Deciphering molecular mechanics in the taste masking ability of Maltodextrin: Developing pediatric formulation of Oseltamivir for viral pandemia.

Present research work was aimed at masking the bitter taste of anti- viral drug Oseltamivir phosphate (Ost) by complexing it with pea starch maltodextrin- Kleptose Linecaps® (Mld). The Ost groups involved in triggering the bitter sensation were identified by computationally assessing its interaction with human bitter taste receptor hTAS2R 38. A series of exhaustive molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was run using Schrodinger® suite to understand the type of interaction of Ost with Mld. Experimentally, complexes of Ost with Mld were realized by solution method. The complexes were characterized using differential scanning colorimetry (DSC), fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), hot stage microscopy (HSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), proton NMR (1H-NMR) and Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR). Ost-oral dispersible mini tablets (ODMT) were prepared by direct compression and optimised using mixture designs. Finally, bitter taste perception of Ost-ODMT was evaluated in healthy human volunteers of either sex. Computational assessment, involving interaction of Ost with bitter receptor, predicted the involvement of free amino group of Ost in triggering the bitter response whereas, MD simulation predicted the formation of stable complex between Ost and double helical confirmation of Mld. Different characterization techniques confirmed the findings of MD simulation. Results from the taste assessment in human volunteers revealed a significant reduction in bitter taste of prepared Ost-ODMT.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies of Novel Diphenyl Ethers.

BACKGROUND: The well-known antibacterial agent Triclosan (TCL) that targets bacterial enoylacyl protein reductase has been described to inhibit human fatty acid synthase (FASN) via the enoylacyl reductase domain. A Literature survey indicates that TCL is selectively toxic to cancer cells and furthermore might indeed reduce cancer incidence in vivo. A recent study found that TCL inhibits FASN by acting as an allosteric protein-protein interface (PPI) inhibitor. It induces dimer orientation changes that effect in a downstream reorientation of catalytic residues in the NADPH binding site proposing TCL as a viable scaffold to design a superior molecule that might have more inhibitory potential. This unveils tons of potential interaction space to take advantage of future inhibitor design. OBJECTIVES: Synthesis of TCL mimicking novel diphenyl ether derivatives, biological evaluation as potential antiproliferative agents and molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies. METHODS: A series of novel N-(1-(3-hydroxy-4-phenoxyphenyl)-3-oxo-3-phenylpropyl)acetamides (3a-n) and N-(3(3-hydroxy-4phenoxyphenyl)-3-oxo-1-phenylpropyl) acetamides (6a-n) were designed, synthesized, characterized and evaluated against HepG2, A-549, MCF-7 and Vero cell lines. The induction of antiproliferative activity of selected compounds (3d and 6c) was done by AO/EB (acridine orange/ethidium bromide) nuclear staining method, DNA fragmentation study, and cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation study was also performed. RESULTS: Among the tested compounds, compound 3d was most active (IC50 13.76 ± 0.43 µM) against A-549 cell line. Compounds 3d and 3g were found to be moderately active with IC50 30.56 ± 1.1 µM and 25.05 ± 0.8 µM respectively against MCF-7 cell line. Morphological analysis of A-549 cells treated with 3d and 6c clearly demonstrated the reduction of cell viability and induction of apoptosis. DNA fragmentation was observed as a characteristic of apoptosis in treated cells. Further, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry confirmed that compounds 3d and 6c significantly arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Molecular docking study demonstrated that these compounds exhibit high affinity for the human fatty acid synthase (hFASN) target. Molecular dynamics simulation study of the most active compound 3d was performed for calculating binding free energies using Molecular Mechanics-Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA). CONCLUSION: Compound 3d (IC50 13.76 ± 0.43 µM) has been identified as a potential lead molecule for anticancer activity against A-549 cells followed by 3l, 6c, and 3g. Thus, the design of diphenyl ether derivatives with enhanced affinity to the binding site of hER may lead to the discovery of potential anticancer agents.

Neutralization of Naja naja venom induced lethality, edema and myonecrosis by ethanolic root extract of Coix lacryma-jobi.

Coix lacryma-jobi, commonly known as job's tear, is a tall grain-bearing tropical plant of the family Poaceae. The ethanolic root extract (ERE) of the plant was investigated for the first time for anti-venom activity against Indian cobra Naja naja venom. In-vitro studies were conducted to determine neutralization of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity of the Naja naja venom by the ERE. ERE showed significant inhibition of PLA2 activity, which was further confirmed from effective neutralization of human red blood cells (HRBC) lysis induced by the venom. In addition, venom-induced proteolysis, fibrinogenolysis, DNase activity were also neutralized by the ERE, which contained carbohydrates, glycolides, resins and tannins. Oral administration of ERE at doses levels 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg effectively inhibited Naja naja venom-induced lethality in mice. Myotoxicity induced by Naja naja venom, measured by creatine kinase activity in rats was significantly neutralized by the ERE at a dose of 200 mg/kg. Stigmasterol, as one of the component isolated from the ERE, was found to have venom phospholipase A2 inhibition potential, which was confirmed by molecular docking studies with PLA2. In summary, these studies indicate the ability of ERE of Coix lacryma-jobi to effectively neutralize the toxic effects of the venom is, in part, contributed by the inhibition of PLA2 activity among other venom-derived factors.

