Molecular Diversity最新文献

The pachysandra alkaloids found in Sarcococca ruscifolia demonstrate notable anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity. Despite their efficacy, the structural diversity of these compounds remains limited, and their precise antitumor mechanism is still unclear. In pursuit of identifying novel lead compounds with high efficacy and low toxicity for combating hepatocellular carcinoma, twenty-three compounds of C₂₀-ketone pachysandra alkaloid derivatives were designed and synthesized by using 3-dimethylamine pachysandra alkaloids as scaffolds. Subsequent in vitro anticancer activity experiments showed that synthetic pachysandra alkaloids had a stronger effect on HepG2 cells than did their natural counterparts, with low toxicity and high selectivity. The most potent derivative, 6k, had an IC₅₀ value of 0.75 μM, demonstrating 25.7-fold greater anticancer activity than sarcovagine D against HepG2 cells. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis, it was revealed that synthetic pachysandra alkaloids may exert their effects by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, thereby preventing the proliferation of liver cancer cells. Further research through scratch tests, immunofluorescence experiments, and Western blot analysis revealed that compound 6k effectively inhibited the migration of HepG2 cells and induced mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis of HepG2 cells by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. The aforementioned results indicate that compound 6k could be developed as a potential candidate for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Globally, among numerous cancer subtypes, breast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer affecting the female population. A female's family history significantly increases her risk of developing breast cancer. BC is caused by aberrant breast cells that proliferate and develop into tumors. It is estimated that 5-10% of breast carcinomas are inherited and involve genetic mutations that ensure the survival and prognosis of breast cancer cells. The most common genetic variations are responsible for hereditary breast cancer but are not limited to p53, BRCA1, and BRCA2. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are involved in genomic recombination, cell cycle monitoring, programmed cell death, and transcriptional regulation. When BRCA1 and 2 genetic variations are present in breast carcinoma, p53 irregularities become more prevalent. Both BRCA1/2 and p53 genes are involved in cell cycle monitoring. The present article discusses the current status of breast cancer research, spotlighting the tumor suppressor genes (BRCA1/2 and p53) along with structural activity relationship studies, FDA-approved drugs, and several therapy modalities for treating BC. Breast cancer drugs, accessible today in the market, have different side effects including anemia, pneumonitis, nausea, lethargy, and vomiting. Thus, the development of novel p53 and BRCA1/2 inhibitors with minimal possible side effects is crucial. We have covered compounds that have been examined subsequently (2020 onwards) in this overview which may be utilized as lead compounds. Further, we have covered mechanistic pathways to showcase the critical druggable targets and clinical and post-clinical drugs targeting them for their utility in BC.

Diet habits and nutrition quality significantly impact health and disease. Here is delve into the intricate relationship between diet habits, nutrition quality, and their direct impact on health and homeostasis. Focusing on (-)-Epicatechin, a natural flavanol found in various foods like green tea and cocoa, known for its positive effects on cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention. The investigation encompasses the absorption, metabolism, and distribution of (-)-Epicatechin in the human body, revealing a diverse array of metabolites in the circulatory system. Notably, (-)-Epicatechin demonstrates an ability to activate nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) through the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). While the precise role of GPER and its interaction with classical estrogen receptors (ERs) remains under scrutiny, the study employs computational methods, including density functional theory, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations, to assess the physicochemical properties and binding affinities of key (-)-Epicatechin metabolites with GPER. DFT analysis revealed distinct physicochemical properties among metabolites, influencing their reactivity and stability. Rigid and flexible molecular docking demonstrated varying binding affinities, with some metabolites surpassing (-)-Epicatechin. Molecular dynamics simulations highlighted potential binding pose variations, while MMGBSA analysis provided insights into the energetics of GPER-metabolite interactions. The outcomes elucidate distinct interactions, providing insights into potential molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of (-)-Epicatechin across varied biological contexts.

