1,2,4-Triazole: A Privileged Scaffold for the Development of Potent Antifungal Agents - A Brief Review

Search for New Compounds with Anti-Inflammatory Activity Among 1,2,4-Triazole Derivatives

Compounds containing the 1,2,4-triazole moiety in their structure exhibit broad biological activities. Many of these compounds demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity in vitro through various mechanisms, such as inhibiting COX-1/COX-2 and LOX, modulating pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, or having effects on other specific enzymes. Some also display activities in vivo. In many publications, the activities of new 1,2,4-triazole-based compounds exceed those of the reference drugs, suggesting their promising potential as new therapeutic agents. This review of active 1,2,4-triazole derivatives with anti-inflammatory activity is based on literature published from 2015-2024.

Effect of blue light emitting diode therapy on recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomized assessor-blinded controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is a prevalent genital infection in women of reproductive age and requires effective non-drug therapies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of blue light emitting diode (LED) therapy as an alternative treatment for recurrent VVC due to its proven antimicrobial properties. The safety and non-invasiveness of LED therapy make it a promising option for sensitive tissue applications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This randomized controlled trial recruited 60 women with culture-confirmed VVC. Participants were randomly allocated to two groups. Group A (control group) received standard antifungal treatment with Gynoconazol 0.8% vaginal cream for three consecutive nights (n = 30). Group B (study group) received the same antifungal treatment plus two 60-min sessions of blue LED therapy directed at the vagina and vulva, with the sessions separated by two days (n = 30). Candida count (via CHROMagar™ Candida) and vaginal pH (via AD110-AD111 m) were assessed at baseline and one week after initiating treatment.

RESULTS

Post-treatment, group (B) demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in Candida count compared to group (A) (mean difference (MD) 8.267; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 6.723-9.811; p = 0.0001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in vaginal pH between the groups (MD -0.03; 95% CI -0.244-0.178; p = 0.749).

CONCLUSION

Blue LED therapy effectively reduces Candida count in women with recurrent VVC without adversely affecting the vaginal pH, highlighting its safety and efficacy as a treatment modality.

Thiophene-Linked 1,2,4-Triazoles: Synthesis, Structural Insights and Antimicrobial and Chemotherapeutic Profiles

The reaction of thiophene-2-carbohydrazide 1 or 5-bromothiophene-2-carbohydrazide 2 with various haloaryl isothiocyanates and subsequent cyclization by heating in aqueous sodium hydroxide yielded the corresponding 4-haloaryl-5-(thiophen-2-yl or 5-bromothiophen-2-yl)-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione 5a-e. The triazole derivatives 5a and 5b were reacted with different secondary amines and formaldehyde solution to yield the corresponding 2-aminomethyl-4-haloaryl-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones 6a-e, 7a-e, 8, 9, 10a and 10b in good yields. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of compounds 5a-e, 6a-e, 7a-d, 8, 9, 10a and 10b was evaluated against a panel of standard pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. Compounds 5a, 5b, 5e, 5f, 6a-e, 7a-d, 8, 9, 10a and 10b showed marked activity, particularly against the tested Gram-positive bacteria and the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, and all the tested compounds were almost inactive against all the tested fungal strains. In addition, compounds 5e, 6a-e, 7a-d and 10a exhibited potent anti-proliferative activity, particularly against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines (IC50 < 25 μM). A detailed structural insight study based on the single crystals of compounds 5a, 5b, 6a, 6d and 10a is also reported. Molecular docking studies of the highly active antibacterial compounds 5e, 6b, 6d, 7a and 7d showed a high affinity for DNA gyrase. Meanwhile, the potent anti-proliferative activity of compounds 6d, 6e and 7d may be attributed to their high affinity for cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2).

