Computer-aided discovery of two novel chalcone-like compounds active and selective against Leishmania infantum.

Leishmaniasis are infectious diseases caused by parasites of genus Leishmania that affect affects 12 million people in 98 countries mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Effective treatments for this disease are urgently needed. In this study, we present a computer-aided approach to investigate a set of 32 recently synthesized chalcone and chalcone-like compounds to act as antileishmanial agents. As a result, nine most promising compounds and three potentially inactive compounds were experimentally evaluated against Leishmania infantum amastigotes and mammalian cells. Four compounds exhibited EC50 in the range of 6.2-10.98µM. In addition, two compounds, LabMol-65 and LabMol-73, exhibited cytotoxicity in macrophages >50µM that resulted in better selectivity compared to standard drug amphotericin B. These two compounds also demonstrated low cytotoxicity and high selectivity towards Vero cells. The results of target fishing followed by homology modeling and docking studies suggest that these chalcone compounds could act in Leishmania because of their interaction with cysteine proteases, such as procathepsin L. Finally, we have provided structural recommendations for designing new antileishmanial chalcones.

5-Nitrofuranes and 5-nitrothiophenes with anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity and ability to accumulate squalene.

Chagas disease represents a serious public health problem in South America. The first line of treatment is Nifurtimox and Benznidazole which generate toxic effects in treated patients. We have recently shown that a number of 5-nitrofuranes possess activity against Trypanosoma cruzi through oxidative stress and inhibition of parasite ergosterol biosynthesis, specifically at the level of squalene epoxidase. Here, we identify new 5-nitrofuranes and the thia-analogues with excellent effects on the viability of T. cruzi and adequate parasite/mammal selectivity indexes. Analysis of the free sterols from parasite incubated, during 120h, with the compounds showed that some of them accumulated squalene suggesting the squalene epoxidase activity inhibition of the parasite. Nifurtimox was able to accumulate squalene only at lower incubation times. Due to this fact some derivatives were also tested as antifungal agents. Quantitative structure-activity relationship studies were also performed showing relevant features for further new derivatives design. Taken together, the results obtained in the present work point to a more general effect of 5-nitrofuranes and 5-nitrothiophenes in trypanosomatids, opening potential therapeutic possibilities of them for these infectious diseases.

Design, synthesis, antimicrobial activity and molecular modeling studies of novel benzofuroxan derivatives against Staphylococcus aureus.

Molecular modification is a quite promising strategy in the design and development of drug analogs with better bioavailability, higher intrinsic activity and less toxicity. In the search of new leads with potential antimicrobial activity, a new series of 14 4-substituted [N'-(benzofuroxan-5-yl)methylene]benzohydrazides, nifuroxazide derivatives, were synthesized and tested against standard and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. The selection of the substituent groups was based on physicochemical properties, such as hydrophobicity and electronic effect. These properties were also evaluated through the lipophilic and electrostatic potential maps, respectively, considering the compounds with better biological profile. Twelve compounds exhibited similar bacteriostatic activity against standard and multidrug-resistant strains. The most active compound was the 4-CF(3) substituted derivative, which presented a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 14.6-13.1 microg/mL, and a ClogP value of 1.87. The results highlight the benzofuroxan derivatives as potential leads for designing new future antimicrobial drug candidates.

Heteroallyl-containing 5-nitrofuranes as new anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents with a dual mechanism of action.

New heteroallyl-containing 5-nitrofuranes were synthesized as potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents with a dual mechanism of action, oxidative stress and inhibition of membrane sterol biosynthesis. Some of the derivatives were found to have high and selective activity against the proliferative stages of the parasite, with IC(50) values against the clinically relevant intracellular amastigote forms in the low micromolar to sub-micromolar range. Oxidative stress was verified measuring cyanide dependent respiration. Inhibition of the de novo sterol biosynthesis at the level of squalene epoxidase was confirmed, using high-resolution gas-liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, by the disappearance of the parasite's mature sterols and the concomitant accumulation of squalene. The in vitro activities of these novel compounds were superior to that of nifurtimox, a nitrofuran currently used in the treatment of human Chagas' disease, and terbinafine, a commercially available allylamine-based squalene epoxidase inhibitor. The results support further in vivo studies of some of these nitrofuran derivatives.