To address the urgent need for new antifungal agents, a collection of novel pyrazole carboxamide derivatives incorporating a benzimidazole group were innovatively designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their efficacy against fungal pathogens. The bioassay results revealed that the EC₅₀ values for the compounds A7 (3-(difluoromethyl)-1-methyl-N-(1-propyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide) and B11 (N-(1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-3-(difluoromethyl)-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide) against B. cinerea were notably low to 0.79 µg/mL and 0.56 µg/mL, respectively, demonstrating the potency comparable to that of the control fungicide boscalid, which has an EC₅₀ value of 0.60 µg/mL. Noteworthy is the fact that in vivo tests demonstrated that A7 and B11 showed superior protective effects on tomatoes and strawberries against B. cinerea infection when juxtaposed with the commercial fungicide carbendazim. The examination through scanning electron microscopy revealed that B11 notably alters the morphology of the fungal mycelium, inducing shrinkage and roughening of the hyphal surfaces. To elucidate the mechanism of action, the study on molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations was conducted, which suggested that B11 effectively interacts with crucial amino acid residues within the active site of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). This investigation contributes a novel perspective for the structural design and diversification of potential SDH inhibitors, offering a promising avenue for the development of antifungal therapeutics.

The cysteine residues of Keap1 such as C151, C273, and C288 are critical for its repressor activity on Nrf2. However, to date, no molecules have been identified to covalently modify all three cysteine residues for Nrf2 activation. Hence, in this study, our goal is to discover new Keap1 covalent inhibitors that can undergo a Michael addition with all three cysteine residues. The Keap1's intervening region was modeled using Modeller v10.4. Covalent docking and binding free energy were calculated using CovDock. Molecular dynamics (MD) was performed using Desmond. Various in-vitro assays were carried out to confirm the neuroprotective effects of the hit molecule in 6-OHDA-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Further, the best hit was evaluated in vivo for its ability to improve rotenone-induced postural instability and cognitive impairment in male rats. Finally, network pharmacology was used to summarize the complete molecular mechanism of the hit molecule. Chalcone and plumbagin were found to form the necessary covalent bonds with all three cysteine residues. However, MD analysis indicated that the binding of plumbagin is more stable than chalcone. Plumbagin displayed neuroprotective effects in 6-OHDA-treated SH-SY5Y cells at concentrations 0.01 and 0.1 μM. Plumbagin at 0.1 µM had positive effects on reactive oxygen species formation and glutathione levels. Plumbagin also improved postural instability and cognitive impairment in rotenone-treated male rats. Our network analysis indicated that plumbagin could also improve dopamine signaling. Additionally, plumbagin could exhibit anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity through the activation of Nrf2. Cumulatively, our study suggests that plumbagin is a novel Keap1 covalent inhibitor for Nrf2-mediated neuroprotection in PD.

In this article, novel thiazol-indolin-2-one derivatives 4a-f have been synthesized via treatment of thiosemicarbazide (1) with some isatin derivative 2a-f and N-(4-(2-bromoacetyl)phenyl)-4-tolyl-sulfonamide (3) under reflux in ethanol in the presence of triethyl amine (TEA). The structures of new products were elucidated by elemental and spectral analyses. Moreover, all compounds were investigated for their in vivo anti-inflammatory activity using celecoxib as a reference drug. The target compound 4b was the most active anti-inflammatory candidate and exhibited higher edema inhibition (EI = 38.50%) than that recorded by celecoxib (EI = 34.58%) after 3 h. Furthermore, the most active compounds 4b and 4f were subjected to a molecular docking study inside COX-2 enzyme to show their binding interactions. Both compounds 4b and 4f showed good fitting into COX-2 binding site with docking energy scores - 11.45 kcal/mol and - 10.48 kcal/mol, respectively which indicated that compound 4b revealed the most promising and effective anti-inflammatory potential.