Design and Synthesis of Novel Phthalide Derivatives containing 1,3,4-Oxadiazole/1,2,4-Triazole Units as Potential Antifungal Agents

Four series of novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole/1,2,4-triazole hybrids of phthalide derivatives were designed and synthesized to search for novel potential antifungal agents. Preliminary antifungal activity assay results showed that compounds 4 a, 4 b, 4 m, 5 b, 5 f, 5 h, and 7 h exhibited moderate to excellent inhibitory activity against some phytopathogenic fungi. Among them, compound 5 b displayed the most outstanding antifungal effects against V. mali and S. sclerotiorum, with the EC50 mean of 3.96 μg/mL and 5.60 μg/mL, respectively, which was superior to those of commercial fungicides hymexazol and chlorothalonil. Furthermore, compound 5 b could completely suppress the spore germination of V. mali at a concentration of 10 μg/mL. Finally, molecular docking revealed that the potential target for the antifungal activity of compound 5 b was succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). This research provides novel candidate compounds for the prevention of phytopathogenic fungi.

Synthesis, design, biological evaluation, and computational analysis of some novel uracil-azole derivatives as cytotoxic agents

The design and synthesis of novel cytotoxic agents is still an interesting topic for medicinal chemistry researchers due to the unwanted side effects of anticancer drugs. In this study, a novel series of uracil-azole hybrids were designed and synthesized. The cytotoxic activity, along with computational studies: molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulation, density functional theory, and ADME properties were also, evaluated. The compounds were synthesized by using 3-methyl-6-chlorouracil as the starting material. Cytotoxicity was determined using MTT assay in the breast carcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and Hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HEPG-2). These derivatives demonstrated powerful inhibitory activity against breast and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines in comparison to Cisplatin as positive control. Among these compounds, 4j displayed the best selectivity profile and good activity with IC50 values of 16.18 ± 1.02 and 7.56 ± 5.28 µM against MCF-7 and HEPG-2 cell lines respectively. Structure-activity relationships revealed that the variation in the cytotoxic potency of the synthesized compounds was affected by various substitutions of benzyl moiety. The docking output showed that 4j bind well in the active site of EGFR and formed a stable complex with the EGFR protein. DFT was used to investigate the reactivity descriptors of 4a and 4j. The outputs demonstrated that these uracil-azole hybrids can be considered as potential cytotoxic agents.

Polyelectrolyte-Complex-Based Hydrogel Inserts for Vaginal Delivery of Posaconazole and Probiotics

Worldwide, 40 to 50% of women suffer from reproductive tract infections. Most of these infections are mixed infections, are recurrent and difficult to treat with antimicrobials or antifungals alone. For symptomatic relief of infections, oral antimicrobial therapy must be combined with topical therapy. The purpose of this work is to optimize and develop a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) of chitosan/anion for the formulation of posaconazole- and probiotic-loaded vaginal hydrogel inserts with prolonged release and significant mucoadhesion. PECs were prepared using chitosan as cationic and carrageenan, pectin and polycarbophil as anionic polymers via a lyophilization technique. PEC formation was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, by observing changes in its surface, physical and thermal properties. The probiotic, Lactobacillus casei, was added to the PEC during the lyophilization process and the effect on the probiotic viability was studied. The PECs were further compressed along with posaconazole to form hydrogel inserts and optimized using a 32 full-factorial design. The hydrogel inserts were assessed for swelling behavior, drug release, in vitro mucoadhesion and in vitro antifungal activity. The chitosan-pectin hydrogel insert demonstrated excellent mucoadhesion (1.25 N), sustained drug release (88.2 ± 2.4% in 8 h) and a swelling index of 154.7%. The efficacy of hydrogel inserts was evaluated using in vitro study with a co-culture of Lactobacillus casei and Candida albicans. This study revealed an increase in Lactobacilli casei count and a significant drop in the viable count of Candida albicans (4-log reduction in 24 h), indicating the effectiveness of hydrogel inserts in alleviating the fungal infection. Overall, our study demonstrated the potential of the hydrogel insert for preventing vaginal infection and restoring normal vaginal microbiota.

Green Synthesis of Aromatic Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles by Catalytic and Non-Traditional Activation Methods

Recent advances in the environmentally benign synthesis of aromatic N-heterocycles are reviewed, focusing primarily on the application of catalytic methods and non-traditional activation. This account features two main parts: the preparation of single ring N-heterocycles, and their condensed analogs. Both groups include compounds with one, two and more N-atoms. Due to the large number of protocols, this account focuses on providing representative examples to feature the available methods.

