A New Reactive Ketenaminal: Synthesis, Coupling Reaction, Tautomeric Study, Docking and Antimicrobial Evaluation of the Products.

BACKGROUND: One of the most successful reagents used in the synthesis of the reactive enaminone is DMF-DMA, but it is very expensive with harmful effects on the human health and reacts with special compounds to generate the enaminone such as active methylene centers. AIM: In this article, we synthesized a new ketenaminal by simple method with inexpensive reagents (through desulfurization in diphenylether). METHODS: Thus, a novel reactive ketenaminal (enaminone) was synthesized from the desulfurization of 2-((2-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-oxoethyl)thio)-5,7-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin- 4(3H)-one with diphenylether. The starting keteneaminal was coupled with diazotized anilines via the known coupling conditions to give a new series of 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2-(arylhydrazono)-2- oxoethyl)-5,7-bis(4-methoxy-phenyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(1H)-ones. RESULTS: The structures of the new compounds were elucidated based on their IR, 1H-NMR, 13CNMR, and Mass spectra. Moreover, the potency of these compounds as antimicrobial agents has been evaluated. The results showed that some of the products have high activity nearly equal to that of the used standard antibiotic. Additionally, the docking study was done to get the binding mode of the synthesized compounds with the binding site of the DHFR enzyme. The results of molecular docking of the synthesized arylhydrazono compounds are able to fit in DHFR binding site with binding energies ranging from -4.989 to -8.178 Kcal/mol. CONCLUSION: Our goal was achieved in this context by the synthesis of new ketenaminal from inexpensive reagents, which was utilized in the preparation of bioactive arylhydrazone derivatives.

Antifouling activity of portimine, select semisynthetic analogues, and other microalga-derived spirocyclic imines.

A range of natural products from marine invertebrates, bacteria and fungi have been assessed as leads for nature-inspired antifouling (AF) biocides, but little attention has been paid to microalgal-derived compounds. This study assessed the AF activity of the spirocyclic imine portimine (1), which is produced by the benthic mat-forming dinoflagellate Vulcanodinium rugosum. Portimine displayed potent AF activity in a panel of four macrofouling bioassays (EC50 0.06-62.5 ng ml-1), and this activity was distinct from that of the related compounds gymnodimine-A (2), 13-desmethyl spirolide C (3), and pinnatoxin-F (4). The proposed mechanism of action for portimine is induction of apoptosis, based on the observation that portimine inhibited macrofouling organisms at developmental stages known to involve apoptotic processes. Semisynthetic modification of select portions of the portimine molecule was subsequently undertaken. Observed changes in bioactivity of the resulting semisynthetic analogues of portimine were consistent with portimine's unprecedented 5-membered imine ring structure playing a central role in its AF activity.

Biological profiling of novel tricyclic inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize the in vitro and in vivo biological properties of a novel series of small-molecule bacterial type IIA topoisomerase inhibitors. METHODS: Bacterial susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution. Resistance frequencies were determined by plating bacteria onto agar containing test compound and enumerating mutants. Bacteria were passaged using subinhibitory concentrations of antibacterials to generate resistance. Target enzyme inhibition was determined by exposure to antibacterials and DNA; topoisomers were visualized by gel electrophoresis. Oral and intravenous pharmacokinetic profiles were determined in mice. In vivo efficacy was determined using a mouse model of septicaemia and thigh infection with MSSA and MRSA, respectively. RESULTS: Representative compounds REDX04139, REDX05604 and REDX05931 demonstrated in vitro potency against a range of Gram-positive and fastidious Gram-negative pathogens. Clinical isolate testing revealed REDX04139 and REDX05931 had MIC90 values of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/L, respectively, for MRSA and MIC90 values of 2 mg/L for streptococci. REDX04139 was bactericidal in vitro against Staphylococcus aureus at 8× MIC over 6 h. Pharmacokinetic profiling of REDX04139 and REDX05604 in mice revealed low clearance and excellent bioavailability (≥71%). REDX04139 provided 100% survival against S. aureus in a mouse septicaemia model, while REDX05604 reduced bacterial load by up to 3.7 log units in the MRSA mouse thigh infection model. CONCLUSIONS: Redx Pharma has discovered a novel series of topoisomerase inhibitors that are being further developed for drug-resistant bacteria.

Chemical constituents of Marrubium vulgare as potential inhibitors of nitric oxide and respiratory burst.

Phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Marrubium vulgare L., led to the isolation of three new secondary metabolites, 11-oxomarrubiin (1), vulgarcoside A (2) and 3-hydroxyapigenin-4'-O-(6"-O-p-coumaroyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), along with four known constituents 4-7 from the polar fractions of the methanolic extract. The structures of all compounds were deduced on the basis of NMR data and HRESI-MS measurements. The new constituents 1-3 exhibited moderate to low level of inhibition on nitric oxide (NO.) production. The compound 2 also showed a moderate inhibition on pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha. The new constituents 1-3 showed no inhibitory effect on Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production.

Characterization of methane oxidation by a methanotroph isolated from a landfill cover soil, South Korea.

A methane-oxidizing bacterium was isolated from the enriched culture of a landfill cover soil. The closest relative of the isolate, designated M6, is Methylocystis sp. Based on a kinetic analysis, the maximum specific methane oxidation rate and saturation constant were 4.93 mmol·g--dry cell weight--1·h⁻¹ and 23 microM, respectively. This was the first time a kinetic analysis was performed using pure methanotrophic culture. The methane oxidation by M6 was investigated in the presence of aromatic (m- and p-xylene and ethylbenzene) or sulfur (hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, methanthiol) compounds. The methane oxidation was inhibited by the presence of aromatic or sulfur compounds.

The cholinergic antagonist gymnodimine improves Aß and tau neuropathology in an in vitro model of Alzheimer disease.

Gymnodimine (GYM) is a marine phycotoxin with a macrocyclic imine structure, isolated from extracts of the dinoflagellate Karenia selliformis known to act as a cholinergic antagonist with subtype selectivity. However, no data on the chronic effects of this compound has been reported so far. In this work, we evaluated the effect of long term exposure of cortical neurons to gymnodimine in the progress of Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology in vitro. Treatment of cortical neurons with 50 nM gymnodimine decreased the intracellular amyloid beta (Aß) accumulation and the levels of the hyperphosphorylated isoforms of tau protein recognized by AT8 and AT100 antibodies. These results are suggested to be mediated by the increase in the inactive isoform of the glycogen synthase kinase-3 (phospho GSK-3 Ser9), the decrease in the levels of the active isoform of the ERK1/2 kinase and the increase in acetylcholine (Ach) synthesis elicited by long term exposure of cortical neurons to the toxin. Moreover, gymnodimine decreased glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in vitro. Altogether these results indicate that the marine phycotoxin gymnodimine may constitute a valuable tool for the development of drugs to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

Synthesis, antibacterial activity and quantum-chemical studies of novel 2-arylidenehydrazinyl-4-arylthiazole analogues.

A new series of 2-arylidenehydrazinyl-4-arylthiazole derivatives (2a-k) was designed and synthesized through a rapid, simple, and efficient methodology in excellent isolated yield. These compounds were screened for in vitro antimicrobial activities against eight bacteria, e.g. Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, and three fungi e.g. Aspergillus oryzae, Candida albicans, and Saccharomyces cerevis. The results indicate that some of the compounds exhibit strong antibacterial activity, depending on the bacterial strain, but show virtually no antifungal activity. The structure-antibacterial activity relationships were studied using some physicochemical and quantum-chemical parameters with the ab initio Hartree-Fock model at the RHF/6-31G level of theory. A good qualitative correlation between predicted lipophilic parameters and antibacterial activity has been found.

Structural determinants in phycotoxins and AChBP conferring high affinity binding and nicotinic AChR antagonism.

Spirolide and gymnodimine macrocyclic imine phycotoxins belong to an emerging class of chemical agents associated with marine algal blooms and shellfish toxicity. Analysis of 13-desmethyl spirolide C and gymnodimine A by binding and voltage-clamp recordings on muscle-type alpha1(2)betagammadelta and neuronal alpha3beta2 and alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors reveals subnanomolar affinities, potent antagonism, and limited subtype selectivity. Their binding to acetylcholine-binding proteins (AChBP), as soluble receptor surrogates, exhibits picomolar affinities governed by diffusion-limited association and slow dissociation, accounting for apparent irreversibility. Crystal structures of the phycotoxins bound to Aplysia-AChBP ( approximately 2.4A) show toxins neatly imbedded within the nest of ar-omatic side chains contributed by loops C and F on opposing faces of the subunit interface, and which in physiological conditions accommodates acetylcholine. The structures also point to three major features: (i) the sequence-conserved loop C envelops the bound toxins to maximize surface complementarity; (ii) hydrogen bonding of the protonated imine nitrogen in the toxins with the carbonyl oxygen of loop C Trp147 tethers the toxin core centered within the pocket; and (iii) the spirolide bis-spiroacetal or gymnodimine tetrahydrofuran and their common cyclohexene-butyrolactone further anchor the toxins in apical and membrane directions, along the subunit interface. In contrast, the se-quence-variable loop F only sparingly contributes contact points to preserve the broad receptor subtype recognition unique to phycotoxins compared with other nicotinic antagonists. These data offer unique means for detecting spiroimine toxins in shellfish and identify distinctive ligands, functional determinants and binding regions for the design of new drugs able to target several receptor subtypes with high affinity.

