Young Infant Mortality Associated with Preterm and Small-for-Gestational-Age Births in Rural Bangladesh: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relative risk of mortality in infants born preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) during the first and second months of life in rural Bangladesh. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from a cohort of pregnant women and their babies in Sylhet, Bangladesh, assembled between 2011 and 2014. Community health workers visited enrolled babies up to 10 times from birth to age 59 days. Survival status was recorded at each visit. Gestational age was estimated from mother's reported last menstrual period. Birth weights were measured within 72 hours of delivery. SGA was defined using the INTERGROWTH-21st standard. We estimated unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% CIs for babies born preterm and SGA separately for the first and second month of life using bivariate and multivariable weighted Cox regression models. RESULTS: The analysis included 17 643 singleton live birth babies. Compared with infants born at term-appropriate for gestational age, in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, infants born preterm-SGA had the greatest risk of death in the first (HR 13.25, 95% CI 8.65-20.31; adjusted HR 12.05, 95% CI 7.82-18.57) and second month of life (HR 4.65, 95% CI 1.93-11.23; adjusted HR 4.1, 95% CI 1.66-10.15), followed by infants born preterm-appropriate for gestational age and term-SGA. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of mortality in infants born preterm and/or SGA is increased and extends through the second month of life. Appropriate interventions to prevent and manage complications caused by prematurity and SGA could improve survival during and beyond the neonatal period.

Novel saturated 1,2,4-trioxanes and their antimalarial activity against multidrug resistant Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis in Swiss mice model via oral route.

Novel saturated 6-(4'-aryloxy phenyl) vinyl 1,2,4-trioxanes 12a(1-3)-12d(1-3) and 13a(1-3)-13d(1-3) have been designed and synthesized, in one single step from diimide reduction of 11a(1-3)-11d(1-3). All the newly synthesized trioxanes were evaluated for their antimalarial activity against multi-drug resistant Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis via oral route. Cyclopentane-based trioxanes 12b1, 12c1 and 12d1, provided 100 % protection to the infected mice at 24 mg/kg × 4 days. The most active compound of the series, trioxane 12b1, provided 100 % protection even at 12 mg/kg × 4 days and 60 % protection at 6 mg/kg × 4 days. The currently used drug, ß-arteether provides only 20 % protection at 24 mg/kg × 4 days.

Cp*Ir(III) complexes catalyzed solvent-free synthesis of quinolines, pyrroles and pyridines via an ADC strategy.

A trio of Ir(III) complexes that are held together by a picolinamidato moiety were created. In our earlier research, we demonstrated the catalytic activity of the complexes for producing alpha-alkylated ketones from a ketone or secondary alcohol with a primary alcohol in the presence of a catalytic amount of a Cp*Ir(III) catalyst and tBuOK in toluene at 110 °C using the hydrogen-borrowing technique. Earlier many research groups had synthesized quinoline, pyrrole, and pyridine derivatives using 2-amino alcohol and ketone or secondary alcohol derivatives as starting materials, but in all those cases the reaction conditions are not suitable in terms of green synthesis like more catalyst loading, base loading, long reaction time, and high temperature. In addition, most of the reactions contain phosphine a hazardous by-product, along with the catalyst. Keeping in mind these shortcomings, we tried to expand the use of our catalysts after achieving an excellent result in our previous work, and we were successful in producing quinoline, pyrrole, and pyridine derivatives through acceptor-less dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) procedures at 90-110 °C under neat/solvent-free conditions and achieved good to exceptional yields of those nitrogen-containing heterocycles. This methodology is attractive because it is environmentally benign and allows for the "green" synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. All that is required is a modest quantity of catalyst and base, and the by-products are merely H2O and H2.

Novel isoniazid-hydrazone derivatives induce cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via mitochondria-dependent caspase activation and PI3K/AKT inhibition.