Synthesis and Antibacterial Evaluation of Ciprofloxacin Congeners with Spirocyclic Amine Periphery

The synthesis of novel fluoroquinolones, congeners of ciprofloxacin, which was inspired by earlier work on spirocyclic ciprofloxacin, is described. An antibacterial evaluation of the 11 fluoroquinolone compounds synthesized against the ESKAPE panel of pathogens in comparison with ciprofloxacin revealed that the more compact spirocycles in the fluoroquinolone periphery resulted in active compounds, while larger congeners gave compounds that displayed no activity at all. In the active cohort, the level of potency was comparable to that of ciprofloxacin. However, the spectrum of antibacterial activity was quite different, as the new compounds showed no activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Among the prepared and tested compounds, the broadest range of activity (five pathogens of the six in the ESKAPE panel) and the highest level of activity were demonstrated by 1-yclopropyl-7-[8-(4-cyclopropyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)-6-azaspiro[3.4]oct-6-yl]-6-fluoro-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid, which is the lead compound nominated for further characterization and development.

Structural and Energetic Properties of Weak Noncovalent Interactions in Two Closely Related 3,6-Disubstituted-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole Derivatives: In Vitro Cyclooxygenase Activity, Crystallography, and Computational Investigations

Two 3,6-disubstituted-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole derivatives, namely, 3-(adamantan-1-yl)-6-(2-chloro-6-fluorophenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole 1 and 6-(2-chloro-6-fluorophenyl)-3-phenyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole 2, were prepared, and the detailed analysis of the weak intermolecular interactions responsible for the supramolecular self-assembly was performed using X-ray diffraction and theoretical tools. Analyses of Hirshfeld surface and 2D fingerprint plot demonstrated the effect of adamant-1-yl/phenyl moieties on intermolecular interactions in solid-state structures. The effect of these substituents on H···H/Cl/N contacts was more specific. The CLP-PIXEL and density functional theory methods provide information on the energetics of molecular dimers observed in these compounds. The crystal structure of compound 1 stabilizes with a variety of weak intermolecular interactions, including C–H···N, C–H···π, and C–H···Cl hydrogen bonds, a directional C–S···π chalcogen bond, and unconventional short F···C/N contacts. The crystal structure of compound 2 is stabilized by π-stacking interactions, C–H···N, C–H···π, and C–H···Cl hydrogen bonds, and highly directional attractive σ–hole interactions such as the C–Cl···N halogen bond and the C–S···N chalcogen bond. In addition, S(lp)···C(π) and short N···N contacts play a supportive role in the stabilization of certain molecular dimers. The final supramolecular architectures resulting from the combination of different intermolecular interactions are observed in both the crystal packing. The molecular electrostatic potential map reveals complementary electrostatic potentials of the interacting atoms. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules approach was used to delineate the nature and strength of different intermolecular interactions present in different dimers of compounds 1 and 2. The in vitro experiments suggest that both compounds showed selectivity against COX-2 targets rather than COX-1. Molecular docking analysis showed the binding pose of the compounds at the active sites of COX-1/2 enzymes.

3-Phenyl-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)-5-[(prop-2-en-1-yl)sulfanyl]-4H-1,2,4-triazole

1,2,4-Triazoles appear to be attractive substances due to their wide range of applications. Previously 3-phenyl-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)-5-[(prop-2-en-1-yl)sulfanyl]-4H-1,2,4-triazole (Atr) has proven to be an effective precursor for us to prepare Cu(I)-π,σ-coordination compounds with nonlinear optical and magnetic properties. In this study, we present the structural characterization of Atr by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The crystals are monoclinic, Sp.gr. P21, Z = 2, unit cell dimensions: a = 5.6967(3), b = 7.8045(3), c = 14.9327(7) Å, β = 91.113(4)°, V = 663.78(5) Å3 at 150 K. To analyze the intermolecular interactions in the crystal structure of Atr, a DFT computational study was also performed.

