Identification of potential Mpro inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19 by using systematic virtual screening approach.

The Corona virus Disease (COVID-19) is caused because of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pathogen detected in China for the first time, and from there it spread across the globe creating a worldwide pandemic of severe respiratory complications. The virus requires structural and non-structural proteins for its multiplication that are produced from polyproteins obtained by translation of its genomic RNA. These polyproteins are converted into structural and non-structural proteins mainly by the main protease (Mpro). A systematic screening of a drug library (having drugs and diagnostic agents which are approved by FDA or other world authorities) and the Asinex BioDesign library was carried out using pharmacophore and sequential conformational precision level filters using the Schrodinger Suite. From the screening of approved drug library, three antiviral agents ritonavir, nelfinavir and saquinavir were predicted to be the most potent Mpro inhibitors. Apart from these pralmorelin, iodixanol and iotrolan were also identified from the systematic screening. As iodixanol and iotrolan carry some limitations, structural modifications in them could lead to stable and safer antiviral agents. Screenings of Asinex BioDesign library resulted in 20 molecules exhibiting promising interactions with the target protein Mpro. They can broadly be categorized into four classes based on the nature of the scaffold, viz. disubstituted pyrazoles, cyclic amides, pyrrolidine-based compounds and miscellaneous derivatives. These could be used as potential molecules or hits for further drug development to obtain clinically useful therapeutic agents for the treatment of COVID-19.

Chemometric modeling of pharmaceuticals for partitioning between sludge and aqueous phase during the wastewater treatment process.

Computational techniques, such as quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPRs), can play a significant role in exploring the important chemical features essential for the degree of sorption or sludge/water partition coefficient (Kd) towards sewage sludge of wastewater treatment process to evaluate the environmental consequence and risk of pharmaceuticals. The current research work aims to construct a predictive QSPR model for the sorption of 148 diverse active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in sewage sludge during wastewater treatment. For the development of the model, we employed easily computable 2D descriptors as independent variables. The model has been developed following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) guidelines. It has undergone internal and external validation using a variety of methodologies, as well as been tested for its applicability domain. A measure of hydrophobicity, i.e., MLOGP2, showed the most promising contribution in modeling the sorption coefficient of APIs. Among other parameters, the number of tertiary aromatic amines, the presence of electronegative atoms like N, O, and Cl, the size of a molecule, the number of aromatic hydroxyl groups, the presence of substituted aromatic nitrogen atoms and alkyl-substituted tertiary carbon atoms were also found to be influential for the regulation of solid water partition coefficient of APIs during the wastewater treatment process. The statistical validity tests performed on the developed partial least squares (PLS) model showed that it is statistically evident, robust, and predictive (R2Train = 0.750, Q2LOO = 0.683, Q2F1 = 0.655, Q2F2 (or R2Test) = 0.651). In addition, the predictivity of the constructed model was further inspected by using the "prediction reliability indicator" tool for 14 external APIs.

Exploring quantitative structure-property relationship models for environmental fate assessment of petroleum hydrocarbons.

