Carlos R. Kaiser

Synthesis, Biological Activity, and Molecular Modeling Studies of 1H-1,2,3-Triazole Derivatives of Carbohydrates as α-Glucosidases Inhibitors

A class of drugs in use for treating type II diabetes mellitus (T2D), typified by the pseudotetrasaccharide acarbose, act by inhibiting the alpha-glucosidase activity present in pancreatic secretions and in the brush border of the small intestine. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of 4-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles conjugated with sugars, including D-xylose, D-galactose, D-allose, and D-ribose. Compounds were screened for alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity using yeast maltase (MAL12) as a model enzyme. Methyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-ribofuranosides, such as the 4-(1-cyclohexenyl)-1,2,3-triazole derivative, were among the most active compounds, showing up to 25-fold higher inhibitory potency than the complex oligosaccharide acarbose. Docking studies on a MAL12 homology model disclosed a binding mode consistent with a transition-state-mimicking mechanism. Finally, the actual pharmacological potential of this triazole series was demonstrated by the reduction of postprandial blood glucose levels in normal rats. These compounds could represent new chemical scaffolds for developing novel drugs against T2D.

Synthesis and in vitro antitubercular activity of a series of quinoline derivatives.

A series of 33 quinoline derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv using the Alamar Blue susceptibility test and the activity expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in microg/mL. Compounds 5e and 5f exhibited a significant activity at 6.25 and 3.12 microg/mL, respectively, when compared with first line drugs such as ethambutol and could be a good starting point to develop new lead compounds in the fight against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory kaempferol glycosides from Sedum dendroideum.

AIM OF THE STUDY To identify the compounds responsible for the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects previously described for Sedum dendroideum, through bioassay-guided fractionation procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS Antinociceptive activity was evaluated through mouse acetic acid-induced writhing model. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed through croton oil-induced mouse ear oedema and carrageenan-induced peritonitis. RESULTS The Sedum dendroideum juice afforded seven known flavonoids identified with basis on NMR data. The oral administration of the major kaempferol glycosides kaempferitrin [1] (17.29 micromol/kg), kaempferol 3-O-beta-glucopyranoside-7-O-alpha-rhamnopyranoside [2] (16.82 micromol/kg), kaempferol 3-O-neohesperidoside-7-O-alpha-rhamnopyranoside [3] (13.50 micromol/kg) or alpha-rhamnoisorobin [5] (23.13 micromol/kg) inhibited by 47.3%, 25.7%, 60.2% and 58.0%, respectively, the acetic acid-induced nociception (indomethacin: 27.95 micromol/kg, p.o.; 68.9%). Flavonoids 1, 2, 3 or 5, at the same doses, reduced by 39.5%, 46.5%, 35.6% and 33.3%, respectively, the croton oil-induced oedema (dexamethasone: 5.09 micromol/kg, s.c.; 83.7%) and impaired leukocyte migration by 42.9%, 46.3%, 50.4% and 49.6%, respectively (dexamethasone: 5.09 micromol/kg, s.c.; 66.1%). CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that the major kaempferol glycosides may account for the renowned medicinal use of Sedum dendroideum against pain and inflammatory troubles.

Antileishmanial sesquiterpenes from the Brazilian red alga Laurencia dendroidea.

Investigation of the bioactive crude extracts from two populations of the red alga Laurencia dendroidea from the southeastern Brazilian coast led to the identification of five sesquiterpenes: (+)-obtusane (1), a triquinane derivative (2), (-)-elatol (3), obtusol (4), and cartilagineol (5). An antileishmanial bioassay against Leishmania amazonensis was conducted for crude lipophilic extracts and for sesquiterpenes 2, 3, and 4. Compounds 3 and 4 displayed in vitro and in vivo leishmanicidal activity and very low cytotoxicity.

Assessing the persistence of the N–H⋯N hydrogen bonding leading to supramolecular chains in molecules related to the anti-malarial drug, chloroquine

Crystal packing patterns for a range of chloroquine derivatives have been investigated. For species where the amine-bound R substituent carries atoms not capable of forming significant hydrogen bonding interactions, i.e. R = methyl (1), n-propyl (2), n-butyl (3), 2-chloroethyl (4), 2-azidoethyl (5), N–H⋯N hydrogen bonding between the amine and pyridine groups predominate leading to supramolecular chains. In species carrying hydroxyl groups, i.e. R = 2-hydroxylethyl (6), 1-butanol (7), and (S)-1-butanol (8), the N–H⋯N interactions are subverted by O–H⋯N and N–H⋯O hydrogen bonding that results in the formation of 2-D arrays, establishing an hierarchy of hydrogen bonding interactions in these systems. Despite the differences in hydrogen bonding, globally, the crystal packing in all structures is similar in that the N–H⋯N mediated supramolecular chains of (1–5) aggregate into layers usually via C–H⋯π, C–Cl⋯π and π⋯π interactions. These layers, as with those formed in (6–8), stack into a 3-D arrangement being consolidated via C–H⋯Cl and π⋯π or C–Cl⋯π interactions.

