Pooja R. Kamath

Some new indole–coumarin hybrids; Synthesis, anticancer and Bcl-2 docking studies

Hybrid molecules have attracted attention for their improved biological activity, selectivity and lesser side effects profile, distinct from their individual components. In the quest for novel anticancer drug entities, three series of indole-coumarin hybrids - 3-(1-benzyl-1H-indol-2-yl)-2H-chromen-2-ones, 2-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)-1H-indole-3-carbaldehydes and 2-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acids were synthesized. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral techniques like IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. In silico docking studies of synthesized molecules with apoptosis related gene Bcl-2 that is recognized to play an important role in tumerogenesis were carried out. Dose-dependent cytotoxic effect of the compounds in human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and normal cell lines were assessed using MTT assay and compared with that of the standard marketed drug, Vincristine. Compound 4c had a highly lipophilic bromine substituent capable of forming halogen bond and was identified as a potent molecule both in docking as well as cytotoxicity studies. Flow cytometric cell cycle analysis of 4c exhibited apoptotic mode of cell death due to cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase. Structure activity relationship of these hybrid molecules was also studied to determine the effect of steric and electronic properties of the substituents on cell viability.

Indole Based Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors: An Update On Recent Developments.

The exploration of cancer microenvironment and its physiology have exposed a number of potential molecular targets for selective therapeutic intervention by anti-cancer agents. Microtubules are basic cell components formed by polymerization of αβ heterodimers which play a pivotal role in cellular functions as well as cell division. Drugs that can control the microtubule assembly either by hindering tubulin polymerization or by obstructing microtubule disassembly are of great importance in anti-cancer therapy. Diverse classes of naturally occurring as well as synthetic and semi-synthetic compounds with an indole nucleus induce microtubule polymerization and depolymerization and thereby change tubulin dynamics. Rapid development of several novel tubulin polymerization inhibitors has been observed over the past few years and some of them have associated vascular disrupting properties too. The present review starts with the structure, function and importance of microtubules in a eukaryotic cell. The well characterized tubulin binding domains and the corresponding inhibitors including their mechanism of action is also a part of this article. The report mainly focuses on the brief synthetic methodology with the relevant SAR studies of different indole derived molecules that have been reported in the past few years as potential inhibitors of tubulin polymerization is discussed. This review will provide the up-to-date evidence-base for synthetic chemists as well as biologists to design and synthesize new active molecules to inhibit tubulin polymerization.

Nano-Chitosan Particles in Anticancer Drug Delivery: An Up-to-Date Review

BACKGROUND Cancer is one of the most awful lethal diseases all over the world and the success of its current chemotherapeutic treatment strategies is limited due to several associated drawbacks. The exploration of cancer cell physiology and its microenvironment has exposed the potential of various classes of nanocarriers to deliver anticancer chemotherapeutic agents at the tumor target site. These nanocarriers must evade the immune surveillance system and achieve target selectivity. Besides, they must gain access into the interior of cancerous cells, evade endosomal entrapment and discharge the drugs in a sustained manner. Chitosan, the second naturally abundant polysaccharide is a biocompatible, biodegradable and mucoadhesive cationic polymer which has been exploited extensively in the last few years in the effective delivery of anticancer chemotherapeutics to the target tumor cells. Therapeutic agent-loaded surface modified chitosan nanoparticles are established to be more stable, permeable and bioactive. CONCLUSION This review will provide an up-to-date evidence-based background on recent pharmaceutical advancements in the transformation of chitosan nanoparticles for smart anticancer therapeutic drug delivery. HIGHLIGHTS • Efforts to improve cancer chemotherapy by exploiting the intrinsic differences between normal and neoplastic cells to achieve maximum effective drug delivery to target cancer cells through bioengineered chitosan nano delivery vectors are discussed. • The easy manipulation of surface characteristics of chitosan based nanoparticles by various functionalization methods to achieve targeted drug delivery proves its potential to be an essential tool for the advancement of anticancer drug-delivery vectors.

Bisindole‐oxadiazole hybrids, T3P®‐mediated synthesis, and appraisal of their apoptotic, antimetastatic, and computational Bcl‐2 binding potential

Retraction: Kamath PR, Joseph MM, Ajees AA, et al. Bisindole‐oxadiazole hybrids, T3P mediated synthesis and appraisal of their apoptotic, antimetastatic and computational Bcl‐2 binding potential. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2017;31:e21962. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21962

New oxadiazole derivatives: Synthesis and appraisal of their potential as antimicrobial agents

The escalating threat due to dwindling effect of antibiotics and challenge of tackling rising drug-resistant infections has gathered high focus in current medicinal research. Methods: In an attempt to find new molecules that can defeat microbial resistance, two new series of 2-[2-substituted ethenyl]-5-(substituted methoxy)-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives were synthesized. Various aromatic hydrazides were allowed to undergo cyclization to substituted oxadiazole-2- amines in the presence of cyanogen bromide and further condensed with different heterocyclic aldehydes to give new oxadiazole derivatives. The synthesized molecules were fully characterized by various spectral techniques and tested for antimicrobial activity. Results: Almost all the newly synthesized compounds especially (5g-5l) displayed remarkable growth inhibition against three bacterial strains: M. smegmatis, S. aureus, E. coli and fungi C. albicans. The antimicrobial activity was further confirmed by MIC assay against the same microorganisms. Oxadiazole 5g displayed promising activity with a MIC value of 0.025 mM for two bacteria and fungi, whereas MIC of this compound for E. coli was 0.1 mM. Other active compounds (5h-5l) also exhibited good MIC ranging between 0.313 to 5.0 mM against the selected microorganisms. Docking simulations were generated to explore the potential binding approaches of ligand 5g at the D-alanine:d-alanine ligase (Ddl) protein of E. coli and S. aureus. Conclusion: Molecule 5g was active even at a lower concentration and could probably act as a prospective lead molecule for targeting the drug resistant microorganisms.