Xiumei Bai, Daria A. Ipatova, Dmitry A. Skvortsov, Vyacheslav A. Chertkov, Boris N. Tarasevich, Jinlei Bian, Yury V. Timchenko, Igor A. Rodin, Victor A. Tafeenko, Dmitry S. Yakovlev, Alexander A. Spasov, Raul I. Musaev, Nataliya A. Gurova, Jiayue Gao, Elena R. Milaeva, Elena K. Beloglazkina, Alexander V. Finko
{"title":"Synthesis and in vitro study of a novel catechol with a hydantoin core","authors":"Xiumei Bai, Daria A. Ipatova, Dmitry A. Skvortsov, Vyacheslav A. Chertkov, Boris N. Tarasevich, Jinlei Bian, Yury V. Timchenko, Igor A. Rodin, Victor A. Tafeenko, Dmitry S. Yakovlev, Alexander A. Spasov, Raul I. Musaev, Nataliya A. Gurova, Jiayue Gao, Elena R. Milaeva, Elena K. Beloglazkina, Alexander V. Finko","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03427-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03427-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this work, stable chemical precursors (3,5-DTBC) and alkylated derivatives were synthesized through strategic modifications guided by the redox and chelation properties of catechol. Leveraging the molecular principle that fusing two bioactive components often yields synergistic effects, catechol — a polyphenol with broad biological activities — was integrated into the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic core structure, imidazolidine-2,4-dione, to design a novel class of hybrid compounds (<b>7a</b>–<b>q</b>) with diverse pharmacological profiles. The primary objective was to explore efficient synthetic routes, characterize structures via physicochemical analyses, and possible evaluate cytotoxicity and AT1-inhibitory activity in vitro.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 7","pages":"1557 - 1575"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145165944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Carbamoyl flavonoids as dual inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and monoacylglycerol lipase: synthesis, in vitro evaluation, and computational studies","authors":"The-Huan Tran, Thai-Son Tran, Minh-Hieu Nguyen, Thi-Trang Pham, Thanh-Tan Mai, Thanh-Dao Tran","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03420-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03420-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alzheimer’s disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and memory loss, with acetylcholinesterase and monoacylglycerol lipase being two key enzymes involved in its pathogenesis. In this study, a series of carbamoyl flavonoid derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as potential dual inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and monoacylglycerol lipase. Among them, compound B3 (a baicalein derivative) exhibited the most potent dual inhibition, with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 67.95 µM for acetylcholinesterase and 61.28 µM for monoacylglycerol lipase. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the strong binding affinity and stability of B3 within the active sites of both enzymes. The MM-GBSA binding free energy analysis revealed ΔG<sub>bind</sub> values of –31.58 ± 2.24 kcal/mol for acetylcholinesterase and –41.24 ± 2.42 kcal/mol for monoacylglycerol lipase, indicating favorable interactions through hydrogen bonding, <i>π</i>-stacking interactions, and hydrophobic contacts. These findings suggest that carbamoyl flavonoid derivatives, particularly B3, hold promise as multifunctional inhibitors, providing a novel and effective strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 7","pages":"1544 - 1556"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145164940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prenylated flavonoids icariin and icaritin for drug discovery: structural modifications and bioactivity studies","authors":"Jing Wang, Lu Hou, Ying Lin, Lei Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03426-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03426-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Prenylated flavonoids icariin and icaritin are the crucial ingredients of traditional Chinese medicinal <i>Herb Epimedii</i>. Icariin is an isoprenoid flavonoid glycoside, and icaritin is the aglycon of icariin. During the past decades, icariin and icaritin have generated a lot of interest in the biological and clinic applications, and icaritin has been an approved drug for advanced HCC in China in 2022. However, poor water solubility, low therapeutic efficiency and poor pharmacokinetic properties are the major obstacles, which had significantly limited their clinical application. Given the pivotal role of icariin and icaritin, this review comprehensively reviews the structural modifications of icariin and icaritin, which might help to provide novel insights for the development of novel derivatives of icariin and icaritin with favorable pharmacological profiles and promising clinical application potential.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 7","pages":"1405 - 1420"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145164678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of monoglyceride lipase inhibitors guided by dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors","authors":"Dania Alkabbani, Safa Dauod, Mutasem O. Taha","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03425-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03425-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aimed to develop inhibitors of monoglyceride lipase, a key enzyme in lipolysis linked to insulin resistance, using structural frameworks derived from dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors. Two series of compounds were synthesized—one based on an amantadine scaffold and the other on a pyrimidinyl piperazine structure—and their design was guided by molecular docking studies that predicted favorable binding within the enzyme’s active site. Biological evaluation revealed that selected compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity, with half maximal inhibitory concentrations in the low to mid nanomolar range. In particular, compounds from the pyrimidinyl piperazine series demonstrated high selectivity for monoglyceride lipase. These findings support the effectiveness of leveraging dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor structures to design potent monoglyceride lipase inhibitors and suggest a promising therapeutic approach for improving insulin sensitivity and managing type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 7","pages":"1527 - 1543"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145164062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inhibition potential against butyrylcholinesterase of stilbenes, bibenzyls, and dihydrophenanthrenes from Pholidota chinensis","authors":"Xiaoyue Dong, Shiwei Sun, Zhongbai Shao, Hui Wang, Kangping Sun, Xinyi Li, Yibo Wu, Wei Wang","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03424-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03424-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE, EC 3.1.1.8) inhibitors have promising application prospects as they can alleviate cognitive impairment and have a positive impact on some pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, two new phenolic glycosides (<b>1</b> and <b>2</b>), pholidotosins B and C, together with two bibenzyls (<b>3</b> and <b>5</b>), two stilbenes (<b>4</b> and <b>6</b>), and two dihydrophenanthrenes (<b>7</b> and <b>8</b>) were isolated from <i>Pholidota chinensis</i> Lindl.. Among them, thunalbene (<b>4</b>) and lusianthridin (<b>8</b>) exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects, with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 11.01 ± 0.26 μM and 10.49 ± 0.34 μM, respectively. The structure-activity relationship analysis indicated that the BuChE inhibitory activity of the isolated compounds <b>3</b>–<b>8</b> was influenced by the substituted position and number of hydroxy and methoxy groups in the two benzene ring skeletons, as well as the connection mode of the two benzene rings. In silico predictions of physicochemical properties, drug-likeness, and pharmacokinetics were performed. The isolated compounds <b>3</b>–<b>8</b> obeyed the rule of five by Lipinski and had better oral bioavailability. Furthermore, the Boiled-Egg chart revealed that thunalbene possessed favorable blood-brain barrier permeability and did not serve as a substrate for P-glycoprotein. The results of enzyme kinetic studies indicated that thunalbene reversibly inhibited BuChE in a mixed-type manner. The molecular docking results demonstrated that thunalbene bind to BuChE with a docking energy of −6.10 kcal/mol, potentially inducing conformational changes in the enzyme’s active structure. These findings highlight the potential of thunalbene as a natural BuChE inhibitor for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 7","pages":"1516 - 1526"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145163624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maryké Shaw, Jacobus P. Petzer, Theunis T. Cloete, Anél Petzer
{"title":"The inhibition of monoamine oxidase by 2-methylbenzo[d]oxazole derivatives","authors":"Maryké Shaw, Jacobus P. Petzer, Theunis T. Cloete, Anél Petzer","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03422-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03422-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzymes metabolise neurotransmitter amines and are drug targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Over the past several decades, MAO inhibitors have been used as antidepressants and antiparkinsonian agents. The present study investigated the MAO inhibition properties of a series of benzoxazole derivatives. Many benzoxazole-containing drugs have been marketed and are used for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions. Thirteen 2-methylbenzo[<i>d</i>]oxazole derivatives (<b>1a</b>–<b>f</b>, <b>2a</b>–<b>g</b>) were synthesised and evaluated as in vitro inhibitors of human MAO. The results showed that the benzoxazole derivatives were potent MAO inhibitors. Compounds <b>1d</b> and <b>2e</b> were the most potent MAO-B inhibitors with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 0.0023 and 0.0033 µM, respectively. The most potent MAO-A inhibition was displayed by compounds <b>2c</b> and <b>2e</b> with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 0.670 and 0.592 µM, respectively. It may be concluded that the benzoxazole derivatives of this study could be useful lead compounds for the development of clinically useful MAO inhibitors.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 7","pages":"1505 - 1515"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00044-025-03422-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145163999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nazila Karzad, Samad Rastmanesh, Elham Shaterian, Hamed Shaterian, Ahmad Mobed
{"title":"Nanosensing doxorubicin: a new frontier in medicinal chemistry","authors":"Nazila Karzad, Samad Rastmanesh, Elham Shaterian, Hamed Shaterian, Ahmad Mobed","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03421-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03421-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The advent of nanosensing technologies marks a significant advancement in medicinal chemistry, particularly in the detection and monitoring of therapeutic agents such as doxorubicin. This review aims to elucidate the development of cutting-edge biosensor technologies specifically tailored for the sensitive and selective detection of doxorubicin, a cornerstone chemotherapeutic agent. We critically analyze various recently developed nanosensors, including electrochemical sensors and optical sensors, highlighting their distinct mechanisms, advantages, and limitations. Unlike previous literature, this review synthesizes current research findings to provide a comprehensive overview of how these innovative nanosensing platforms can enhance drug monitoring, improve therapeutic outcomes, and support personalized medicine approaches. By addressing the existing challenges in doxorubicin detection, our findings underscore the transformative potential of integrating nanotechnology with biosensing applications, ultimately contributing to more effective cancer treatment strategies.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 6","pages":"1253 - 1268"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wei Feng, Lei Liu, Lingjun Li, Peng Du, Zhichen Yuan, Jing Yuan, Changjiang Huang, Zijian Qin
