Design, synthesis and antitumor evaluation of novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines incorporating different amino acid conjugates as potential DHFR inhibitors.

The present study aimed to investigate the antitumor effect of simultaneous inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme. We designed some novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines bearing different amino acid conjugates as efficient antifolate agents attributable to their structural similarity with methotrexate (MTX) and MTX-related antifolates. All compounds were tested to screen their enzymatic inhibition against DHFR compared with the reference drug MTX and for their in vitro antitumor cytotoxicity against six MTX-resistant cancer cell lines. The flow cytometry indicated that the most potent compound 7f arrested MCF-7 cells in the S-phase and induced apoptosis. Western blot for visualisation proved the ability of compound 7f to induce the expression of proapoptotic caspases and Bax proteins in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line beside its ability to diminish the expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Molecular modelling studies concluded that compound 7f displayed better binding energy than that of the normal ligand MTX. HIGHLIGHTSNew pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives 7a-m which are structurally similar to the classical methotrexate (MTX) and MTX-related antifolates were synthesised as antitumor agents.Novel N-acyl amino acid compound 7f exhibited marked DHFR inhibition activity that are parralel to both the molecular docking results and cytotoxic activity.Compound 7f could induce the expression of proapoptotic caspases and Bax proteins in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line beside its ability to diminish the expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein.All prepared compounds obey Lipinski rule of five except compound 7f.

Human dihydrofolate reductase inhibition effect of 1-Phenylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines: Synthesis, antitumor evaluation and molecular modeling study.

A new series of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine analogues bearing different amino acid conjugates 10a-m were synthesized with the aim to evaluate their antitumor effect through simultaneous inhibition of human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR). All novel compounds were tested to screen their enzyme inhibition activity against (hDHFR) beside their in vitro cytotoxicity against six human MTX resistant cancer cell lines namely, human prostate cancer (PC-3), pancreatic human cancer cell lines (BxPC-3), colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116), human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), cervical carcinoma (HeLa), and mammary gland breast cancer (MCF-7), besides normal immortalized pancreatic cell line (HPDE). Compounds 10e, 10f, 10g inhibited DHFR at considerable low (IC50 < 1 µM) in comparison to MTX (IC50 = 5.61 µM) beside their characteristic cytotoxic effects on different resistant cancer cell lines. Flow cytometry was done for the most active candidate compound 10e against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. The results illustrated that compound 10e induced apoptosis and arrested MCF-7 cell cycle in the G1/S phase. Western blot for visualization and quantification was used to confirm the capability of compound 10e to induce the expression of proapoptotic caspases and Bax proteins in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line beside its ability to reduce the expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Molecular modeling studies demonstrated that compound 10e elucidated binding energy of (S= - 8.4390 Kcal/mol) that exceed that of the normal ligand MTX (S= - 8.3951Kcal/mol) in addition to several favorable binding interactions with the active site residues.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of novel and selective COX-2 inhibitors based on bumetanide scaffold.

Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of new benzenesulfonamide derivatives as selective COX-2 inhibitors based on bumetanide scaffold. Benzenesulfonamides bearing both the pyrazole 6b and the triazoles 9a, 9c were good inhibitors of COX-2 with IC50 values of 0.32, 0.28 and 0.17 µM, respectively. These benzenesulfonamides 6b, 9a and 9c exhibited a higher selectivity index than the reference drug celecoxib. Molecular modeling study showed that incorporation of bumetanide led to a unique binding mode that is most likely the reason for the observed significant COX-2 selectivity. The anti-inflammatory activity of synthesized compounds revealed that triazoles 9a and 9c demonstrated higher efficacy than celecoxib upon using in vivo carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. Most of the prepared compounds possess low ulcerogenic potential when administered orally. Therefore, these compounds have a great potential to be developed as safe therapeutics for inflammation, pain, and other diseases where COX-2 plays important role in their pathophysiology.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel cYY analogues targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis CYP121A1.