In this study, seven isoniazid-hydrazone derivatives (3a-g) were synthesized and their structures elucidated by chromatographic techniques, and then the antiproliferative effects of these compounds on various cancer cells were tested. The advanced anticancer mechanism of the most potent compound was then investigated. Antiproliferative activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated on human breast cancer MCF-7, lung cancer A-549, colon cancer HT-29, and non-cancerous mouse fibroblast 3T3-L1 cell lines by XTT assay. Flow cytometry analysis were carried out to determine cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, multi-caspase activity, and expression of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The XTT results showed that all the title molecules displayed cytotoxic activity at varying strengths in different dose ranges, and among them, the strongest cytotoxic effect and high selectivity were exerted by 3d against MCF-7 cells with the IC50 value of 11.35 µM and selectivity index of 8.65. Flow cytometry results revealed that compound 3d induced apoptosis through mitochondrial membrane disruption and multi-caspase activation in MCF-7 cells. It also inhibited the cell proliferation via inhibition of expression of PI3K/AKT and arrested the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. In conclusion, all these data disclosed that among the synthesized compounds, 3d is notable for in vivo anticancer studies.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes following possible serious bacterial infection in early infancy in Karachi, Pakistan: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pakistan reports a significant burden of neonatal mortality, with infections as one of the major causes. We aim to assess the long-term impact of early infancy infections on neurodevelopmental outcomes during later childhood. METHODS: We conducted a prospective follow-up study of the cohort enrolled at the Karachi site of the Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia (ANISA) during 2019-2020. Children with a possible serious bacterial infection (based on the WHO IMCI algorithm) at early infancy were assessed for neurodevelopment at 6-9 years of age and compared with healthy controls. The Ten Questions (TQS) questionnaire, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Parent's Evaluation of Developmental Stage Assessment Level (PEDS: DM-AL) neurodevelopmental assessment tools, were administered and scored by the research staff who were blinded to the child's exposure status. Generalized Structural Equation Modelling (GSEM) was employed to verify relationships and associations among developmental milestones, anthropometry, and sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: A total of 398 children (241 cases and 157 controls) completed neurodevelopmental and growth assessments. Cases had a significantly higher rate of abnormal TQS scores (54.5% vs. 35.0%, p-value 0.001), greater delays in motor milestones (21.2% vs. 12.1%, p-value 0.02), lower fine motor skills (78.4 ± 1.4 vs. 83.2 ± 1.5, p-value 0.02). The receptive language skills were well-developed in both groups. According to the logistic regression model, exposure to infection during the first 59 days of life was associated with delayed TQS milestones (ß = -0.6, 95% CI -1.2,-0.04), TQS hearing domain (ß = -0.3, 95% CI: -1.2 to 0.7), PEDS: DM-AL fine motor domain (ß = -1.3, 95% CI: -4.4 to 1.7), PEDS: DM-AL receptive language development (ß = -1.1, 95% CI: -3.7 to 1.4) and child anthropometric measurements such as weight and height (ß = -0.2, 95% CI: -0.4 to 0.01 and ß = -0.2, 95% CI: -0.4 to -0.01, respectively). Early pSBI exposure was positively associated with PEDS: DM-AL self-help domain (ß = 0.6, 95% CI: -1.2 to 2.4) and SDQ-P overall score (ß = 0.02, 95% CI: -0.3 to 0.3). CONCLUSION: Children exposed to PSBI during early infancy have higher rates of abnormal development, motor delays, and lower fine motor skills during later childhood in Pakistan. Socioeconomic challenges and limited healthcare access contribute to these challenges, highlighting the need for long-term follow-ups with integrated neurodevelopment assessments.

Patterns of antibiotic use, pathogens, and prediction of mortality in hospitalized neonates and young infants with sepsis: A global neonatal sepsis observational cohort study (NeoOBS).