Emerging impact of triazoles as anti-tubercular agent

Tuberculosis, a disease of poverty is a communicable infection with a reasonably high mortality rate worldwide. 10 Million new cases of TB were reported with approx 1.4 million deaths in the year 2019. Due to the growing number of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis cases, there is a vital need to develop new and effective candidates useful to combat this deadly disease. Despite tremendous efforts to identify a mechanism-based novel antitubercular agent, only a few have entered into clinical trials in the last six decades. In recent years, triazoles have been well explored as the most valuable scaffolds in drug discovery and development. Triazole framework possesses favorable properties like hydrogen bonding, moderate dipole moment, enhanced water solubility, and also the ability to bind effectively with biomolecular targets of M. tuberculosis and therefore this scaffold displayed excellent potency against TB. This review is an endeavor to summarize an up-to-date innovation of triazole-appended hybrids during the last 10 years having potential in vitro and in vivo antitubercular activity with structure activity relationship analysis. This review may help medicinal chemists to explore the triazole scaffolds for the rational design of potent drug candidates having better efficacy, improved selectivity and minimal toxicity so that these hybrid NCEs can effectively be explored as potential lead to fight against M. tuberculosis.

1,2,3-Triazolyl-tetrahydropyrimidine Conjugates as Potential Sterol Carrier Protein-2 Inhibitors: Larvicidal Activity against the Malaria Vector Anopheles arabiensis and In Silico Molecular Docking Study

Alteration of insect growth regulators by the action of inhibitors is becoming an attractive strategy to combat disease-transmitting insects. In the present study, we investigated the larvicidal effect of 1,2,3-triazolyl-pyrimidinone derivatives against the larvae of the mosquito Anopheles arabiensis, a vector of malaria. All compounds demonstrated insecticidal activity against mosquito larvae in a dose-dependent fashion. A preliminary study of the structure-activity relationship indicated that the electron-withdrawing substituent in the para position of the 4-phenyl-pyrimidinone moiety enhanced the molecules' potency. A docking study of these derivatives revealed favorable binding affinity for the sterol carrier protein-2 receptor, a protein present in the intestine of the mosquito larvae. Being effective insecticides against the malaria-transmitting Anopheles arabiensis, 1,2,3-triazole-based pyrimidinones represent a starting point to develop novel inhibitors of insect growth regulators.

Prospects for the search for new biologically active compounds among the derivatives of the heterocyclic system of 1,2,4-triazole

The authors are not native speakers of Turkish The purpose of this literature review was to systematize data from studies of the biological activity of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives with substituents in positions 4 and 5. The authors set the task of forming an idea of current directions in the selection of substitutions for 1,2,4-triazole based on research. As a result of the study, 75 literature sources were analyzed. This made it possible to form a further vector in terms of searching for biologically active structures among 1,2,4-triazole derivatives. The review develops a modern approach to the search for biologically active substances among 1,2,4-triazole derivatives. Systematized data on the nature of substituents in the core of 1,2,4-triazole, which affect a specific type of activity. The search material was selected over the past decade with the highest number of citations at the time of literature analysis.

Novel 1, 2, 4-Triazoles as Antifungal Agents

The development of innovative antifungal agents is essential. Some fungicidal agents are no longer effective due to resistance development, various side effects, and high toxicity. Therefore, the synthesis and development of some new antifungal agents are necessary. 1,2,4-Triazole is one of the most essential pharmacophore systems between five-membered heterocycles. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound showed potential antifungal activity. The 1,2,4-triazole core is present as the nucleus in a variety of antifungal drug categories. The most potent and broad activity of triazoles have confirmed them as pharmacologically significant moieties. The goal of this review is to highlight recent developments in the synthesis and SAR study of 1,2,4-triazole as a potential fungicidal compound. In this study, we provide the results of a biological activity evaluation using various structures and figures. Literature investigation showed that 1, 2, 4-triazole derivatives reveal the extensive span of antifungal activity. This review will assist researchers in the development of new potential antifungal drug candidates with high effectiveness and selectivity.

