Design and Synthesis of a New Soluble Natural ß-Carboline Derivative for Preclinical Study by Intravenous Injection.

Harmine is a natural ß-carboline compound showing several biological activities, including antiproliferative properties, but this soluble natural molecule lacks selectivity. Harmine derivatives were reported to overcome this problem, but they are usually poorly soluble. Here, we designed and synthesized a new 2, 7, 9-trisubstituted molecule (1-methyl-7-(3-methylbutoxy)-9-propyl-2-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl]-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indol-2-ium bromide) with a solubility of 1.87 ± 0.07 mg/mL in a simulated injection vehicle. This compound is stable for at least 72 h in acidic and physiological conditions (pH 1.1 and 7.4) as well as in a simulated injection vehicle (physiological liquid + 0.1% Tween80®). Solubility in those media is 1.06 ± 0.08 mg/mL and 1.62 ± 0.13 mg/mL at pH 7.4 and 1. The synthesized molecule displays a significant activity on five different cancer cell lines (IC50 range from 0.2 to 2 µM on A549, MDA-MB-231, PANC-1, T98G and Hs683 cell lines). This compound is also more active on cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) than on normal cells (MCF-10a) at IC50 concentrations. Due to its high activity at low concentration, such solubility values should be sufficient for further in vivo antitumoral activity evaluation via intravenous injection.

Description of non-covalent interactions in benzyl chalcocyanate crystals from smoothed Cromer-Mann electron density distribution functions.

A well-known method to characterize non-covalent interactions consists in the topological analysis of electron density distribution (EDD) functions, complemented by the search for minima in the reduced density gradient (RDG) distributions. Here, we characterize intermolecular interactions occurring in crystals of benzyl chalcocyanate compounds through bond critical points (BCP) of the promolecular electron density (ED) built from the crystallographic Cromer-Mann parameters, at several smoothing levelst. The trajectories formed by thet-dependent BCP locations are interpreted in terms of the intermolecular interactions occurring within the crystal arrangements. Chalcogen…nitro BCPs are clearly present in the unsmoothed EDDs but are annihilated astincreases, while chalcogen…chalcogen BCPs appear and are among the only BCPs left at the highest smoothing level. The chalcogen bonds are differentiated from the other chalcogen interactions through the linear chalcogen…BCP…nitro geometry at low smoothing level and their more negative Laplacian values. The annihilation of CPs can be followed by the apparition of a RDG minimum, associated with a very weak interaction. Along the BCP trajectories, the Laplacian shows a progressive concentration of the ED in the intermolecular space within the crystals and adopts the most negative values at the shortest atom…atom separations. At the termination point of a BCP trajectory, the drastic increase of the ellipticity value illustrates the flattening of the EDD.

Structural study of bioisosteric derivatives of 5-(1H-indol-3-yl)-benzotriazole and their ability to form chalcogen bonds.

Recently, inter-est in the isosteric replacement of a nitro-gen atom to selenium, sulfur or oxygen atoms has been highlighted in the design of potential inhibitors for cancer research. In this context, the structures of 5-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2,1,3-benzotriazole derivatives [5-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2,1,3-benzo-thia-diazole (bS, C14H9N3S) and 5-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2,1,3-benzoxa-diazole (bO, C14H9N3O)], as well as a synthesis inter-mediate of the selenated bioisostere [5-[1-(benzensulfon-yl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-2,1,3-benzoselena-diazole (p-bSe, C20H13N3O2SSe)] were determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analyses. Despite being analogues, different crystal packing, torsion angles and supra-molecular features were observed, depending on the substitution of the central atoms of the benzotriazole. In particular, chalcogen inter-actions were described in the case of p-bSe and not in the bS and bO derivatives. An investigation by ab initio computational methods was therefore conducted to understand the effect of the substitution on the ability to form chalcogen bonds and the flexibility of the compounds.

Synthesis, crystal structure and conformational analysis of an unexpected [1,5]dithiocine product of aminopyridine and thiovanillin.

The condensation reaction of 2-mercapto-3-methoxybenzaldehyde with 3-aminopyridine afforded an unexpected N-alkylated [1,5]dithiocine instead of the N-salicylideneaniline. The proposed mechanism for this condensation involves a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond between the thiol and the amine groups, leading to a second condensation. The corresponding product, i.e. 4,10-dimethoxy-13-(pyridin-3-yl)-6H,12H-6,12-epiminodibenzo[b,f][1,5]dithiocine methanol 0.463-solvate, C21H18N2O2S2·0.463CH3OH, was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The supramolecular structure shows π-π stacking and S...S interactions in the crystal packing. Within the asymmetric unit, two geometries of the N atom are observed. Although a planar geometry should be expected, a pyramidal one is observed due to the crystal packing. The presence of the two geometries was further supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations that show an electronic energy difference of less than 2 kJ mol-1 between the two conformers.

Combining Two Antitubercular Drugs, Clofazimine and 4-Aminosalicylic Acid, in Order to Improve Clofazimine Aqueous Solubility and 4-Aminosalicylic Acid Thermal Stability.

Four forms of a salt combining two antitubercular drugs, clofazimine and 4-aminosalicylic acid, are reported and the crystal structure of two of these forms are described. TG/DSC analysis of all four forms demonstrate an increase in the temperature at which degradation (upon decarboxylation) occurs in comparison to pure 4-aminosalicylic acid. Water solubility evaluation indicates a significant increase of the amount of clofazimine detected in water (10.26 ± 0.52 µg/mL for form I, 12.27 ± 0.32 µg/mL for form II, 7.15 ± 0.43 µg/mL for form III and 8.50 ± 1.24 µg/mL for form IV) in comparison to pure clofazimine (0.20 ± 0.03 µg/mL).

Structural variety of clofaziminium salts: effect of the counter-ion on clofaziminium conformation and crystal packing.

Clofazimine is a water-insoluble antimycobacterial agent gaining attention as a treatment for multi-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Novel salts of clofazimine are reported with fumaric, succinic, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic and terephthalic acids and with saccharin. The salt structures were obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The salts with 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and with saccharin are solvated (methanol and acetonitrile, respectively). The reaction of clofazimine with terephthalic acid led to two salt cocrystals, one solvated and one non-solvated. These new clofaziminium salts are compared with the currently known ones in terms of crystal packing and clofazimine/ium conformation. Clofaziminium hydrogen succinate presents isostructurality with clofaziminium hydrogen malonate, an already described salt. In the structure of clofaziminium terephthalate terephthalic acid salt cocrystal, solvent evaporation leads to packing and hydrogen-bonding modifications. In all the new structures, the clofaziminium conformation is quite well conserved and steric hindrance is observed around the protonated site. Conformational optimization of clofaziminium reveals that this steric-hindrance energy penalty is compensated for by hydrogen-bond interactions with the salt counter-ions.