The rate and extent of biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the different aquatic environments is an important element to address. The major avenue for removing petroleum hydrocarbons from the environment is thought to be biodegradation. The present study involves the development of predictive quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models for the primary biodegradation half-life of petroleum hydrocarbons that may be used to forecast the biodegradation half-life of untested petroleum hydrocarbons within the established models' applicability domain. These models use easily computable two-dimensional (2D) descriptors to investigate important structural characteristics needed for the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in freshwater (dataset 1), temperate seawater (dataset 2), and arctic seawater (dataset 3). All the developed models follow OECD guidelines. We have used double cross-validation, best subset selection, and partial least squares tools for model development. In addition, the small dataset modeler tool has been successfully used for the dataset with very few compounds (dataset 3 with 17 compounds), where dataset division was not possible. The resultant models are robust, predictive, and mechanistically interpretable based on both internal and external validation metrics (R2 range of 0.605-0.959. Q2(Loo) range of 0.509-0.904, and Q2F1 range of 0.526-0.959). The intelligent consensus predictor tool has been used for the improvement of the prediction quality for test set compounds which provided superior outcomes to those from individual partial least squares models based on several metrics (Q2F1 = 0.808 and Q2F2 = 0.805 for dataset 1 in freshwater). Molecular size and hydrophilic factor for freshwater, frequency of two carbon atoms at topological distance 4 for temperate seawater, and electronegative atom count relative to size for arctic seawater were found to be the most significant descriptors responsible for the regulation of biodegradation half-life of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Fragment-based design of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been identified as a causative agent for COVID-19 pandemic. About more than 6.3 million fatalities have been attributed to COVID-19 worldwide to date. Finding a viable cure for the illness is urgently needed in light of the present pandemic. The prominence of main protease in the life cycle of virus shapes the main protease as a viable target for design and development of antiviral agents to combat COVID-19. The current study presents the fragment linking strategy to design the novel Mpro inhibitors for COVID-19. A total of 293,451 fragments from diversified libraries have been screened for their binding affinity towards Mpro enzyme. The best 1600 fragment hits were subjected to fragment joining to achieve 100 new molecules using Schrödinger software. The resulting molecules were further screened for their Mpro binding affinity, ADMET, and drug-likeness features. The best 13 molecules were selected, and the first 6 compounds were investigated for their ligand-receptor complex stability through a molecular dynamics study using GROMACS software. The resulting molecules have the potential to be further evaluated for COVID-19 drug discovery.

Simultaneous Estimation of Six Nitrosamine Impurities in Valsartan Using Liquid Chromatographic Method.

BACKGROUND: Nitrosamine impurities are potent carcinogens in animals and probable carcinogens in humans. There is a need for effective analytical methods to detect and identify various nitrosamine impurities, and to develop rapid solutions to ensure the safety and quality of the drugs. OBJECTIVE: A liquid chromatographic method was developed for estimation of six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan. METHODS: The developed method employed: a C18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column as a stationary phase; a combination of acetonitrile, water (pH 3.2 adjusted with formic acid), and methanol with gradient elution as mobile phase; and 228 nm as the detection wavelength. The developed method was validated as per International Conference on Harmonization Q2(R1) guidelines. The method was successfully applied to estimate six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan API (active pharmaceutical ingradient) and formulation (tablets). RESULTS: The method was able to separate each impurity and valsartan with resolved and sharp peaks. Results indicated that the developed method is linear in selected ranges (coefficient of regressions >0.9996), precise (RSD <2%), accurate (recovery in a range of 99.02-100.16%), sensitive (low detection and quantitation limits), and specific for estimation of each impurity in valsartan. Assay results were in agreement with the spiked amount of each impurity. CONCLUSION: The developed method can be applied for simultaneous estimation of six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan raw material, tablets, and fixed dose combination at very low levels. HIGHLIGHTS: Development, validation, and application of a HPLC method for the estimation of six nitrosamine impurities in valsartan API and formulation samples.

In silico Screening of Natural Compounds as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Spike RBD: Targets for COVID-19.

Historically, plants have been sought after as bio-factories for the production of diverse chemical compounds that offer a multitude of possibilities to cure diseases. To combat the current pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), plant-based natural compounds are explored for their potential to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the cause of COVID-19. The present study is aimed at the investigation of antiviral action of several groups of phytoconstituents against SARS-CoV-2 using a molecular docking approach to inhibit Main Protease (Mpro) (PDB code: 6LU7) and spike (S) glycoprotein receptor binding domain (RBD) to ACE2 (PDB code: 6M0J) of SARS-CoV-2. For binding affinity evaluation, the docking scores were calculated using the Extra Precision (XP) protocol of the Glide docking module of Maestro. CovDock was also used to investigate covalent docking. The OPLS3e force field was used in simulations. The docking score was calculated by preferring the conformation of the ligand that has the lowest binding free energy (best pose). The results are indicative of better potential of solanine, acetoside, and rutin, as Mpro and spike glycoprotein RBD dual inhibitors. Acetoside and curcumin were found to inhibit Mpro covalently. Curcumin also possessed all the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters in the range. Thus, phytochemicals like solanine, acetoside, rutin, and curcumin hold potential to be developed as treatment options against COVID-19.

Pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation for screening and identifying anti-dengue phytocompounds.

Dengue is a fast spreading mosquito borne viral disease that poses a serious threat to human health. Lack of therapeutic drugs and vaccines signify that more resources need to be explored. Accumulated evidence has suggested that plants offer a vast reservoir for antiviral drug discovery which are safe for human consumption. Plant-based drug discovery is a complex and time-consuming process as plants possess rich repository of chemically diverse compounds. Various in silico methods can make this process simple and economic. We, therefore, performed pharmacophore mapping, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) prediction to screen potential candidates against dengue. In particular, combined pharmacophore mapping and molecular docking were used to prioritize the potentially active ligands from a ligand library. Biological activities of plant based ligands were predicted using 3D-QSAR pharmacophore modeling. Interaction between proteins, namely, envelope G protein, NS2B/NS3 protease, NS5 methyltransferase, NS1, NS5 polymerase and active plant-based ligands (pIC50 > 5.1) were analyzed using molecular docking. Best docked complex, namely, envelope G protein-mulberroside C, NS2B-NS3 protease-curcumin, NS5 methyltransferase-chebulic acid, NS1-mulberroside A, NS5 methyltransferase-punigluconin and NS5 methyltransferase-chebulic acid were further subjected to MD simulations study to assess the fluctuation and conformational changes during protein-ligand interaction. ADME studies were performed to assess their drug-likeness properties. Collectively, these in silico results helped to identify the potential plant-based hits against the various receptors of dengue virus which can be further validated by bioactivity-based experiments.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

A decennary update on applications of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in the synthesis of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocyclic scaffolds.

Heterocycles have been found to be of much importance as several nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocycle compounds exist amongst the various USFDA-approved drugs. Because of the advancement of nanotechnology, nanocatalysis has found abundant applications in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. Numerous nanoparticles (NPs) have been utilized for several organic transformations, which led us to make dedicated efforts for the complete coverage of applications of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in the synthesis of heterocyclic scaffolds reported from 2010 to 2019. Our emphasize during the coverage of catalyzed reactions of the various MNPs such as Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, Si, Ti, and Zn has not only been on nanoparticles catalyzed synthetic transformations for the synthesis of heterocyclic scaffolds, but also provide an inherent framework for the reader to select a suitable catalytic system of interest for the synthesis of desired heterocyclic scaffold.

Identification of some novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives as InhA inhibitors through pharmacophore-based virtual screening and molecular docking.

The InhA inhibitors play key role in mycolic acid synthesis by preventing the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. In this present article, Pharmacophore modelling and molecular docking study followed by in silico virtual screening could be considered as effective strategy to identify newer enoyl-ACP reductase inhibitors. Pyrrolidine carboxamide derivatives were opted to generate pharmacophore models using HypoGen algorithm in Discovery studio 2.1. Further it was employed to screen Zinc and Minimaybridge databases to identify and design newer potent hit molecules. The retrieved newer hits were further evaluated for their drug likeliness and docked against enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase. Here, novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine analogues were designed and synthesized with good yields. Structural elucidation of synthesized final molecules was perform through IR, MASS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR spectroscopy and further tested for its in vitro anti-tubercular activity against H37Rv strain using Microplate Alamar blue assay (MABA) method. Most of the synthesized compounds displayed strong anti-tubercular activities. Further, these potent compounds were gauged for MDR-TB, XDR-TB and cytotoxic study.

