Mononuclear Tricoordinate Copper(I) and Silver(I) Halide Complexes of a Sterically Bulky Thiourea Ligand and a Computational Insight of Their Interaction with Human Insulin.

Reaction of two equivalents of the bulky 1,3-bis(2,6-diethylphenyl)thiourea ligand (L) with MX (being M = Cu+, Ag+; and X = Cl-, Br-, I-) in acetonitrile afforded neutral complexes of the type [MXL2] [CuClL2].2CH3CN (1a); [CuBrL2].2CH3CN (1b); [CuIL2] (1c): [AgClL2] (2a); [AgBrL2] (2b) and [AgIL2] (2c). The two aromatic groups in free ligand were found to be trans with respect to the thiourea unit, which was a reason to link the ligand molecules via intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding was observed in all metal complexes. The copper complexes 1a and 1b are acetonitrile solvated and show not only intra- but also intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the coordinated thiourea and the solvated acetonitrile molecules. Silver complexes reported here are the first examples of structurally characterized tricoordinated thiourea-stabilized monomeric silver(I) halides. Molecular docking studies were carried out to analyze the binding modes of the metal complexes inside the active site of the human insulin (HI) protein. Analysis of the docked conformations revealed that the electrostatic and aromatic interactions of the protein N-terminal residues (i.e., Phe and His) may assist in anchoring and stabilizing the metal complexes inside the active site. According to the results of docking studies, the silver complexes exhibited the strongest inhibitory capability against the HI protein, which possesses a deactivating group, directly bonded to silver. All compounds were fully characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and molecular structures of the ligand, and five out of six metal complexes were also confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

A unique amphiphilic triblock copolymer, nontoxic to human blood and potential supramolecular drug delivery system for dexamethasone.

The drug delivery system (DDS) often causes toxicity, triggering undesired cellular injuries. Thus, developing supramolecules used as DDS with tunable self-assembly and nontoxic behavior is highly desired. To address this, we aimed to develop a tunable amphiphilic ABA-type triblock copolymer that is nontoxic to human blood cells but also capable of self-assembling, binding and releasing the clinically used drug dexamethasone. We synthesized an ABA-type amphiphilic triblock copolymer (P2L) by incorporating tetra(aniline) TANI as a hydrophobic and redox active segment along with monomethoxy end-capped polyethylene glycol (mPEG2k; Mw = 2000 g mol-1) as biocompatible, flexible and hydrophilic part. Cell cytotoxicity was measured in whole human blood in vitro and lung cancer cells. Polymer-drug interactions were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy and computational analysis. Our synthesized copolymer P2L exhibited tuned self-assembly behavior with and without external stimuli and showed no toxicity in human blood samples. Computational analysis showed that P2L can encapsulate the clinically used drug dexamethasone and that drug uptake or release can also be triggered under oxidation or low pH conditions. In conclusion, copolymer P2L is nontoxic to human blood cells with the potential to carry and release anticancer/anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone. These findings may open up further investigations into implantable drug delivery systems/devices with precise drug administration and controlled release at specific locations.

Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial, antioxidant and computational evaluation of N-acyl-morpholine-4-carbothioamides.

The present research paper reports the convenient synthesis, successful characterization, in vitro antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant potency and biocompatibility of N-acyl-morpholine-4-carbothioamides (5a-5j). The biocompatible derivatives were found to be highly active against the tested bacterial and fungal strains. Moreover, some of the screened N-acyl-morpholine-4-carbothioamides exhibited excellent antioxidant potential. Docking simulation provided additional information about possibilities of their inhibitory potential against RNA. It has been predicted by in silico investigation of the binding pattern that compounds 5a and 5j can serve as the potential surrogate for design of novel and potent antibacterial agents. The results for the in vitro bioassays were promising with the identification of compounds 5a and 5j as the lead and selective candidate for RNA inhibition. Results of the docking computations further ascertained the inhibitory potential of compound 5a. Based on the in silico studies, it can be suggested that compounds 5a and 5j can serve as a structural model for the design of antibacterial agents with better inhibitory potential. Binding mode of compound 5j inside the active site of RNA in 3D space. 5j displayed highest antibacterial potential than the reference drug ampicillin with ZOI 10.50 mm against Staphylococcus aureus. 5j also displayed highest antifungal potential than the reference drug amphotericin B with ZOI 18.20 mm against Fusarium solani.