Combretastatin-like chalcones as inhibitors of microtubule polymerisation. Part 2: Structure-based discovery of alpha-aryl chalcones.

Tubulin is an important molecular target in cancer chemotherapy. Antimitotic agents able to bind to the protein are currently under study, commonly used in the clinic to treat a variety of cancers and/or exploited as probes to investigate the protein's structure and function. Here we report the binding modes for a series of colchicinoids, combretastatin A4 and chalcones established from docking studies carried out on the structure of tubulin in complex with colchicine. The proposed models, in agreement with published biochemical data, show that combretastatin A4 binds to the colchicine site of beta-tubulin and that chalcones assume an orientation similar to that of podophyllotoxin. The models can be used to design a new class of podophyllotoxin mimics, the alpha-aryl chalcones, capable of binding to the colchicine-binding site of beta-tubulin with higher affinity.

The marine phycotoxin gymnodimine targets muscular and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes with high affinity.

Gymnodimines (GYMs) are phycotoxins exhibiting unusual structural features including a spirocyclic imine ring system and a trisubstituted tetrahydrofuran embedded within a 16-membered macrocycle. The toxic potential and the mechanism of action of GYM-A, highly purified from contaminated clams, have been assessed. GYM-A in isolated mouse phrenic hemidiaphragm preparations produced a concentration- and time-dependent block of twitch responses evoked by nerve stimulation, without affecting directly elicited muscle twitches, suggesting that it may block the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (nAChR). This was confirmed by the blockade of miniature endplate potentials and the recording of subthreshold endplate potentials in GYM-A paralyzed frog and mouse isolated neuromuscular preparations. Patch-clamp recordings in Xenopus skeletal myocytes revealed that nicotinic currents evoked by constant iontophoretical ACh pulses were blocked by GYM-A in a reversible manner. GYM-A also blocked, in a voltage-independent manner, homomeric human alpha7 nAChR expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Competition-binding assays confirmed that GYM-A is a powerful ligand interacting with muscle-type nAChR, heteropentameric alpha3beta2, alpha4beta2, and chimeric alpha7-5HT(3) neuronal nAChRs. Our data show for the first time that GYM-A broadly targets nAChRs with high affinity explaining the basis of its neurotoxicity, and also pave the way for designing specific tests for accurate GYM-A detection in shellfish samples.

Toward the development of chemoprevention agents. Part II: Chemo-enzymatic synthesis and anti-inflammatory activities of a new class of 5-amino-2-substitutedphenyl-1,3-dioxacycloalkanes.

A new series of optically pure 5-amino-2-substitutedphenyl-1,3-dioxacycloalkanes were designed and synthesized via a chemo-enzymatic combined method to develop new chemoprevention agents. Twenty-four of newly synthesized compounds significantly inhibited xylene-induced rat ear edema and exhibited comparable or better anti-inflammatory activities than the reference drug aspirin. Treatment of these anti-inflammatory agents did not prolong the tail bleeding time in rat. In addition, 5-amino-2-substitutedphenyl-1,3-dioxacycloalkanes exhibited good membrane permeability based on in vitro Caco-2 cell monolayer permeability assay. Furthermore, some preliminary structure-activity relationships were further analyzed among these compounds. Taken together, 5-amino-2-substitutedphenyl-1,3-dioxacycloalkanes may represent a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs with safer pharmacological profile.

Syntheses and antibacterial activity of phendioxy substituted cyclic enediynes.

Syntheses and antibacterial activity of 13-membered 1,3-phendioxy substituted cyclic enediynes are reported. The compounds were screened against gram-positive and gram-negative strains and some of the compounds exhibit potent antibacterial activity.

Differential specificity in the glomerular response profiles for alicyclic, bicyclic, and heterocyclic odorants.

As part of our ongoing effort to relate stimulus to response in the olfactory system, we tested the hypothesis that the unique chemical structures and odors of various cyclic odorants would be associated with unique spatial response patterns in the glomerular layer of the rat olfactory bulb. To this end, rats were exposed to sets of odorants, including monocyclic hydrocarbons, bicyclic compounds, and various heterocyclic structures containing oxygen or nitrogen in the ring. Relative activity across the entire layer was assessed by mapping uptake of 2-deoxyglucose into anatomically standardized data matrices. Whereas monocyclic hydrocarbons evoked patterns similar to those evoked by open-chained hydrocarbon odorants, a set of bicyclic compounds with structures and odors similar to camphor evoked uptake in paired ventral domains not previously associated with any other odorant chemical structures. Despite their unique odors as judged by humans, heterocyclic odorants either evoked uptake in previously characterized areas corresponding to their functional groups or stimulated weak or patchy patterns involving isolated glomeruli. Although the patchiness of the patterns may be partially related to the rigidity of the compounds, which would be expected to restrict their interactions to only a few receptors, the weakness of the patterns suggests the possibility of species-specific odorant representations. We conclude that, whereas some of the novel cyclic structures indeed were represented by unique patterns in the rat bulb, other unique structures were poorly represented, even when they evoked intense and unique odors in humans.