The rise in multidrug resistant (MDR) cases of tuberculosis (TB) has led to the need for the development of TB drugs with different mechanisms of action. The genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) revealed twenty different genes coding for cytochrome P450s. CYP121A1 catalyzes a CC crosslinking reaction of dicyclotyrosine (cYY) producing mycocyclosin and current research suggests that either mycocyclosin is essential or the overproduction of cYY is toxic to Mtb. A series of 1,4-dibenzyl-2-imidazol-1-yl-methylpiperazine derivatives were designed and synthesised as cYY mimics. The derivatives substituted in the 4-position of the phenyl rings with halides or alkyl group showed promising antimycobacterial activity (MIC 6.25 µg/mL), with the more lipophilic branched alkyl derivatives displaying optimal binding affinity with CYP121A1 (iPr KD = 1.6 µM; tBu KD = 1.2 µM). Computational studies revealed two possible binding modes within the CYP121A1 active site both of which would effectively block cYY from binding.

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking investigation of benzhydrol- and indole-based dual PPAR-γ/FFAR1 agonists.

Type-2 diabetes mellitus is a progressive cluster of metabolic disorders, representing a global public health burden affecting more than 366 million people worldwide. We recently reported the discovery of three series of novel agents showing balanced activity on two metabolic receptors, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) and free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1), also known as GPCR40. Our designing strategy relied on linking the thiazolidinedione head with known GPCR privilege structures. To further investigate this concept, two new scaffolds, the benzhydrol- and indole-based chemotypes, were introduced here in. Our optimization campaign resulted in three compounds; 15a, 15c, and 15d, with affinities in the low micromolar range on both targets. In vivo study of selected test compounds, revealed that 15c possesses a significant anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities superior to rosiglitazone in fat-fed animal models. Molecular docking analysis was conducted to explain the binding modes of both series. These compounds could lead to the development of the unique antidiabetic agent acting as insulin sensitizer as well as insulin secretagogue.

Development and validation of a sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous analysis of tramadol, dextromethorphan chlorpheniramine and their major metabolites in human plasma in forensic context: application to pharmacokinetics.

The prerequisites for forensic confirmatory analysis by LC/MS/MS with respect to European Union guidelines are chromatographic separation, a minimum number of two MS/MS transitions to obtain the required identification points and predefined thresholds for the variability of the relative intensities of the MS/MS transitions (MRM transitions) in samples and reference standards. In the present study, a fast, sensitive and robust method to quantify tramadol, chlorpheniramine, dextromethorphan and their major metabolites, O-desmethyltramadol, dsmethyl-chlorpheniramine and dextrophan, respectively, in human plasma using ibuprofen as internal standard (IS) is described. The analytes and the IS were extracted from plasma by a liquid-liquid extraction method using ethyl acetate-diethyl-ether (1:1). Extracted samples were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). Chromatographic separation was performed by pumping the mobile phase containing acetonitrile, water and formic acid (89.2:11.7:0.1) for 2.0 min at a flow rate of 0.25 µL/min into a Hypersil-Gold C18 column, 20 × 2.0 mm (1.9 µm) from Thermoscientific, New York, USA. The calibration curve was linear for the six analytes. The intraday precision (RSD) and accuracy (RE) of the method were 3-9.8 and -1.7-4.5%, respectively. The analytical procedure herein described was used to assess the pharmacokinetics of the analytes in 24 healthy volunteers after a single oral dose containing 50 mg of tramadol hydrochloride, 3 mg chlorpheniramine maleate and 15 mg of dextromethorphan hydrobromide.

Green innovation in analytical chemistry: A sustainable densitometric HPTLC approach for the distinctive separation and quantification of structurally related abused drugs - tramadol, tapentadol, and venlafaxine - in seized pharmaceutical dosage forms.

An innovative ecofriendly high-performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method with spectrophotometric detection for simultaneous determination of Tramadol (TMD), Tapentadol (TAP), and Venlafaxine (VEN) in seized dosage forms was presented. Our method was conducted to achieve separation following the optimal conditions: pre-coated silica gel plates using a green mobile phase (heptane: acetone: ammonia, 7:3:0.5 v/v), with absorbance scanning at 272 nm. The validation of the method was done following International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, demonstrates linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity, robustness, and system suitability. Separation was achieved with a detection limit of 0.34, 0.16, and 0.084 (ug/band) for TMD, TAP, and VEN, respectively, the method successfully analyzes seized samples. Trueness is confirmed through a high degree of similarity between HPTLC and gas chromatography results. The study's ecofriendly approach, simplicity, and selectivity position it as a promising method for efficient, on-site monitoring of seized samples.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of some N-arylpyrazoles and pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyridazines as anti-inflammatory agents.