Novel N-Acyl-1H-imidazole-1-carbothioamides: Design, Synthesis, Biological and Computational Studies.

The present study reports the convenient synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, bio-assays and computational evaluation of a novel series of N-acyl-1H-imidazole-1-carbothioamides. The screened derivatives displayed excellent antioxidant activity, moderate antibacterial and antifungal potential. The screened derivatives were found to be highly biocompatible against hRBCs. Molecular docking ascertained the mechanism and mode of action towards the molecular target delineating that ligands and complexes were stabilized at the active site by electrostatic and hydrophobic forces in accordance to the corresponding experimental results. Docking simulation provided additional information about the possibilities of inhibitory potential of the compounds against RNA. Computational evaluation predicted that N-acyl-1H-imidazole-1-carbothioamides 5c and 5g can serve as potential surrogates for hit to lead generation and design of novel antioxidant and antibacterial agents.

Novel Amide Derivatives as Potent Tyrosinase Inhibitors; In-vitro, In-vivo Antimelanogenic Activity and Computational Studies.

BACKGROUND: Tyrosinase is involved in the melanin biosynthesis and the abnormal accumulation of melanin pigments leading to hyperpigmentation disorders. Controlling the melanogenesis could be an important strategy for treating abnormal pigmentation. METHODS: In the present study, a series of amide derivatives (3a-e and 5a-e) were synthesized aiming to inhibit tyrosinase activity and melanin production. All derivatives were screened for tyrosinase inhibition in a cell-free system. The possible interactions of amide derivatives with tyrosinase enzyme and effect of these interactions on tyrosinase structure were checked by molecular docking in silico and by Circular Dichroism (CD) studies, respectively. The most potent amide derivative (5c) based on cell-free experiments, was further tested for cellular ROS inhibition and for tyrosinase activity using mouse skin melanoma (B16F10) cells. RESULTS: The tyrosinase inhibitory concentration (IC50) for tested compounds was observed between the range of 68 to 0.0029 µg/ml with a lowest IC50 value of compound 5c which outperforms the reference arbutin and kojic acid. The cellular tyrosinase activity and melanin quantification assay demonstrate that 15µg/ml of 5c attenuates 36% tyrosinase, 24% melanin content of B16F10 cells without significant cell toxicity. Moreover, the zebrafish in vivo assay reveals that 5c effectively reduces melanogenesis without perceptible toxicity. Furthermore, the molecular docking demonstrates that compound 5c interacts with copper ions and multiple amino acids in the active site of tyrosinase with best glide score (-5.387 kcal/mol), essential for mushroom tyrosinase inhibition and the ability to diminish the melanin synthesis in-vitro and in-vivo. CONCLUSION: Thus, we propose compound 5c as a potential candidate to control tyrosinase rooted hyperpigmentation in the future.

Investigation on the effect of alkyl chain linked mono-thioureas as Jack bean urease inhibitors, SAR, pharmacokinetics ADMET parameters and molecular docking studies.

The increasing resistance of pathogens to common antibiotics, as well as the need to control urease activity to improve the yield of soil nitrogen fertilization in agricultural applications, has stimulated the development of novel classes of molecules that target urease as an enzyme. In this context, the newly developed compounds on the basis of 1-heptanoyl-3-arylthiourea family were evaluated for Jack bean urease enzyme inhibition activity to validate their role as potent inhibitors of this enzyme. 1-Heptanoyl-3-arylthioureas were obtained in excellent yield and characterized through spectral and elemental analysis. All the compounds displayed remarkable potency against urease inhibition as compared to thiourea standard. It was found that novel compounds fulfill the criteria of drug-likeness by obeying Lipinski's rule of five. Particularly compound 4a and 4c can serve as lead molecules in 4D (drug designing discovery and development). Kinetic mechanism and molecular docking studies also carried out to delineate the mode of inhibition and binding affinity of the molecules.

Synthesis, single crystal analysis, biological and docking evaluation of tetrazole derivatives.

