π-stacking and C—X...D(X= H, NO2;D= O, π) interactions in the crystal network of both C—H...N and π-stacked dimers of 1,2-bis(4-bromophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole and 2-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole

Anti-inflammatory effect and inhibition of nitric oxide production by targeting COXs and iNOS enzymes with the 1,2-diphenylbenzimidazole pharmacophore

Being the base of several non-communicable diseases, including cancer, inflammation is a complex process generated by tissue damage or change in the body homeostatic state. Currently, the therapeutic treatment for chronic inflammation related diseases is based on the use of selective cyclooxygenase II enzyme, COX-2, inhibitors or Coxibs, which have recently regained attention giving their preventive role in colon cancer. Thus, the discovery of new molecules that selectively inhibit COX-2 and other inflammatory mediators is a current challenge in the medicinal chemistry field. 1-Phenylbenzimidazoles have shown potential COX inhibitory activity, because they can reproduce the interaction profile of known COX inhibitors. Therefore, in the present investigation a series of 1,2-diphenylbenzimidazoles (DPBI) with different aromatic substitutions in the para position were synthesized and their interaction with COX-2 and nitric oxide synthase, iNOS, was determined in silico, in vitro and in vivo. Compound 2-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole showed the best inhibition towards COX-2, while compounds N-(4-(2-(4-bromophenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)acetamide and N-(4-(2-(4-chlorophenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)acetamide diminished the production of NO in vitro. Additionally, they had a significant anti-inflammatory activity in vivo when given orally.

Crystal structure of a new polymorph of 3-acetyl-8-meth-oxy-2H-chromen-2-one

A new polymorphic form of the title compound, C12H10O4, is described in the ortho-rhom-bic space group Pbca and Z = 8, as compared to polymorph I, which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c and Z = 8 [Li et al. (2012). Chin. J. Struct. Chem. 31, 1003-1007.]. In polymorph II, the coumarin ring system is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.00129 Å). In the crystal, mol-ecules are connected by Csp 3-H⋯O and Car-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming mol-ecular sheets linked into zigzag shaped layers along the b-axis direction. The three-dimensional lattice is assembled through stacking of the zigzag layers by π-π inter-actions with a centroid-to-centroid distance of 3.600 (9) Å and anti-parallel C=O⋯C=O inter-actions with a distance of 3.1986 (17) Å, which give rise to a helical supra-molecular architecture.