The Chemistry and Bio-Medicinal Significance of Pyrimidines & Condensed Pyrimidines.

This review discusses the biological and medicinal significance of one of the most important and interesting heterocyclic ring systems, the pyrimidine and its condensed derivatives. Herein, various physiologically important molecules, as well as, therapeutically used drugs having a pyrimidine or condensed pyrimidine system in their chemical structures, have been covered. The chemistry and synthesis of pyrimidines have also been briefly discussed.

In vivo Evaluation of Self Emulsifying Drug Delivery System for Oral Delivery of Nevirapine.

Nevirapine is a highly lipophilic and water insoluble non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor used for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Lymphoid tissue constitutes the major reservoir of HIV virus and infected cells in HIV-infected patients. Self-emulsifying drug delivery system, using long chain triglycerides, is a popular carrier of drugs due to their ability to transport lipophilic drugs into the lymphatic circulation. However, HIV/AIDS patients experience a variety of functional and anatomical abnormalities in gastrointestinal tract that result in diarrhoea and nutrient malabsorption. Medium chain triglycerides are readily absorbed from the small bowel under conditions in which the absorption of long chain triglycerides is impaired. Therefore, nevirapine self-emulsifying drug delivery system containing medium chain fatty acid, caprylic acid and a solubilizer, Soluphor(®) P (2-pyrrolidone) was developed and found to be superior to the marketed conventional suspension with respect to in vitro diffusion and ex vivo intestinal permeability. This self-emulsifying drug delivery system has now been further investigated for in vivo absorption in an animal model. The contribution of caprylic acid and Soluphor(®) P on in vivo absorption of nevirapine was also studied in the present study. The bioavailability of nevirapine from self-emulsifying drug delivery system, after oral administration, was 2.69 times higher than that of the marketed suspension. The improved bioavailability could be due to absorption of nevirapine via both portal and intestinal lymphatic routes. The study indicates that medium chain or structured triglycerides can be a better option to develop self-emulsifying drug delivery system for lipophilic and extensively metabolised drugs like nevirapine for patients with AIDS-associated malabsorption.

Synthesis of novel bioactive derivatives of 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-hydrazino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo(b)thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-4(3H)-ones.

A series of triazolo[4,3-a]tetrahydrobenzo(b)thieno[3,2-e]pyrimidine-5(4H)-ones (12a-n) were synthesized and evaluated for CNS depressant, skeletal muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant activities by photoactometer, Rotarod and pentylenetetrazole induced the convulsions method respectively in Swiss albino mice. Diazepam was used as standard drug. The five derivatives 12b, 12c, 12d, 12i and 12m showed the CNS depressant and skeletal muscle relaxant activities comparable to those of diazepam at a dose of 5mg/kg. These derivatives also exhibited good activity when tested for anticonvulsant activity in mice at different dose levels. The ED(50) values for these derivatives are in the range of 4.40-9.33 mg/kg.

Pharmacokinetic Study of a Novel Antihyperlipidemic Agent LM-13765- A Prodrug.

A sensitive and specific high performance thin layer chromatographic method has been developed for estimation of a novel antihyperlipidemic agent LM 13765 in rabbit plasma and its use for pharmacokinetic study has been evaluated. The proposed method was employed to study pharmacokinetics of LM 13765 in rabbits. It was observed that LM 13765 metabolized immediately after oral administration. The metabolite of LM 13765 was identified and characterized as LM 13765-C. A sensitive and specific HPTLC method was developed for estimation of LM 13765-C in plasma after oral administration of LM 13765 and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined. Biological screening of LM 13765-C on hyperlipidemic rats indicated that it is less potent than the parent compound which is indicative of biotransformation of LM 13765 to active form LM 13765-C.

Impaired bioavailability of rifampicin in presence of isoniazid from fixed dose combination (FDC) formulation.

