Eva Vavříková

New fluorine-containing hydrazones active against MDR-tuberculosis

Several new fluorine-containing hydrazones were synthesized and screened for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Nine of these derivatives have shown a remarkable activity against MDR-TB strain with MIC 0.5 μg/mL and high value of selectivity index (SI). Compound 3h with the highest SI (1268.58) was used for stability evaluation with putative metabolites (ciprofloxacin and formylciprofloxacin) detection. Compound 3h was stable at pH 7.4 of aqueous buffer and rat plasma, in acidic buffers (at pH 3 and 5) slow decomposition was observed. Interestingly, no formylciprofloxacin was detected in the solution, and only slightly increased concentration of ciprofloxacin was observed instead. Trifluoromethyl hydrazones 3f and 3g exhibited the best activity also against two strains of Mycobacterium kansasii (MIC 1-4 μmol/L). All evaluated compounds were found to be non-cytotoxic.

Salicylanilide carbamates: Antitubercular agents active against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains

A series of 27 salicylanilide-based carbamates was prepared as a part of our ongoing search for new antituberculosis drugs. These compounds exhibited very good in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium avium and, in particular, against five multidrug-resistant strains, with MIC values between 0.5-2 micromol/L. Moreover, they displayed moderate toxicity against intestinal cells with the selectivity index being up to 96. Furthermore, acid stability and a half-life of 43h at pH 7.4 were shown. Thus, these novel salicylanilide derivatives are drug candidates which should be seriously consider for further screening.

New series of isoniazid hydrazones linked with electron-withdrawing substituents.

A series of new isoniazid hydrazones was synthesized by two procedures. In the first isoniazid was activated with diethoxymethyl acetate and condensed with the appropriate anilines. Alternatively, substituted anilines were activated by diethoxymethyl acetate and subsequently condensed with isoniazid. NMR study confirmed that both synthetic approaches gave the same tautomer. All compounds were screened for in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Most of them exhibited the same activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MIC 1 μmol L(-1)) as isoniazid (INH), better activity against Mycobacterium kansasii 325/80 (MIC 0.125-0.250 μmol L(-1)), high value of selectivity index (SI) and IC(50) between 0.0218 and 0.326 mmol L(-1). Compound 2o with the best SI was used as a model compound for the stability test and was found to be stable at neutral pH, but under acidic conditions it slowly hydrolysed.

Chemo-Enzymatic Synthesis of Silybin and 2,3-Dehydrosilybin Dimers

Divalent or multivalent molecules often show enhanced biological activity relative to the simple monomeric units. Here we present enzymatically and chemically prepared dimers of the flavonolignans silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin. Their electrochemical behavior was studied by in situ and ex situ square wave voltammetry. The oxidation of monomers and dimers was similar, but adsorption onto the electrode and cell surfaces was different. A 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and an inhibition of microsomal lipoperoxidation assay were performed with same trend of results for silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin dimers. Silybin dimer showed better activity than the monomer, while on the contrary 2,3-dehydrosilybin dimer presented weaker antioxidant/antilipoperoxidant activity than its monomer. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on human umbilical vein endothelial cells, normal human adult keratinocytes, mouse fibroblasts (BALB/c 3T3) and human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). Silybin dimer was more cytotoxic than the parent compound and in the case of 2,3-dehydrosilybin its dimer showed weaker cytotoxicity than the monomer.

Isoquercitrin Esters with Mono- or Dicarboxylic Acids: Enzymatic Preparation and Properties

A series of isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside) esters with mono- or dicarboxylic acids was designed to modulate hydro- and lipophilicity and biological properties. Esterification of isoquercitrin was accomplished by direct chemoenzymatic reaction using Novozym 435 (lipase from Candida antarctica), which accepted C5- to C12-dicarboxylic acids; the shorter ones, such as oxalic (C2), malonic (C3), succinic (C4) and maleic (C4) acids were not substrates of the lipase. Lipophilicity of monocarboxylic acid derivatives, measured as log P, increased with the chain length. Esters with glutaric and adipic acids exhibited hydrophilicity, and the dodecanedioic acid hemiester was more lipophilic. All derivatives were less able to reduce Folin–Ciocalteau reagent (FCR) and scavenge DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) than isoquercitrin; ABTS (2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) radical-scavenging activity was comparable. Dodecanoate and palmitate were the least active in FCR and ABTS scavenging; dodecanoate and hemiglutarate were the strongest DPPH scavengers. In contrast, most derivatives were much better inhibitors of microsomal lipoperoxidation than isoquercitrin; butyrate and hexanoate were the most efficient. Anti-lipoperoxidant activity of monocarboxylic derivatives, except acetates, decreased with increasing aliphatic chain. The opposite trend was noted for dicarboxylic acid hemiesters, isoquercitrin hemidodecanedioate being the most active. Overall, IQ butyrate, hexanoate and hemidodecanedioate are the most promising candidates for further studies.

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Aryl Sulfotransferases: Sulfation of Quercetin and Its Derivatives

Two types of sulfotransferases, namely recombinant rat liver aryl sulfotransferase AstIV and bacterial aryl sulfotransferase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense, were used for the sulfation of quercetin, its glycosylated derivatives (isoquercitrin and rutin), and dihydroquercetin ((+)‐taxifolin). The rat liver enzyme was able to sulfate only quercetin and taxifolin, whereas the quercetin glycosides remained intact. The D. hafniense enzyme sulfated isoquercitrin and rutin selectively at the C‐4′ position of the catechol moiety with very good yields. Taxifolin was sulfated at the C‐4′ position and a minor amount of the C‐3′ isomer was formed. Sulfation of quercetin proceeded preferentially at the C‐3′ position, but a lower proportion of the C‐4′ isomer was formed as well. A detailed analysis of the kinetics of this reaction is provided and a full structural analysis of all products is presented.

Regioselective alcoholysis of silychristin acetates catalyzed by lipases.

A panel of lipases was screened for the selective acetylation and alcoholysis of silychristin and silychristin peracetate, respectively. Acetylation at primary alcoholic group (C-22) of silychristin was accomplished by lipase PS (Pseudomonas cepacia) immobilized on diatomite using vinyl acetate as an acetyl donor, whereas selective deacetylation of 22-O-acetyl silychristin was accomplished by Novozym 435 in methyl tert-butyl ether/n-butanol. Both of these reactions occurred without diastereomeric discrimination of silychristin A and B. Both of these enzymes were found to be capable to regioselective deacetylation of hexaacetyl silychristin to afford penta-, tetra- and tri-acetyl derivatives, which could be obtained as pure synthons for further selective modifications of the parent molecule.