Inclusion Complexation of Etodolac with Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin and Auxiliary Agents: Formulation Characterization and Molecular Modeling Studies.

The present investigation was aimed to prepare inclusion complexes of a therapeutically important nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, etodolac (ETD) with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) and to study the effect of l-arginine (l-Arg) as an auxiliary agent on the complexation efficiency of HP-ß-CD to improve aqueous solubility and the dissolution property of ETD. The binary and ternary complexes were prepared by physical mixing, coevaporation, and spray drying methods. The complexes were characterized using differential scanning colorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies. The mechanism of inclusion interaction of guest and host was established through 1H NMR, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics studies. On the basis of preliminary screening studies, l-Arg was found to be the most efficient auxiliary agent for the present research problem. The change in crystallinity of ETD was evident from DSC and PXRD studies which indicated the formation of new solid forms. A remarkable increase in apparent stability constant (Kc) and complexation efficiency (CE) of HP-ß-CD was observed in the presence of l-Arg in ternary complexes with improvement in solubility and dissolution of ETD than binary complexes. However, inclusion complexes of ETD obtained by computational studies is in good correlation with the results obtained through experimental methods. More stable complex formation with l-Arg was confirmed by molecular simulation studies too. Thus, the present study led to the conclusion that the ternary complex of ETD-HP-ß-CD-l-Arg could be an innovative approach to augment the solubility and dissolution behavior of ETD.

Computational Modelling of Dapsone Interaction With Dihydropteroate Synthase in Mycobacterium leprae; Insights Into Molecular Basis of Dapsone Resistance in Leprosy.

The molecular basis for determination of resistance to anti-leprosy drugs is the presence of point mutations within the genes of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) that encode active drug targets. The downstream structural and functional implications of these point mutations on drug targets were scarcely studied. In this study, we utilized computational tools to develop native and mutant protein models for 5 point mutations at codon positions 53 and 55 in 6-hydroxymethyl-7, 8-dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) of M. leprae, an active target for dapsone encoded by folp1 gene, that confer resistance to dapsone. Molecular docking was performed to identify variations in dapsone interaction with mutant DHPS in terms of hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and energy changes. Schrodinger Suite 2014-3 was used to build homology models and in performing molecular docking. An increase in volume of the binding cavities of mutant structures was noted when compared to native form indicating a weakening in interaction (60.7 Å(3) in native vs. 233.6 Å(3) in Thr53Ala, 659.9 Å(3) in Thr53Ile, 400 Å(3) for Thr53Val, 385 Å(3) for Pro55Arg, and 210 Å(3) for Pro55Leu). This was also reflected by changes in hydrogen bonds and decrease in hydrophobic interactions in the mutant models. The total binding energy (ΔG) decreased significantly in mutant forms when compared to the native form (-51.92 Kcal/mol for native vs. -35.64, -35.24, -46.47, -47.69, and -41.36 Kcal/mol for mutations Thr53Ala, Thr53Ile, Thr53Val, Pro55Arg, and Pro55Leu, respectively. In brief, this analysis provided structural and mechanistic insights to the degree of dapsone resistance contributed by each of these DHPS mutants in leprosy.

Novel isatinyl thiosemicarbazones derivatives as potential molecule to combat HIV-TB co-infection.

A series of novel 5-substituted-1-(arylmethyl/alkylmethyl)-1H-indole-2,3-dione-3-(N-hydroxy/methoxy thiosemicarbazone) analogues were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-HIV activity and anti-tubercular activity in both log phase and starved cultures. The compound 2-(1-{[4-(4-chlorophenyl)tetrahydropyrazin-1(2H)-yl]methyl}-5-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-3H-indol-3-yliden)-N-(methyloxy)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (B21) displayed promising activity against the replication of HIV-1 cells (EC(50) 1.69 µM). In anti-mycobacterial screening B21 proved effective in inhibiting the growth of both log phase (MIC 3.30 µM) and starved (MIC 12.11 µM) MTB cultures. Isocitrate lyase enzyme having momentous implication in persistent TB was shown to be inhibited by 1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-7-[4-{[5-methyl-3-((Z)-2-{[(methyloxy)amino]carbothioyl}hydrazono)-2-oxo-1H-indol-1(2H)-yl]methyl}tetrahydropyrazin-1(2H)-yl]-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (B30) with 63.44% inhibition at 10 mM.

5-Nitro-2-furoic acid hydrazones: design, synthesis and in vitro antimycobacterial evaluation against log and starved phase cultures.

Various 5-nitro-2-furoic acid hydrazones were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro activities against log and starved phase culture of two mycobacterial species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isocitrate lyase (ICL) enzyme inhibition studies. Among twenty one compounds, 5-nitro-N'-[(5-nitro-2-furyl)methylidene]-2-furohydrazide (4o) was found to be the most active compound in vitro with MICs of 2.65 and 10.64 microM against log- and starved-phase culture of MTB. Compound 4o also showed good enzyme inhibition of MTB ICL at 10 microM. The docking studies also confirmed the binding potential of the compounds at the ICL active site.

5-Nitro-2,6-dioxohexahydro-4-pyrimidinecarboxamides: synthesis, in vitro antimycobacterial activity, cytotoxicity, and isocitrate lyase inhibition studies.

Fourteen 5-nitro-2,6-dioxohexahydro-4-pyrimidinecarboxamides (3a-n) were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (MTB), multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and Mycobacterium smegmatis (MC(2)), as well as their cytotoxicity and MTB isocitrate lyase (ICL) inhibition activity. 1-Cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-8-methoxy-7-(3-methyl)-4-[(5-nitro-2,6-dioxohexahydro-4-pyrimidinyl)carbonyl]piperazino-4-oxo-1,4-dihydro-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid (3n) was found to be the most active compound in vitro with MICs of < 0.17 and 0.17 µM against log-phase MTB and MDR-TB, respectively. Some compounds showed 20-45% inhibition against MTB ICL at 10 µM.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial evaluation of novel Phthalazin-4-ylacetamides against log- and starved phase cultures.

Twenty four novel 2-[3-(4-bromo-2-fluorobenzyl)-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1-phthalazinyl]acetic acid amides were synthesized from phthalic anhydride and were subjected to in vitro and in vivo evaluation against log- and starved phase of mycobacterial species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis isocitrate lyase enzyme inhibition studies. Among the compounds screened, 2-(2-(4-bromo-2-fluorobenzyl)-1,2-dihydro-1-oxophthalazin-4-yl)-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)acetamide (5j) inhibited all eight mycobacterial species with MIC's ranging from 0.08 to 5.05 microm and was non-toxic to Vero cells till 126.43 microm. Four compounds were tested against starved culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and they inhibited with MIC's ranging from 3.78 to 23.2 microm. Some compounds showed 40-66% inhibition against Mycobacterium tuberculosis isocitrate lyase enzyme at 10 microm. The docking studies also confirmed the binding potential of the compounds at the isocitrate lyase active site. In the in vivo animal model, 5j reduced the mycobacterial load in lung and spleen tissues with 1.38 and 2.9-log10 protections, respectively, at 25 mg/kg body weight dose.

Discovery of novel antitubercular 2,10-dihydro-4aH-chromeno[3,2-c]pyridin-3-yl derivatives.

Twenty two novel 2,10-dihydro-4aH-chromeno[3,2-c]pyridin-3-yl derivatives were synthesized by reacting 3-formyl chromone, (sub)-2-amino pyridines, N1-(prop-2-ynyl)arylamides in the presence of indium triflate. The compounds were evaluated their preliminary in-vitro and in-vivo activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (MTB) and multi-drug resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Among them N-[(4aS)-2-(3-methyl-2-pyridinyl)-10-oxo-2,10-dihydro-4aH-chromeno[3,2-c]pyridin-3-yl]methyl-4-ethylbenzenecarboxamide 4d was found to be the most active compound in-vitro with MIC's of 0.22 and 0.07 microg/mL against MTB and MDR-TB respectively. In the in-vivo animal model 4d decreased the bacterial load in lung and spleen tissues with 1.11 and 2.94-log10 protections respectively at 25 mg/kg body weight dose.

Novel phthalazinyl derivatives: synthesis, antimycobacterial activities, and inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isocitrate lyase enzyme.

Novel 2-[3-(4-bromo-2-fluorobenzyl)-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1-phthalazinyl]acetic acid hydrazones were synthesized from phthalic anhydride by a six step synthesis and evaluated for in vitro, in vivo activities against eight mycobacterial species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isocitrate lyase (ICL) enzyme inhibition studies. Among twenty six compounds N'1-[(4-nitrophenyl)methylene]-2-[3-(4-bromo-2-fluorobenzyl)-4-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-phthalazinyl]ethanohydrazide (7j) was found to be the most active compound in-vitro with MIC's of 0.18 and <0.09 microM against log-phase cultures of MTB and multi-drug resistant MTB respectively. Compound 7j inhibited all the eight mycobacterial species with MIC ranging from <0.09-12.25 microM and was not toxic to Vero cell lines till 122.5 microM. Seven compounds were tested against starved culture of MTB and they inhibited with MIC's ranging from 2.88-8.91 microM. Some compounds showed 45-61% inhibition against MTB ICL enzyme at 10 microM. In the in vivo animal model 7j decreased the bacterial load in lung and spleen tissues with 1.87 and 3.03-log10 protections respectively at 25 mg/kg body weight dose.