BACKGROUND: There is limited data on antibiotic treatment in hospitalized neonates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to describe patterns of antibiotic use, pathogens, and clinical outcomes, and to develop a severity score predicting mortality in neonatal sepsis to inform future clinical trial design. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Hospitalized infants <60 days with clinical sepsis were enrolled during 2018 to 2020 by 19 sites in 11 countries (mainly Asia and Africa). Prospective daily observational data was collected on clinical signs, supportive care, antibiotic treatment, microbiology, and 28-day mortality. Two prediction models were developed for (1) 28-day mortality from baseline variables (baseline NeoSep Severity Score); and (2) daily risk of death on IV antibiotics from daily updated assessments (NeoSep Recovery Score). Multivariable Cox regression models included a randomly selected 85% of infants, with 15% for validation. A total of 3,204 infants were enrolled, with median birth weight of 2,500 g (IQR 1,400 to 3,000) and postnatal age of 5 days (IQR 1 to 15). 206 different empiric antibiotic combinations were started in 3,141 infants, which were structured into 5 groups based on the World Health Organization (WHO) AWaRe classification. Approximately 25.9% (n = 814) of infants started WHO first line regimens (Group 1-Access) and 13.8% (n = 432) started WHO second-line cephalosporins (cefotaxime/ceftriaxone) (Group 2-"Low" Watch). The largest group (34.0%, n = 1,068) started a regimen providing partial extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)/pseudomonal coverage (piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, or fluoroquinolone-based) (Group 3-"Medium" Watch), 18.0% (n = 566) started a carbapenem (Group 4-"High" Watch), and 1.8% (n = 57) a Reserve antibiotic (Group 5, largely colistin-based), and 728/2,880 (25.3%) of initial regimens in Groups 1 to 4 were escalated, mainly to carbapenems, usually for clinical deterioration (n = 480; 65.9%). A total of 564/3,195 infants (17.7%) were blood culture pathogen positive, of whom 62.9% (n = 355) had a gram-negative organism, predominantly Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 132) or Acinetobacter spp. (n = 72). Both were commonly resistant to WHO-recommended regimens and to carbapenems in 43 (32.6%) and 50 (71.4%) of cases, respectively. MRSA accounted for 33 (61.1%) of 54 Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Overall, 350/3,204 infants died (11.3%; 95% CI 10.2% to 12.5%), 17.7% if blood cultures were positive for pathogens (95% CI 14.7% to 21.1%, n = 99/564). A baseline NeoSep Severity Score had a C-index of 0.76 (0.69 to 0.82) in the validation sample, with mortality of 1.6% (3/189; 95% CI: 0.5% to 4.6%), 11.0% (27/245; 7.7% to 15.6%), and 27.3% (12/44; 16.3% to 41.8%) in low (score 0 to 4), medium (5 to 8), and high (9 to 16) risk groups, respectively, with similar performance across subgroups. A related NeoSep Recovery Score had an area under the receiver operating curve for predicting death the next day between 0.8 and 0.9 over the first week. There was significant variation in outcomes between sites and external validation would strengthen score applicability. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic regimens used in neonatal sepsis commonly diverge from WHO guidelines, and trials of novel empiric regimens are urgently needed in the context of increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The baseline NeoSep Severity Score identifies high mortality risk criteria for trial entry, while the NeoSep Recovery Score can help guide decisions on regimen change. NeoOBS data informed the NeoSep1 antibiotic trial (ISRCTN48721236), which aims to identify novel first- and second-line empiric antibiotic regimens for neonatal sepsis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, (NCT03721302).

Synthesis and SARs study of novel spiro-oxindoles as potent antiproliferative agents with CDK-2 inhibitory activities.

A series of 16 novel spirooxindole analogs 8a-p were designed and constructed via cost-effective single-step multicomponent [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylide (AY) generated in situ from substituted isatin (6a-d) with suitable amino acids (7a-c) and ethylene-engrafted pyrazole derivatives (5a,b). The potency of all compounds was assayed against a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and a human liver cell line (HepG2). Spiro compound 8c was the most active member among the synthesized candidates, with exceptional cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines, with IC50 values of 0.189 ± 0.01 and 1.04 ± 0.21 µM, respectively. The candidate 8c exhibited more potent activity (10.10- and 2.27-fold) than the standard drug roscovitine (IC50 = 1.91 ± 0.17 µM (MCF-7) and 2.36 ± 0.21 µM (HepG2)). Compound 8c was investigated for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition; it exhibited promising IC50 values of 96.6 nM compared with 67.3 nM for erlotinib. The IC50 value of 8c (34.98 nM) exhibited cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK-2) inhibition, being more active than roscovitine the (IC50 = 140 nM) in targeting the CDK-2 kinase enzyme. Additionally, for apoptosis induction of compound 8c in MCF-7, it upregulated the expression levels of proapoptotic genes for P53, Bax, caspases-3, 8, and 9 at up to 6.18, 4.8, 9.8, 4.6, 11.3 fold-change, respectively, and downregualted the level of the antiapoptotic gene for Bcl-2 by 0.14-fold. Finally, a molecular docking study of the most active compound 8c highlighted a good binding affinity with Lys89 as the key amino acid for CDK-2 inhibition.

