In silico Design and Synthesis of Tetrahydropyrimidinones and Tetrahydropyrimidinethiones as Potential Thymidylate Kinase Inhibitors Exerting Anti-TB Activity Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tuberculosis has been reported to be the worldwide leading cause of death resulting from a sole infectious agent. The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis has made the battle against the infection more difficult since most currently available therapeutic options are ineffective against these resistant strains. Therefore, novel molecules need to be developed to effectively treat tuberculosis disease. Preliminary docking studies revealed that tetrahydropyrimidinone derivatives have favorable interactions with the thymidylate kinase receptor. In the present investigation, we report the synthesis and the mycobacterial activity of several pyrimidinones and pyrimidinethiones as potential thymidylate kinase inhibitors. METHODS: The title compounds (1a-d) and (2a-b) were synthesized by a one-pot three-component Biginelli reaction. They were subsequently characterized and used for whole-cell anti-TB screening against H37Rv and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) by the resazurin microplate assay (REMA) plate method. Molecular modeling was conducted using the Accelry's Discovery Studio 4.0 client program to explain the observed bioactivity of the compounds. The pharmacokinetic properties of the synthesized compounds were predicted and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the compounds tested for anti-TB activity, pyrimidinone 1a and pyrimidinethione 2a displayed moderate activity against susceptible MTB H37Rv strains at 16 and 32 µg/mL, respectively. Only compound 2a was observed to exert modest activity at 128 µg/mL against MTB strains with cross-resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid. The presence of the trifluoromethyl group was essential to retain the inhibitory activity of compounds 1a and 2a. Molecular modeling studies of these compounds against thymidylate kinase targets demonstrated a positive correlation between the bioactivity and structure of the compounds. The in-silico ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) prediction indicated favorable pharmacokinetic and drug-like properties for most compounds. CONCLUSION: Pyrimidinone 1a and pyrimidinethione 2a were identified as the leading compounds and can serve as a starting point to develop novel anti-TB therapeutic agents.

Anti-Tubercular Activity of Substituted 7-Methyl and 7-Formylindolizines and In Silico Study for Prospective Molecular Target Identification.

Novel series of diversely substituted indolizines were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro anti-mycobacterial activity against H37Rv and multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Many compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activity against MTB H37Rv strains. Indolizines 2d, 2e, and 4 were also found to be active against MTB clinical isolates with multi-resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid. Indolizine 4 was identified as the most promising anti-mycobacterial agent, displaying minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 4 and 32 µg/mL against H37Rv and MDR strains, respectively. Furthermore, an in silico study was carried out for prospective molecular target identification and revealed favorable interactions with the target enzymes CYP 121, malate synthase, and DNA GyrB ATPase. None of the potent molecules presented toxicity against peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cell lines, demonstrating their potentiality to be used for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis therapy.

Novel Series of Methyl 3-(Substituted Benzoyl)-7-Substituted-2-Phenylindolizine-1-Carboxylates as Promising Anti-Inflammatory Agents: Molecular Modeling Studies.

The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is considered to be an important target for developing novel anti-inflammatory agents. Selective COX-2 inhibitors offer the advantage of lower adverse effects that are commonly associated with non-selective COX inhibitors. In this work, a novel series of methyl 3-(substituted benzoyl)-7-substituted-2-phenylindolizine-1-carboxylates was synthesized and evaluated for COX-2 inhibitory activity. Compound 4e was identified as the most active compound of the series with an IC50 of 6.71 M, which is comparable to the IC50 of indomethacin, a marketed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Molecular modeling and crystallographic studies were conducted to further characterize the compounds and gain better understanding of the binding interactions between the compounds and the residues at the active site of the COX-2 enzyme. The pharmacokinetic properties and potential toxic effects were predicted for all the synthesized compounds, which indicated good drug-like properties. Thus, these synthesized compounds can be considered as potential lead compounds for developing effective anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents.

Computational, crystallographic studies, cytotoxicity and anti-tubercular activity of substituted 7-methoxy-indolizine analogues.

