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In this article, we describe the design, synthesis and activity evaluation of glycomimetic DC-SIGN antagonists, that use a mannose residue to anchor to the protein carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). The molecules were designed from the structure of the known pseudo-mannobioside antagonist 1, by including additional hydrophobic groups, which were expected to engage lipophilic areas of DC-SIGN CRD. The results demonstrate that the synthesized compounds potently inhibit DC-SIGN-mediated adhesion to mannan coated plates. Additionally, in silico docking studies were performed to rationalize the results and to suggest further optimization.

Three natural products have been assembled to obtain a new antimalarial hit. (+)-Usnic acid was used as scaffold to design and synthesize new products, that were tested on asexual development for P. falciparum and P. berghei. Among them, the ester of (+)-usnic acid-4-aminobutyric acid 14 with dihydroartemisinin shows considerable in vivo antimalarial activity against P. berghei in mice, similar to the synthetic drug artesunate. Compound 14 behaves as a delivery system for dihydroartemisinin and combine the effects of the endoperoxide with the redox properties of the phenolic portions of (+)-usnic acid.

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