The present study describes comparative bioavailability of rifampicin (RIF) after administration of a single component RIF (450 mg) capsule and rifampicin-isoniazid (RIF-INH) (450+300 mg) fixed dose combination (FDC) capsule formulations. Six healthy male volunteers participated in a single dose, two treatment, two period, cross-over study. A sensitive, specific and accurate HPTLC method was developed, validated and employed for estimation of RIF and its major active metabolite, 25-Desacetylrifampicin (25-DAR) levels, in urine. Using the urinary excretion data various pharmacokinetic parameters: AUC(0-24), AUC(0-infinity), cumulative amount excreted in 24 h, peak excretion rate, etc. for both RIF and 25-DAR were calculated and compared statistically (ANOVA, 90% confidence interval for ratio). Significant decrease in the bioavailability ( approximately 32% as RIF and approximately 28% as 25-DAR) of RIF from FDC capsules was observed. The present bioavailability study confirms our serious doubts about the stability of RIF in presence of INH in acidic environment of stomach, which probably is the main factor responsible for the reduced bioavailability of RIF from RIF-INH combination formulations. This study underlines the fact that there is an urgent need to reconsider the formulation of the FDC product in order to minimize or avoid the decomposition of RIF in gastrointestinal tract.

Design, synthesis and antihistaminic (H1)activity of some condensed 2-(substituted)arylaminoethylpyrimidin-4(3H)-ones.

The synthesis and potential H1 receptor antagonistic activity of two novel series of condensed 2-arylaminoethylpyrimidin-4(3H)-ones (4, 5) and 4-amino-2-arylaminoethyl pyrimidines (6) have been reported. All the novel compounds were found to antagonize histamine in a competitive and reversible manner. When tested on guinea-pig ileum, compounds exhibited H1-antagonistic activity, (pA2 values) in the range of 8.6 to 9.7. Some of the lead compounds were evaluated by an in vivo method and were found to protect the guinea pigs against the histamine induced asphyxic shock at the doses comparable to or lower than those of the standard drugs, cetirizine (CAS 83881-51-0) and terfenadine (CAS 50679-08-8). The pA2 acetylcholine values of some of the lead compounds reflect about 1000-fold selectivity for histamine (H1) receptors. The 4-aminopyrimidines (6) were found to be more selective than their 4-one analogs (4, 5). In the radioligand binding study, one of the lead compounds, 6e, was found to bind reversibly at the histamine H1 receptor with the K1 value of 1.3 mumol/l and IC50 of 3.8 mumol/l. The lead compounds were found to have negligible sedative potential when tested in vivo. An indirect type of molecular modeling approach, using temelastine (CAS 86181-42-2) as the standard ligand, indicates that the potent activity of 4, 5 and 6 may be due to the increased spacer chain length between the pyrimidine nucleus and the side-chain aromatic ring.

Estimation of individual sennosides in plant materials and marketed formulations by an HPTLC method.

Senna is a well-known drug, used in the Ayurvedic and Allopathic systems of medicine, and is a treatment for constipation. The purgative action of senna and its formulations is due to the presence of sennosides A and B. An HPTLC method has been developed for the determination of individual sennosides (A, B, C, D) without any derivatization in marketed formulations (three tablet formulations, two granule formulations and one liquid formulation) and plant materials (senna leaf and pod). The methanolic solution of a sample was applied on a pre-coated silica gel G60 F254 TLC plate (E. Merck.) and was developed using n-propanol : ethyl acetate : water : glacial acetic acid (3 : 3 : 2 : 0.1 v/v) as the mobile phase. The relative band speeds (Rf values) obtained were 0.35, 0.25, 0.61, 0.46 for sennosides A, B, C and D, respectively. The densitometric response was monitored at 366nm. Calibration curves were found to be linear in the concentration ranges 193-1356, 402-2817, 71-497 and 132-927 ng per spot for sennosides A, B, C, and D, respectively. The correlation coefficients were found to be 0.9978, 0.9987, 0.9939 and 0.9983 respectively for sennosides A, B, C and D. The result obtained with the HPTLC method for total sennoside content was compared with the results using the pharmacopoeial methods (spectrophotometric (British Pharmacopoeia) and spectrofluorimetric (United States Pharmacopeia) using the 'F' test). The results revealed no significant difference in the three different methods for estimation of total sennoside. The proposed HPTLC method was found to be simple, specific, precise, accurate and rapid. It can be used for routine quality control of sennosides or senna-containing formulations for individual sennosides.