Synthesis and antitubercular activity of 7-chloro-4-quinolinylhydrazones derivatives

A series of twenty-one 7-chloro-4-quinolinylhydrazones (3a-u) have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv. The compounds 3f, 3i and 3o were non-cytotoxic and exhibited an important minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) activity (2.5 microg/mL), which can be compared with that of the first line drugs, ethambutol (3.12 microg/mL) and rifampicin (2.0 microg/mL). These results can be considered an important start point for the rational design of new leads for anti-TB compounds.

Synthesis and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of β-lapachone analogues.

The available chemotherapy for Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is unsatisfactory; therefore, there is an intense effort to find new drugs for the treatment of this disease. In our laboratory, we have analyzed the effect on bloodstream trypomastigotes of 16 new naphthoquinone analogues of β-lapachone modified in the pyran ring, aiming to find a new prototype with high trypanocidal activity. The new compounds presented a broad spectrum of activity, and five of them presented IC(50)/24 h in the range of 22-63 μM, whereas β-lapachone had a higher value of 391.5 ± 16.5 μM.

Pyrazine derivatives: a patent review (2008 – present)

Introduction: Pyrazines derivatives are well-known and important two-nitrogen-containing six-membered ring aromatic heterocyclic compounds and can carry substituents at one or more of the four ring carbon atoms. Pyrazines are a class of compounds that occur in nature and various methods have been worked out for their synthesis. A large number of pyrazine derivatives have been found to possess diverse pharmacological properties, which has caused an increasing interest by researchers in this core. Area covered: This review provides a comprehensive review of the pyrazines derivatives patented between the years 2008 to 2012 as potential active compounds. The patent databases SciFinder and esp@cenet were used to locate patent applications that were published between 2008 to present. Information from articles published was also included. Expert opinion: The diversity of pyrazines derivatives found in organisms in nature with different applications began to arouse the interest of research in this nucleus. The pyrazines derivatives have numerous prominent pharmacological effects, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticancer for different types, antidiabetic, treatment for arteriosclerosis, antiviral. Its the time to conduct further studies aimed at rationalizing the biological activities found in order to develop more effective and clinically interesting compounds.

Mefloquine-oxazolidine derivatives, derived from mefloquine and arenecarbaldehydes: In vitro activity including against the multidrug-resistant tuberculosis strain T113.

Ten new mefloquine-oxazolidine derivatives, 4-[(1S,8aR)-3-(aryl)hexahydro[1,3]oxazolo[3,4-a]pyridin-1-yl]-2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl)quinoline (1: aryl=substituted phenyl) and 4-[(1S,8aR)-3-(heteroaryl)hexahydro[1,3]oxazolo[3,4-a]pyridin-1-yl]-2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl)quinoline [2: heteroaryl=5-nitrothien-2-yl (2a); 5-nitrofuran-2-yl (2b) and 4H-imidazol-2-yl) (2c)], have been synthesized and evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Compounds 1f (aryl=3-ethoxyphenyl), 1g (Ar=3,4,5-(MeO)(3)-C(6)H(2)) and 2c were slightly more active than mefloquine (MIC=33μM) with MICs=24.5, 22.5 and 27.4, respectively, whereas compounds 1e (aryl=3,4-(MeO)(2)-C(6)H(3)) and 2a (MICs=11.9 and 12.1μM, respectively) were ca. 2.7 times more active than mefloquine, with a better tuberculostatic activity than the first line tuberculostatic agent ethambutol (MIC=15.9). The compounds were also assayed against the MDR strain T113 and the same MICs were observed. Thus the new derivatives have advantages over such anti-TB drugs as isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and ofloxacin, for which this strain is resistant. The most active compounds were not cytotoxic to Murine Macrophages Cells in a concentration near their MIC values.

Antitubercular Activity of New Coumarins

The present article describes a series of 21 N ′‐benzylidene‐2‐oxo‐2H‐chromene‐3‐carbohydrazides 4a–4v, which were synthesized and evaluated for their cell viabilities in non‐infected and Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette–Guerin‐infected macrophages. Subsequently, the non‐cytotoxic compounds 4c, 4g, 4h, 4j, 4l and 4t were assessed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis ATCC 27294 using the microplate Alamar Blue assay and the activity expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration in μg/mL. These compounds exhibited a significant activity (50–100 μg/mL) when compared to the first‐line drugs, such as pyrazinamide (PZA >100 μg/mL). These results could be considered a good starting point for further studies to develop new lead compounds to treat multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis.