Flavonoids: A Reservoir of Drugs from Nature.

Flavonoids are associated with many plants and dietary foods; their chemical study has always attracted the interest of chemists working in the area of natural products and synthetic chemistry. Research in phytochemistry has produced many useful drugs. The analogs of flavonoids exhibit anticancer, anti-tuberculosis, anti-diabetic, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anti-spermatogenic, and antipsychotic activities. This review article highlights flavonoids' significance and medicinal application and displays a comparative overview of the biological activities of flavonoids and flavonoid derivatives. It covers almost all necessary reports for future directions in drug discovery.

Synthesis of novel coumarin nucleus-based DPA drug-like molecular entity: In vitro DNA/Cu(II) binding, DNA cleavage and pro-oxidant mechanism for anticancer action.

Despite substantial research on cancer therapeutics, systemic toxicity and drug-resistance limits the clinical application of many drugs like cisplatin. Therefore, new chemotherapeutic strategies against different malignancies are needed. Targeted cancer therapy is a new paradigm for cancer therapeutics which targets pathways or chemical entities specific to cancer cells than normal ones. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells contain elevated copper which plays an integral role in angiogenesis. Copper is an important metal ion associated with chromatin DNA, particularly with guanine. Thus, targeting copper via copper-specific chelators in cancer cells can serve as an effective anticancer strategy. New pharmacophore di(2-picolyl)amine (DPA)-3(bromoacetyl) coumarin (ligand-L) was synthesized and characterized by IR, ESI-MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR. Binding ability of ligand-L to DNA/Cu(II) was evaluated using a plethora of biophysical techniques which revealed ligand-L-DNA and ligand-L-Cu(II) interaction. Competitive displacement assay and docking confirmed non-intercalative binding mode of ligand-L with ctDNA. Cyclic voltammetry confirmed ligand-L causes quasi reversible Cu(II)/Cu(I) conversion. Further, acute toxicity studies revealed no toxic effects of ligand-L on mice. To evaluate the chemotherapeutic potential and anticancer mechanism of ligand-L, DNA damage via pBR322 cleavage assay and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were studied. Results demonstrate that ligand-L causes DNA cleavage involving ROS generation in the presence of Cu(II). In conclusion, ligand-L causes redox cycling of Cu(II) to generate ROS which leads to oxidative DNA damage and pro-oxidant cancer cell death. These findings will establish ligand-L as a lead molecule to synthesize new molecules with better copper chelating and pro-oxidant properties against different malignancies.

Acetylcholinesterase and Cytotoxic Activity of Chemical Constituents of Clutia lanceolata Leaves and its Molecular Docking Study.

Phytochemical investigations of the ethanolic extract of leaves of Clutia lanceolata (Family: Euphorbiaceae) resulted in the isolation of four compounds viz. 3,4-dihydroxy-2-methylbenzoic acid (1), 2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyl (2), 1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthracene-9,10-dione (3) and 5-hydroxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,4,6-trien-3-one (4). Although all the isolated compounds were known but this was the first report from this plant source. Their structures were established on the basis of chemical and physical evidences viz. elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and mass spectral analysis. Structure of compound 2 and 4 was further authenticated by single-crystal X-ray analysis and density functional theory calculations. The isolated compounds (1-4) were screened for AChE enzyme inhibition assay in which compound 3 and 4 were found to be more potent AChE inhibitor. Molecular docking study of potent AChE inhibitor was performed to find the probable binding mode of the compounds into the active site of receptor. Moreover, the isolated compounds were also screened for in vivo cytotoxicity by brine shrimp lethality assay.

Potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: Synthesis, biological assay and docking study of nitro acridone derivatives.

The reaction of o-halobenzoic acid with aniline derivatives and their subsequent cyclization reaction yielded the acridone derivatives. The series of nitro acridone derivatives were prepared by Ullmann condensation in presence of copper as catalyst and were characterized by FTIR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and mass spectra. The structure of 5-nitro-(2-phenyl amino) benzoic acid (4) was confirmed by X-ray crystallography and was found to crystallize in P21/c space group. The in vitro efficacy of the compounds for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and antimicrobial inhibitory activities have been evaluated against the standard drugs Ampicillin and Gentamicin against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. 1,7-Dinitroacridone was found to be the most potent AChE inhibitor (IC50=0.22µM). Moreover, the compounds have been screened for their antioxidant activity using the DPPH assay. Also, docking study results were found to be in good agreement with the results obtained through in vitro experiments. The docking study further predicted possible binding conformation.

Structure elucidation and DNA binding specificity of natural compounds from Cassia siamea leaves: A biophysical approach.

