Antitubercular activity assessment of fluorinated chalcones, 2-aminopyridine-3-carbonitrile and 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitrile derivatives: In vitro, molecular docking and in-silico drug likeliness studies.

A series of newer previously synthesized fluorinated chalcones and their 2-amino-pyridine-3-carbonitrile and 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitrile derivatives were screened for their in vitro antitubercular activity and in silico methods. Compound 40 (MIC~ 8 µM) was the most potent among all 60 compounds, whose potency is comparable with broad spectrum antibiotics like ciprofloxacin and streptomycin and three times more potent than pyrazinamide. Additionally, compound 40 was also less selective and hence non-toxic towards the human live cell lines-LO2 in its MTT assay. Compounds 30, 27, 50, 41, 51, and 60 have exhibited streptomycin like activity (MIC~16-18 µM). Fluorinated chalcones, pyridine and pyran derivatives were found to occupy prime position in thymidylate kinase enzymatic pockets in molecular docking studies. The molecule 40 being most potent had shown a binding energy of -9.67 Kcal/mol, while docking against thymidylate kinase, which was compared with its in vitro MIC value (~8 µM). These findings suggest that 2-aminopyridine-3-carbonitrile and 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitrile derivatives are prospective lead molecules for the development of novel antitubercular drugs.

Bioactivity and In Silico Studies of Isoquinoline and Related Alkaloids as Promising Antiviral Agents: An Insight.

Viruses are widely recognized as the primary cause of infectious diseases around the world. The ongoing global pandemic due to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 further added fuel to the fire. The development of therapeutics becomes very difficult as viruses can mutate their genome to become more complex and resistant. Medicinal plants and phytocompounds could be alternative options. Isoquinoline and their related alkaloids are naturally occurring compounds that interfere with multiple pathways including nuclear factor-κB, mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase, and inhibition of Ca2+-mediated fusion. These pathways play a crucial role in viral replication. Thus, the major goal of this study is to comprehend the function of various isoquinoline and related alkaloids in viral infections by examining their potential mechanisms of action, structure-activity relationships (SAR), in silico (particularly for SARS-CoV-2), in vitro and in vivo studies. The current advancements in isoquinoline and related alkaloids as discussed in the present review could facilitate an in-depth understanding of their role in the drug discovery process.

Anti-MRSA Constituents from Ruta chalepensis (Rutaceae) Grown in Iraq, and In Silico Studies on Two of Most Active Compounds, Chalepensin and 6-Hydroxy-rutin 3',7-Dimethyl ether.

Ruta chalepensis L. (Rutaceae), a perennial herb with wild and cultivated habitats, is well known for its traditional uses as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic agent, and in the treatment of rheumatism, nerve diseases, neuralgia, dropsy, convulsions and mental disorders. The antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts from the fruits, leaves, stem and roots of R. chalepensis were initially evaluated against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacterial strains and a strain of the fungus Candida albicans. Phytochemical investigation afforded 19 compounds, including alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoid glycosides, a cinnamic acid derivative and a long-chain alkane. These compounds were tested against a panel of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, i.e., ATCC 25923, SA-1199B, XU212, MRSA-274819 and EMRSA-15. The MIC values of the active compounds, chalepin (9), chalepensin (10), rutamarin (11), rutin 3'-methyl ether (14), rutin 7,4'-dimethyl ether (15), 6-hydroxy-rutin 3',7-dimethyl ether (16) and arborinine (18) were in the range of 32-128 µg/mL against the tested MRSA strains. Compounds 10 and 16 were the most active compounds from R. chalepensis, and were active against four out of six tested MRSA strains, and in silico studies were performed on these compounds. The anti-MRSA activity of compound 16 was comparable to that of the positive control norfloxacin (MICs 32 vs 16 µg/mL, respectively) against the MRSA strain XU212, which is a Kuwaiti hospital isolate that possesses the TetK tetracycline efflux pump. This is the first report on the anti-MRSA property of compounds isolated from R. chalepensis and relevant in silico studies on the most active compounds.

Antimicrobial Diterpenes: Recent Development From Natural Sources.