Indolizines are heteroaromatic compounds, and their synthetic analogues have reportedly showed promising pharmacological properties. In this study, a series of synthetic 7-methoxy-indolizine derivatives were synthesised, characterised and evaluated for in vitro whole-cell anti-tuberculosis (TB) screening against susceptible (H37Rv) and multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) using the resazurin microplate assay method. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay. In silico molecular-docking study was conducted for compounds 5a-j against enoyl-[acyl-carrier] protein reductase, a key enzyme of the type II fatty acid synthesis that has attracted much interest for the development of novel anti-TB compounds. Thereafter, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was undertaken for the most active inhibitors. Compounds 5i and 5j with the methoxy functional group at the meta position of the benzoyl group, which was at the third position of the indolizine nucleus, demonstrated encouraging anti-TB activity against MDR strains of MTB at 16 µg/mL. In silico studies showed binding affinity within the range of 7.07-8.57 kcal/mol, with 5i showing the highest binding affinity. Hydrogen bonding, π-π- interactions, and electrostatic interactions were common with the active site. Most of these interactions occurred with the catalytic amino acids (Pro193, Tyr158, Phe149, and Lys165). MD simulation showed that 5j possessed the highest binding affinity toward the enzyme, according to the two calculation methods (MM/PBSA and MM/GBSA). The single-crystal X-ray studies of compounds 5c and 5d revealed that the molecular arrangements in these two structures were mostly guided by C-H···O hydrogen-bonded dimeric motifs and C-H···N hydrogen bonds, while various secondary interactions (such as π···π and C-H···F) also contributed to crystal formation. Compounds 5a, 5c, 5i, and 5j exhibited no toxicity up to 500 µg/mL. In conclusion, 5i and 5j are promising anti-TB compounds that have shown high affinity based on docking and MD simulation results.

Benzothiazole analogs as potential anti-TB agents: computational input and molecular dynamics.

Biotin is very important for the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. 7,8-Diamino pelargonic acid aminotransaminase (DAPA) is a transaminase enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of biotin. The benzothiazole title compounds were investigated for their in vitro anti-tubercular activity against two tubercular strains: H37Rv (ATCC 25,177) and MDR-MTB (multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis, resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol) by an agar incorporation method. The possible binding mode and predicted affinity were computed using a molecular docking study. Among the synthesized compounds in the series, the title compound {2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl-methoxy)-5-fluorophenyl}-(4-chlorophenyl)-methanone was found to exhibit significant activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 1 µg/mL and 2 µg/mL against H37Rv and MDR-MTB, respectively; this compound showed the highest binding affinity (-24.75 kcal/mol) as well.

Synthesis and Structural Elucidation of Novel Benzothiazole Derivatives as Anti-tubercular Agents: In-silico Screening for Possible Target Identification.

BACKGROUND: Benzothiazole derivatives are known for anti-TB properties. Based on the known anti-TB benzothiazole pharmacophore, in the present study, we described the synthesis, structural elucidation, and anti-tubercular screening of a series of novel benzothiazole (BNTZ) derivatives (BNTZ 1-7 and BNTZ 8-13). OBJECTIVE: The study aims to carry out the development of benzothiazole based anti-TB compounds. METHODS: Title compounds are synthesized by microwave method and purified by column chromatography. Characterization of the compounds is achieved by FT-IR, NMR (1H and 13C), LCMS and elemental analysis. Screening of test compounds for anti-TB activity is achieved by Resazurin Microplate Assay (REMA) Plate method. RESULTS: It was noted that the BNTZ compound with an isoquinoline nucleus (BNTZ 9) exhibited remarkable anti-tubercular activity at 8 µg/mL against both the susceptible strain H37Rv and the multi-drug resistant tuberculosis strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. On the other hand, the BNTZ compound with a naphthalene nucleus (BNTZ 2) revealed anti-tubercular activity at 6 µg/mL and 11 µg/mL against both the susceptible strain H37Rv and the multi-drug resistant tuberculosis strains of M. tuberculosis, respectively. One of the selected BNTZ derivatives BNTZ 13 was used for single crystal X-ray studies. CONCLUSION: To identify the appropriate target for potent BNTZ compounds from the series, molecular modeling studies revealed the multiple strong binding of several BNTZs with mycobacterium lysine-ɛ-aminotransferase and decaprenyl-phosphoryl-ß-D-ribose 2'-oxidase. The interaction is derived by forming favorable hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions. This new class of BNTZ compounds gave promising anti-tubercular actions in the low micromolar range, and can be further optimized on a structural basis to develop promising, novel, BNTZ pharmacophore-based anti-tubercular drugs.

