The 10 most-cited articles in Archiv der Pharmazie, 2019

Abstract Novel series of benzoxazoles 4a‐f‐16 were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anticancer activity against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 cells. HCT‐116 was the most sensitive cell line to the influence of the new derivatives. In particular, compound 5e was found to be the most potent against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 with IC50 = 4.13 ± 0.2, 6.93 ± 0.3, and 8.67 ± 0.5 µM, respectively. Compounds 5c, 5f, 6b, 5d, and 6c showed the highest anticancer activities against HepG2 cells with IC50 of 5.93 ± 0.2, 6.58 ± 0.4, 8.10 ± 0.7, 8.75 ± 0.7, and 9.95 ± 0.9 µM, respectively; HCT‐116 cells with IC50 of 7.14 ± 0.4, 9.10 ± 0.8, 7.91 ± 0.6, 9.52 ± 0.5, and 12.48 ± 1.1 µM, respectively; and MCF‐7 cells with IC50 of 8.93 ± 0.6, 10.11 ± 0.9, 12.31 ± 1.0, 9.95 ± 0.8, and 15.70 ± 1.4 µM, respectively, compared with sorafenib as a reference drug with IC50 of 9.18 ± 0.6, 5.47 ± 0.3, and 7.26 ± 0.3 µM, respectively. The most active compounds 5c‐f and 6b,c were further evaluated for their vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2 (VEGFR‐2) inhibition. Compounds 5e and 5c potently…

Abstract No drug has been approved to prevent neuronal cell loss in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) or Alzheimer's disease (AD); despite increased comprehension of the underlying molecular causes, therapies target cognitive functional improvement and motor fluctuation control. Drug design strategies that adopt the “one protein, one target” philosophy fail to address the multifactorial aetiologies of neurodegenerative disorders such as AD and PD optimally. On the contrary, restoring neurotransmitter levels by combined combinatorial inhibition of cholinesterases, monoamine oxidases, and adenosine A2AA receptors, in conjunction with strategies to counter oxidative stress and beta‐amyloid plaque accumulation, would constitute a therapeutically robust, multitarget approach. This extensive review delineates the therapeutic advantages of combining dual‐acting molecules that inhibit monoamine oxidases and cholinesterases and/or adenosine A2AA receptors, and describes the structure–activity relationships of compound classes that include, but are not limited to, alkaloids,…

Abstract A novel series of benzoxazole/benzothiazole derivatives 4a–c–11a–e were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anticancer activity against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 cells. HCT‐116 was the most sensitive cell line to the influence of the new derivatives. In particular, compound 4c was found to be the most potent derivative against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 cells, with IC50 values = 9.45 ± 0.8, 5.76 ± 0.4, and 7.36 ± 0.5 µM, respectively. Compounds 4b, 9f, and 9c showed the highest anticancer activities against HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 9.97 ± 0.8, 9.99 ± 0.8, and 11.02 ± 1.0 µM, respectively, HCT‐116 cells with IC50 values of 6.99 ± 0.5, 7.44 ± 0.4, and 8.15 ± 0.8 µM, respectively, and MCF‐7 cells with IC50 values of 7.89 ± 0.7, 8.24 ± 0.7, and 9.32 ± 0.7 µM, respectively, in comparison with sorafenib as reference drug with IC50 values of 9.18 ± 0.6, 5.47 ± 0.3, and 7.26 ± 0.3 µM, respectively. The most active compounds 4a–c, 9b,c,e,f,h, and 11c,e were further evaluated for their VEGFR‐2 inhibition. Compounds 4c and 4b potently inhibited VEGFR‐2 at IC50 values of…

Isatin and azole moieties, which have the ability to form various noncovalent interactions with different therapeutic targets, are common pharmacophores in drug development. Isatin and azole derivatives possess promising in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, and many of them, such as semaxanib, sunitinib, and carboxyamidotriazole, could be used to treat various cancers. Thus, it is conceivable that hybridization of the isatin moiety with azole may provide a valuable therapeutic intervention for the treatment of cancer. Substantial efforts have been made to develop isatin-azole hybrids as novel anticancer agents, and some of the isatin-azole hybrids exhibited considerable activity. This review emphasizes isatin-azole hybrids with potential anticancer activity, covering articles published between 2010 and 2019. The structure-activity relationships as well as the mechanisms of action are also discussed to provide insights for the rational design of more effective candidates.

Abstract A new series of 1,2,4‐triazole containing hydrazide–hydrazones derived from (S)‐naproxen ( 7a–m) was synthesized in this study. The structures of these compounds were characterized by spectral (Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C‐NMR, and high‐resolution electron ionization mass spectrometry) methods. Furthermore, molecular modeling of these compounds was studied on human methionine aminopeptidase‐2. All synthesized compounds were screened for anticancer activity against three prostate cancer cell lines (PC3, DU‐145, and LNCaP) using the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐5‐(3‐carboxymethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(4‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium colorimetric method. Compound 7a showed the best activity against the PC3, DU‐145 and LNCaP cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 26.0, 34.5, and 48.8 μM, respectively. Compounds 7b, 7k, and 7m showed anticancer activity against cancer cell lines PC3 and DU‐145 with IC50 values of 43.0, 36.5, 29.3 μM and 49.8, 49.1, 31.6 μM, respectively. Compounds 7f and 7g showed anticancer activity against PC3 cells with…