A series of 3,4-bis-chalcone-N-arylpyrazoles 3a-k was prepared from diacetyl pyrazoles 2a-e. The reaction of 2d and 2e with hydrazine hydrate gave pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyridazine derivatives 4a-b. Furthermore, the reaction of 2a-e with thiosemicarbazide afforded pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyridazine thiocyanate salts 5a-e. The synthesized compounds were subjected to in vivo anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity measurements, in addition to determination of their in vitro COX selectivity, to give a full profile about their anti-inflammatory activities. Compounds 3c, 3f, 3i, and 3e showed significant anti-inflammatory activity among the synthesized compounds. Moreover, docking studies were performed to give an explanation for their anti-inflammatory activity through COX selectivity.

Validated stability-indicating reversed-phase-HPLC method for simultaneous determination of orphenadrine citrate, caffeine and aspirin.

New, simple, rapid and precise reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of orphenadrine citrate, caffeine and aspirin in presence of aspirin degradation products, orphenadrine citrate and caffeine process related impurities, and excipients. Good resolution and quantization were achieved on reversed-phase column [Phenomenex™ Luna ODS C(18) (25 cm×4.6 mm, 5 µm particles)]. Gradient elution based on; eluant [A]: 0.1% triethylamine in aqueous potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (50 mM; pH 3.0), while as, eluant [B]: acetonitrile, at a flow rate of 1.5 mL min(-1). UV quantitation was set at 215 nm. Linearity was exhibited for orphenadrine citrate, caffeine and aspirin within 0.5-150, 0.5-360 or 0.7-301 µg mL(-1) ranges, respectively. Satisfactory validation results were ascertained in terms of low limits of quantiation (6.33×10(-2)-7.94×10(-2)), mean percentage recovery (98.9-101.4%), precision (<2%) and robustness. The proposed method was proved to be specific, robust and accurate for the determination of cited drugs in pharmaceutical preparations in presence of their degradation products.

Extractional spectrophotometric analysis of metronidazole, tinidazole, ornidazole and secnidazole bases through acid-dye complexation using bromothymol blue dye.

An easy, precise and valid extractional-spectrophotometric technique is described for the assessment of metronidazole (MNZ), tinidazole (TNZ), ornidazole (ONZ) and secnidazole (SNZ) in pure state and in their pharmaceutical formulations. The technique includes first the reduction of above cited drugs using HCl and zinc powder, then the formation of intense yellow colored ion-association complex species (1:3 drug/dye) using bromothymol blue (BTB) in a buffered aqueous acidic medium at pH 3-3.50. The colored products are extracted into dichloromethane and quantitatively determined at 416-420 nm. The experimental operating factors influencing the ion-pairs development were studied and optimized to obtain the maximum color intensity. The Beer plots are obeyed in the concentration ranges 2.50-22.50, 2.50-30, 7.50-35 and 5-30 µgml-1 for MNZ, TNZ, ONZ and SNZ, respectively, with correlation coefficients not less than 0.9995. The proposed technique is recommended for the routine quality control analysis of the investigated drugs in commercial tablets with no observed interference from common pharmaceutical adjuvants. Results of such analysis were statistically validated and through recovery studies, showing excellent agreement with those achieved by the reported techniques.

Simple and rapid HPLC method for simultaneous determination of atenolol and chlorthalidone in spiked human plasma.

A simple, sensitive and rapid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of atenolol and chlorthalidone in human plasma using hydrochlorothiazide as internal standard (IS). The method utilized proteins precipitation with acetonitril as the only sample preparation involved prior to reverse phase-HPLC. The analytes were chromatographed on Shim-pack cyanopropyl column with isocratic elution with 10 mM KH2PO4 (pH 6.0) - methanol (70:30, v/v) at ambient temperature with flow rate of 1 mL min(-1) and UV detection at 225 nm. The chromatographic run time was less than 10 min for the mixture. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 0.1-10 µg mL(-1). The method was validated in terms of accuracy, precision, absolute recovery, freeze-thaw stability, bench-top stability and re-injection reproducibility. The within- and between-day accuracy and precision were found to be within acceptable limits <15%. The analytes were stable after three freeze-thaw cycles (deviation <15%). The proposed method was specific for the simultaneous determination of atenolol and chlorthalidone in human plasma where there was no interference from endogenous biological substances.