Larvicidal study of tetrahydropyrimidine scaffolds against Anopheles arabiensis and structural insight by single crystal X-ray studies.

A series of methyl or ethyl 4-(substitutedphenyl/pyridyl)-6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (HPM) analogues 4a-g were synthesized and evaluated for larvicidal activity against Anopheles arabiensis. These newly synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral studies such as FT-IR, NMR (1 H and 13 C), LC-MS, and elemental analysis. The conformational features and supramolecular assembly of molecules 4a, 4b, and 4e were further analyzed from single crystal X-ray study. The larvicidal activity of these tetrahydropyrimidine pharmacophore series was analyzed based on their relative substituents. Among the synthesized HPM analogous from the series, compounds 4d and 4e both having electron withdrawing chlorine group on phenyl ring at the fourth position of the tetrahydropyrimidine pharmacophore exhibited the most promising larvicidal activity.

Molecular modeling studies and anti-TB activity of trisubstituted indolizine analogues; molecular docking and dynamic inputs.

A series of trisubstituted indolizine analogues has been designed as a result of a fragment-based approach to target the inhibition of mycobacterial enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase. Anti-tuberculosis (TB) screening of the characterized compounds by a resazurin microplate assay method revealed that ethyl group at second position of indolizine nucleus exhibited activity against susceptible and multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis at concentration of 5.5 and 11.3 µg/mL, respectively. A molecular docking study was also conducted to evaluate the stability of the active compounds, and compound with ethyl substitution at second position of indolizine nucleus showed the highest free binding energy of ΔG -24.11 (kcal/mol), a low clash score of 3.04, and high lipo score of -13.33. Indolizine analog with ethyl substitution at second position demonstrated Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (-23.85 kcal/mol). Two molecular dynamics studies were computed (100 ps and 50 ns) to calculate the relationship between the potential and kinetic energies of the active anti-TB compound with time and temperature. The discovery of this lead may have a positive impact on anti-TB drug discovery.

Antimycobacterial, docking and molecular dynamic studies of pentacyclic triterpenes from Buddleja saligna leaves.

Buddleja saligna (family Buddlejaceae) is a medicinal plant endemic to South Africa. Two isomeric pentacyclic triterpenes, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, were isolated from the leaves of B. saligna using silica gel column chromatography. Compounds oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were subjected to derivatization with acetic anhydride in the presence of pyridine to obtain oleanolic acid-3-acetate and ursolic acid-3-acetate, respectively. The structures of these compounds were fully characterized by detailed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations, which included 1H and 13C NMR. Molecular docking studies predicted the free binding energy of the four triterpenes inside the steroid binding pocket of Mycobacterium tuberculosis fadA5 thiolase compared to a reported inhibitor. Thus, their ability to inhibit the growth of M. tuberculosis was predicted and was confirmed to possess significant antimycobacterial activity when tested against Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. tuberculosis H37Rv (ATCC 25177), clinical isolates of multi-drug-resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis (XDR-TB) using the Micro Alamar Blue Assay. Ursolic acid was isolated from this plant for the first time.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel series of 1,4-dihydropyridine analogues for larvicidal activity against Anopheles arabiensis.

The new-fangled bis(4-substituted benzyl) 4-(4-substitued phenyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate derivatives were synthesized by the union of substituted aryl aldehyde, tert-butyl acetoacetate, ammonium carbonate with 4-substituted benzyl alcohol via Hantzsch ester synthesis in aqueous medium under catalyst-free conditions. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic techniques such as IR, NMR (1 H and 13 C), ESI mass, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The characterized title compounds were evaluated for the larvicidal activity against Anopheles arabiensis by standard WHO larvicidal assay method using Temephos as standard at 4 µg/ml. The title compounds bis(4-methoxybenzyl) 2,6-dimethyl-4-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate and bis(4-chlorobenzyl) 2,6-dimethyl-4-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate exhibited promising larvicidal activity at 65.6% and 72.2%, respectively, when compared with the standard compound at 98.9%.

