Discovery of a new Bcl-2 inhibitor through synthesis, anticancer activity, docking and MD simulations

A database of 300 compounds was virtually screened and docked against Bcl-2 protein; the stability of the best-formed complex was evaluated through Molecular dynamics, the top ten compounds with the best in-silico complexation affinities were synthesized, and their In-vitro cytotoxic activity was examined. Thiazolidinone (4e) and isoxazoline (4a-d) were evaluated in-silico. For further evaluation and examination, we designed and synthesized from naturally occurring (R)-carvone and characterized it via spectroscopic analysis, as well as tested for their anticancer activities towards human cancer cell lines such as HT-1080 (fibrosarcome cancer), MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) and A-549 (lung cancer) by using MTT method with Doxorubicin as standard drug. Among them, compound 4d showed the most promising anticancer activity against HT-1080, A-549, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values of 15.59 ± 3.21 µM; 18.32 ± 2.73 µM; 17.28 ± 0.33 µM and 19.27 ± 2.73 µM respectively.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

New (S)-verbenone-isoxazoline-1,3,4-thiadiazole hybrids: synthesis, anticancer activity and apoptosis-inducing effect

Background: This study aimed to develop novel isoxazoline-1,3,4-thiadiazole hybrids from (S)-verbenone for potential anticancer treatment, particularly focusing on cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in hormone-sensitive MCF-7 and triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Methods & results: (S)-verbenone was used to synthesize hybrids through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, followed by thorough characterization. The compounds were screened across cancer cell lines, showing significant anticancer effects. Compound 8b notably induced apoptosis via the caspase-3/7 pathway and cell cycle arrest, displaying noteworthy cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion: These findings underscore the potential of (S)-verbenone isoxazoline-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives for breast cancer therapy due to their remarkable apoptotic activity. This study highlights a promising avenue for advancing breast cancer treatment using these derivatives, founded on (S)-verbenone, showcasing their distinct potential for inducing apoptosis.

Novel hydrazono-2-iminothiazolidin-4-ones based on a monoterpenic skelton as potential antitumor agents: Synthesis, DFT studies, in vitro cytotoxicity, apoptosis inducing properties and molecular docking

A new series of analogs-2-imino-4-thiazolidinone hybrid derivatives were synthesized by treatment of limonaketone-thiosemicarbazone derivatives with ethyl bromoacetate and dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) as the cyclizing reagents. The new derivatives were characterized by HRMS, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy techniques and one of them is characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The newly synthesized products were biologically evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines including fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), lung carcinoma (A549), and breast carcinoma (MCF-7). Data showed that compounds 9 and 10 were the most active against HT-1080 cancer cell lines with the IC 50 values of 15.85±1.75 and16.13±1.55µM, respectively. The possible mechanism of apoptosis induction by the derivatives was investigated using Annexin V staining, caspase-3/7 activity and cell cycle analysis. Compound 10 was highly induced apoptosis through caspase-3/7 activation and S-phase arrest in HT-1080, while compound 9 showed a moderate induction of apoptosis through G0/G1-phase arrest in the same cell line. The molecular docking showed that compounds 9 and 10 activated the caspase-3 by forming a stable protein-ligand complex. Besides, the presence of phenyl moiety in ligand 10 is responsible for the enhancement of the caspase-3 activation by the apparition of two additional hydrogen bonds with Cys163 and Gln161amino acids.

New 1,2,3-Triazoles from (R)-Carvone: Synthesis, DFT Mechanistic Study and In Vitro Cytotoxic Evaluation

Aseries of novel 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized from an (R)-carvone terminal alkyne derivative via a Cu (I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction using CuSO₄,5H₂O as the copper (II) source and sodium ascorbate as a reducing agent which reduces Cu (II) into Cu (I). All the newly synthesized 1,2,3-triazoles 9a–h were fully identified on the basis of their HRMS and NMR spectral data and then evaluated for their cell growth inhibition potential by MTS assay against HT-1080 fibrosarcoma, A-549 lung carcinoma, and two breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) cell lines. Compound 9d showed notable cytotoxic effects against the HT-1080 and MCF-7 cells with IC₅₀ values of 25.77 and 27.89 µM, respectively, while compound 9c displayed significant activity against MCF-7 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 25.03 µM. Density functional calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory were used to confirm the high reactivity of the terminal alkyne as a dipolarophile. Quantum calculations were also used to investigate the mechanism of both the uncatalyzed and copper (I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). The catalyzed reaction gives complete regioselectivity via a stepwise mechanism streamlining experimental observations. The calculated free-energy barriers 4.33 kcal/mol and 29.35 kcal/mol for the 1,4- and 1,5-regioisomers, respectively, explain the marked regioselectivity of the CuAAC reaction.

