Abstract:A new series of benzylaminochalcone derivatives with different substituents on ring B were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase. The study is aimed at identification of novel benzylaminochalcones capable of blocking acetylcholinesterase activity for further development of an approach to Alzheimer's disease treatment. These compounds were produced in moderate to good yields via Claisen-Schmidt condensation and subjected to an in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay, using Ellman's method. The in silico docking procedure was also employed to identify molecular interactions between the chalcone compounds and the enzyme. Compounds with ring B bearing pyridin-4-yl, 4-nitrophenyl, 4-chlorophenyl and 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl moieties were discovered to exhibit significant inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase, with IC 50 values ranging from 23 to 39 µM. The molecular modeling studies are consistent with the hypothesis that benzylaminochalcones could exert their effects as dual-binding-site acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which might simultaneously enhance cholinergic neurotransmission and inhibit β-amyloid aggregation through binding to both catalytic and peripheral sites of the enzyme. These derivatives could be further developed to provide novel leads for the discovery of new anti-Alzheimer drugs in the future.
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and beta-secretase (BACE-1) are two attractive targets in the discovery of novel substances that could control multiple aspects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Chalcones are the flavonoid derivatives with diverse bioactivities, including AChE and BACE-1 inhibition. In this study, a series of N-substituted-4-phenothiazine-chalcones was synthesized and tested for AChE and BACE-1 inhibitory activities. In silico models, including two-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (2D-QSAR) for AChE and BACE-1 inhibitors, and molecular docking investigation, were developed to elucidate the experimental process. The results indicated that 13 chalcone derivatives were synthesized with relatively high yields (39–81%). The bioactivities of these substances were examined with pIC50 3.73–5.96 (AChE) and 5.20–6.81 (BACE-1). Eleven of synthesized chalcones had completely new structures. Two substances AC4 and AC12 exhibited the highest biological activities on both AChE and BACE-1. These substances could be employed for further researches. In addition to this, the present study results suggested that, by using a combination of two types of predictive models, 2D-QSAR and molecular docking, it was possible to estimate the biological activities of the prepared compounds with relatively high accuracy.
Crystalline ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by a mechanochemical method using zinc acetate dihydrate and sodium hydroxide as starting materials, and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a protective agent. Mechanochemical activation of the solid-state reaction was achieved at low temperatures in a rapid laboratory ball mill. A three-level full factorial experimental design was used to investigate the effect of milling time and surfactant ratio on ZnO crystallite size. The product powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The crystallite size of ZnO samples estimated from XRD is consistent with the SEM images and found to be less than 40 nm. The crystallite size of the ZnO decreased as the surfactant ratio increased. There is an optimal milling time of 60 minutes in order to obtain ZnO nanoparticles with the smallest average grain size. The antibacterial activity of the obtained products against Escherichia coli (E. coli) was examined, and the minimum inhibitory concentration value was 5 mg/mL. ZnO synthesized by this simple method can be considered potentially as an effective bactericidal agent.
Background: Huperzia phlegmaria has been used for the treatment of neurological disorder. Alkaloids are main bioactive compounds found in Huperzia phlegmaria. We aimed to investigate the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity in vitro of Huperzia phlegmaria alkaloid extract (HpAE) and protective effects on mice which were induced cognitive deficits by scopolamine. Methods: AChE inhibitory activity and kinetic inhibition mechanism was investigated by Ellman's assay. Mice were administrated orally HpAE (30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg) for fourteen days, and injected scopolamine at a dose of 1 mg/kg intraperitoneally for four days to induce cognitive impairment. The Y-maze and the Morris water maze were used for evaluating the memory behaviors. Acetylcholine (ACh) levels and AChE activity were measured in brain tissue. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) groups were also evaluated in the mouse brain tissues. Results: Our data showed that HpAE had the strong AChE inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 5.12 ± 0.48 μg/mL in a concentration-dependent manner. Kinetic inhibition analysis demonstrated that HpPAE inhibited AChE followed the mixed inhibition type with Ki (representing the affinity of the enzyme and inhibitor) was 4.37 ± 0.35 µg/mL. Scopolamine induced the cognitive impairment in Morris Water Maze and Y-maze test along with reduced brain levels of ACh and antioxidant enzyme and increased AChE activity in mouse brain tissues. Treatment with HpAE at both dose (30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg) decreased the SCP-induced cognitive impairment in both behavioral tests along with decreased acetylcholinesterase activity and MDA level, and increased ACh level and antioxidant enzyme in mouse brain tissues. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the HpAE at both dose (30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg) may be used for prevent and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
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