Structure-based identification of novel sirtuin inhibitors against triple negative breast cancer: An in silico and in vitro study.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease exemplified by a poor prognosis, greater degrees of relapse, the absence of hormonal receptors for coherent utilization of targeted therapy, poor response to currently available therapeutics and development of chemoresistance. Aberrant activity of sirtuins (SIRTs) has strong implications in the metastatic and oncogenic progression of TNBC. Synthetic SIRT inhibitors are effective, however, they have shown adverse side effects emphasizing the need for plant-derived inhibitors (PDIs). In the current study, we identified potential plant-derived sirtuin inhibitors using in silico approach i.e. molecular docking, ADMET and molecular dynamics simulations (MD). Docking studies revealed that Sulforaphane, Kaempferol and Apigenin exhibits the highest docking scores against SIRT1 & 5, 3 and 6 respectively. ADMET analysis of above hits demonstrated drug-like profile. MD of prioritized SIRTs-PDIs complexes displayed stability with insignificant deviations throughout the trajectory. Furthermore, we determined the effect of our prioritized molecules on cellular viability, global activity as well as protein expression of sirtuins and stemness of TNBC cells utilizing in vitro techniques. Our in vitro findings complements our in silico results. Collectively, these findings provide a better insight into the structural basis of sirtuin inhibition and can facilitate drug design process for TNBC management.

Rational Discovery of Novel Squalene Synthase Inhibitors through Pharmacophore Modelling.

INTRODUCTION: In the present research work, a pharmacophore based virtual screening was performed using Discovery Studio 2.1 for the discovery of some novel molecules as inhibitors of Squalene Synthase Enzyme, a key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. METHODS: A quantitative pharmacophore HypoGen was generated and the best HypoGen had two ring aromatic and one hydrogen bond acceptor lipid features. The best HypoGen showed a very good correlation coefficient (r = 0.901) with satisfactory cost analysis. Furthermore, the HypoGen was validated externally by predicting the activity of test set. The developed model was found to be predictive as it showed low error of prediction for test set molecules. The developed model was used as a search query for virtually screening two chemical databases: sample database from catalyst and minimaybridge. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The best hit with good fit value and low predicted activity was further modified to design novel drug-like molecules, which were able to bind to Squalene synthase enzyme active site. CONCLUSION: The best scoring molecule, compound 67 showed 53% inhibition of the human Squalene synthase enzyme, isolated from the cell lysates of Human Hepatoma Cell Line, at a dose of 10 mcg with an IC50 value of 9.43 µm.

Novel targets for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of death in developed countries and thus demands the development of safe therapeutic treatments. Novel risk factors, in addition to the traditional targets, are being assessed. The significance of inflammation in atherosclerotic plaque development has become indisputable. A large number of published studies support the fact that investigations of the inflammatory aspects of atherosclerosis will be the target for future development. The C-reactive protein in particular has drawn specific attention due to its role as an inflammatory marker of atherosclerosis. Novel targets for atherosclerotic intervention include inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis and absorption such as acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase, acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase and cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors, potential novel antioxidants other than anti-inflammatory peroxisome proliferator activated receptor agonists, and apolipoprotein A-I mimetic peptides.

Thiazole: A Review on Chemistry, Synthesis and Therapeutic Importance of its Derivatives.

Thiazole, a unique heterocycle containing sulphur and nitrogen atoms, occupies an important place in medicinal chemistry. It is an essential core scaffold present in many natural (Vitamin B1- Thiamine) and synthetic medicinally important compounds. The versatility of thiazole nucleus demonstrated by the fact that it is an essential part of penicillin nucleus and some of its derivatives which have shown antimicrobial (sulfazole), antiretroviral (ritonavir), antifungal (abafungin), antihistaminic and antithyroid activities. The synthetic importance of thiazole derivatives, its reduced forms and condensed derivatives have been increased much by their recent applications as anticancer (tiazofurin), anthelmintic, vulcanising accelerators (mercaptobenzothiazole) and photographic sensitizers. Thiazole chemistry has developed steadily after the pioneering work of Hofmann and Hantsch. Bogert and co-workers made significant contribution to expand this field. Mills established the importance of thiazole ring in cyanine dyes which is used as photographic sensitizer. Benzothiazole, a fused derivative of thiazole have also proved its commercial value. Present review describes chemical and biological importance of thiazole and its condensed derivatives with an emphasis on recent developments.

