Chemistry & Biodiversity最新文献

Cover Feature. A series of diversified glucosamine derivatives was synthesized and their antifungal activity was examined against crop phytopathogens. One of compounds showed remarkable antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum with EC₅₀ value of 3.96 μg/mL. 3D-QSAR model with the statistically recommended values (r²=0.915, q²=0.872) showed that positive charge group or bulky group in the benzyl ring was favorable for the antifungal activity. More details can be found in article number e202401052 by Guoyu Yang and co-workers (see 10.1002/cbdv.202401052).

Front Cover. The design and synthesis of molecules with anti-tumor activity are of paramount importance in the field of medicinal chemistry. Multi-substituted alkenes and heterocyclic compounds represent two scaffolds that demonstrate significant anti-tumor properties. By integrating hetero-aromatic rings into the multi-substituted alkene framework, a series of novel bioactive molecules can be developed. In article number e202401469, Meng-Yao Li and co-workers synthesized a variety of trisubstituted alkenes incorporating nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms, and subsequently evaluated their in vitro activities against gallbladder and pancreatic cancers (see 10.1002/cbdv.202401469).

In this study, the effects of hot air drying (HAD), freeze-drying (FD), and air-impingement jet drying (JD) on the physicochemical characteristics of 'Wushan plum' were analyzed. The results indicated three drying methods affected the browning, ascorbic acids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities. The ascorbic acid content in HAD, FD, and JD samples was1.75±0.38, 5.88±0.56, and 4.73±0.75 mg/100 g, respectively, and the content of total phenolic compounds was 2.76±0.10, 3.05±0.04, and 2.83±0.24 mg/g, respectively. HAD samples had the lowest antioxidant activities as determined by DPPH·, ABTS+·, and FRAP assays. In addition, 11 phenolic compounds in 'Wushan plum' were quantified by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. The results showed that quercetin glycoside was the main compound, and its content was significantly reduced by these three drying methods. In all, this result indicated that JD would be a good choice for dying 'Wushan plum' considering the drying time, drying efficiency, and the integrated quality of the dried sample.

Two new sphingosine derivatives (1 and 2), two new vicinal diol analogs (3 and 4), one new diol analog (5), one new fatty acid (9), together with 19 known compounds (6-8, 10-24), were isolated from Purpureocillium lilacinum XIA-9. Their structures were determined by detailed analysis of the 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and optical rotatory data. Fusarubin 3-methyl ether (17) exhibited potent inhibition on RSL3 induced ferroptosis with the EC50 value of 0.1 μM.

The construction of compound databases (DB) is a strategy for the rational search of bioactive compounds and drugs for new and old diseases. In order to bring greater impact to drug discovery, we propose the development of a DB of bioactive antiviral compounds. Several research groups have presented evidence of the antiviral activity of medicinal plants and compounds isolated from these plants. We believe that compiling these discoveries in a DB would benefit the scientific research community and increase the speed to discover new potential drugs and medicines. Thus, we present the Antiviral Medicinal Plant and Natural Product DB (avMpNp DB) as an important source for acquiring, organizing, and distributing knowledge related to natural products and antiviral drug discovery. The avMpNp DB contains a series of chemically diverse compounds with drug-like profiles. To test the potential of this DB, SARS-CoV-2 M^pro and PL^pro enzymatic inhibition assays were performed for available compounds resulting in IC₅₀ values ranging from 6.308±0.296 to 15.795±0.155 μM. As a perspective, artificial intelligence tools will be added to implement computational predictions, as well as other chemical functionalities that allow data validation.

The discovery and development of efficient VEGFR-2 inhibitors has become a research hotspot in cancer treatment. In this work, a series of new benzofuran-based chalcone derivatives have been prepared, and in vitro anticancer activities have been evaluated. The results revealed that derivatives showed selective cytotoxic activity against HCC1806, Hela and A549 cell lines, especially 5c exhibited excellent inhibitory effect on VEFGR-2 (IC50 = 1.07 nM). The molecular docking study indicated that 5c had an obvious binding site with the target VEGFR-2 (PDB ID: 4BSK). Therefore, the benzofuran-based chalcone derivatives could be potent VEGFR-2 inhibitors.