Antimicrobial resistance has been posing an alarming threat to the treatment of infectious diseases over the years. Ineffectiveness of the currently available synthetic and semisynthetic antibiotics has led the researchers to discover new molecules with potent antimicrobial activities. To overcome the emerging antimicrobial resistance, new antimicrobial compounds from natural sources might be appropriate. Secondary metabolites from natural sources could be prospective candidates in the development of new antimicrobial agents with high efficacy and less side effects. Among the natural secondary metabolites, diterpenoids are of crucial importance because of their broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, which has put it in the center of research interest in recent years. The present work is aimed at reviewing recent literature regarding different classes of natural diterpenes and diterpenoids with significant antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiprotozoal activities along with their reported structure-activity relationships. This review has been carried out with a focus on relevant literature published in the last 5 years following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 229 diterpenoids from various sources like plants, marine species, and fungi are summarized in this systematic review, including their chemical structures, classification, and significant antimicrobial activities together with their reported mechanism of action and structure-activity relationships. The outcomes herein would provide researchers with new insights to find new credible leads and to work on their synthetic and semisynthetic derivatives to develop new antimicrobial agents.

Design, Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Dichloro Substituted Chalcones and Dihydropyrazole Derivatives for Their Antifungal, Antitubercular and Antiproliferative Activities.

Infectious diseases caused by fungi and mycobacteria pose an important problem for humankind. Similarly, cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of novel agents to combat the deadly problems of cancer, tuberculosis, and also fungal infections. Hence, in the present study, we designed, synthesized, and characterized 30 compounds including 15 chalcones (2-16) and 15 dihydropyrazoles (17-31) containing dichlorophenyl moiety and also screened these compounds for their antifungal, antitubercular, and antiproliferative activities. Among these compounds, the dihydropyrazoles showed excellent antifungal and antitubercular activities whereas the chalcones exhibited promising antiproliferative activity. Among the dihydropyrazoles, compound 31 containing 2-thienyl moiety showed promising antifungal activity (MIC 5.35 µM), whereas compounds 22 and 24 containing 2,4-difluorophenyl and 4-trifluoromethyl scaffolds revealed significant antitubercular activity with the MICs of 3.96 and 3.67 µM, respectively. Compound 16 containing 2-thienyl moiety in the chalcone series showed the highest anti-proliferative activity with an IC50 value of 17 ± 1 µM. The most active compounds identified through this study could be considered as starting points in the development of drugs with potential antifungal, antitubercular, and antiproliferative activities.

Terpenes from Zingiber montanum and Their Screening against Multi-Drug Resistant and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Bioassay directed isolation of secondary metabolites from the rhizomes of Zingiber montanum (Fam. Zingiberaceae) led to the isolation of mono-, sesqui-, and di-terpenes. The compounds were characterized as (E)-8(17),12-labdadiene-15,16-dial (1), zerumbol (2), zerumbone (3), buddledone A (4), furanodienone (5), germacrone (6), borneol (7), and camphor (8) by analysing one-dimensional (1D) (¹H and 13C) and two-dimensional (2D) (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) NMR data and mass spectra. Among these terpenes, compounds 1 and 2 revealed potential antibacterial activity (minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values 32⁻128 µg/mL; 0.145⁻0.291 mM)) against a series of clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Total synthesis of acylphloroglucinols and their antibacterial activities against clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

Bioassay-directed drug discovery efforts focusing on various species of the genus Hypericum led to the discovery of a number of new acylphloroglucinols including (S,E)-1-(2-((3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl)oxy)-4,6-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methylbutan-1-one (6, olympicin A) from H. olympicum, with MICs ranging from 0.5 to 1 mg/L against a series of clinical isolates of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. The promising activity and interesting chemistry of olympicin A prompted us to carry out the total synthesis of 6 and a series of analogues in order to assess their structure-activity profile as a new group of antibacterial agents. Following the synthesis of 6 and structurally-related acylphloroglucinols 7-15 and 18-24, their antibacterial activities against a panel of S. aureus strains were evaluated. The presence of an alkyloxy group consisting of 8-10 carbon atoms ortho to a five-carbon acyl substituent on the phloroglucinol core are important structural features for promising anti-staphylococcal activity.

