review, we present the recent advances in engineering of membrane-targeting antimicrobial amphiphiles that can be effective alternatives to existing antibiotics in combating bacterial infections.
Collapse
|
13
|
Lin C, Wang Y, Le M, Chen KF, Jia YG. Recent Progress in Bile Acid-Based Antimicrobials. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:395-410. [PMID: 33683873 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
With the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and the formation of biofilms by bacteria and fungi, microbial infections gradually threaten global health. Natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have low susceptibility for developing resistance due to the membrane targeted mechanism, but instability and high manufacturing cost limit their applications in clinic. Bile acids, a group of steroids in the human body, with high stability, biocompatibility, and inherent facial amphiphilic structure similar to the characteristics of AMPs, have been applied to the biological field, such as drug delivery systems, self-healing hydrogels, antimicrobials, and so on. In this review, we mainly focus on the different classes of bile acid-based antimicrobials in recent years. Various designs and methods for the preparation of unimolecular antimicrobials with bile acid skeletons are first introduced, including coupling of primary amine, quaternary ammonium, and amino acid units with bile acid skeletons. Some representative oligomeric antimicrobials, including dimers of bile acids, are summarized. Finally, macromolecular antimicrobials bearing some positive charges at the main chain or side chain and interaction mechanisms of these bile acid-based antimicrobials are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.,National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yushi Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Mengqi Le
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Kai-Feng Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.,National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yong-Guang Jia
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.,National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Singh D, Majumdar AG, Gamre S, Subramanian M. Membrane damage precedes DNA damage in hydroxychavicol treated E. coli cells and facilitates cooperativity with hydrophobic antibiotics. Biochimie 2020; 180:158-168. [PMID: 33181225 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hydroxychavicol (HC), found abundantly in Piper betle leaves is credited with antimicrobial property. Previously we had shown HC induces reactive oxygen species mediated DNA damage in bacterial cells. HC also resulted in membrane compromise revealing its pleiotropic effects on cellular targets. The kinetics and exact sequence of events leading to inhibition of growth and cell death in E. coli after HC treatment remains poorly understood. We show that sub-lethal concentration (125 μg/mL) of HC causes cellular filamentation within 1 h of treatment, while a higher concentration (750 μg/mL) induces cell breakage. HC-treated cells were found to experience oxidative stress as early as 10 min, while evidence of membrane damage was apparent at 30 min. DNA damage repair genes were found to be activated at 60 min. Interestingly, HC-induced cell permeabilization was inhibited and enhanced by external Mg2+ and EDTA, respectively, suggesting that HC damages the outer membrane. Kinetic experiments revealed that HC-treated cells underwent oxidative stress, membrane damage and DNA damage in that order. Because gram negative bacteria such as E. coli are refractory to several antibiotics due to the presence of the outer membrane, we hypothesized that HC pretreatment would sensitize E. coli to hydrophobic antibiotics. Our study reveals for the first time that HC could sensitize bacteria to clinically used antibiotics due to its outer membrane damaging property.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deepti Singh
- Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400 094, India
| | - Ananda Guha Majumdar
- Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400 094, India
| | - Sunita Gamre
- Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India
| | - Mahesh Subramanian
- Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400 094, India.
| |
Collapse
|