{"title":"Design and discovery of POLQ helicase domain inhibitors by virtual screening and machine learning","authors":"Wei Feng, Lei Liu, Lingjun Li, Peng Du, Zhichen Yuan, Jing Yuan, Changjiang Huang, Zijian Qin","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03423-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03423-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>DNA polymerase theta (Polθ or POLQ) is an attractive target for treating BRCA-deficient cancers. In the present work, several computational approaches were employed for the design and discovery of novel POLQ helicase domain inhibitors. A dataset was constructed by curating a total of 781 known inhibitors, which were used to develop binary classification models using random forests to distinguish between highly and weakly active inhibitors. The Matthews correlation coefficient of the consensus model reached 0.771 for the test set. A virtual screening procedure of 3.4 million molecules was conducted based on shape similarity and predictions from the consensus model to identify four hits and a favorable benzothiazole moiety. A molecular generation model was trained using molecules from both the curated dataset and the identified hits to generate potential inhibitors, which were subsequently predicted by the consensus model. Finally, eight compounds were selected and synthesized for biochemical testing, leading to the identification of compound <b>19</b>, which had a novel scaffold and acceptable potency: inhibition rates of 80.7% at a concentration of 100 nM and 39.5% at a concentration of 10 nM. Compound <b>19</b> could serve as a suitable starting point for further optimization efforts in medicinal chemistry.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div><div><p>Machine Learning, Virtual Screening, Molecular Generation, Compound Synthesis, and Biochemical Testing in the Discovery of POLQ Helicase Domain Inhibitors.</p></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 6","pages":"1377 - 1391"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anastasiia A. Kotliarova, Konstantin Yu. Ponomarev, Ekaterina A. Morozova, Evgeniy V. Suslov, Alla V. Pavlova, Tatyana G. Tolstikova, Konstantin P. Volcho, Nariman F. Salakhutdinov
{"title":"3,7-Diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes and 1,3-diazaadamantanes containing monoterpenoid moieties as synthetic adaptogens: synthesis, ADMET predictions, and in vivo biological activity","authors":"Anastasiia A. Kotliarova, Konstantin Yu. Ponomarev, Ekaterina A. Morozova, Evgeniy V. Suslov, Alla V. Pavlova, Tatyana G. Tolstikova, Konstantin P. Volcho, Nariman F. Salakhutdinov","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03414-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03414-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Fatigue is a widespread issue that affects both mental and physical performance, yet effective treatments remain limited. This study focused on developing and evaluating new synthetic adaptogens—compounds designed to enhance endurance and reduce fatigue. We synthesized and tested derivatives of 3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes (bispidine) and 1,3-diazaadamantanes, incorporating monoterpenoid fragments to improve their pharmacological properties. Using SwissADME and PreADMET tools, we predicted that most of these compounds would be well-absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. Among them, compound <b>2</b>, a 1,3-diazaadamantane derivative, stood out for its strong antifatigue effects at 10 mg/kg in swimming and running endurance tests in in vivo experiments with mice, even outperforming the reference drug bromantane. Acute toxicity tests showed that this compound has a high safety margin, with an LD<sub>50</sub> value 237.5 times greater than its effective dose. Further analysis of structure-activity relationships revealed that monosubstituted 1,3-diazaadamantane derivatives had the most promising effects, suggesting that specific chemical modifications can enhance performance. These findings indicate that this new class of synthetic adaptogens could offer a safe and effective way to combat fatigue, making them strong candidates for further pharmacological research and potential therapeutic use.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 6","pages":"1347 - 1363"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of novel caffeic acid derivatives as multifunctional agents for the treatment of AD","authors":"Kerong Hu, Jing Yang, Qiyao Zhang, Xinxin Wang, Yujie Xu, Yuxin Zhang, Zhenghuai Tan, Wenmin Liu, Rui Chen, Zhipei Sang","doi":"10.1007/s00044-025-03416-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00044-025-03416-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which the multi-target-directed ligand (MTDL) strategy offers a promising therapeutic approach. In this study, a caffeic acid-dopamine hybrid was designed and evaluated for its multifunctional activities. Subsequently, two derivatives incorporating a carbamate fragment were synthesized. Among these, compound <b>3</b> demonstrated excellent antioxidant activity, significant inhibition of self-induced A<i>β</i><sub>1–42</sub> aggregation, anti-inflammatory properties, and neuroprotective effects, though it exhibited weak cholinesterase inhibition and limited blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. In contrast, the derivative <b>TM-2</b> showed potent butyrylcholinesterase inhibition (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.36 μM), potential antioxidant activity, and significant inhibition of self-induced A<i>β</i><sub>1–42</sub> aggregation (48.9%). <b>TM-2</b> also reduced NO and IL-6 levels, provided significant anti-inflammatory effects, and exhibited neuroprotective effects against Glu-/A<i>β</i><sub>25–35</sub>-induced injury in PC12 cells. Importantly, <b>TM-2</b> demonstrated BBB permeability in vitro and significantly improved memory impairment in a scopolamine-induced mouse model. These findings suggest that <b>TM-2</b> is a promising multifunctional agent for the treatment of AD.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":699,"journal":{"name":"Medicinal Chemistry Research","volume":"34 6","pages":"1364 - 1376"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}