Anti-Staphylococcal Calopins from Fruiting Bodies of Caloboletus radicans.

Three new and seven known calopins were isolated from Caloboletus radicans. The structures of the new cyclocalopins, 8-deacetylcyclocalopin B (1), cyclocalopin A-15-ol (2), and 12,15-dimethoxycyclocalopin A (3), were mainly elucidated by NMR and MS data analysis. The stereochemistry of 1-3 was assigned based on NOE correlations and coupling constants and by comparison of their CD spectra with those of similar known calopins. While 1-10 were inactive against two cancer cell lines, they displayed anti-staphylococcal activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains (MRSA) with MIC values of 16-256 µg/mL. Moreover, some calopins were active against the fish pathogen Enterococcus faecalis F1B1.

Anti-MRSA activity of oxysporone and xylitol from the endophytic fungus Pestalotia sp. growing on the Sundarbans mangrove plant Heritiera fomes.

Heritiera fomes Buch.-Ham., a mangrove plant from the Sundarbans, has adapted to a unique habitat, muddy saline water, anaerobic soil, brackish tidal activities, and high microbial competition. Endophytic fungal association protects this plant from adverse environmental conditions. This plant is used in Bangladeshi folk medicine, but it has not been extensively studied phytochemically, and there is hardly any report on investigation on endophytic fungi growing on this plant. In this study, endophytic fungi were isolated from the surface sterilized cladodes and leaves of H. fomes. The antimicrobial activities were evaluated against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria and the fungal strain, Candida albicans. Extracts of Pestalotia sp. showed activities against all test bacterial strains, except that the ethyl acetate extract was inactive against Escherichia coli. The structures of the purified compounds, oxysporone and xylitol, were elucidated by spectroscopic means. The anti-MRSA potential of the isolated compounds were determined against various MRSA strains, that is, ATCC 25923, SA-1199B, RN4220, XU212, EMRSA-15, and EMRSA-16, with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 32 to 128 µg/ml. This paper, for the first time, reports on the anti-MRSA property of oxysporone and xylitol, isolation of the endophyte Pestalotia sp. from H. fomes, and isolation of xylitol from a Pestalotia sp.

Antibacterial constituents of Neohyptis paniculata.

A new α-pyrone, 6R-[5R,6S-diacetyloxy-1Z,3E-heptadienyl]-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2one (1), along with six known compounds including an α-pyrone, flavones and terpenes was isolated from the aerial parts of Neohyptis paniculata. The structure of 1 was established unambiguously by MS and a series of 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analyses. The antibacterial activity of the compounds (1-7) was investigated against five strains of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of these compounds were found to be in the range of 64-256 µg/mL.

Conversion of salvianolic acid B into salvianolic acid A in tissues of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae using high temperature, high pressure and high humidity.

Salvianolic acid A (Sal A), an important constituent of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (RSM), is effective for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary heart disease due to its potential in the improvement of acute myocardial ischemia. However, its content is very low in RSM. So it is obvious to find a rich source of Sal A or to improve its content by conversion of other related components into Sal A modifying reaction conditions. In this research we focused on the conversion of Sal B into Sal A in aqueous solutions of RSM by using different reaction conditions including pH, temperature, pressure and humidity. During the reactions, the contents of Sal A, Sal B and danshensu in the RSM were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). The results indicated that the conversion of Sal B into Sal A in RSM tissues under the conditions of a high temperature, high pressure and high humidity was efficient and thereby, was readily utilized to prepare rich Sal A materials in practice.

A new plant-derived antibacterial is an inhibitor of efflux pumps in Staphylococcus aureus.

