Maximiliano Sortino

In vitro antifungal activity of new series of homoallylamines and related compounds with inhibitory properties of the synthesis of fungal cell wall polymers

The synthesis, in vitro antifungal evaluation and SAR studies of 101 compounds of the 4-aryl-, 4-alkyl-, 4-pyridyl or -quinolinyl-4-N-arylamino-1-butenes series and related compounds, are reported here. Active structures showed to inhibit (1,3)-beta-D-glucan and mainly chitin synthases, enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of the major fungal cell wall polymers.

Constituents of the Argentinian medicinal plant Baccharis grisebachii and their antimicrobial activity.

The resinous exudate of Baccharis grisebachii which is used to treat ulcers, burns, and skin sores in Argentina showed activity towards dermatophytes and bacteria. Two diterpenes, eight p-coumaric acid derivatives, and two flavones were isolated from the exudate and the structures elucidated by spectroscopic methods. 3-Prenyl-p-coumaric acid and 3,5-diprenyl-p-coumaric acid were active towards Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton rubrum with MICs of 50 and 100-125 microg/ml, respectively. The diterpene labda-7,13E-dien-2beta,15-diol was active towards Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton rubrum with MICs of 12.5 microg/ml while the MIC against Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes was 25 microg/ml. The diterpene was also active towards Microsporum gypseum with a MIC of 50 microg/ml, and showed inhibition in both Staphylococcus aureus (methicilline resistant and sensible strains) with MICs of 125 microg/ml. The results support the use of Baccharis grisebachii in Argentinian traditional medicine.

In vitro antifungal activity of polyfunctionalized 2-(hetero)arylquinolines prepared through imino Diels-Alder reactions.

Diverse polyfunctionalized quinolines, easily prepared using Lewis acid-catalyzed imino Diels-Alder reactions between corresponding aldimines, were tested for antifungal properties against standardized as well as clinical isolates of clinically important fungi. Among them, 4-pyridyl derivatives displayed the best activities mainly against dermatophytes. The activity appears not to be related neither to the lipophilicity nor to the basicity of compounds.

5-Nitrofuranes and 5-nitrothiophenes with anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity and ability to accumulate squalene

Chagas disease represents a serious public health problem in South America. The first line of treatment is Nifurtimox and Benznidazole which generate toxic effects in treated patients. We have recently shown that a number of 5-nitrofuranes possess activity against Trypanosoma cruzi through oxidative stress and inhibition of parasite ergosterol biosynthesis, specifically at the level of squalene epoxidase. Here, we identify new 5-nitrofuranes and the thia-analogues with excellent effects on the viability of T. cruzi and adequate parasite/mammal selectivity indexes. Analysis of the free sterols from parasite incubated, during 120h, with the compounds showed that some of them accumulated squalene suggesting the squalene epoxidase activity inhibition of the parasite. Nifurtimox was able to accumulate squalene only at lower incubation times. Due to this fact some derivatives were also tested as antifungal agents. Quantitative structure-activity relationship studies were also performed showing relevant features for further new derivatives design. Taken together, the results obtained in the present work point to a more general effect of 5-nitrofuranes and 5-nitrothiophenes in trypanosomatids, opening potential therapeutic possibilities of them for these infectious diseases.

A Straightforward Synthetic Approach to Antitumoral Pyridinyl Substituted 7H-Indeno[2,1-c]Quinoline Derivatives Via Three-Component Imino Diels- Alder Reaction

Abstract: A simple and efficient synthetic method of obtaining pyridinyl substituted indeno[2,1- c ]quinolinederivatives has been developed. This method involves a three-component imino Diels-Alder cycloadditionbetween anilines, pyridinecarboxyaldehydes and indene as the key ring forming step and subsequent treatmentof obtained 5,6,6a,11b-tetrahydroindeno[2,1- c ]quinolines with powdered sulfur to give correspondingindeno[2,1- c ]quinolines. Some of them were treated with potassium permanganate in acetone to afford the 7 H -indeno[2,1- c ]quinolin-7-ones. Most compounds of the series were devoid of antifungal properties against apanel of standard dermatophytes, however, nearly all of them were active against breast (MCF-7), lung (H-460)and central nervous system (SF-268) human cancer cell lines. Keywords: Multi-component reaction, imino Diels-Alder reaction, indeno[2,1- c ]quinolines, antitumoral and antifungalactivities. INTRODUCTION NNH ONH 3 CHOCH 3 Tetrahydroquinoline derivatives are an important class ofnatural and synthetic compounds, which have shown a widerange of biological activities [1] including antimalarial [2],antitumoral [3], antioxidant [4] and anti-inflammatory [5].Moreover, their polycyclic analogs such as indenoquinolinederivatives are used as potential pharmaceuticals [6]. Thus,many synthetic procedures have been developed to preparethese polycyclic quinoline systems [7], where theindeno[2,1-

Naftifine-analogues as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents.