A rational approach to identify inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase.

Mycobacterial enoyl acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase is an attractive target for focused design of novel antitubercular agents. Structural information available on enoyl-ACP reductase in complex with different ligands was used to generate receptor-based pharmacophore model in Discovery Studio (DS). In parallel, pharmacophore models were also generated using ligand-based approach (HypoGen module in DS). Statistically significant models were generated (r(2) = 0.85) which were found to be predictive as indicated from internal and external cross-validations. The model was used as a query tool to search Zinc and Maybridge databases to identify lead compounds and predict their activity in silico. Database searching retrieved many potential lead compounds having better estimated IC50 values than the training set compounds. These compounds were then evaluated for their drug-likeliness and pharmacokinetic properties using DS. Few selected compounds were then docked into the crystal structure of enoyl-ACP reductase using Dock 6.5. Most compounds were found to have high score values, which was found to be consistent with the results from pharmacophore mapping. Additionally, molecular docking provided useful insights into the nature of binding of the identified hit molecules. In summary, we show a useful strategy employing ligand- and structure-based approaches (pharmacophore modeling coupled with molecular docking) to identify new enoyl- ACP reductase inhibitors for antimycobacterial chemotherapy.

CoMFA and CoMSIA 3D QSAR models for a series of some condensed thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones with antihistaminic (H1) activity.

Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) studies were carried out for a series of thienopyrimidines, novel Histamine H1 receptor antagonists. Various models were generated. The best predictive CoMFA model gave significant correlation coefficients (cross-validated r2 (q2) = 0.514, non-cross-validated r2 = 0.925), showing the influence of steric and electrostatic fields. Likewise, the best predictive CoMSIA model gave cross-validated r2 (q2) = 0.541, non-cross-validated r2 = 0.862, eliciting the influence of steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydrogen bond acceptor fields. The generated models were externally validated and well correlated with calculated (predicted) and experimental inhibitory concentration (IC50) values, using test sets. The analysis of the contour maps of both CoMFA and CoMSIA models offer important structural insight for designing novel and more active Histamine H1 receptor antagonists prior to their synthesis.

Discovery of novel acyl coenzyme a: cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors: pharmacophore-based virtual screening, synthesis and pharmacology.

The present study describes ligand-based pharmacophore modeling of a series of structurally diverse acyl coenzyme A cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors. Quantitative pharmacophore models were generated using HypoGen module of Discovery Studio 2.1, whereby the best pharmacophore model possessing two hydrophobic, one ring aromatic, and one hydrogen bond acceptor feature for inhibition of acyl coenzyme A cholesterol acyltransferase showed a very good correlation coefficient (r = 0.942) along with satisfactory cost analysis. Hypo1 was also validated by test set and cross-validation methods. Developed models were found to be predictive as indicated by low error values for test set molecules. Virtual screening against Maybridge database using Hypo1 was performed. The two most potent compounds (47 and 48; predicted IC50 = 1 nM) of the retrieved hits were synthesized and biologically evaluated. These compounds showed 86% and 88% inhibition of acyl coenzyme A cholesterol acyltransferase (at 10 µg/mL) with IC50 value of 3.6 and 2.5 nM, respectively. As evident from the close proximity of biological data to the predicted values, it can be concluded that the generated model (Hypo1) is a reliable and useful tool for lead optimization of novel acyl coenzyme A cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors.

Synthesis and antihyperlipidemic activity of some novel 4-(substitutedamino)-5-substituted-3-mercapto- (4H)-1,2,4-triazoles.

