Towards Arginase Inhibition: Hybrid SAR Protocol for Property Mapping of Chlorinated N-arylcinnamamides.

A series of seventeen 4-chlorocinnamanilides and seventeen 3,4-dichlorocinnamanilides were characterized for their antiplasmodial activity. In vitro screening on a chloroquine-sensitive strain of Plasmodium falciparum 3D7/MRA-102 highlighted that 23 compounds possessed IC50 < 30 µM. Typically, 3,4-dichlorocinnamanilides showed a broader range of activity compared to 4-chlorocinnamanilides. (2E)-N-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)prop-2-en-amide with IC50 = 1.6 µM was the most effective agent, while the other eight most active derivatives showed IC50 in the range from 1.8 to 4.6 µM. A good correlation between the experimental logk and the estimated clogP was recorded for the whole ensemble of the lipophilicity generators. Moreover, the SAR-mediated similarity assessment of the novel (di)chlorinated N-arylcinnamamides was conducted using the collaborative (hybrid) ligand-based and structure-related protocols. In consequence, an 'averaged' selection-driven interaction pattern was produced based in namely 'pseudo-consensus' 3D pharmacophore mapping. The molecular docking approach was engaged for the most potent antiplasmodial agents in order to gain an insight into the arginase-inhibitor binding mode. The docking study revealed that (di)chlorinated aromatic (C-phenyl) rings are oriented towards the binuclear manganese cluster in the energetically favorable poses of the chloroquine and the most potent arginase inhibitors. Additionally, the water-mediated hydrogen bonds were formed via carbonyl function present in the new N-arylcinnamamides and the fluorine substituent (alone or in trifluoromethyl group) of N-phenyl ring seems to play a key role in forming the halogen bonds.

Trifluoromethylcinnamanilide Michael Acceptors for Treatment of Resistant Bacterial Infections.

A series of thirty-two anilides of 3-(trifluoromethyl)cinnamic acid (series 1) and 4-(trifluoromethyl)cinnamic acid (series 2) was prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis. All the compounds were tested against reference strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and resistant clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis (VRE). All the compounds were evaluated in vitro against Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 700084 and M. marinum CAMP 5644. (2E)-3-[3-(Trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]prop-2-enamide (1j), (2E)-N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-3-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]prop-2-enamide (1o) and (2E)-N-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl]prop-2-enamide (2i), (2E)-N-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-prop-2-enamide (2p) showed antistaphylococcal (MICs/MBCs 0.15-5.57 µM) as well as anti-enterococcal (MICs/MBCs 2.34-44.5 µM) activity. The growth of M. marinum was strongly inhibited by compounds 1j and 2p in a MIC range from 0.29 to 2.34 µM, while all the agents of series 1 showed activity against M. smegnatis (MICs ranged from 9.36 to 51.7 µM). The performed docking study demonstrated the ability of the compounds to bind to the active site of the mycobacterial enzyme InhA. The compounds had a significant effect on the inhibition of bacterial respiration, as demonstrated by the MTT assay. The compounds showed not only bacteriostatic activity but also bactericidal activity. Preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity screening was assessed using the human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 and, except for compound 2p, all effective agents did show insignificant cytotoxic effect. Compound 2p is an interesting anti-invasive agent with dual (cytotoxic and antibacterial) activity, while compounds 1j and 1o are the most interesting purely antibacterial compounds within the prepared molecules.

Insights into Antimalarial Activity of N-Phenyl-Substituted Cinnamanilides.

Due to the urgent need of innovation in the antimalarial therapeutic arsenal, a series of thirty-seven ring-substituted N-arylcinnamanilides prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis were subjected to primary screening against the chloroquine-sensitive strain of P. falciparum 3D7/MRA-102. The lipophilicity of all compounds was experimentally determined as the logarithm of the capacity factor k, and these data were subsequently used in the discussion of structure-activity relationships. Among the screened compounds, fourteen derivatives exhibited IC50 from 0.58 to 31 µM, whereas (2E)-N-(4-bromo-2-chlorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide (24) was the most effective agent (IC50 = 0.58 µM). In addition, (2E)-N-[2,6-dibromo-4-(trifluoromethyl)- phenyl]-3-phenylprop-2-enamide (36), (2E)-N-[4-nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-phenylprop- 2-enamide (18), (2E)-N-(2-bromo-5-fluorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide (23), and (2E)-3-phenyl-N-(3,4,5-trichlorophenyl)prop-2-enamide (33) demonstrated efficacy in the IC50 range from 2.0 to 4.3 µM, comparable to the clinically used standard chloroquine. The results of a cell viability screening performed using THP1-Blue™ NF-κB cells showed that none of these highly active compounds displayed any significant cytotoxic effect up to 20 µM, which makes them promising Plasmodium selective substances for further investigations.

