Bioactivity of fluorophenyl thiourea derivatives: Antioxidant efficacy and inhibition of key diabetes-related enzymes.

Abstract

Thiourea structures, known for their wide-ranging bioactivity, have significant potential in diabetes management. In this study, it was aimed to examine the antioxidant capacities of fluorophenyl thiourea derivative compounds and their inhibition studies on α-amylase and α-glycosidase enzyme activity. Antioxidant capacity was determined using Fe³⁺-Fe⁺², FRAP, and Cu²⁺-Cu⁺ reducing analyses, DPPH· and ABTS·⁺ scavenging experiments. It was observed that fluorophenyl thiourea derivative compounds exhibited quite high antioxidant activity compared to standard antioxidants such as BHA, BHT, trolox, α-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid. Additionally, this study investigated the inhibitory effects of the analysis molecules on α-glycosidase and α-amylase, which are enzymes associated with diabetes. Among these derivative molecules, 4-fluorophenyl showed the highest inhibition on α-amylase (IC₅₀: 53.307 nM) and α-glycosidase (IC₅₀: 24.928 nM). These results highlight the potential of thiourea derivatives in enzyme inhibition and antioxidant therapy, making them promising candidates for diabetes management.