Tetrazoles are conjugated nitrogen-rich heterocycles considered as bio-isosteres of carboxylic acids. Tetrazoles owing to their conjugated structures serve as biologically relevant potent scaffolds. The present research paper reports the successful synthesis and single crystal analysis of three different tetrazole derivatives (2, 4, 6). The synthesized tetrazole derivatives were evaluated for their possible cytotoxicity LD50 (52.89, 49.33, 17.28 µg/ml) and antileishmanial activities IC50 (0.166, 10, 5.0 µg/ml). Moreover, molecular docking studies were performed to determine the possible interaction sites of the tetrazole derivatives (2, 4, 6) with TryR, an enzyme involved in the redox metabolism of the Leishmania parasite. Docking computations demonstrates that the tetrazole derivatives (2, 4, 6) established prominent binding interactions with the key residues of the TryR and possess the potential to effectively inhibit the catalytic activities of the enzyme. The results suggested that the synthesized tetrazole derivative (2, 4, 6) can be possible hit candidates which can be tested further against amastigote stage of parasite and then in an animal model of leishmaniasis.

Synthesis, characterization of novel chitosan based water dispersible polyurethanes and their potential deployment as antibacterial textile finish.

Our current research work comprised of synthesis of a series of novel chitosan based water dispersible polyurethanes. The synthesis was carried out in three steps, in first step, the NCO end capped PU-prepolymer was formed through the reaction between Polyethylene glycol (PEG) (Mn = 600), Dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA) and Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). In second step, the neutralization step was carried out by using Triethylamine (TEA) which resulted the formation of neutralized NCO terminated PU-prepolymer, after that the last step chain extension was performed by the addition of chitosan and followed the formation of dispersion by adding calculated amount of water. The proposed structure of CS-WDPUs was confirmed by using FTIR technique. The antimicrobial activities of the plain weave poly-cotton printed and dyed textile swatches after application of CS-WDPUs were also evaluated. The results showed that the chitosan incorporation in to PU backbone has markedly enhanced the antibacterial activity of WDPUs. These synthesized CS-WDPUs are eco-friendly antimicrobial finishes (using natural bioactive agents such as chitosan) with potential applications on polyester/cotton textiles.

Synthesis, computational studies and enzyme inhibitory kinetics of substituted methyl[2-(4-dimethylamino-benzylidene)-hydrazono)-4-oxo-thiazolidin-5-ylidene]acetates as mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors.

The present article describes the synthesis and enzyme inhibitory kinetics of methyl[2-(arylmethylene-hydrazono)-4-oxo-thiazolidin-5-ylidene]acetates 5a-j as mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors. The title compounds were synthesized via cyclocondensation of thiosemicarbazones 3a-j with dimethyl but-2-ynedioate (DMAD) 4 in good yields under solvent-free conditions. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their potential to inhibit the activity of mushroom tyrosinase. It was unveiled that compounds 5i showed excellent enzyme inhibitory activity with IC50 3.17µM while IC50 of standard kojic acid is 15.91µM. The presence of heterocyclic pyridine ring in compound 5i play important role in enzyme inhibitory activity as rest of the functional groups are common in all synthesized compounds. The enzyme inhibitory kinetics of the most potent derivative 5i determined by Lineweaver-Burk plots and Dixon plots showed that it is non-competitive inhibitor with Ki value 1.5µM. It was further investigated that the wet lab results are in good agreement with the computational results. The molecular docking of the synthesized compounds was performed against tyrosinase protein (PDBID 2Y9X) to delineate ligand-protein interactions at molecular level. The docking results showed that the major interacting residues are His244, His85, His263, Val 283, His 296, Asn260, Val248, His260, His261 and Phe264 which are located in active binding site of the protein. The molecular modeling demonstrates that the oxygen atom of the compound 5i coordinated with the key residues in the active site of mushroom tyrosinase contribute significantly against inhibitory ability and diminishing the human melanin synthesis. These results evident that compound 5i is a lead structure in developing most potent mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors.

Polymer Coating Materials and Their Fouling Release Activity: A Cheminformatics Approach to Predict Properties.