Abstract In continuation of our previous work on the design and synthesis of topoisomerase II (Topo II) inhibitors and DNA intercalators, a new series of quinoxaline derivatives were designed and synthesized. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against a panel of three cancer cell lines (Hep G‐2, Hep‐2, and Caco‐2). Compounds 18b, 19b, 23, 25b , and 26 showed strong potencies against all tested cell lines with IC 50 values ranging from 0.26 ± 0.1 to 2.91 ± 0.1 µM, comparable with those of doxorubicin (IC 50 values ranging from 0.65 ± 0.1 to 0.81 ± 0.1 µM). The most active compounds were further evaluated for their Topo II inhibitory activities and DNA intercalating affinities. Compounds 19b and 19c exhibited high activities against Topo II (IC 50 = 0.97 ± 0.1 and 1.10 ± 0.1 µM, respectively) and bound the DNA at concentrations of 43.51 ± 2.0 and 49.11 ± 1.8 µM, respectively, whereas compound 28b exhibited a significant affinity to bind the DNA with an IC 50 value of 37.06 ± 1.8 µM. Moreover, apoptosis and cell‐cycle tests of the most promising…

Abstract In this study, synthesis of ethyl 2‐((4‐bromophenyl)diazenyl)‐3‐oxo‐phenylpropanoate 1 was carried out and a series of new 3H‐pyrazol‐3‐ones (P1–7) were synthesized from 1 as well as various hydrazines. The obtained yields of the synthesized compounds were moderate (40–70%) and these compounds were confirmed by spectral data. These novel pyrazoline derivatives were effective inhibitor compounds of the human carbonic anhydrase I and II isozymes (hCAs I and II) and of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme, with Ki values in the range of 17.4–40.7 nM for hCA I, 16.1–55.2 nM for hCA II, and 48.2–84.1 nM for AChE. In silico studies were performed on the compounds inhibiting hCA I, hCA II, and AChE receptors. On the basis of the findings, the inhibition profile of the new pyrazoline compounds at the receptors was determined.

Different studies about the anticancer potential of several medically used antibacterial fluoroquinolones have been established. Fluoroquinolone derivatives, like some anti-cancer drugs, such as doxorubicin, can achieve antitumor activity via poisoning of type II human DNA topoisomerases. Interestingly, structural features required for the anticancer activity of quinolones have been determined. Most of the chemical modifications required to convert antibacterially acting fluoroquinolones into their anticancer analogs were at position 7 and the carboxylic group at position 3. This review highlights the antitumor potential of fluoroquinolones in general and summarizes the chemical modifications carried out on fluoroquinolones to become anticancer agents. Moreover, the review gives a quick recap on metal ion chelates with fluoroquinolones and their substantial role in topoisomerase poisoning and antitumor potential improvement. Hence, it should be highly interesting for researchers attempting to design and synthesize novel anticancer fluoroquinolone candidates.

Abstract A new series of 2‐substituted‐2,3‐dihydrophthalazine‐1,4‐diones (2‒9) were designed and synthesized to evaluate their anticonvulsant activity. The neurotoxicity was assessed using the rotarod test. Molecular docking was performed for the synthesized compounds to assess their binding affinities as γ‐aminobutyric acid A (GABA‐A) receptor agonists as a possible mechanism of their anticonvulsant action, to rationalize their anticonvulsant activity in a qualitative way. The data obtained from the molecular modeling was strongly matched with that obtained from the biological screening, which revealed that compounds5a,9b, and9hshowed the highest binding affinities toward the GABA‐A receptor and also showed the highest anticonvulsant activities with relative potencies of 1.66, 1.63, and 1.61, respectively, compared with diazepam. The most active compounds5a,9b, and9hwere further tested against maximal electroshock seizures. Compounds5aand9bshowed 100% protection at a dose level of 125 µg/kg, while compound9hexhibited 83.33% protection at the same dose level. A GABA enzymatic assay…

Abstract Two series of fluorinated chalcones containing morpholine and imidazole‐based compounds ( f1–f8 ) were synthesized and evaluated for recombinant human monoamine oxidase (MAO)‐A and ‐B as well as acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Our results indicate that morpholine containing chalcones are highly selective MAO‐B inhibitors having reversibility properties. All the imidazole‐based fluorinated chalcones showed weak MAO inhibitions in both isoforms. Among the tested compounds, (2 E )‐3‐(3‐fluorophenyl)‐1‐[4‐(morpholin‐4‐yl)phenyl]prop‐2‐en‐1‐one ( f2 ) showed potent inhibitory activity for recombinant human MAO‐B (IC 50 = 0.087 μM) with a high selectivity index (SI) of 517.2. In the recovery experiments using dialysis, the residual activity of MAO‐B inhibited by f2 was close to that with the reversible reference inhibitor. Inhibition assays revealed that the K i values of f1 and f2 for MAO‐B were 0.027 and 0.020 μM, respectively, with competitive patterns. All the morpholine‐based compounds ( f1 – f4 ) showed moderate inhibition toward acetylcholinesterase with IC 50…