An in-depth evaluation was undertaken of a new antibacterial natural product (1) recently isolated and characterised from the plant Hypericum olympicum L. cf. uniflorum. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for a panel of bacteria, including: meticillin-resistant and -susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus; vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium; penicillin-resistant and -susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae; group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes); and Clostridium difficile. MICs were 2-8 mg/L for most staphylococci and all enterococci, but were ≥16 mg/L for S. haemolyticus and were >32 mg/L for all species in the presence of blood. Compound 1 was also tested against Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium but was inactive. The MIC for Mycobacterium bovis BCG was 60 mg/L, and compound 1 inhibited the ATP-dependent Mycobacterium tuberculosis MurE ligase [50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) = 75 µM]. In a radiometric accumulation assay with a strain of S. aureus overexpressing the NorA multidrug efflux pump, the presence of compound 1 increased accumulation of (14)C-enoxacin in a concentration-dependent manner, implying inhibition of efflux. Only moderate cytotoxicity was observed, with IC50 values of 12.5, 10.5 and 8.9 µM against human breast, lung and fibroblast cell lines, respectively, highlighting the potential value of this chemotype as a new antibacterial agent and efflux pump inhibitor.

Antibacterial acylphloroglucinols from Hypericum olympicum.

New antibacterial acylphloroglucinols (1-5) were isolated and characterized from the aerial parts of the plant Hypericum olympicum L. cf. uniflorum. The structures of these compounds were confirmed by extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments to be 4,6-dihydroxy-2-O-(3″,7″-dimethyl-2″,6″-octadienyl)-1-(2'-methylbutanoyl)benzene (1), 4,6-dihydroxy-2-O-(7″-hydroxy-3″,7″-dimethyl-2″,5″-octadienyl)-1-(2'-methylbutanoyl)benzene (2), 4,6-dihydroxy-2-O-(6″-hydroxy-3″,7″-dimethyl-2″,7″-octadienyl)-1-(2'-methylbutanoyl)benzene (3), 4,6-dihydroxy-2-O-(6″-hydroperoxy-3″,7″-dimethyl-2″,7″-octadienyl)-1-(2'-methylbutanoyl)benzene (4), and 4,6-dihydroxy-2-O-(6″,7″-epoxy-3″,7″-dimethyloct-2″-enyl)-1-(2'-methylbutanoyl)benzene (5). These new natural products have been given the trivial names olympicins A-E (1-5). All compounds were evaluated against a panel of methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus and multidrug-resistant strains of Staph. aureus. Compound 1 exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.5-1 mg/L against the tested Staph. aureus strains. Compounds 2 to 5 were also shown to be active, with MICs ranging from 64 to 128 mg/L. Compound 1 was synthesized using a simple four-step method that can be readily utilized to give a number of structural analogues of 1.

Medicinal plant extracts with efflux inhibitory activity against Gram-negative bacteria.

It was hypothesised that extracts from plants that are used as herbal medicinal products contain inhibitors of efflux in Gram-negative bacteria. Extracts from 21 plants were screened by bioassay for synergy with ciprofloxacin against Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, including mutants in which acrB and tolC had been inactivated. The most active extracts, fractions and purified compounds were further examined by minimum inhibitory concentration testing with five antibiotics for activity against Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Efflux activity was determined using the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342. Eighty-four extracts from 21 plants, 12 fractions thereof and 2 purified molecules were analysed. Of these, 12 plant extracts showed synergy with ciprofloxacin, 2 of which had activity suggesting efflux inhibition. The most active extract, from Levisticum officinale, was fractionated and the two fractions displaying the greatest synergy with the five antibiotics were further analysed. From these two fractions, falcarindiol and the fatty acids oleic acid and linoleic acid were isolated. The fractions and compounds possessed antibacterial activity especially for mutants lacking a component of AcrAB-TolC. However, no synergism was seen with the fractions or purified molecules, suggesting that a combination of compounds is required for efflux inhibition. These data indicate that medicinal plant extracts may provide suitable lead compounds for future development and possible clinical utility as inhibitors of efflux for various Gram-negative bacteria.

Dolabellanes with antibacterial activity from the brown alga Dilophus spiralis.