Secondary metabolites synthesized by endophytic fungi have garnered significant interest for their broad applications in treating various ailments. In this study involving 20 plant samples, 11 endophytic fungi were isolated and cultured, and Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae EF-9, derived from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, demonstrated greater antibacterial efficacy than the other isolated endophytes. Phylogenetic analyses using 18S rRNA gene confirmed the EF-9 identity as L. pseudotheobromae. Following mass production, the active compound was partially purified using column chromatography. The fraction collected at the 60th min exhibited good antibacterial activity against Bacillus coagulans (MTCC 6735) and Shigella flexneri (ATCC 12022), with an inhibition zone of approximately 20 mm in diameter. UV spectral studies revealed a wide absorption band at 430 nm. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) of the active fraction showed a distinct peak with a retention time of 4.216 min at 430 nm absorbance. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) identified the active compound in the L. pseudotheobromae EF-9 culture broth extract as Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, which displayed a peak at 16.856 min and covered 66.69% of the area in the spectral analysis.

New thalidomide analogs have been designed and synthesized by hybridizing the immunomodulatory gutarimide moiety with three antiproliferative nuclei: quinazolinedione, phthalazinedione, and quinoxalinone. The biological results revealed the strong impact of quinazoline derivatives 7a and 28, and phthalazine based 20a against HepG-2, MCF-7, PC3, and HCT-116 cell lines, compared to thalidomide. In particular, compound 20a was the most promising as it had far better biological activity than thalidomide with regard to inhibition of TNF-α, IL-6, caspase 3, COX-I/II, and VEGFR-2, as well as cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis rate enhancement in MCF-7 cells, the most sensitive cell line to the current new molecules. Compound 20a caused reduction in levels of TNF-α and IL-6 by 75.22% and 82.51%, respectively. It elevated the caspase-3 level by 7.21-fold. Furthermore, IC50 against COX-I, COX-II, and VEGFR-2 were 0.65 μM, 0.33 μM, and 232 nM, respectively. In addition, it raised the apoptosis rate from 65.65% to 99.89%. Moreover, 20a was further examined through a docking study and a 200 ns molecular dynamics simulation for its complex with VEGFR-2, along with computational ADME properties. This work suggests the high significance of compounds 20a, 7a and 28, as lead compounds for development of new effective immunomodulatory antitumor drugs.

The alkaloid ingredients were considered to be responsible for the diverse pharmacological activities of the medicinal plant Tabernaemontana corymbosa (Roxb. ex Wall.). In the current finding, the systematic phytochemical investigation on T. corymbosa have been achieved. One new indole alkaloid tabercorympyline A (1) along with seven known indoles (2-8) were isolated from T. corymobsa. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemical calculations. Tabercorympyline A (1) possessed the indole skeleton with rare N-containing nine membered ring. Chemical information network was used to comprehensively discover the clues for the glioma therapeutic leads from T. corymbosa alkaloids (TA). Inspired by chemical information network analysis, all the isolated compounds have been further validated their anti glioma activities in glioma cell line U251. Interestingly, the compounds 2, 3, 5, and 6 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on glioma cells in vitro. Molecular docking was ultimately used to indicate possible binding performance and mechanism between active compounds (2-3) and the core targets. This study sequentially assembled chemical information and network analysis, phytochemistry, molecular docking, and in vitro activity validation to comprehensively explore the effective compounds, related targets, and potential mechanisms of TA therapy for glioma.

A new series of acyl hydrazones have been synthesized from 4-chloro-8-nitro-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde. These compounds were characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. Density functional theoretical (DFT) studies were conducted to understand the correlation between electronic parameters and biological activity. The biological activity of the compounds was theoretically examined through molecular docking and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) analysis. The compounds demonstrated high absorption rates and were found to be non-hepatotoxic. Preliminary cytotoxicity screenings against HeLa cell lines identified compound 7 as the most potent, with an IC50 value of 18.8 μM. This compound was further selected for bioimaging studies. The results indicate that compound 7 induces apoptosis at its IC50 concentration, suggesting its potential as an anticancer agent.