Design, synthesis and antihistaminic (H(1)) activity of some condensed 3-aminopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones.

Anovel series of condensed 3-amino-2-(substituted)methylpyrimidin-4(3H)-ones is reported with potential H(1) receptor antagonistic activity. The IC(50) values for 23 compounds were found to be in the micromolar range. Five lead compounds (10c, e, g, r and t), when evaluated by the in vivo method were found to protect guinea-pigs from the histamine induced asphyxia and antagonized histamine in a competitive and reversible manner. With a pA(2) value of 8.7 and protection time of 9.5 min (in vivo test), compound 10g was the most active amongst these five compounds. The isosteric replacement of the side chain -NH- in series 1, by oxygen and -NHSO(2)- functions, was undertaken to investigate the role of two amino functions in the receptor binding. This isosteric replacement with -O- does not affect the antihistaminic activity and the sedative potential of the series. Preliminary molecular modelling studies indicate that the compounds with -NHSO(2)- in the side chain exhibit a closer fit with temelastine than their -O- isosteres.

Stability of rifampicin in dissolution medium in presence of isoniazid.

Rifampicin (RIF) hydrolyzes in acidic medium to form insoluble and poorly absorbed 3-Formyl rifamycin SV (3-FRSV). This study describes development of two principally different methods, Dual Wavelength UV-Vis. spectrophotometry (DW spectrophotometry) and HPTLC, to determine 3-FRSV in presence of RIF. Using DW spectrophotometry, RIF was estimated by using wavelengths 475.0 and 507.0 nm and 3-FRSV was estimated using 457.0 and 492.0 nm. In HPTLC method, a mixture of chloroform:methanol:water (80:20:2.5 v/v) was used as the mobile phase to resolve 3-FRSV from RIF and 3-FRSV was quantified at 333 nm. The linearity range for 3-FRSV was 2-10 microg/ml and 50-250 ng/spot for DW spectrophotometric method and HPTLC method, respectively, and 5-50 microg/ml for RIF using DW spectrophotometric method. Both the methods were found to be specific, accurate and reproducible. The proposed methods were successfully applied to determine the rate of degradation of RIF to 3-FRSV in dissolution medium (0.1 N HCl) and also in presence of isoniazid (INH). The rate of degradation of RIF in presence of INH was almost two times more than that of RIF alone. These methods were utilized to study the stability of RIF in market formulations of RIF and RIF with INH in dissolution medium. It has been observed that RIF degrades by 12.4% to form 3-FRSV (RIF formulations) while in presence of INH the degradation is catalyzed to about 21.5% (RIF+INH formulations), in 45 min. Thus, lower concentration of RIF may be available for absorption leading to poor bioavailability of RIF from combination dosage forms (RIF+INH) as compared to formulations containing only RIF. It is proposed that specific analytical method should be used to measure RIF in presence of 3-FRSV in a dissolution study.

Mechanism of the antihyperlipaemic activity and pharmacokinetics of 2-chloromethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo(b)thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-o ne.

The pharmacokinetics and the mechanism of action of the antihyperlipaemic compound 2-chloromethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo(b)thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-on e (CAS 89587-03-3, LM-1554) have been studied. Serum concentrations were determined by reverse phase HPLC using methanol : water (60 : 40) as the solvent system. The results of pharmacokinetic studies suggest that the compound LM-1554 is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract after the oral administration in dogs and rabbits. The volume of distribution (Vd) was found to be low. The poor bioavailability (3-4%) and low volume of distribution of the compound LM-1554 suggest the gastrointestinal tract as the site of action for the antihyperlipaemic activity. This hypothesis is substantiated by the observations that the compound was found active in rabbits only when administered orally and found inactive by the parenteral route. Further, the cholesterol levels were found to increase in blood samples collected from the portal vein after oral administration of cholesterol in coconut oil to rats. This increase was found to be prevented by the compound LM-1554. In conclusion, the compound LM-1554 has a potential to be developed as an antihyperlipaemic agent. The mechanism of action of the compound LM-1554 appears to consist in the inhibition of cholesterol absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-chloromethyl-3-N-substituted arylthieno (2,3-d)pyrimidin-4-ones and derivatives for central nervous system depressant activity.