A new class of nifuroxazide analogues: synthesis of 5-nitrothiophene derivatives with antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been an increasing problem worldwide since the initial reports over 40 years ago. To examine new drug leads with potential antibacterial activities, 14 p-substituted benzoic acid [(5-nitro-thiophen-2-yl)-methylene]-hydrazides were designed, synthesized, and tested against standard and multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains by serial dilution tests. All compounds exhibited significant bacteriostatic activity and some of them also showed bactericidal activity. The results confirmed the potential of this class of compounds as an alternative for the development of selective antimicrobial agents.

Nitrofurylsemicarbazone rhenium and ruthenium complexes as anti-trypanosomal agents.

Rhenium and ruthenium complexes of the type [Re(V)OCl(2)(PPh(3))L] and [Ru(II)Cl(2)(DMSO)(2)L], where L are 5-nitrofurylsemicarbazone derivatives, were prepared in an effort to obtain new anti-trypanosomal agents combining the recognized biological activity of these metals and the trypanocidal activity of the free ligands. Rhenium complexes resulted unstable in aqueous solution not allowing their use as potential drugs. On the other hand, complexation to ruthenium of the bioactive ligands lead to the lack of antiprotozoa activity even though free radical production and redox cycling induction were detected when the compounds were incubated in presence of Trypanosoma cruzi cells. The lack of anti-trypanosomal activity of ruthenium complexes could be explained on the basis of their high protein binding capacity and their high hydrophilicity.

Novel antitrypanosomal agents based on palladium nitrofurylthiosemicarbazone complexes: DNA and redox metabolism as potential therapeutic targets.

In the search for new therapeutic tools against American Trypanosomiasis palladium complexes with bioactive nitrofuran-containing thiosemicarbazones as ligands were obtained. Sixteen novel palladium (II) complexes with the formulas [PdCl2(HL)] and [Pd(L)2] were synthesized, and the crystal structure of [Pd(5-nitrofuryl-3-acroleine thiosemicarbazone)2] x 3DMSO was solved by X-ray diffraction methods. Most complexes showed higher in vitro growth inhibition activity against Trypanosoma cruzi than the standard drug Nifurtimox. In most cases, the activity of the ligand was maintained or even increased as a result of palladium complexation. In addition, the complexes' mode of antitrypanosomal action was investigated. Although the complexes showed strong DNA binding, all data strongly suggest that the main trypanocidal mechanism of action is the production of oxidative stress as a result of their bioreduction and extensive redox cycling. Moreover, the complexes were found to be irreversible inhibitors of trypanothione reductase.

New potent 5-nitrofuryl derivatives as inhibitors of Trypanosoma cruzi growth. 3D-QSAR (CoMFA) studies.

Growth inhibitory activity in vitro of sixteen new 5-nitrofuryl derivatives against the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of American trypanosomiasis, was studied. The designed compounds combine in the same molecule the recognized 5-nitrofuryl group, an oxidative stress promoter, and lateral chains that could interact with biomolecules such as trypanothione reductase. Some of the derivatives were found to be very active against the epimastigote form of the parasite, being near to 3.0-fold more active than the reference compound, nifurtimox. Moreover, three-dimensional requirements for activity were clearly observed using a 3D-QSAR study based on a comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). The best CoMFA model, r(2) = 0.970 and q(2) = 0.725, points to the importance of a specific hydrogen-bonding pattern around the carbonyl or thiocarbonyl moieties, as well as the requirement for hydrophobic lateral chains. Theoretical pharmacokinetics (Lipinski's rule, PSA) supports further in vivo studies.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of new potent 5-nitrofuryl derivatives as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents. Studies of trypanothione binding site of trypanothione reductase as target for rational design.