Antistaphylococcal Activities and ADME-Related Properties of Chlorinated Arylcarbamoylnaphthalenylcarbamates.

Pattern 1-hydroxy-N-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-2-naphthamide and the thirteen original carbamates derived from it were prepared and characterized. All the compounds were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 as a reference and quality control strain and in addition against three clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Moreover, the compounds were evaluated against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, and preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity of the compounds was assessed using the human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1). The lipophilicity of the prepared compounds was experimentally determined and correlated with biological activity. While pattern anilide had no antibacterial activity, the prepared carbamates demonstrated high antistaphylococcal activity comparable to the used standards (ampicillin and ciprofloxacin), which unfortunately were ineffective against E. feacalis. 2-[(2,4,5-Trichlorophenyl)carba- moyl]naphthalen-1-yl ethylcarbamate (2) and 2-[(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)carbamoyl]naphthalen-1-yl butylcarbamate (4) expressed the nanomolar minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs 0.018−0.064 µM) against S. aureus and at least two other MRSA isolates. Microbicidal effects based on the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) against all the tested staphylococci were found for nine carbamates, while 2-[(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)carbamoyl]naphthalen-1-yl heptylcarbamate (7) and 2-[(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)carbamoyl]naphthalen-1-yl (4-phenylbutyl)carbamate (14) demonstrated MBCs in the range of 0.124−0.461 µM. The selectivity index (SI) for most investigated carbamates was >20 and for some derivatives even >100. The performed tests did not show an effect on the damage to the bacterial membrane, while the compounds were able to inhibit the respiratory chain of S. aureus.

Study of Biological Activities and ADMET-Related Properties of Novel Chlorinated N-arylcinnamamides.

A series of eighteen 4-chlorocinnamanilides and eighteen 3,4-dichlorocinnamanilides were designed, prepared and characterized. All compounds were evaluated for their activity against gram-positive bacteria and against two mycobacterial strains. Viability on both cancer and primary mammalian cell lines was also assessed. The lipophilicity of the compounds was experimentally determined and correlated together with other physicochemical properties of the prepared derivatives with biological activity. 3,4-Dichlorocinnamanilides showed a broader spectrum of action and higher antibacterial efficacy than 4-chlorocinnamanilides; however, all compounds were more effective or comparable to clinically used drugs (ampicillin, isoniazid, rifampicin). Of the thirty-six compounds, six derivatives showed submicromolar activity against Staphylococcus aureus and clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). (2E)-N-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]- 3-(4-chlorophenyl)prop-2-enamide was the most potent in series 1. (2E)-N-[3,5-bis(Trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)prop-2-enamide, (2E)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]prop-2-enamide, (2E)-3-(3,4-dichloro- phenyl)-N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]prop-2-enamide and (2E)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)- N-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]prop-2-enamide were the most active in series 2 and in addition to activity against S. aureus and MRSA were highly active against Enterococcus faecalis and vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolates and against fast-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis and against slow-growing M. marinum, M. tuberculosis non-hazardous test models. In addition, the last three compounds of the above-mentioned showed insignificant cytotoxicity to primary porcine monocyte-derived macrophages.

Biological Activities and ADMET-Related Properties of Novel Set of Cinnamanilides.