Studies toward a marine toxin immunogen: enantioselective synthesis of the spirocyclic imine of (-)-gymnodimine.

[reaction: see text] An enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction catalyzed by an Evans' copper-bis(oxazoline) complex was utilized to construct a highly functionalized spirolactam, a key intermediate in our projected total synthesis of the marine toxin, gymnodimine. Additional transformations, including a mild N-tosyl group deprotection, afforded a keto spirocyclic imine moiety, the proposed pharmacophore of gymnodimine. Thus, the prepared ketone is a potentially useful intermediate for conjugation to provide an immunogen for eventual monitoring of gymnodimine and congeners.

Bi-bicyclic and bi-tricyclic compounds from Dendrobium thyrsiflorum.

One bi-bicyclic and two bi-tricyclic derivatives of coumarin-benzofuran, phenanthrene-phenanthrene and phenanthrene-phenanthraquinone, along with seven known compounds, were isolated from stems of Dendrobium thyrsiflorum Rchb.f. (Orchidaceae). On the basis of chemical, NMR (1H, 13C, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY) and mass spectrometry data, their structures were elucidated as denthyrsin [3-(5',6'-dimethoxybenzofuran-2'-yl)-6,7-dimethoxy-2H-chromen-2-one; 1], denthyrsinol (4,5'-dimethoxy-[1,1']biphenanthrenyl-2,5,4',7'-tetraol; 2), and denthyrsinone (7,4',7'-trihydroxy-2,2',8'-trimethoxy-[5,1']biphenanthrenyl-1,4-dione; 3). Compounds 1-3 and denthyrsinin (1,5,7-trimethoxyphenanthrene-2,6-diol; 4) showed significant cytotoxic activities against Hela (13.5, 9.3, 9.9 and 2.7 microM, respectively), K-562 (0.45, 1.6, 6.0 and 2.3 microM, respectively) and MCF-7 (18.1, not tested, 3.5 and 4.8 microM, respectively) cell lines.

Spectroscopic characterization of tetradentate macrocyclic ligand: its transition metal complexes.

Manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes are synthesized with a novel tetradentate ligand viz. 1,3,9,11-tetraaza-4,8,12,16-tetraoxo-2,6,10,14-tetrathiacyclohexadecane (L) and characterized by the elemental analysis, molar conductance measurements, magnetic susceptibility measurements, electron impact mass, 1H NMR, IR, electronic and EPR spectral studies. The molar conductance measurements of the complexes in DMSO correspond to be nonelectrolytic nature for Mn(II), Co(II) and Cu(II) while 1:2 electrolytes for Ni(II) complexes. Thus these complexes may be formulated as [M(L)X2] and [Ni(L)]X2 (where M: Mn(II), Co(II), and Cu(II) and X = Cl- and NO3-). On the basis of IR, electronic and EPR spectral studies an octahedral geometry has been assigned for Mn(II) and Co(II) complexes, square-planar for Ni(II) whereas tetragonal for Cu(II) complexes. The ligand and its complexes were also evaluated against the growth of bacteria and pathogenic fungi in vitro.

Asymmetric synthesis of the carbocyclic nucleoside building block (R)-(+)-4-aminocyclopentenone using delta-amino beta-ketophosphonates and ring-closing metathesis (RCM).

Amino keto-2,7-dienes undergo ring-closing metathesis (RCM) to give 4-aminocyclopentenones, valuable intermediates in the asymmetric construction of carbocyclic nucleosides. The key amino ketodienes were prepared using delta-amino beta-ketophophonates, a new sulfinimine-derived chiral building block, and HWE chemistry. [reaction: see text]

3D-QSAR studies on thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines as phosphodiesterase IV inhibitors.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase IV (PDE IV) inhibitors find utility in asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) therapy. A series of 29 thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines with affinity for PDE IV was subjected to three dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). Both CoMFA and CoMSIA provided statistically valid models with good correlative and predictive power. The incorporation of hydrophobic, hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor fields showed insignificant improvement in CoMSIA model. The 3D-QSAR models provide information for predicting the affinity of related compounds and designing more potent inhibitors.

Synthesis and notable antimalarial activity of acyclic peroxides, L-(alkyldioxy)-L-(methyldioxy)cyclododecanes.

Of several bis(alkyldioxy)alkanes and the related acyclic peroxides prepared in this study, 1,1-bis(methyldioxy)cyclododecane showed the most notable antimalarial activity particularly in vivo (almost a half of that of artemisinin).