Design, Synthesis, in vitro and in silico Characterization of 2-Quinolone-L-alaninate-1,2,3-triazoles as Antimicrobial Agents

Due to the ever-increasing antimicrobial resistance there is an urgent need to continuously design and develop novel antimicrobial agents. Inspired by the broad antibacterial activities of various heterocyclic compounds such as 2-quinolone derivatives, we designed and synthesized new methyl-(2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinolin-4-yl)-L-alaninate-1,2,3-triazole derivatives via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 1-propargyl-2-quinolone-L-alaninate with appropriate azide groups. The synthesized compounds were obtained in good yield ranging from 75 to 80 %. The chemical structures of these novel hybrid molecules were determined by spectroscopic methods and the antimicrobial activity of the compounds was investigated against both bacterial and fungal strains. The tested compounds showed significant antimicrobial activity and weak to moderate antifungal activity. Despite the evident similarity of the quinolone moiety of our compounds with fluoroquinolones, our compounds do not function by inhibiting DNA gyrase. Computational characterization of the compounds shows that they have attractive physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties and could serve as templates for developing potential antimicrobial agents for clinical use.

The [1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine as a New Player in the Field of IDO1 Catalytic Holo-Inhibitors

Inhibitors of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) are considered a promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy as they are able to boost the immune response and to work in synergy with other immunotherapeutic agents. Despite the fact that no IDO1 inhibitor has been approved so far, recent studies have shed light on the additional roles that IDO1 mediates beyond its catalytic activity, conferring new life to the field. Here we present a novel class of compounds originated from a structure-based virtual screening made on IDO1 active site. The starting hit compound is a novel chemotype based on a [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine scaffold, so far underexploited among the heme binding moieties. Thanks to the rational and in silico-guided design of analogues, an improvement of the potency to sub-micromolar levels has been achieved, with excellent in vitro metabolic stability and exquisite selectivity with respect to other heme-containing enzymes.

CDATA[Recent Advances in the Development of 1,2,3-Triazole-containing Derivatives as Potential Antifungal Agents and Inhibitors of Lanoster ol 14α-Demethylase

1,2,3-Triazole, a five-membered heterocyclic nucleus, is widely recognized as a key chromophore of great value in medicinal chemistry for delivering compounds possessing innumerable biological activities, including antimicrobial, antitubercular, antidiabetic, antiviral, antitumor, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory activities. Mainly, in the past years, diverse conjugates carrying this biologically valuable core have been reported due to their attractive fungicidal potential and potent effects on various infective targets. Hence, hybridization of 1,2,3-triazole with other antimicrobial pharmacophores appears to be a judicious strategy to develop new effective anti-fungal candidates to combat the emergence of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant infectious diseases. Thus, the current review highlights the recent advances of this promising category of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids incorporating diverse varieties of bioactive heterocycles such as conozole, coumarin, imidazole, benzimidazole, pyrazole, indole, oxindole, chromene, pyrane, quinazoline, chalcone, isoflavone, carbohydrates, and amides. It underlies their inhibition behavior against a wide array of infectious fungal species during 2015-2020.

Discovery of novel dual adenosine A1/A2A receptor antagonists using deep learning, pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking

Adenosine receptors (ARs) have been demonstrated to be potential therapeutic targets against Parkinson's disease (PD). In the present study, we describe a multistage virtual screening approach that identifies dual adenosine A1 and A2A receptor antagonists using deep learning, pharmacophore models, and molecular docking methods. Nineteen hits from the ChemDiv library containing 1,178,506 compounds were selected and further tested by in vitro assays (cAMP functional assay and radioligand binding assay); of these hits, two compounds (C8 and C9) with 1,2,4-triazole scaffolds possessing the most potent binding affinity and antagonistic activity for A1/A2A ARs at the nanomolar level (pKi of 7.16-7.49 and pIC50 of 6.31-6.78) were identified. Further molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggested similarly strong binding interactions of the complexes between the A1/A2A ARs and two compounds (C8 and C9). Notably, the 1,2,4-triazole derivatives (compounds C8 and C9) were identified as the most potent dual A1/A2A AR antagonists in our study and could serve as a basis for further development. The effective multistage screening approach developed in this study can be utilized to identify potent ligands for other drug targets.