2-Chloromethyl 3-N-substituted arylthieno (2,3-d)pyrimidin-4-ones and derivatives were synthesized by reacting 2-amino-3-carboxanilido-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo(b)thiophenes (Iabc) with chloroacetyl chloride in dioxane and by cyclizing the open chain 3-substituted carboxanilido-2-(omega-chloroacetamido)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobe nzo(b)thiophenes (IIabc) under acidic condition. The compounds were characterized by their spectral data and screened for central nervous system depressant activity. The compounds IIIabc and Vabc have shown marked sedative action.

Synthesis and QSAR of some 3-amino-2-(substituted)aminomethyl-5,6-disubstituted thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as novel H1-receptor antagonists.

The present study describes the synthesis and quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) of novel 3-amino-2-(substituted)aminomethyl-5,6-disubstitutedthieno[2,3-d] pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones for their potent H1-receptor antagonist activity on the guinea pig ileum. With the IC50 values in the range of 10(-5) gms/lit, all the compounds tested were found to possess ten fold higher affinity to the H1-receptor than diphenhydramine and cetirizine, but lower than astemizole and loratidine. The sedative potential of these compounds was found to be lower than cetirizine and astemizole but comparable to loratidine. The QSAR study indicates a parabolic relationship of the biological activity mainly with the steric parameters and partly with the lipophilic parameters.

Synthesis and antihyperlipaemic activity of some novel N-cyanovinylformamidines.

Potent antihyperlipaemic activity has been observed in a series of novel N-cyanovinylformamidines when tested in hyperlipaemic rats. Two of the compounds (11 and 15) were found more potent than gemfibrozil at 50 mg/kg/d dose level in reducing serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels and also in elevating serum HDL level. A good three-dimensional structural similarity has been observed between these two compounds and clofibrate and gemfibrozil, respectively. Acute toxicity studies carried out in mice indicated compound 11 to be safe even at a dose level of 4.5 g/kg. The title compounds were synthesized by the reaction of alpha-cyanoketene S,N-acetals with formamidineacetate under controlled reaction conditions.

Synthesis and antihyperlipaemic activity of some 2-aminomethyl-3-aryl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo(b)/5,6-dimethylthieno++ +(2,3- d) -pyrimidin-4-ones.

A series of 2-aminomethyl-3-aryl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo(b)/5,6-dimethylthieno (2,3-d) pyrimidin-4-ones (IX) were prepared by the displacement reaction between various amines and 2-chloromethyl-3-aryl-5,6, 7,8-tetrahydrobenzo(b)/5, 6-dimethylthieno(2, 3-d) pyrimidin-4-ones (VIII), which are obtained by the cyclization of corresponding chloroacetylamino derivatives (VII) under acidic condition. Compounds VII were obtained by the interaction of VI and chloroacetylchloride in glacial acetic acid. Compounds VIII were converted to corresponding 2-acetoxymethyl derivatives (X) with potassium acetate in glacial acetic acid. Selected compounds were screened for antihyperlipaemic activity in albino rats, whereby most of these compounds were found to be active. The serum cholesterol and triglyceride lowering activities exhibited by compounds 1 and 3 were found to be comparable to that of gemfibrozil. Compounds 1 and 3 were also found to be safe as indicated by their acute toxicity study.

Synthesis and quantitative structure-activity relationships of antihyperlipaemic 2-substituted thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones.