Hyperlipidemia is considered one of the key factors for cardiovascular diseases. Based on earlier work on a series of 5-alkyl-4-aryl-3-mercapto-(4H)-1,2,4-triazoles, for further lead modification, a series of 4-(substituted)amino-5-substituted-3-mercapto-(4H)-1,2,4-triazoles was designed. Target compounds were synthesized by the well known Hoggarth synthesis of substituted 1,2,4-triazoles. Synthesized compounds were screened for lipid lowering activity using the "Poloxamer 407 induced hyperlipidemia in rats" model at a dose of 100 mg/kg p.o. Compounds were found to alter serum lipid levels significantly. Most of the compounds significantly reduced serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Some of the compounds were found to reduce triglycerides and elevate high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels more than the standard drug atorvastatin (CAS 134523-03-8). Compounds with chloro substitution on aryl rings were found more active in reducing serum lipid levels than other substitutions.

Design, synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of some novel imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidines.

Tuberculosis, due to its relentless nature, is now a major public health threat. The concomitant resurgence of TB with the MDR- or XDR-TB and HIV/AIDS pandemic has exposed the frailties of the current drug armatorium. Based on isosteric replacement and good 3D structural similarity between PA-824, a novel antimycobacterial agent undergoing clinical trials, and imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidines, we have designed novel imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidines. The designed molecules were synthesized by nucleophilic displacement of chloro group of various substituted 4-chloropyrimidines by ethanolamine followed by cyclisation of these 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)aminopyrimidines to imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidines in good yield. All the compounds were screened for their antimycobacterial activity on Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain by 1% proportion method. Some of the synthesized compounds exhibited potent antimycobacterial activity with MIC values in the range of 2-20 microg/mL.

Design, synthesis and histamine H1-receptor antagonistic activity of some novel 4-amino-2-(substituted)-5-(substituted) aryl-6-[(substituted aryl) amino] pyrimidines.

A series of 4-amino-2-(substituted)-5-(substituted)aryl-6-[(substituted)aryl)-amino]pyrimidines was designed based on the triangular pharmacophoric requirements for histamine H1-receptor antagonists. The designed molecules were synthesized by condensation of arylacetonitriles with respective arylisothiocyanates to form corresponding acrylonitriles followed by cyclocondensation with carboxamidines to afford substituted pyrimidines. All compounds were screened for their histamine H1-receptor antagonistic activity using the model "Inhibition of the isotonic contraction induced by histamine on isolated guinea pig ileum". Target compounds were also evaluated for their sedative potential as well as their anticholinergic activities as these two are known to be the common adverse effects of histamine H1-receptor antagonists. Compounds 2h, 2i, 2j and 2k exhibited potent histamine H1-receptor antagonistic activity, which was found to be comparable with the standard drug, cetirizine (CAS 83881-51-0) and more potent than the conventional drug mepyramine (CAS 91-84-9). Some of the compounds have displayed very low sedative potential compared to diphenhydramine (CAS 58-73-1), but was found higher than cetirizine. None of them showed anticholinergic activity indicating potentialities of this series to be developed as second-generation histamine H1-receptor antagonists.

Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a series of 5-carbethoxy-4-chloro-6-(substituted amino)pyrimidines as potential analgesic and anti-flammatory agents with very low ulcerogenic potential.

A series of 5-carbethoxy-4-chloro-6-(substituted amino)pyrimidines was designed on the basis of its good 3-dimensional structural similarity with mefenamic acid (CAS 61-68-7), a well known anti-inflammatory drug. Synthesis of some 5-carbethoxy-4-chloro-6-(substitutedamino)pyrimidines has been achieved by cyclization of N-(cyanovinyl)formamidine intermediate in the presence of dry HCl. Target compounds were evaluated for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential by known experimental models. Some of the compounds emerged as more potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents than the standard drug diclofenac sodium (CAS 15307-79-6). A very low ulcer index was observed with the most potent compound.