Blood biochemical parameters for assessment of COVID-19 in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects: a cross-sectional study.

This study aims to identify blood biomarkers for rapidly predicting progression and severity assessment of COVID-19 in type 2 diabetic (DM) and non-DM (NDM) patients. Among 211 hospitalized patients suspected of COVID-19, 98 were confirmed COVID-19 by rRT-PCR. The COVID-19 positive group contained 58 DM and 40 NDM patients with total death 9 of which 7 were males and 6 were DM, indicating males and DM individuals as more susceptible to COVID-19. Blood biomarkers notably serum ferritin, CRP, D-dimer, ALT, troponin I, and Hb1Ac were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in COVID-19 patients. Ferritin and HbA1c levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in DM than NDM COVID-19 patients. The present study suggests that ferritin and HbA1c levels for DM patients, and ferritin, D-dimer, ALT for NDM patients could be routinely used as biomarkers for progression and severity assessment of COVID-19. CRP and Troponin-I could be the predictor only for poor prognosis of COVID-19.

Exploiting the Chiral Ligands of Bis(imidazolinyl)- and Bis(oxazolinyl)thiophenes-Synthesis and Application in Cu-Catalyzed Friedel-Crafts Asymmetric Alkylation.

Five new C2-symmetric chiral ligands of 2,5-bis(imidazolinyl)thiophene (L1-L3) and 2,5-bis(oxazolinyl)thiophene (L4 and L5) were synthesized from thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (1) with enantiopure amino alcohols (4a-c) in excellent optical purity and chemical yield. The utility of these new chiral ligands for Friedel-Crafts asymmetric alkylation was explored. Subsequently, the optimized tridentate ligand L5 and Cu(OTf)2 catalyst (15 mol%) in toluene for 48 h promoted Friedel-Crafts asymmetric alkylation in moderate to good yields (up to 76%) and with good enantioselectivity (up to 81% ee). The bis(oxazolinyl)thiophene ligands were more potent than bis(imidazolinyl)thiophene analogues for the asymmetric induction of the Friedel-Crafts asymmetric alkylation.

Removal of Chromium(III) and Cadmium(II) Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions Using Treated Date Seeds: An Eco-Friendly Method.

The aim of the research was to prepare low-cost adsorbents, including raw date pits and chemically treated date pits, and to apply these materials to investigate the adsorption behavior of Cr(III) and Cd(II) ions from wastewater. The prepared materials were characterized using SEM, FT-IR and BET surface analysis techniques for investigating the surface morphology, particle size, pore size and surface functionalities of the materials. A series of adsorption processes was conducted in a batch system and optimized by investigating various parameters such as solution pH, contact time, initial metal concentrations and adsorbent dosage. The optimum pH for achieving maximum adsorption capacity was found to be approximately 7.8. The determination of metal ions was conducted using atomic adsorption spectrometry. The experimental results were fitted using isotherm Langmuir and Freundlich equations, and maximum monolayer adsorption capacities for Cr(III) and Cd(II) at 323 K were 1428.5 and 1302.0 mg/g (treated majdool date pits adsorbent) and 1228.5 and 1182.0 mg/g (treated sagai date pits adsorbent), respectively. It was found that the adsorption capacity of H2O2-treated date pits was higher than that of untreated DP. Recovery studies showed maximal metal elution with 0.1 M HCl for all the adsorbents. An 83.3-88.2% and 81.8-86.8% drop in Cr(III) and Cd(II) adsorption, respectively, were found after the five regeneration cycles. The results showed that the Langmuir model gave slightly better results than the Freundlich model for the untreated and treated date pits. Hence, the results demonstrated that the prepared materials could be a low-cost and eco-friendly choice for the remediation of Cr(III) and Cd(II) contaminants from an aqueous solution.

Stereoselective Synthesis of the Di-Spirooxindole Analogs Based Oxindole and Cyclohexanone Moieties as Potential Anticancer Agents.