The synthesis, antihyperlipaemic evaluation and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) of two series of thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-one derivatives are reported. While most of the compounds in these series were found to exhibit antihyperlipaemic activity, the QSAR study of these two series indicated a positive influence of only the electronic nature of the 2-substitutents on the biological activity. The lipophilic and the steric parameters did not appear to be significant.

Synthesis and pharmacological study of antihyperlipaemic activity of 2-substituted thieno(2,3-d)pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones.

A series of 2-substituted thieno(2,3-d)pyrimidin-4-(3H) ones (1-15) was prepared by the reaction of thiophene ortho-aminoester (IV) with a variety of nitriles (V) under acidic conditions, and screened for antihyperlipaemic activity in various animal models. While most of these compounds were found active, 2-chloromethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo(b)thieno(2,3-d) pyrimidin-4(3H)-one (5) was found to be the most active of all. The serum triglyceride lowering activity exhibited by 5 was found comparable to that of clofibrate and riboflavin tetrabutyrate. Compound 5 was also found to be safe as indicated by acute and chronic toxicity studies in mice and rats.

Kinetic studies of the interaction between isoniazid and reducing sugars.

The interaction between isoniazid and reducing sugars is acid-catalyzed and reversible. Kinetic studies of hydrazone formation from isoniazid and glucose, lactose, maltose, and galactose have been carried out in simulated gastric juice at 37 degrees C. The forward reaction was found to follow second-order kinetics, while the reverse reaction, the hydrolysis of the sugar isonicotinoyl hydrazone, is pseudo-first-order. The effects of the concentration of reactants, pH, and temperature on the rate have been studied, and the rate constants and the energy of activation were determined.

Spectrophotometric determination of chloramphenicol and its esters in complex drug mixtures.

When aromatic nitro compounds are reduced with zinc and calcium chloride and reacted with trisodium pentacyanoaminoferrate they give a purple product having an absorbance maximum between 480 and 540 nm. Applying this reaction, a quantitative method has been developed for the determination of chloramphenicol and its esters. Various reaction conditions have been standardized. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range of 4 to 32 micrograms/mL reaction mixture. Average recoveries and standard deviations were 99.78 +/- 0.627 and 99.90 +/- 0.660; 101.06 +/- 0.702; and 99.90 +/- 0.880% for chloramphenicol, chloramphenicol sodium succinate, and chloramphenicol palmitate, respectively. The method has also been applied to determine chloramphenicol and its esters as well as chloramphenical in the presence of combination drugs in dosage forms. The presence of benzocaine, lignocaine, sulfadiazine, nitrofurantoin, ascorbic acid, hydrocortisone, prednisolone, streptomycin, and tetracycline does not interfere with the proposed spectrophotometric procedure. The method does not require prior separation of chloramphenicol from combination drugs.

Spectrophotometric determination of isoniazid in presence of its hydrazones.

A spectrophotometric determination of isoniazid in the presence of its hydrazones was developed. The method involves the reaction between isoniazid and 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone in the presence of ammonia in an ethanolic medium. The colored product has an absorbance maxium at 640 nm. The Lambert-Beer law is obeyed in the 1--14-microgram/ml range. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of isoniazid tablets. In commercial tablets, hydrazone formation due to the reaction between isoniazid and lactose was detected by TLC. The analysis of lactose-containing isoniazid tablets showed 10--22% lower recovery than that obtained by the official method. Hydrazone formation in tablets probably interferes with isoniazid bioavailability.

Synthesis and pharmacological properties of some 4-amino-5-substituted thiazole-2(3H)-thiones and thiazolo(4,5-d)pyrimidin-7(6H)-one-2(3H)-thiones.

4-Amino-5-substituted thiazole-2(3H)-thiones and thiazolo(4,5-d)-pyrimidin-7(6H)-one-2(3H)-thiones have been synthesized and screened for antimicrobial and pharmacological activities. Significant analgesic, antiinflammatory, anticonvulsant and antimicrobial properties have been found in some of the compounds synthesized. Analgesic and antiinflammatory activities are reported for the first time in thiazole-2(3H)-thiones.