Design, Synthesis, Anticancer Activity, and Solid Lipid Nanoparticle Formulation of Indole- and Benzimidazole-Based Compounds as Pro-Apoptotic Agents Targeting Bcl-2 Protein.

Cancer is a multifactorial disease necessitating identification of novel targets for its treatment. Inhibition of Bcl-2 for triggered pro-apoptotic signaling is considered a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Within the current work, we aimed to design and synthesize a new series of benzimidazole- and indole-based derivatives as inhibitors of Bcl-2 protein. The market pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor, obatoclax, was the lead framework compound for adopted structural modifications. The obatoclax's pyrrolylmethine linker was replaced with straight alkylamine or carboxyhydrazine methylene linkers providing the new compounds. This strategy permitted improved structural flexibility of synthesized compounds adopting favored maneuvers for better fitting at the Bcl-2 major hydrophobic pocket. Anti-cancer activity of the synthesized compounds was further investigated through MTT-cytotoxic assay, cell cycle analysis, RT-PCR, ELISA and DNA fragmentation. Cytotoxic results showed compounds 8a, 8b and 8c with promising cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231/breast cancer cells (IC50 = 12.69 ± 0.84 to 12.83 ± 3.50 µM), while 8a and 8c depicted noticeable activities against A549/lung adenocarcinoma cells (IC50 = 23.05 ± 1.45 and 11.63 ± 2.57 µM, respectively). The signaling Bcl-2 inhibition pathway was confirmed by molecular docking where significant docking energies and interactions with key Bcl-2 pocket residues were depicted. Moreover, the top active compound, 8b, showed significant upregulated expression levels of pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic of genes; Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, -8, and -9 through RT-PCR assay. Improving the compound's pharmaceutical profile was undertaken by introducing 8b within drug-solid/lipid nanoparticle formulation prepared by hot melting homogenization technique and evaluated for encapsulation efficiency, particle size, and zeta potential. Significant improvement was seen at the compound's cytotoxic activity. In conclusion, 8b is introduced as a promising anti-cancer lead candidate that worth future fine-tuned lead optimization and development studies while exploring its potentiality through in-vivo preclinical investigation.

The Anticancer Activity for the Bumetanide-Based Analogs via Targeting the Tumor-Associated Membrane-Bound Human Carbonic Anhydrase-IX Enzyme.

The membrane-bound human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) IX is widely recognized as a marker of tumor hypoxia and a prognostic factor within several human cancers. Being undetected in most normal tissues, hCA-IX implies the pharmacotherapeutic advent of reduced off-target adverse effects. We assessed the potential anticancer activity of bumetanide-based analogues to inhibit the hCA-IX enzymatic activity and cell proliferation of two solid cancer cell lines, namely kidney carcinoma (A-498) and bladder squamous cell carcinoma (SCaBER). Bumetanide analogues efficiently inhibit the target hCA-IX in low nanomolar activity (IC50 = 4.4-23.7 nM) and have an excellent selectivity profile (SI = 14.5-804) relative to the ubiquitous hCA-II isoform. Additionally, molecular docking studies provided insights into the compounds' structure-activity relationship and preferential binding of small-sized as well as selective bulky ligands towards the hCA-IX pocket. In particular, 2,4-dihydro-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione derivative 9c displayed pronounced hCA-IX inhibitory activity and impressive antiproliferative activity on oncogenic A-498 kidney carcinoma cells and is being considered as a promising anticancer candidate. Future studies will aim to optimize this compound to fine-tune its anticancer activity as well as explore its potential through in-vivo preclinical studies.

Development and validation of an LC method for simultaneous determination of amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide in human urine.