Synthetic Mono/di-halogenated Coumarin Derivatives and Their Anticancer Properties.

BACKGROUND: Coumarins are naturally occurring plant metabolites and several synthetic coumarin analogues are known for their various pharmacological properties such as anticoagulant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Objective; Keeping this promising pharmacological properties in mind, in the present investigation, mono/dihalogenated coumarin analogues CMRN1-CMRN7 have been synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activity. METHOD: The cytotoxicity potential of the test compounds was evaluated against UACC-62, MCF-7 and PBM (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear) cell lines using MTT assay. The apoptotic potential of the coumarin compounds was evaluated against UACC-62 cell by assessing membrane change, mitochondria membrane potential, pro-apoptotic changes were investigated using the AnnexinV-PI staining, JC-1, caspase-3 enzyme kits respectively on flow cytometer. RESULTS: The test compounds CMRN1, CMRN2, CMRN4 and CMRN5 have strongly suppressed the cell proliferation of UACC-62 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Furthermore the test compounds CMRN1, CMRN2, CMRN4 and CMRN5 exerted antiproliferative effects through apoptosis induction against UACC-62. CONCLUSION: Compounds CMRN1, CMRN2, CMRN4 and CMRN5 can be considered as lead compounds to arrive at a promising anticancer agents.

Membrane effects of dihydropyrimidine analogues with larvicidal activity.

Two recently synthesized dihydropyrimidines (DHPMs) analogues have demonstrated larvicide and repellent activity against Anopheles arabiensis. DHPMs high lipophilicity suggests that these compounds may interact directly with the membrane and modify their biophysical properties. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the interaction of both compounds with artificial membranes. Changes on the properties of DPPC films were studied using Langmuir monolayers. The presence of DHPMs in the subphase modified the interfacial characteristics of DPPC compression isotherms, causing the expansion of the monolayer, inducing the disappearance of DPPC phase transition and increasing the molecular packing of the film. Moreover, both compounds showed ability to penetrate into the lipid monolayers at molecular pressures comparable to those in biological membranes. The effects of both DHPMs on the molecular organization of DPPC liposomes were measured by fluorescence anisotropy. The results indicate that their presence between lipid molecules would induce an increasing intermolecular interaction, diminishing the bilayer fluidity mainly at the polar region. Finally, we performed free diffusion MD simulations and obtained spatially resolved free energy profiles of DHPMs partition into a DPPC bilayer through Potential of Mean Force (PMF) calculations. In agreement with the experimental assays, PMF profiles and MD simulations showed that DHPMs are able to partition into DPPC bilayers, penetrating into the membrane and stablishing hydrogen bonds with the carbonyl moiety. Our results suggest that DHPMs bioactivity could involve their interaction with the lipid molecules that modulate the supramolecular organization of the biological membranes and consequently the membrane proteins functionality.

Crystal structure of methyl 4-(4-hy-droxy-phen-yl)-6-methyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydro-pyrimidine-5-carboxyl-ate monohydrate.

The title hydrate, C13H14N2O4·H2O, crystallizes with two formula units in the asymmetric unit (Z' = 2). The dihedral angles between the planes of the tetra-hydro-pyrimidine ring and the 4-hy-droxy-phenyl ring and ester group are 86.78 (4) and 6.81 (6)°, respectively, for one mol-ecule and 89.35 (4) and 3.02 (4)° for the other. In the crystal, the organic mol-ecules form a dimer, linked by a pair of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The hydroxy groups of the organic mol-ecules donate O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to water mol-ecules. Further, the hy-droxy group accepts N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds from amides whereas the water mol-ecules donate O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to the both the amide and ester carbonyl groups. Other weak inter-actions, including C-H⋯O, C-H⋯π and π-π, further consolidate the packing, generating a three-dimensional network.