A new series of di-spirooxindole analogs, engrafted with oxindole and cyclohexanone moieties, were synthesized. Initially, azomethine ylides were generated via reaction of the substituted isatins 3a-f (isatin, 3a, 6-chloroisatin, 3b, 5-fluoroisatin, 3c, 5-nitroisatin, 3d, 5-methoxyisatin, 3e, and 5-methylisatin, 3f, and (2S)-octahydro-1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid 2, in situ azomethine ylides reacted with the cyclohexanone based-chalcone 1a-f to afford the target di-spirooxindole compounds 4a-n. This one-pot method provided diverse structurally complex molecules, with biologically relevant spirocycles in a good yields. All synthesized di-spirooxindole analogs, engrafted with oxindole and cyclohexanone moieties, were evaluated for their anticancer activity against four cancer cell lines, including prostate PC3, cervical HeLa, and breast (MCF-7, and MDA-MB231) cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicity of these di-spirooxindole analogs was also examined against human fibroblast BJ cell lines, and they appeared to be non-cytotoxic. Compound 4b was identified as the most active member of this series against prostate cancer cell line PC3 (IC50 = 3.7 ± 1.0 µM). The cyclohexanone engrafted di-spirooxindole analogs 4a and 4l (IC50 = 7.1 ± 0.2, and 7.2 ± 0.5 µM, respectively) were active against HeLa cancer cells, whereas NO2 substituted isatin ring and meta-fluoro-substituted (2E,6E)-2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone containing 4i (IC50 = 7.63 ± 0.08 µM) appeared to be a promising agent against the triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB231 cell line. To explore the plausible mechanism of anticancer activity of di-spirooxindole analogs, molecular docking studies were investigated which suggested that spirooxindole analogs potentially inhibit the activity of MDM2.

Bimetallic Iron-Palladium Catalyst System as a Lewis-Acid for the Synthesis of Novel Pharmacophores Based Indole Scaffold as Anticancer Agents.

The Friedel-Crafts reaction between substituted indoles as nucleophiles with chalcones-based benzofuran and benzothiophene scaffolds was carried out by employing a highly efficient bimetallic iron-palladium catalyst system. This catalytic approach produced the desired bis-heteroaryl products with low catalyst loading, a simple procedure, and with acceptable yield. All synthesized indole scaffolds 3a-3s were initially evaluated for their cytotoxic effect against human fibroblast BJ cell lines and appeared to be non-cytotoxic. All non-cytotoxic compounds 3a-3s were then evaluated for their anticancer activities against cervical cancer HeLa, prostate cancer PC3, and breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines, in comparison to standard drug doxorubicin, with IC50 values 1.9 ± 0.4 µM, 0.9 ± 0.14 µM and 0.79 ± 0.05 µM, respectively, and appeared to be moderate to weak anticancer agents. Fluoro-substituted chalcone moiety-containing compounds, 3b appeared to be the most active member of the series against cervical HeLa (IC50 = 8.2 ± 0.2 µM) and breast MCF-7 cancer cell line (IC50 = 12.3 ± 0.04 µM), whereas 6-fluroindol-4-bromophenyl chalcone-containing compound 3e (IC50 = 7.8 ± 0.4 µM) appeared to be more active against PC3 prostate cancer cell line.

Synthesis of a New Class of Spirooxindole-Benzo[b]Thiophene-Based Molecules as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors.

A series of new oxindole-based spiro-heterocycles bearing the benzo[b]thiophene motif were synthesized via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction and their acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity was evaluated. All the synthesized compounds exhibited moderate inhibitory activities against AChE, while IIc was found to be the most active analog with an IC50 value of 20,840 µM·L-1. Its molecular structure was a 5-chloro-substituted oxindole bearing benzo[b]thiophene and octahydroindole moieties. Based on molecular docking studies, IIc was strongly bound to the catalytic and peripheral anionic sites of the protein through hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and π-stacking interactions with Asp74, Trp86, Tyr124, Ser125, Glu202, Ser203, Trp236, Trp286, Phe297, Tyr337, and Tyr341. These interactions also indicated that the multiplicity of the IIc aromatic core significantly favored its activity.

Design and synthesis of new substituted spirooxindoles as potential inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 interaction.