An HPLC method with photometric detection has been developed for determination of a binary mixture of amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide in human urine using chlorthalidone as the internal standard. Reversed-phase chromatography was performed at room temperature on a cyanopropyl column with the mobile phase consisting of a 10 mM KH2PO4 solution (pH 4.5)-methanol (70 + 30, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The detector was set at 214 nm. The total analysis time was 10 min. The method was validated in terms of accuracy, precision, absolute recovery, freeze-thaw stability, bench-top stability, and re-injection reproducibility. The procedure shows good accuracy, repeatability, and selectivity. Moreover, the method was applied directly to urine that had not undergone prior treatment. The intra- and interday coefficients of variation for all compounds were below 4%, and the method was highly accurate, with a relative error for all compounds that was below 8%. No interference from endogenous compounds in urine samples was found. The proposed method, which is rapid, simple, and does not require any separation steps, has been successfully applied to the assay of human urine containing amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide.

Development and validation of a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of amiloride hydrochloride, atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide, and chlorthalidone in their combined mixtures.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 2 ternary mixtures containing amiloride hydrochloride, atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide, and chlorthalidone used in hypertension therapy. The use of cyanopropyl column results in satisfactory separation of both mixtures. The mobile phase consisted of 10 mM KH2PO4 buffer (pH 4.5) and methanol in a ratio of (75 + 25% v/v), at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. UV detector was operated at 275 nm. Calibration graphs were linear in the concentration ranges of 2-10, 20-200, 10-100, and 5-50 microg/mL for amiloride hydrochloride, atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide, and chlorthalidone, respectively. Intraday and interday precision values (relative standard deviation) were <1.13 for mixture I (amiloride hydrochloride, atenolol, chlorthalidone), and <0.93 for mixture II (amiloride hydrochloride, atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide). The method was successfully applied for the determination of the 2 combinations in laboratory-prepared mixtures and commercial pharmaceutical formulation with high accuracy and precision. Statistical comparison of the results with those of the published methods showed excellent agreement and indicates no significant difference between them.

Development and validation of an HPLC-UV method for simultaneous determination of sildenafil and tramadol in biological fluids: Application to drug-drug interaction study.

The introduction of sildenafil (SDF) to treat erectile dysfunction has solved a widespread condition with negative on the quality of life. Recently, the co-administration of tramadol (TMD) with SDF to manage premature ejaculation has illegally increased and thus drug-drug interaction studies of these drugs became of great importance. Although certain biological functions have been altered upon co-administration of the two drugs, methods for their determination in vivo to understand their interactions have yet to be published. Herein, therefore, an HPLC method with photometric detection was developed for the determination of a binary mixture of TMD and SDF in rabbit plasma after oral administration. In this study, a reversed-phase chromatography was performed at room temperature on a C18 column with a mobile phase composed of 10 mM Na2HPO4 solution (pH 7.5): acetonitrile (45:55, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min-1 using caffeine (CAF) as an internal standard. The detector was set at 220 nm. The total analysis time was 6 min. Calibration graphs were linear in the concentration ranges of 0.1-10 and 0.05-10 µg mL-1 with a detection limit of 0.05 and 0.02 µg mL-1 for TMD and SDF, respectively. The method was validated in terms of accuracy, precision, limit of detection and quantitation, recovery, and stability as per US FDA bioanalytical guidelines. In addition, the metabolites N-desmethylsildenafil (UK-103,320) and O-desmethyltramadol were quantified in rabbit plasma after 2 h of oral administration using LC-MS/MS. The simultaneous administration of TMD with SDF has affected peak plasma concentration (Cmax), Tmax, area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), and the elimination rate constant (Kel) of SDF. The present study is the first to give valuable insights into the drug-drug interaction and the pharmacokinetic implications associated with the co-administration of SDF and TMD.

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of metformin and pioglitazone in rat plasma: Application to pharmacokinetic and drug-drug interaction studies.