Greener synthesis of indolizine analogues using water as a base and solvent: study for larvicidal activity against Anopheles arabiensis.

Greener synthesis of a series of novel indolizine analogues have been achieved by the cyclization of aromatic cycloimmonium ylides with electron-deficient alkynes in the presence of water as the base and solvent at 80 °C. Yield of the title compounds was good and reactions performed were eco-friendly. The structures of these newly synthesized compounds have been confirmed by spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR, NMR, LC-MS, and elemental analysis. Characterized title compounds were evaluated for larvicidal activity against Anopheles arabiensis by standard WHO larvicidal assay using Temefos as standard at 4 µg/mL. Title compounds 2e, 2f, and 2g emerged as promising larvicidal agents.

Synthesis, Polymorphism, and Insecticidal Activity of Methyl 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-iodo-2-methyl-6-oxo-1,6-dihydro-4H-pyrimido[2,1-b]quinazoline-3-Carboxylate Against Anopheles arabiensis Mosquito.

Mosquitoes are the major vectors of pathogens and parasites including those causing malaria, the most deadly vector-borne disease. The negative environmental effects of most synthetic compounds combined with widespread development of insecticide resistance encourage an interest in finding and developing alternative products against mosquitoes. In this study, pyrimido[2,1-b]quinazoline derivative DHPM3 has been synthesized by three-step chemical reaction and screened for larvicide, adulticide, and repellent properties against Anopheles arabiensis, one of the dominant vectors of malaria in Africa. The title compound emerged as potential larvicide agent for further research and development, because it exerted 100% mortality, while adulticide activity was considered moderate.

Design, synthesis, and computational studies on dihydropyrimidine scaffolds as potential lipoxygenase inhibitors and cancer chemopreventive agents.

Dihydropyrimidine scaffold has a wide range of potential pharmacological activities such as antiviral, antitubercular, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. 5-Lipoxygenase enzyme is an enzyme responsible for the metabolism of arachidonic acid to leukotrienes. The elevated levels of this enzyme and its metabolites in cancer cells have a direct relation on the development of cancer when compared to normal cells. The development of novel lipoxygenase inhibitors can have a major role in cancer therapy. A series of substituted 1,4-dihydropyrimidine analogues were synthesized and characterized by (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, and HRMS. Molecular docking against lipoxygenase enzyme (protein data bank code =3V99) was done using Molecular Operating Environment 2013.08 and Leadit 2.1.2 softwares and showed high affinities. The synthesized compounds were tested for their lipoxygenase inhibitory activity and showed inhibition ranging from 59.37%±0.66% to 81.19%±0.94%. The activity was explained by a molecular docking study. The title compounds were also tested for cytotoxic activity against two human cancer cell lines Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 and human melanoma cells and a normal peripheral blood mononuclear cell line.

Polymorphism in two biologically active dihydropyrimidinium hydrochloride derivatives: quantitative inputs towards the energetics associated with crystal packing.

A new polymorph belonging to the tetrahydropyrimidinium class of compounds, namely 6-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-(methoxycarbonyl)-4-methyl-2-(3-(trifluoromethylthio)phenylamino)-3,6-dihydropyrimidin-1-ium chloride, and a hydrate of 2-(3-bromophenylamino)-6-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-(methoxycarbonyl)-4-methyl-3,6-dihydropyrimidin-1-ium chloride, have been isolated and characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). A detailed comprehensive analysis of the crystal packing in terms of the associated intermolecular interactions and a quantification of their interaction energies have been performed for both forms of the two different organic salts (A and B) using X-ray crystallography and computational methods such as density functional theory (DFT) quantum mechanical calculations, PIXEL lattice-energy calculations (with decomposition of total lattice energy into the Coulombic, polarization, dispersion and repulsion contribution), the calculation of the Madelung constant (the EUGEN method), Hirshfeld and two-dimensional fingerprint plots. The presence of ionic [N-H](+)···Cl(-) and [C-H](+)···Cl(-) hydrogen bonds mainly stabilizes the crystal packing in both forms A and B, while in the case of B·H2O [N-H](+)···O(water) and O(water)-H···Cl(-) hydrogen bonds along with [N-H](+)···Cl(-) and [C-H](+)···Cl(-) provide stability to the crystal packing. The lattice-energy calculations from both PIXEL and EUGEN methods revealed that in the case of A, form (I) (monoclinic) is more stable whereas for B it is the anhydrous form that is more stable. The analysis of the `Madelung mode' of crystal packing of two forms of A and B and its hydrates suggest that differences exist in the position of the charged ions/atoms in the organic solid state. The R/E (distance-energy) plots for all the crystal structures show that the molecular pairs in their crystal packing are connected with either highly stabilizing (due to the presence of organic R(+) and Cl(-)) or highly destabilizing Coulombic contacts. The difference in crystal packing and associated intermolecular interactions between polymorphs (in the case of A) or the hydrates (in the case of B) have been clearly elucidated by the analysis of Hirshfeld surfaces and two-dimensional fingerprint plots. The relative contributions of the various interactions to the Hirshfeld surface for the cationic (dihydropyrimidinium) part and anionic (chloride ion) part for the two forms of A and B and its hydrate were observed to be different.

Effect of traditional leafy vegetables on the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

Traditional leafy vegetables, apart from being a staple in the diet of most of sub-Saharan Africa, are an essential part of traditional medicine and are used daily by traditional healers in the region to treat a wide variety of ailments. In this study, a batch culture technique was used to investigate whether 25 infusions from 22 traditional leafy vegetables stimulated the growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus reuteri and Bifidobacterium longum in pure culture. High performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the inulin content of the infusions. Sonchus oleraceus stimulated all four strains and Taraxacum officinale stimulated three strains. In total, 18 plants stimulated at least one of the four probiotic strains. The inulin content of the infusions varied between 2.5% and 3.6%, with Asparagus sprengeri containing the highest percentage. These results indicate that traditional leafy vegetables do stimulate the growth of the selected lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in pure culture and contain inulin. These infusions can now be tested for prebiotic potential using mixed culture systems or human hosts.

Antimosquito properties of 2-substituted phenyl/benzylamino-6-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-methoxycarbonyl-4-methyl-3,6-dihydropyrimidin--ium chlorides against Anopheles arabiensis.

Eight novel dihydropyrimidine analogs named DHPM1-DHPM8 was synthesized in their hydrochloride salt form using one pot synthesis between methyl 2-chloro-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-6-methyl-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate and substituted arylamines in isopropanol. The antimosquito effect of the test compounds were assessed against the adult mosquito Anopheles arabiensis. For adulticidal properties the test compounds were sprayed onto ceramic tiles and screened using the cone bio-assay method. The larvicidal activity was tested by monitoring larval mortality daily and up to 3 days of exposure. Repellency properties were tested in a feeding-probe assay using unfed female Anopheles arabiensis. Compounds DHPM1, DHPM4, DHPM5 and DHPM6 exerted larval mortality equivalent to temephos (trade name Abate, a commercial larvicidal compound). Compounds DHPM1 to DHPM5 repelled or knocked down 92 to 98% of mosquitoes exposed to rodent skin treated with the compounds. None of the compounds showed any significant activity against the adult mosquito Anopheles arabiensis.

Evaluation of halogenated coumarins for antimosquito properties.

Mosquitoes are the major vectors of parasites and pathogens affecting humans and domestic animals. The widespread development of insecticide resistance and negative environmental effects of most synthetic compounds support an interest in finding and developing alternative products against mosquitoes. Natural coumarins and synthetic coumarin analogues are known for their several pharmacological properties, including being insecticidal. In the present study halogenated coumarins (3-mono/dibromo acetyl, 6-halogenated coumarin analogues) were screened for larvicidal, adulticidal, and repellent properties against Anopheles arabiensis, a zoophilic mosquito that is one of the dominant vectors of malaria in Africa. Five compounds exerted 100% larval mortality within 24 h of exposure. All coumarins and halogenated coumarins reversibly knocked down adult mosquitoes but did not kill them after 24 h of exposure. Repellent properties could not be evidenced. Five compounds were considered potential larvicidal agents for further research and development, while adulticidal activity was considered only mild to moderate.