A novel isoflavone, 5,6,7-trimethoxy-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (1) along with a known pyranocoumarin, Seselin (2) have been isolated from the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Cassia siamea (Family: Fabaceae). Compound 1 has been reported for the first time from any natural source and has not been synthesized so far. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physical evidences viz. elemental analysis, UV, FT-IR, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR and mass spectral analysis. Structure of compound (1) was further authenticated by single-crystal X-ray analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A multi-technique approach employing UV-Visible spectroscopy, fluorescence, KI quenching studies, competitive displacement assay, circular dichroism and viscosity studies have been utilized to probe the extent of interaction and possible binding modes of isolated compounds (1-2) with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA). Both the compounds were found to interact with DNA via non-intercalative binding mode with moderate proficiencies. Groove binding was the major interaction mode in the case of compound 2 while compound 1 probably interacts with DNA through electrostatic interactions. These studies provide deeper insight in understanding of DNA-drug (natural products) interaction which could be helpful to improve their bioavailability for therapeutic purposes.

Two new phenolic compounds from Ficus rumphii and their antiproliferative activity.

Two new compounds 2 and 4, along with two known compounds 1 and 3, were isolated for the first time from 95% ethanolic extract of the leaves of Ficus rumphii. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physical evidences (elemental analysis, UV, IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and mass spectra) and comparison with the literature compounds. Structural authentication of compound 4 was further validated by single-crystal X-ray analysis and DFT calculations. The compounds 1-4 were screened for in vitro cytotoxicity against cancer and non-cancer cells and also tested for genotoxicity (comet assay). Compounds 2 and 4 displayed significant activity against HL-60 with IC50 values of 3.3 and 2.3 µM, respectively. The results revealed that compound 4 has better prospectus to act as cancer chemotherapeutic candidate which warrants further in vivo anticancer investigations.

Synthesis, characterization, DNA-binding studies and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity of new 3-formyl chromone derivatives.

A series of new substituted 3-formyl chromone derivatives (4-6) were synthesized by one step reaction methodology by knoevenagel condensation, structurally similar to known bisintercalators. The new compounds were characterized by IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, MS and analytical data. The in vitro DNA binding profile of compounds (4-6) was carried out by absorption, fluorescence and viscosity measurements. It was found that synthesized compounds, especially compound 6 (evident from binding constant value) bind strongly with calf thymus DNA, presumably via an intercalation mode. Additionally, molecular docking studies of compounds (4-6) were carried out with B-DNA (PDBID: 1BNA) which revealed that partial intercalative mode of mechanism is operational in synthesized compounds (4-6) with CT-DNA. The binding constants evaluated from fluorescence spectroscopy of compounds with CT-DNA follows the order compound 6>compound 5>compound 4. All the compounds (4-6) were screened for acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay. It can be inferred from data, that compound (6) showed potent AChE inhibition having IC50=0.27µM, almost in vicinity to reference drug Tacrine (IC50=0.19µM).

Synthesis, bioassay, crystal structure and ab initio studies of Erlenmeyer azlactones.

Several 4-arylidene-2-phenyl-5(4H)-azlactones have been synthesized via Erlenmeyer method. The synthesized compounds have been characterized on the basis of systematic spectral studies (IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and MS). The compound (4Z)-4-(3,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)-2-phenyl-1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-one, C(18)H(15)NO(4), (5), crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with a=5.6793(3) Å, b=15.2038(7) Å, c=17.6919(10) Å, Mr=309.31, V=1527.64(14) Å(3), Z=4 and R=0.0547. The compound (4Z)-2-phenyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene)-1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-one, C(19)H(17)NO(5), (6) crystallizes in triclinic geometry with space group P-1, having unit cell parameters a=7.3814(3) Å, b=8.1446(3) Å, c=13.9845(5) Å, α=86.918(3), ß=83.314(2), γ=82.462(3), Mr=339.34, V=827.16(5) Å(3), Z=2 and R=0.0433. The DFT calculations of compounds (5) and (6) have been carried out to ascertain the stability of Z-conformer. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of all the compounds (1-6) was evaluated by the disk diffusion method against gram +ve and gram -ve microorganism and fungal strains. The MIC of the synthesized compounds was determined by agar well diffusion method in 96-well microtiter plate. All the synthesized compounds were also screened for their free radical scavenging activity by DPPH method.

7,7'-Dihy-droxy-4,4'-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H,2'H-4,6'-bichromene-2,2'-dione.

The title compound, C(20)H(16)O(6), which contains one chiral centre, crystallizes as a racemate. The mean planes of the two coumarin units make a dihedral angle of 88.07 (2)°. The pyrone ring containing the chiral centre adopts a sofa conformation. In the crystal, four mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a tetrameric ring with graph-set motif R(4) (4)(32). These tetramers are further linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network.