Hemisynthesis, crystal structure and inhibitory effect of sesquiterpenic thiosemicarbazones and thiazolidin-4-ones on the corrosion behaviour of stainless steel in 1 M H2SO4 solution

Treatment of thiosemicarbazones prepared from sesquiterpenes with ethyl 2-bromoacetate in the presence of sodium acetate afforded the corresponding thiazolidin-4-ones. The structures of all the newly synthesized compounds were established by considering spectral and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The title compound, ethyl 2-((Z)-2-{(Z)-[(1aR,5aR,9aS)-1,1-dichloro-1a,5,5,7-tetramethyl-1a,2,3,4,5,5a,8,9-octahydro-1H-benzo[a]cyclopropa[b][7]annulen-8-ylidene]hydrazono}-4-oxothiazolidin-3-yl)acetate, C23H31Cl2N3O3S, 5, crystallizes in the orthorhombic noncentrosymmetric space group P212121 with Z = 4. Within the molecule in the crystal structure, the cyclohexene ring has an envelope conformation and the cycloheptane ring, to which it is fused, has a boat conformation. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H...Cl hydrogen bonds forming chains propagating along the b-axis direction. The absolute configuration of the molecule in the crystal could be fully confirmed from anomalous dispersion effects [Flack parameter = −0.04 (2)]. Thiosemicarbazones 1 and 2 are efficient inhibitors for steel corrosion in 1 M H2SO4 solution, with a maximum efficiency of 92.28% at 10−3 M. Furthermore, thiosemicarbazone compounds were found to be more efficient than thiazolidin-4-one derivatives. In addition, cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the tested molecules, as well to estimate the experimental value of the energy band gap.

New polysubstituted monoterpenic thiazolidinones: synthesis, spectroscopic and crystal structure studies

The synthesis of three new polysubstituted monoterpenic thiazolidin-4-ones, namely (Z)-3-methyl-2-{(E)-[(1R,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ylidene]hydrazinylidene}thiazolidin-4-one, C14H21N3OS (2), (2Z,5Z)-5-[(dimethylamino)methylidene]-2-{(E)-[(1R,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ylidene]hydrazinylidene}thiazolidin-4-one, C16H24N4OS (3), and (2Z,5Z)-5-[(dimethylamino)methylidene]-3-methyl-2-{(E)-[(1R,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ylidene]hydrazinylidene}thiazolidin-4-one, C17H26N4OS (4), is reported, starting from the corresponding thiosemicarbazones obtained from naturally occurring (R)-camphor. All the newly obtained thiazolidin-4-ones have been fully characterized by HRMS and 1H and 13C (1D and 2D) NMR spectroscopy. Two of them, i.e. 2 and 3, were identified by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, confirming the synthetic pathway and the spectroscopic analyses. In 3, there are two roughly identical molecules within the asymmetric unit with the same absolute configuration. These two molecules are linked through N—H...O hydrogen bonds, building an R 2 2(8) graph-set motif.

Crystal structure of (4bS,8aR)-1-isopropyl-4b,8,8-trimethyl-7-oxo-4b,7,8,8a,9,10-hexa-hydro-phenanthren-2-yl acetate

The title compound, C22H28O3, was prepared by a direct acetyl-ation reaction of naturally occurring totarolenone. The mol-ecule contains three fused rings, which exhibit different conformations. The central ring has a half-chair conformation, while the non-aromatic oxo-substituted ring has a screw-boat conformation. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C-H⋯π inter-actions, forming sheets parallel to the bc plane. The carbonyl O atoms and the C atom at the 6-position of the cyclo-hexene ring are each disordered over two sets of sites with major occupancy components of 0.63 (7) and 0.793 (14), respectively.

Crystal structure of methyl (Z)-2-[(Z)-3-methyl-2-({(E)-1-[(R*)-4-methyl-cyclo-hex-3-en-1-yl]ethyl-idene}hydrazinyl-idene)-4-oxo-thia-zolidin-5-yl-idene]acetate

The new title 4-thia-zolidinone derivative, C16H21N3O3S, was obtained from the cyclization reaction of 4-methyl-3-thio-semicarbazone and dimethyl acetyl-enedi-carboxyl-ate (DMAD). The cyclo-hexyl-idene ring has an envelope conformation with the stereogenic centre C atom as the flap. Its mean plane makes a dihedral angle of 56.23 (9)° with the thia-zolidine ring mean plane. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds forming chains propagating in the [001] direction. Within the chains there are offset π-π inter-actions between the thia-zolidine rings of inversion-related mol-ecules [centroid-centroid distance = 3.703 (1) Å]. The chains are linked by further C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming slabs parallel to the ac plane.

(2E)-N-Methyl-2-[1-(4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide

There are two independent molecules (AandB) in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C11H19N3S. In moleculeB, two C atoms and the associated H atoms of the cyclohexene ring are disordered over two sets of sites with a site occupancy ratio of 0.649 (7):0.351 (7). The N—N—C—N fragments of the hydrazinecarbothioamide segments of both molecules are not planar, with a torsion angle of −5.8 (3)° forAand 11.6 (3)° forB. The stability of the conformations of both molecules is aided by the formation of intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bonds. In the crystal, N—H...S hydrogen bonds link like molecules intoR22(8)A+Bdimers. These dimers are interconnected by additional N—H...S contacts, forming chains along thec-axis direction. The structure was refined as a two-component inversion twin.