Failure to attain and sustain long term glycemic control is an ongoing challenge in diabetes therapy. The trend to use a combined therapy and the risk of drug-drug interaction (DDI) are elevated and thus the need for sensitive analytical methods is of great significance. Herein, a simple, robust, and sensitive reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of metformin (MET) and pioglitazone (PGT) in rat plasma using canagliflozin (CAN) as internal standards (IS) was developed and fully validated. Prior Chromatographic separation on an Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 (4.6 × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) using gradient mobile phase system consisting of ammonium formate pH 4.5 and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.5 mL min-1, within a run time of 14 min, the antidiabetic drugs were extracted from rat plasma using acetonitrile-induced protein precipitation technique. Multiple reaction monitoring in positive ion mode was used for quantitation of precursor to production at m/z 130.1 → 71.0 & 60 for MET, 357.2 → 134.2 for PGT, and 462.16 → 191.1 for CAN. Method linearity was obeyed in the range of 1 to 5000 and 1 to 2500 ng mL-1 for MET and PGT, respectively. The developed method was validated in terms of accuracy, precision, selectivity, recovery, matrix effects, and stability as per US-FDA bioanalytical guidelines and successfully applied to clinical pharmacokinetic and DDI studies with a single oral administration of target compounds. The peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of MET was significantly influenced by the concomitant administration of PGT at equal concentration and vice versa. PGT affected the absorption and elimination rate of MET via inhibition of organic cationic transporter (OCT). Molecular modeling study revealed the significant interaction of PGT with OCT. A potential DDI in type 2 diabetic patient receiving chronic treatment with MET and PGT deserves further attention and study to improve drug therapy and prevent adverse effects.

Design and Synthesis of Imidazole and Triazole Pyrazoles as Mycobacterium Tuberculosis CYP121A1 Inhibitors.

The emergence of untreatable drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major public health problem worldwide, and the identification of new efficient treatments is urgently needed. Mycobacterium tuberculosis cytochrome P450 CYP121A1 is a promising drug target for the treatment of tuberculosis owing to its essential role in mycobacterial growth. Using a rational approach, which includes molecular modelling studies, three series of azole pyrazole derivatives were designed through two synthetic pathways. The synthesized compounds were biologically evaluated for their inhibitory activity towards M. tuberculosis and their protein binding affinity (K D). Series 3 biarylpyrazole imidazole derivatives were the most effective with the isobutyl (10 f) and tert-butyl (10 g) compounds displaying optimal activity (MIC 1.562 µg/mL, K D 0.22 µM (10 f) and 4.81 µM (10 g)). The spectroscopic data showed that all the synthesised compounds produced a type II red shift of the heme Soret band indicating either direct binding to heme iron or (where less extensive Soret shifts are observed) putative indirect binding via an interstitial water molecule. Evaluation of biological and physicochemical properties identified the following as requirements for activity: LogP >4, H-bond acceptors/H-bond donors 4/0, number of rotatable bonds 5-6, molecular volume >340 Å3, topological polar surface area <40 Å2.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel thiazolidinediones as PPARγ/FFAR1 dual agonists.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects more than 180 million people worldwide. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) are a group of nuclear receptors that have been targeted by the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of compounds for the management of type II diabetes. PPARγ is known to regulate adipogenesis and glucose metabolism. Another emerging target for the design of antidiabetic agents is the free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1), previously known as GPR40. Agonists of this receptor were found to enhance insulin secretion in diabetic patients. It has been reported that some thiazolidinediones (TZDs) activate FFAR1 with micromolar potency. In this study, based on docking studies into the crystal structure of PPARγ and a homology model of FFAR1, nineteen compounds were designed, synthesized, and biologically tested for agonistic activity on both receptors. Nine compounds showed promising dual activity, with two compounds, 11a and 5b, having affinities in the low micromolar range on both targets. These molecules represent the first antidiabetic agents that could act as insulin sensitizers as well as insulin secretagogues.

Spectrophotometric determination of enrofloxacin and pefloxacin through ion-pair complex formation.

Two simple, quick and sensitive spectrophotometric methods are described for the determination of enrofloxacin and Pefloxacin. The methods are based on the reaction of these drugs with bromophenol blue (BPB) and methyl orange (MO) in buffered aqueous solution at pH 2.3-2.5 in case of bromophenol blue and at pH 3.6 with MO to give highly coloured complex species, extractable with chloroform. The coloured products are quantitated spectrophotometrically at 420 and 424 nm for BPB and MO, respectively. Optimisation of the different experimental conditions is described. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration ranges 2-12 and 2-18 microg ml(-1) with BPB and in the ranges 1-12 and 4-40 microg ml(-1)with MO for enrofloxacin and pefloxacin, respectively. The proposed methods are applied for determination of Enroxil oral solution, Peflacine tablets and Peflacine ampoules with mean percentage accuracies 99.5+/-0.99, 99.39+/-1.05 and 100.02+/-0.895, respectively, with BPB and 100.30+/-0.89, 100.25+/-0.98 and 100.20+/-0.72, respectively, with MO.