The designed compounds, 4a-p, were synthesized using a simple and smooth method with an asymmetric 1,3-dipolar reaction as the key step. The chemical structures for all synthesized compounds were elucidated and confirmed by spectral analysis. The molecular complexity and the absolute stereochemistry of 4b and 4e designed analogs were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The anticancer activities of the synthesized compounds were tested against colon (HCT-116), prostate (PC-3), and hepatocellular (HepG-2) cancer cell lines. Molecular modeling revealed that the compound 4d binds through hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions with the essential amino acids (LEU: 57, GLY: 58, ILE: 61, and HIS: 96) in the p53-binding cleft, as a standard p53-MDM2 inhibitor (6SJ). The mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of compound 4d was further evaluated, and the study showed that compound 4d inhibited colony formation, cell migration, arrested cancer cell growth at G2/M, and induced apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Transactivation of p53 was confirmed by flow cytometry, where compound 4d increased the level of activated p53 and induced mRNA levels of cell cycle inhibitor, p21.

Synthesis of new thiazolo-pyrrolidine-(spirooxindole) tethered to 3-acylindole as anticancer agents.

Anticancer therapeutics with profiles of high potency, low toxicity, and low resistance is of considerable interest. A new series of functionalized spirooxindole linked with 3-acylindole scaffold is reported, starting from chalcones derived from 3-acetyl indole with isatin, and l-4-thiazolidinecarboxylic acid. The reactions proceeded regioselectivity, stereoselectivity, without side products in high yield (71-89%). The new spirooxindole hybrids have been evaluated in vitro for their antiproliferative effects against colon cancer (HCT-116), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and prostate cancer (PC-3). The selectivity of their activity was evaluated. Some of the synthesized compounds showed considerable anticancer activities. Compound 4k proved to retain a high cytotoxic activity and selectivity against colon cancer cells HCT-116 (IC50 = 7 ±â€¯0.27 µM, SI: 3.7), and HepG2 (IC50 = 5.5 ±â€¯0.2 µM, SI: 4.7) in comparison to (IC50 = 12.6 ±â€¯0.5, SI: 0.4 and 5.5 ±â€¯0.3 µM, SI: 0.9, respectively). Compound 4k was less active (IC50 = 6 ±â€¯0.3 µM, SI: 4.3) than cisplatin (IC50 = 5 ±â€¯0.56 µM, SI: 1.0) but showed greater selectivity towards prostate cancer cells PC-3 in comparison to cisplatin. The details of the binding mode of the active compounds were clarified by molecular docking. Ligand Efficiency (LE) and Ligand Lipophilic Efficiency (LLE) were evaluated and revealed that compound 4k had acceptable value.

Synthesis of Pyridine-Dicarboxamide-Cyclohexanone Derivatives: Anticancer and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities and In Silico Study.

An efficient and practical method for the synthesis of 2,6-diaryl-4-oxo-N,N'-di(pyridin-2-yl)cyclohexane-1,1-dicarboxamide is described in this present study, which occurs through a double Michael addition reaction between diamide and various dibenzalacetones. The reaction was carried out in dichloromethane (DCM) in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU). The anticancer activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated in several cancer cell lines, including MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, SAS, PC-3, HCT-116, HuH-7 and HepG2 cells. From these experiments, we determined that MDA-MB-231 was the most sensitive cancer cell line to the compounds 3c, 3e, 3d, 3j and 3l, which exhibited variable anticancer activities (3l [IC50 = 5 ± 0.25 µM] > 3e [IC50 = 5 ± 0.5 µM] > 3c [IC50 = 7 ± 1.12 µM] > 3d [IC50 = 18 ± 0.87 µM] > 3j [IC50 = 45 ± 3 µM]). Of these, 3l (substituted p-trifluoromethylphenyl and chloropyridine) showed good potency (IC50 = 6 ± 0.78 µM) against HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells and exhibited high toxicity against HuH-7 liver cancer cells (IC50 = 4.5 ± 0.3 µM). These values were three times higher than the values reported for cisplatin (IC50 of 8 ± 0.76 and 14.7 ± 0.5 µM against HCT-116 and HuH-7 cells, respectively). The highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was detected for the 3d, 3i and 3j compounds. The details of the binding mode of the active compounds were clarified by molecular docking studies.

