Synthesis and evaluation of the antileishmanial activity of silver compounds containing imidazolidine-2-thione.

A new series of silver compounds could be of interest on designing new drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis. The compounds [Ag(phen)(imzt)]NO3(1), [Ag(phen)(imzt)]CF3SO3(2), [Ag(phen)2](BF4)·H2O (3), [Ag2(imzt)6](NO3)2(4), and imzt have been synthesized and evaluated in vitro for antileishmanial activity against Leishmania. (L.) amazonensis (La) and L. (L.) chagasi (Lc), and two of them were selected for in vivo studies. In addition to investigating the action on Leishmania, their effects on the hydrogen peroxide production and cysteine protease inhibition have also been investigated. As for antileishmanial activity, compound (4) was the most potent against promastigote and amastigote forms of La (IC50 = 4.67 and 1.88 µM, respectively) and Lc (IC50 = 9.35 and 8.05 µM, respectively); and comparable to that of amphotericin B, reference drug. Beside showing excellent activity, it also showed a low toxicity. In the in vivo context, compound (4) reduced the number of amastigotes in the liver and spleen when compared to the untreated group. In evaluating the effect of the compounds on Leishmania, the level of hydrogen peroxide production was maintained between the lag and log phases; however, in the treatment with compound (4) it was possible to observe a reduction of 25.44 and 49.13%, respectively, in the hydrogen peroxide rates when compared to the lag and log phases. It was noticed that the presence of a nitrate ion and imzt in compound (4) was important for the modulation of the antileishmanial activity. Thus, this compound can represent a potentially new drug for the treatment of leishmaniasis.

Design, synthesis and trypanocidal evaluation of novel 1,2,4-triazoles-3-thiones derived from natural piperine.

The work reported herein describes the synthesis and the assessment of the trypanocidal activity of thirteen new 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones obtained from natural piperine, the main constituent of the dry fruits of Piper nigrum. It is part of a research program aiming to use abundant and easily available natural products as starting materials for the design and synthesis of new molecules potentially useful as antiparasitic drugs. The variously substituted triazole derivatives were synthesized from the natural amide in four steps with the use of microwave irradiation on overall yields ranging from 32% to 51%. The cyclohexyl substituted derivative showed the best trypanocidal profile on proliferative forms of Trypanosoma cruzi (Y strain), with IC50s = 18.3 and 8.87 mM against epimastigotes and amastigotes, respectively.

A facile and efficient procedure for the synthesis of new benzimidazole-2-thione derivatives.

A series of benzimidazole-2-thione derivatives was synthesized using a reaction between the macrocyclic aminal 16H,13H-5:12,7:14-dimethanedibenzo[d,i]-[1,3,6,8] tetraazecine (DMDBTA, 5) and various nucleophiles in the presence of carbon disulfide. A full chemical characterization using IR, ¹H-, ¹³C-NMR and GC-MS analyses of the new compounds is provided. These compounds were separated from the reaction mixture by column chromatography (CC) in highly pure form in 15%-51.4% yield.

Diastereoselective conjugate addition of organocuprates to chiral N-enoyl oxazolidinethiones.

Addition of organocuprates, generated in situ using an excess of a 1:2 mixture of CuI·DMS and Grignard reagent, to N-enoyl oxazolidinethiones in the presence of excess TMSI gave preferentially the anti diastereomer where the addition took place when the conformation of the substrate was syn-s-cis. The reaction was investigated with indene-based and three different phenyl glycine derived oxazolidinethiones.

Synthesis and characterization of a pyridine-2-thiol N-oxide gold(I) complex with potent antiproliferative effect against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania sp. insight into its mechanism of action.

In the search for new therapeutic tools against parasitic diseases caused by the Kinetoplastids Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi, a novel gold(I) triphenylphosphine complex with the bioactive coligand pyridine-2-thiol N-oxide (mpo) was synthesized and characterized by using analytical and conductometric measurements, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI) and electronic, FTIR and (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopies. A dinuclear structure is suggested for the complex. At a 1 microM concentration the complex induced in vitro after 30 min a potent leishmanicidal effect (LD(50)) against promastigotes of Leishmania (L.) mexicana while on Leishmania (V.) braziliensis with the same concentration only a leishmanistatic effect (IC(75)) was observed 48 h after treatment. Similar differential susceptibilities were also found when testing the ligand mpo, but at a higher dose (5 microM). In addition, the compound showed growth inhibitory effect on Dm28c T. cruzi epimastigotes in culture (IC(50) 0.09 microM), being even more active than the anti-trypanosomal reference drug Nifurtimox (IC(50) 6 microM). DNA interaction studies showed that this biomolecule does not constitute a main target for the mpo complex currently tested. Instead, the significant potentiation of the antiproliferative effect against both Leishmania species and T. cruzi could be associated to the inhibition of NADH fumarate reductase, a kinetoplastid parasite-specific enzyme absent in the host. Furthermore, due to its low unspecific cytotoxicity on mammalian cells (J774 macrophages), the new gold complex showed a selective anti-parasite activity. It constitutes a promising new potent chemotherapeutic alternative to be evaluated in vivo in experimental models of leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.

Synthesis and antiprotozoal evaluation of new N4-(benzyl)spermidyl-linked bis(1,3,5-thiadiazinane-2-thiones).

The synthesis and in-vitro antiprotozoal evaluation of novel N(4)-(benzyl)spermidyl-linked bis(1,3,5-thiadiazinane-2-thione) (bis-THTT) derivatives from N(4)-(benzyl)spermidine is disclosed. Several of the new bis-THTT have in-vitro activities against L. donovani and T. cruzi that are comparable or superior to those of currently employed protozoocidal agents.

A computational approach to the synthesis of 1,3,5-thiadiazinane-2-thiones in aqueous medium: theoretical evidence for water-promoted heterocyclization.

Based on experimental evidence and DFT studies, a probable cyclization route to 1,3,5-thiadiazinanes-2-thiones in aqueous medium is proposed. Experimental facts suggest the formation of a {[hydroxymethyl (substituted) carbamothioyl] sulfanyl}methanol intermediate via reaction of dithiocarbamate (DTC) and formaldehyde. Nucleophilic addition of glycine to this intermediate generates an adduct that undergoes intramolecular heterocyclization via an S(N)2 reaction. Computational calculations predict an active role of water in the reaction mechanism that promotes intramolecular cyclization.

Synthesis and differential antiproliferative activity of Biginelli compounds against cancer cell lines: Monastrol, oxo-monastrol and oxygenated analogues.

The synthesis and differential antiproliferative activity of monastrol (1a), oxo-monastrol (1b) and eight oxygenated derivatives 3a,b-6a,b on seven human cancer cell lines are described. For all evaluated cell lines, monastrol (1a) was shown to be more active than its oxo-analogue, except for HT-29 cell line, suggesting the importance of the sulfur atom for the antiproliferative activity. Monastrol (1a) and the thio-derivatives 3a, 4a and 6a displayed relevant antiproliferative properties with 3,4-methylenedioxy derivative 6a being approximately more than 30 times more potent than monastrol (1a) against colon cancer (HT-29) cell line.

Synthesis and structural study of substituted thioxothiazolidinones and thioxoimidazolidinones.

A new set of derivative thioxothiazolidinones and thioxoimidazolidinones 3,5-dissubstituted has been synthesized with satisfactory yield from the condensation Knoevenagel type between benzaldéhydes and 4-thioxothiazolidin-2-one, 2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one and 1-méthyl-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one compounds following by N-alkylation with aryl or acyl halides. The physico-chemical properties of the 5-benzylidene-3-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-oxoethyl]-2 (or 4)-thioxothiazolidin-4 (or 2)-ones and 5-benzylidene-1-methyl-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-ones synthesized have been described.