A novel cheminformatics-based approach has been employed to investigate a set of polymer coating materials designed to mitigate the accumulation of marine biofouling on surfaces immersed in the sea. Specifically, a set of 27 nontoxic, amphiphilic polysiloxane-based polymer coatings was synthesized using a combinatorial, high-throughput approach and characterized for fouling-release (FR) activity toward a number of relevant marine fouling organisms, including bacteria, microalgae, and adult barnacles. In order to model these complex systems adequately, a new computational technique was used in which all investigated polymer-based coating materials were considered as mixture systems comprising several compositional variables at a range of concentrations. By applying a combination of methodologies for mixture systems and a quantitative structure-activity relationship approach (QSAR), seven unique QSAR models were developed that were able to successfully predict the desired FR properties. Furthermore, the developed models identified several significant descriptors responsible for FR activity of investigated polymer-based coating materials, with correlation coefficients ranging from rtest2 = 0.63 to 0.94. The computational models derived from this study may serve as a powerful set of tools to predict optimal combinations of source components to produce amphiphilic polysiloxane-based coating systems with effective, broad-spectrum FR properties.

Polysaccharide based bionanocomposites, properties and applications: A review.

Bio-nanocomposites, composed of biopolymers and inorganic solids, show dimensions in the nanometer range (1-100nm) which can be widely used in variety of areas owing to multidimensional properties like biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity and biodegradability. Considering these versatile properties of the bio-nanocomposites this review sheds a light on the synthesis, modification, characterization and applications of bio-nanocomposites based on different polysaccharides functionalized by different nanofillers such as MMT, Ag, SiO2, TiO2, and ZnO. Most of them have been used in regenerative medicine, drug delivery, tissue engineering, electronics and food packaging. The modification of clays with biopolymers results an attractive alternative in the development of environmentally friendly materials for pollutants removal. All the technical scientific issues have been addressed highlighting the recent advancement.

Unraveling the Alkaline Phosphatase Inhibition, Anticancer, and Antileishmanial Potential of Coumarin-Triazolothiadiazine Hybrids: Design, Synthesis, and Molecular Docking Analysis.

A series of new coumarin-triazolothiadiazine hybrid compounds (5a-j) was designed and synthesized by using the molecular hybridization concept. The cyclocondensation reaction involves the coumarinyl 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole and a range of bromo-acetophenones, delivering the desired products in good yields. The structures of the synthesized compounds were established on the basis of spectro-analytical data. The prepared compounds were evaluated against alkaline phosphatase (ALP) where compound 5j incorporating bis-coumarinyl motifs at the 3- and 6-positions of the heteroaromatic core turned out to be a potent inhibitor with an IC50 value of 1.15 ± 1.0 µM. The synthesized compounds were also tested against Leishmania major and 5h was the lead member with an IC50 value of 0.89 ± 0.08 µM. Anticancer activity was also determined using kidney fibroblast (BHK-21) and lung carcinoma (H-157) cancer cell lines. Compound 5i showed highest cytotoxic potential against H-157 cells with an IC50 value of 1.01 ± 0.12 µM, which is an improved inhibition compared to the standards (vincristine and cisplatin) used in this assay. Molecular docking studies were carried out on the synthesized library of coumarin-triazolothiadiazine hybrids against ALP. Almost all of the compounds showed strong interactions with the key residues of the active site of the receptor. In case of compounds 5a-c, 5h, and 5j, docking results positively complemented the experimental screening. These results provided substantial evidence for the further development of these compounds as potent inhibitors of ALP.

Influence of plasma-activated compounds on melanogenesis and tyrosinase activity.

Many organic chemists around the world synthesize medicinal compounds or extract multiple compounds from plants in order to increase the activity and quality of medicines. In this work, we synthesized new eugenol derivatives (ED) and then treated them with an N2 feeding gas atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) to increase their utility. We studied the tyrosinase-inhibition activity (activity test) and structural changes (circular dichroism) of tyrosinase with ED and plasma activated eugenol derivatives (PAED) in a cell-free environment. Later, we used docking studies to determine the possible interaction sites of ED and PAED compounds with tyrosinase enzyme. Moreover, we studied the possible effect of ED and PAED on melanin synthesis and its mechanism in melanoma (B16F10) cells. Additionally, we investigated the structural changes that occurred in activated ED after plasma treatment using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Hence, this study provides a new perspective on PAED for the field of plasma medicine.

Synthesis, in vitro and computational studies of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles as potential α-glucosidase inhibitors.

1,4-Disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized by Cu(I) catalyzed click reaction, where the azides, with electron donating and electron withdrawing groups acted as 1,3-dipoles and 1-ethynyl-1-cyclohexanol served as the terminal alkyne. These synthesized triazoles were subjected to enzymatic assay which showed promising activity against α-glucosidase; 1-(2-cyano-4-nitrophenyl)-4-(1-hydroxycyclohexyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole 3m being the most active members of the library. Molecular docking studies of these triazoles with the homology-modeled α-glucosidase protein were also performed to delineate ligand-protein interactions at molecular level which suggested that Phe157, Arg312 and His279 are the major interacting residues in the biding site of the protein and may have a significant role in the inhibition of enzyme's function.

Iminothiazoline-Sulfonamide Hybrids as Jack Bean Urease Inhibitors; Synthesis, Kinetic Mechanism and Computational Molecular Modeling.

The present work reports the synthesis of several 2-iminothiazoline derivatives of sulfanilamide (3a-j) as inhibitors of jack bean ureases. The title compounds were synthesized by the heterocyclization of sulfanilamide thioureas with propragyl bromide in dry ethanol in the presence of 1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene as a base. All of the compounds showed higher urease inhibitory activity than the standard thiourea. The compounds (3h) and (3i) exhibited excellent enzyme inhibitory activity with IC50 0.064 and 0.058 µm, respectively, while IC50 of thiourea is 20.9 µm. The kinetic mechanism analyzed by Dixon plot showed that compound (3h) is a mixed-type inhibitor while (3i) is a competitive one. Docking studies suggested that Asp633, Ala636, His492, Ala440, Lue523, Asp494 and Arg439 are the major interacting residues in the binding site of the protein and may have an instrumental role in the inhibition of enzyme's function. 2-iminothiazoline analogues (3a-j) showed good docking score (-10.6466 to -8.7215 Kcal/mol) and binding energy (London dG ranging from -14.4825 to -10.4087 Kcal/mol) which is far better than the standard thiourea (binding score in S field -4.5790 Kcal/mol London dG -4.7726 Kcal/mol). Our results inferred compound (3i) may serve as a structural model for the design of most potent urease inhibitors.

Synthesis, molecular docking and anticancer studies of peptides and iso-peptides.

Chiral peptides and iso-peptides were synthesized in excellent yield by using benzotriazole mediated solution phase synthesis. Benzotriazole acted both as activating and leaving group, eliminating frequent use of protection and subsequent deprotection. The procedure was based on the hypothesis that epimerization should be suppressed in solution due to a faster coupling rate than SPPS. All the synthesized peptides complied with Lipinski's Ro5 except for the rotatable bonds. Inhibition of cell proliferation of cancer cell lines is one of the most commonly used methods to study the effectiveness of any anticancer agents. Synthesized peptides and iso-peptides were tested against three cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB 231) to determine their anti-proliferative potential. NFkB was also determined. Molecular docking studies were also carried out to complement the experimental results.

Dual inhibition of the α-glucosidase and butyrylcholinesterase studied by molecular field topology analysis.

A striking dual inhibition of enzymes α-glucosidase and butyrylcholinesterase by small drug-like molecules, including 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles, chalcones, and benzothiazepines, was rationalized with the help of Molecular Field Topology Analysis, a 3D QSAR technique similar to CoMFA. A common pharmacophore supported the concept of a link existing between type-2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease. These findings will be instrumental for rational design of drug candidates for both of these conditions.

Similarity analysis, synthesis, and bioassay of antibacterial cyclic peptidomimetics.

The chemical similarity of antibacterial cyclic peptides and peptidomimetics was studied in order to identify new promising cyclic scaffolds. A large descriptor space coupled with cluster analysis was employed to digitize known antibacterial structures and to gauge the potential of new peptidomimetic macrocycles, which were conveniently synthesized by acylbenzotriazole methodology. Some of the synthesized compounds were tested against an array of microorganisms and showed antibacterial activity against Bordetella bronchistepica, Micrococcus luteus, and Salmonella typhimurium.

Traceless chemical ligations from O-acyl serine sites.

Chemical ligation via O- to N-acyl transfer of O-acylated serine containing peptides affords serine containing native peptides via 8- and 11-membered cyclic transition states opening the door to a wide variety of potential applications to peptide elaboration. The feasibility of these traceless chemical ligations is feasible as supported by computation.