A series of nineteen novel ring-substituted N-arylcinnamanilides was synthesized and characterized. All investigated compounds were tested against Staphylococcus aureus as the reference strain, two clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. (2E)-N-[3-Fluoro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-phenylprop-2-enamide showed even better activity (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 25.9 and 12.9 µM) against MRSA isolates than the commonly used ampicillin (MIC 45.8 µM). The screening of the cell viability was performed using THP1-Blue™ NF-κB cells and, except for (2E)-N-(4-bromo-3-chlorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide (IC50 6.5 µM), none of the discussed compounds showed any significant cytotoxic effect up to 20 µM. Moreover, all compounds were tested for their anti-inflammatory potential; several compounds attenuated the lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB activation and were more potent than the parental cinnamic acid. The lipophilicity values were specified experimentally as well. In addition, in silico approximation of the lipophilicity values was performed employing a set of free/commercial clogP estimators, corrected afterwards by the corresponding pKa calculated at physiological pH and subsequently cross-compared with the experimental parameters. The similarity-driven property space evaluation of structural analogs was carried out using the principal component analysis, Tanimoto metrics, and Kohonen mapping.

Investigation of Anti-Inflammatory Potential of N-Arylcinnamamide Derivatives.

A series of sixteen ring-substituted N-arylcinnamanilides, previously described as highly antimicrobially effective against a wide spectrum of bacteria and fungi, together with two new derivatives from this group were prepared and characterized. Moreover, the molecular structure of (2E)-N-(2-bromo-5-fluorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide as a model compound was determined using single-crystal X-ray analysis. All the compounds were tested for their anti-inflammatory potential, and most tested compounds significantly attenuated the lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB activation and were more potent than the parental cinnamic acid. (2E)-N-[2-Chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-phenylprop-2-enamide, (2E)-N-(2,6-dibromophenyl)- 3-phenylprop-2-enamide, and (2E)-N-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide demonstrated the highest inhibition effect on transcription factor NF-κB at the concentration of 2 µM and showed a similar effectiveness as the reference drug prednisone. Several compounds also decreased the level of TNF-α. Nevertheless, subsequent tests showed that the investigated compounds affect neither IκBα level nor MAPKs activity, which suggests that the N-arylcinnamanilides may have a different mode of action to prednisone. The modification of the C(2,5)' or C(2,6)' positions of the anilide core by rather lipophilic and bulky moieties seems to be preferable for the anti-inflammatory potential of these compounds.

Synthesis and Spectrum of Biological Activities of Novel N-arylcinnamamides.

: A series of sixteen ring-substituted N-arylcinnamamides was prepared and characterized. Primary in vitro screening of all the synthesized compounds was performed against Staphylococcus aureus, three methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra, Fusarium avenaceum, and Bipolaris sorokiniana. Several of the tested compounds showed antistaphylococcal, antitubercular, and antifungal activities comparable with or higher than those of ampicillin, isoniazid, and benomyl. (2E)-N-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-phenylprop-2-enamide and (2E)-3-phenyl-N-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]prop-2-enamide showed the highest activities (MICs = 22.27 and 27.47 µM, respectively) against all four staphylococcal strains and against M.tuberculosis. These compounds showed an activity against biofilm formation of S.aureus ATCC 29213 in concentrations close to MICs and an ability to increase the activity of clinically used antibiotics with different mechanisms of action (vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline). In time-kill studies, a decrease of CFU/mL of >99% after 8 h from the beginning of incubation was observed. (2E)-N-(3,5-Dichlorophenyl)- and (2E)-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide had a MIC = 27.38 µM against M. tuberculosis, while a significant decrease (22.65%) of mycobacterial cell metabolism determined by the MTT assay was observed for the 3,5-dichlorophenyl derivative. (2E)-N-(3-Fluorophenyl)- and (2E)-N-(3-methylphenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide exhibited MICs = 16.58 and 33.71 µM, respectively, against B. sorokiniana. The screening of the cytotoxicity of the most effective antimicrobial compounds was performed using THP-1 cells, and these chosen compounds did not shown any significant lethal effect. The compounds were also evaluated for their activity related to the inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport (PET) in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts. (2E)-N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide (IC50 = 5.1 µM) was the most active PET inhibitor. Compounds with fungicide potency did not show any in vivo toxicity against Nicotiana tabacum var. Samsun. The structure⁻activity relationships are discussed.