Seventeen diterpenes featuring the dolabellane skeleton (1-17) were isolated from the organic extracts of the brown alga Dilophus spiralis. Seven compounds are new natural products (1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 14, 15) and eight are structurally revised (2, 4, 7-10, 12, 13), among which three are reported for the first time from a natural source (4, 9, 10). The structure elucidation and the assignment of the relative configurations of the isolated natural products were based on detailed analyses of their spectroscopic data. The structure of metabolite 10 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, whereas the absolute configurations of compounds 2, 4-10, 12, and 13 were determined using the modified Mosher's method on the semisynthetic product 18 and chemical interconversions. The antibacterial activities of compounds 1-18 were evaluated against six strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including multidrug- and methicillin-resistant variants.

Characterization of a xylose containing oligosaccharide, an inhibitor of multidrug resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, from Ipomoea pes-caprae.

Pescaprein XVIII (1), a type of bacterial efflux pump inhibitor, was obtained from the CHCl(3)-soluble resin glycosides of beach morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae). The glycosidation sequence for pescaproside C, the glycosidic acid core of the lipophilic macrolactone 1 containing D-xylose and L-rhamnose, was characterized by means of several NMR techniques and FAB mass spectrometry. Recycling HPLC also yielded eight non-cytotoxic bacterial resistance modifiers, the two pescapreins XIX (2) and XX (3) as well as the known murucoidin VI (4), pecapreins II (6) and III (7), and stoloniferins III (5), IX (8) and X (9), all of which contain simonic acid B as their oligosaccharide core. Compounds 1-9 were tested for in vitro antibacterial and resistance-modifying activity against strains of Staphylococcus aureus possessing multidrug resistance efflux mechanisms. All of the pescapreins potentiated the action of norfloxacin against the NorA over-expressing strain by 4-fold (8 microg/mL from 32 microg/mL) at a concentration of 25 microg/mL.

A new 7-oxygenated coumarin from Clausena suffruticosa.

A new coumarin, 7-[(2'E,6'E)-7'-carboxy-5'(zeta)-hydroxy-3'-methylocta-2',6'-dienyloxy]-coumarin, was isolated from the leaf of Clausena suffruticosa. Its structure was established by means of spectroscopic data analyses, including mass spectrometry and both 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy.

Natural and synthetic compounds such as trimethoprim behave as inhibitors of efflux in Gram-negative bacteria.

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that small heterocyclic or nitrogen-containing compounds could act as RND efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs). To ascertain possible EPIs, we sought to identify compounds that synergized with substrates of RND efflux pumps for wild-type bacteria and those that overexpress an efflux pump, but had no synergistic activity against strains in which a gene encoding a component of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump had been inactivated. METHODS: Twenty-six compounds plus L-phenylalanyl-L-arginyl-beta-naphthylamide (PAbetaN) and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) were screened by bioassay to identify compounds that synergized with ciprofloxacin for a range of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The MICs of ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin and ethidium bromide+/-synergizing compounds were determined, and the ability to inhibit the efflux of Hoechst 33342 was measured. RESULTS: Two compounds, trimethoprim and epinephrine, consistently showed synergy with antibiotics for most strains. The combinations did not show synergy for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in which the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump was inactive. Both compounds inhibited the efflux of Hoechst 33342. CONCLUSIONS: Two compounds, trimethoprim and epinephrine, which are already licensed for use in man, may warrant further analysis as EPIs. The combination of trimethoprim with another antibiotic is a well-used combination in anti-infective chemotherapy, and so combination with another agent, such as a quinolone, may be a viable option and further studies are now required.

A new dihydrodibenzodioxinone from Hypericum x 'Hidcote'.

One new compound, 4-hydroxy-4a,7-dimethoxy-4,4a-dihydrodibenzo-p-dioxin-2(3H)-one (1), was isolated from the aerial parts of the hybrid Hypericum x 'Hidcote', together with 8 known compounds: caryophyllene-4,5-epoxide, quercetin, quercitrin, quercetin-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside, epicatechin, betulinic acid methyl ester, beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosterol glucoside. The structure of the new compound, as well as its absolute configuration, was established by means of spectroscopic data analyses, including 2D NMR spectroscopy and X-ray structural analysis.