Chagas disease represents a relevant health problem in Central and South America. The first line of treatment is Nifurtimox and Benznidazole which have a great deal of disadvantages that demands the rapid generation of therapeutic alternatives. Based in our research on aza-thiaheterocycles as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents we identified pharmacophores that act through oxidative stress. Here, we describe the synthesis and the activity of new containing bioactive-heterocycles analogues of naftifine as potential T. cruzi membrane sterol biosynthesis inhibitors. Benzimidazole 1,3-dioxides (11 and 13) and quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides (22 and 23) displayed excellent parasite/mammal selectivity indexes. Analysis of the free sterols from parasite incubated with the compounds showed that any of them are able to accumulate squalene suggesting that in the anti-T. cruzi mechanism of action is not involved the inhibition of sterol biosynthesis. Some derivatives were also tested as antifungal agents. The results obtained in the present work open potential therapeutic possibilities of new compounds for these infectious diseases.

Prevalence of Malassezia species in patients with pityriasis versicolor in Rosario, Argentina

BACKGROUND Malassezia species are considered opportunistic yeasts of increasing clinical importance. These lipophilic yeasts are associated with various human diseases, especially pityriasis versicolor (PV), a chronic superficial scaling dermatomycosis. AIMS The aim of this study was to isolate, identify and analyze the distribution of the different species of Malassezia in patients with PV in Rosario city (Argentina). METHODS A total of 264 clinical samples were studied. Isolates were identified on the basis of microscopic observation of cells, and physiological properties, such as the presence of catalase, ability to use Tween compounds, splitting of esculin, and morphology, color and precipitate production on chromogenic agar CHROMagar-Malassezia medium (CHROMM). RESULTS The highest prevalence of PV in this study was observed in the 25- to 45-year-old group. No differences were found in the development of PV between sexes. The most affected areas of body were the trunk and face. Malassezia sympodialis (51%) was the most commonly isolated species, followed in frequency by M. globosa (40%), Malassezia furfur (7%), Malassezia obtusa (1%) and Malassezia slooffiae (1%). CONCLUSIONS The success for a correct identification of these yeasts is important to improve our knowledge about their epidemiological role in PV and also to detect the appearance of strains which are resistant to the commonly used antifungal drugs.

Effects of chirality on the antifungal potency of methylated succinimides obtained by Aspergillus fumigatus biotransformations. comparison with racemic ones.

Eighteen (3R) and (3R,4R)-N-phenyl-, N-phenylalkyl and N-arylsuccinimides were prepared with high enantioselectivity by biotransformation of maleimides with A. fumigatus. This environmentally friendly, clean and economical procedure was performed by the whole-cell fungal bioconversion methodology. Their corresponding eighteen racemic succinimides were prepared instead by synthetic methods. Both, the racemic and the chiral succinimides were tested simultaneously by the microbroth dilution method of CLSI against a panel of human opportunistic pathogenic fungi of clinical importance. Chiral succinimides showed higher antifungal activity than the corresponding racemic ones and the differences in activity were established by statistical methods. The bottlenecks for developing chiral drugs are how to obtain them through a low-cost procedure and with high enantiomeric excess. Results presented here accomplish both these objectives, opening an avenue for the development of asymmetric succinimides as new antifungal drugs for pharmaceutical use.

Detection of synergistic combinations of Baccharis extracts with Terbinafine against Trichophyton rubrum with high throughput screening synergy assay (HTSS) followed by 3D graphs. Behavior of some of their components

Forty four extracts from nine Baccharis spp. from the Caulopterae section were tested in combination with terbinafine against Trichophyton rubrum with the HTSS assay at six different ratios with the aim of detecting those mixtures that produced a ≥50% statistically significant enhancement of growth inhibition. Since an enhanced effect of a combination respective of its components, does not necessarily indicate synergism, three-dimensional (3D) dose-response surfaces were constructed for each selected pair of extract/antifungal drug with the aid of CombiTool software. Ten extracts showed synergistic or additive combinations which constitutes a 22% hit rate of the extracts submitted to evaluation. Four flavonoids and three ent-clerodanes were detected in the active Baccharis extracts with HPLC/UV/ESI-MS methodology, all of which were tested in combination with terbinafine. Results showed that ent-clerodanes but not flavonoids showed synergistic or additive effects. Among them, bacchotricuneatin A followed by bacrispine showed synergistic effects while hawtriwaic acid showed additive effects.

Antifungal drugs combinations: a patent review 2000-2015.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Combination therapy has emerged as an approach to improve the efficacy of antifungal drugs. Its main objective is to achieve synergistic interaction with higher antifungal properties and lower toxic effects than each substance alone. Areas covered: Twenty-four patents disclosed in the period of 2000-2015 were covered in this review. Twenty of them were devoted to pharmacodynamic potentiation, while four were dedicated to pharmacokinetic actions. Expert opinion: The common characteristic of most patents published in this area is that the main partner is a commercial antifungal drug. In the most innovative combinations the second component was either a modifier of proton homeostasis, an antibody, an inhibitor of the adhesion of epithelial or endothelial cells or a keratinolytic agent that improves the skin penetration. The evaluation of synergism is always made with simple in vitro methods, which constitutes a weakness of the disclosed patents, due to the lack of in vivo studies, since the in vitro tests cannot predict the in vivo behavior. Also, it is surprising that none of the patents analyze the toxicity of the new combinations, taking into account that one of the main objectives of the combinations is to reduce the toxicity of the existing antifungal drugs.