Design, using force-field calculations on the catalytic site of trypanothione reductase from Trypanosoma cruzi, has led to the development of new 5-nitrofuryl derivatives as potential anti-trypanosomal agents. The synthesized compounds were tested in vitro against T. cruzi and more than 75% of the prepared derivatives showed higher activity than nifurtimox. Compounds 5 and 11, hexyl 4-(5-nitrofurfurylidene)carbazate and N-hexyl 3-(5-nitrofuryl)propenamide, showed the highest in vitro trypanocidal effect reported to date for members of the nitrofuran family. Partition coefficients and energies for the single-electron reduction of compounds were theoretically determined. These properties could be not the major cause of the activities' differences. The physicochemical environment around E19, W22, C53 and Y111 residues within the trypanothione binding site of trypanothione reductase resulted a valuable target for the rational design of anti-trypanosomal drugs.

Potential tuberculostatic agents. Topliss application on benzoic acid [(5-nitro-thiophen-2-yl)-methylene]-hydrazide series.

Nitroaromatic compounds such as nifuroxazide are used in many human enteropathogenic bacteria infections without causing an increase in the plasmidial antibiotic resistance of the aerobic Gram-negative intestinal Enterobacteriaceae. For these reasons, these compounds have been synthesized using the rational approach of Topliss' decision tree. Generally, this approach allows us to obtain the most active derivative from the series in a few steps. These compounds were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro and the most active of the series identified. A new lead for potential tuberculostatic activity has been predicted and will be used in further QSAR studies.

Investigation of 5-nitrofuran derivatives: synthesis, antibacterial activity, and quantitative structure-activity relationships.

Three sets of antibacterial nitrofuran derivatives [set I, 5-R-substituted (Z)-2-(5-nitrofuran-2-ylmethylene)-3(2H)-benzofuranones (R = OCH(3), H, CH(3), C(2)H(5), nC(3)H(7), Cl, Br, CN, and NO(2)) and their 2-hydroxyphenyl and 2-acetoxyphenyl analogues; set II, 5-R-substituted (E)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(5-nitrofuryl)-2-propen-1-ones (R = H, CH(3), C(2)H(5), Cl, and NO(2)); and set III, 5-R-substituted (E)-1-(2-acetoxyphenyl)-3-(5-nitrofuryl)-2-propen-1-ones (R = H, CH(3); C(2)H(5), Cl, and NO(2))] were prepared and tested against a Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, strain ATCC-25923) and a Gram-negative bacterium (Caulobacter crescentus, strain NA 1000). QSAR equations derived for the IC(50) values against both bacteria show negative contributions of two terms: an electronic one, expressed either by sigma, the Hammett substituent constant, or by E, the cyclic voltametric reduction potential. Another term described by an indicator variable, I(abs), is assigned the value of 0 for set I compounds and the value of 1 for sets II and III. No important contribution of the hydrophobic factor was found. For the three sets, the QSAR regressions suggest that the same structural features describe the activities for both bacteria and that, although reduction is a necessary step, it should not be the determining one. These results agree with those found for the QSAR of 5-nitroimidazole analogues.

Synthesis and biological activity of nifuroxazide and analogs. II.

Nifuroxazyde and six analogs were synthesized by varying the substitute from the para-position of the benzenic ring and the heteroatom of the heterocyclic ring. The MIC of seven resultant compounds was determined by serial dilutions, testing the ATCC 25923 strain of Staphylococcus aureus. A significant increase in the anti-microbial activity of thyophenic analogs, as compared with furanic and pyrrholic analogs, was observed. In addition, unlike the cyano and hydroxyl groups, the acetyl group promoted anti-microbial activity.

Synthesis and biological activity of nifuroxazide and analogs.

Nifuroxazide and thirteen analogs were synthesized from substituted benzoic acids and minimal inhibitory concentrations were determined using the serial dilution tests, in three sequential steps. Nifuroxazide and chloramphenicol were used as reference standards. The tests were performed in TSB against the standard bacterial strain of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923.