Eighteen compounds derived from two sub-series, (HC1-HC9) and (HF1-HF9), were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidase (MAO). HC (chalcone) series showed higher inhibitory activity against MAO-B than against MAO-A, whereas the HF (chromone) series showed reversed inhibitory activity. Compound HC4 most potently inhibited MAO-B with an IC₅₀ value of 0.040 μM, followed by HC3 (IC₅₀ = 0.049 μM), while compound HF4 most potently inhibited MAO-A (IC₅₀ = 0.046 μM), followed by HF2 (IC₅₀ = 0.075 μM). The selectivity index (SI) values of HC4 and HF4 were 50.40 and 0.59, respectively. Structurally, HC4 (4-OC₂H₅ in B-ring) showed higher MAO-B inhibition than other derivatives, suggesting that the -OC₂H₅ substitution of the 4-position in the B-ring contributes to the increase of MAO-B inhibition, especially -OC₂H₅ (HC4) > -OCH₃ (HC3) > -F (HC7) > -CH₃ (HC2) > -Br (HC8) > -H (HC1) in order. In MAO-A inhibition, the substituent 4-OC₂H₅ in the B-ring of HF4 contributed to an increase in inhibitory activity, followed by -CH₃ (HF2), -F (HF7), -Br (HF8), -OCH₃ (HF3), and-H (HF1). In the enzyme kinetics and reversibility study, the K_i value of HC4 for MAO-B was 0.035 ± 0.005 μM, and that of HF4 for MAO-A was 0.035 ± 0.005 μM, and both were reversible competitive inhibitors. We confirmed that HC4 and HF4 significantly ameliorated rotenone-induced neurotoxicity, as evidenced by the reactive oxygen species and superoxide dismutase assays. This study also supports the significant effect of HC4 and HF4 on mitochondrial membrane potential in rotenone-induced toxicity. A lead molecule was used for molecular docking and dynamic simulation studies. These results show that HC4 is a potent selective MAO-B inhibitor and HF4 is a potent MAO-A inhibitor, suggesting that both compounds can be used as treatment agents for neurological disorders.

In order to achieve the high adsorption and catalytic performance of CO₂, the direct self-assembly of robust defect-engineered MOFs is a scarcely reported and challenging proposition. Herein, a highly robust nanoporous indium(III)-organic framework of {[In₂(CPPDA)(H₂O)₃](NO₃)·2DMF·3H₂O}_n (NUC-107) consisting of two kinds of inorganic units of chain-shaped [In(COO)₂(H₂O)]_n and watery binuclear [In₂(COO)₄(H₂O)₈] was generated by regulating the growth environment. It is worth mentioning that [In₂(COO)₄(H₂O)₈] is very rare in terms of its richer associated water molecules, implying that defect-enriched metal ions in the activated host framework can serve as strong Lewis acid. Compared to reported skeleton of [In₄(CPPDA)₂(μ₃-OH)₂(DMF)(H₂O)₂]_n (NUC-66) with tetranuclear clusters of [In₄(μ₃-OH)₂(COO)₁₀(DMF)(H₂O)₂] as nodes, the void volume of NUC-107 (50.7%) is slightly lower than the one of NUC-66 (52.8%). However, each In³⁺ ion in NUC-107 has an average of 1.5 coordinated small molecules (H₂O), which far exceeds the average of 0.75 in NUC-66 (H₂O and DMF). After thermal activation, NUC-107a characterizes the merits of unsaturated In³⁺ sites, free pyridine moieties, solvent-free nanochannels (10.2 × 15.7 Ų). Adsorption tests prove that the host framework of NUC-107a has a higher CO₂ adsorption (113.2 cm³/g at 273 K and 64.8 cm³/g at 298 K) than NUC-66 (91.2 cm³/g at 273 K and 53.0 cm³/g at 298 K). Catalytic experiments confirmed that activated NUC-107a with the aid of n-Bu₄NBr was capable of efficiently catalyzing the cycloaddition of CO₂ with epoxides into corresponding cyclic carbonates under the mild conditions. Under the similar conditions of 0.10 mol% MOFs, 0.5 mol% n-Bu₄NBr, 0.5 MP CO₂, 60 °C and 3 h, compared with NUC-66a, the conversion of SO to SC catalyzed by NUC-107a increased by 21%. Hence, this work offers a valuable perspective that the in situ creation of robust defect-engineered MOFs can be realized by regulating the growth environment.