Anticancer Indole-Based Chalcones: A Structural and Theoretical Analysis.

The crystal structures of five new chalcones derived from N-ethyl-3-acetylindole with different substituents were investigated: (E)-3-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(1-ethyl-1H-indol-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3a); (E)-3-(3-bromophenyl)-1-(1-ethyl-1H-indol-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3b); (E)-1-(1-ethyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (3c); (E)-1-(1-ethyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-3-mesitylprop-2-en-1-one (3d); and (E)-1-(1-ethyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-3-(furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3e). The molecular packing of the studied compounds is controlled mainly by C-H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds, C-H⋅⋅⋅π interactions, and π···π stacking interactions, which were quantitatively analyzed using Hirshfeld topology analysis. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the order of polarity (3b ˂ 3d ˂ 3e ˂ 3a ˂ 3c) was determined. Several chemical reactivity indices such as the ionization potential (I), electron affinity (A), chemical potential (µ), hardness (η), electrophilicity (ω) and nucleophilicity (N) indices were calculated, and these properties are discussed and compared. In addition, the antiproliferative activity of the five new chalcones was studied.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of indole derivatives as novel α-glucosidase inhibitors in vitro.

Indole containing compounds have acquired conspicuous significance due to their wide spectrum of biological activities. Synthesis of a series of enantiomerically pure indole derivatives 3a-rvia Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indole 1 with enones 2a-r were described here. The products were isolated in a moderate to excellent yields (upto 89%) with excellent enantioselectivities (upto 99.9% ee). These compounds 3a-r were evaluated for their in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and some of them were identified as potent inhibitors (IC50 = 4.3 ±â€¯0.13-43.9 ±â€¯0.51 µM) with several fold higher activity than the clinically used α-glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose (IC50 = 840 ±â€¯1.73 µM). To the best of knowledge, this is the first report of the propanone substituted indole ring containing compounds by in vitro α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and DFT Studies of a New Dinuclear Ag(I)-Malonamide Complex.

The synthesis and structural aspects of a new dinuclear silver (I) complex with malonamide type ligand (L) is reported. Each Ag ion in the [Ag2L2(NO3)2]·H2O complex is coordinated to two ligands, L, each acting as a bridged ligand via its two pyridine arms; Ag(I) acts as a connector between them. Two types of Ag-ligands close contacts were detected: Ag-N1, Ag-N4 from the two L units, and Ag-O5, Ag-O6 from the two nitrate anions, wherein both the nitrate ions are inside the cage formed by the [Ag2L2] unit. The coordination geometry around each Ag(I) is a distorted tetrahedron. The [Ag2L2(NO3)2] complex units are connected by weak intermolecular C-H…O interactions. The different intermolecular interactions were quantified using Hirshfeld surface analysis. Using two DFT methods (B3LYP and WB97XD), the nature and strength of the Ag-N and Ag-O interactions were described using atoms in molecules (AIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses. Topological parameters indicated that the strength of the two Ag-N bonds was similar, while that of the two Ag-O interactions were significantly different. Moreover, the Ag-N interactions have a predominant covalent character, while the Ag-O interactions are mainly ionic. The NBO analysis indicated that the most important anti-bonding Ag-orbital in these interactions has an s-orbital character.

Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Cu(II) and Fe(III) Complexes Incorporating Azo-Azomethine Ligand.

We are reporting a novel azo-azomethine ligand, HL and its complexes with Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions. The ligand and its complexes are characterized by various physico-chemical techniques using C,H,N analyses, FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, ESI-MS and UV-Vis studies. TGA analyses reveal complexes are sufficiently stable and undergo two-step degradation processes. The redox behavior of the complexes was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry. Furthermore, the ligand and its complexes were tested for antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal strains by determining inhibition zone, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). The complexes showed moderate antimicrobial activity when tested against Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacterial strains. To obtain insights into the structure of ligand, DFT studies are recorded. The results obtained are quite close to the experimental results. In addition, the energy gap, chemical hardness, softness, electronegativity, electrophilic index and chemical potential were calculated using HOMO, LUMO energy value of ligand.