Search

Tumor microenvironment (TME) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) play crucial roles in the initiation and progression of tumors. TME is composed of various cell types, such as immune cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, as well as non-cellular components like extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and soluble factors. These elements interact with tumor cells through a complex network of signaling pathways involving cytokines, growth factors, metabolites, and non-coding RNA-carrying exosomes. Hypoxic conditions within the TME further modulate these interactions, collectively influencing tumor growth, metastatic potential, and response to therapy. EMT represents a dynamic and reversible process where epithelial cells undergo phenotypic changes to adopt mesenchymal characteristics in several cancers, including breast cancers. This transformation enhances cell motility and imparts stem cell-like properties, which are closely associated with increased metastatic capability and resistance to conventional cancer treatments. Thus, understanding the crosstalk between the TME and EMT is essential for unraveling the underlying mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance. This review uniquely examines the intricate interplay between the tumor TME and epithelial-mesenchymal transition EMT in driving breast cancer metastasis and treatment resistance. It explores the therapeutic potential of targeting the TME-EMT axis, specifically through CD73-TGF-β dual-blockade, to improve outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer. Additionally, it underscores new strategies to enhance immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) responses by modulating EMT, thereby offering innovative insights for more effective cancer treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

MAPK pathway regulates the major events including cell division, cell death, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Small molecules that modulate the MAPK pathway have been demonstrated to impart cytotoxicity in cancer cells. Herein, the synthesis of a new isoxazolyl-urea derivative (QR-4) has been described and its effect on the growth of pancreatic cancer cells has been investigated. QR-4 reduced the cell viability in a panel of pancreatic cancer cells with minimal effect on normal hepatocytes. QR-4 induced the cleavage of PARP and procaspase-3, reduced the expression of antiapoptotic proteins, increased SubG1 cells, and annexin V/PI-stained cells indicating the induction of apoptosis. QR-4 also triggered paraptosis as witnessed by the reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease in the expression of Alix, increase in the levels of ATF4 and CHOP, and enhanced ER stress. QR-4 also modulated ferroptosis-related events such as elevation in iron levels, alteration in GSH/GSSG ratio, and increase in the expression of TFRC with a parallel decrease in the expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11. The mechanistic approach revealed that QR-4 increases the phosphorylation of all three forms of MAPKs (JNK, p38, and ERK). Independent application of specific inhibitors of these MAPKs resulted in a partial reversal of QR-4-induced effects. Overall, these reports suggest that a new isoxazolyl-urea imparts cell death via apoptosis, paraptosis, and ferroptosis by regulating the MAPK pathway in pancreatic cancer cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Aspartic proteases are the targets for structure-based drug design for their role in physiological processes and pharmaceutical applications. Structural insights into the thermal inactivation mechanism of an aspartic protease in presence and absence of bound pepstatin A have been obtained by kinetics of thermal inactivation, CD, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamic simulations. The irreversible thermal inactivation of the aspartic protease comprised of loss of tertiary and secondary structures succeeded by the loss of activity, autolysis and aggregation The enthalpy and entropy of thermal inactivation of the enzyme in presence of pepstatin A increased from 81.2 to 148.5 kcal mol -1 , and from 179 to 359 kcal mol -1  K -1 respectively. Pepstatin A shifted the mid-point of thermal inactivation of the protease from 58 °C to 77 °C. The association constant (K) for pepstatin A with aspartic protease was 2.5 ± 0.3 × 10 5  M -1 and ΔG o value was -8.3 kcal mol -1 . Molecular dynamic simulation studies were able to delineate the role of pepstatin A in stabilizing backbone conformation and side chain interactions. In the Cα-backbone, the short helical segments and the conserved glycines were part of the most unstable segments of the protein. Understanding the mechanism of thermal inactivation has the potential to develop re-engineered thermostable proteases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All the authors have seen and approved the manuscript and declare no conflicts of interest with the content of this article., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is becoming dangerous to human beings due to easy transmission mode and leading to the difficult-to-treat situation. The rapid resistance development of MRSA to many approved antibiotics is of major concern. There is a lot of scope to develop novel, efficient, specific, and nontoxic drug candidates to fight against MRSA isolates. The interesting molecular structure and adaptable feature of oxadiazole moiety which are bioisosteres of esters and amides, and these functional groups show improved resistance to esterases mediated hydrolytic cleavage, attracting researchers to develop required novel antibiotics based on oxadiazole core. This review summarizes the developments of oxadiazole-containing derivatives as potent antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant MRSA strains and discussing the structure-activity relationship (SAR) in various directions. The current survey is the highlight of the present scenario of oxadiazole hybrids on MRSA studies, covering articles published from 2011 to 2020. This collective information may become a good platform to plan and develop new oxadiazole-based small molecule growth inhibitors of MRSA with minimal side effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Breast cancer is a prominent type of malignancy among women with a high rate of mortality. A number of previous studies have demonstrated the anticancer potential of brucein D (BD), a quassinoid extracted from Brucea javanica, against the cancers of the pancreas, bone, and liver. We investigated the impact of BD on apoptotic as well on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades in breast cancer cells. The effect of BD on p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways and its downstream functions was deciphered in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines. We noted that BD decreased the viability of breast cancer cells without affecting the growth of healthy mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A). Flow cytometric analysis revealed that BD can increase sub-G1 cells and enhanced annexin-V-PI stained cells. The apoptogenic impact of BD was further substantiated by cleavage of procaspase-3/8 and downregulation of antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-xL, XIAP, and survivin). Furthermore, BD also downmodulated the migratory ability, and chemokine triggered invasion of breast cancer cells. Interestingly, the pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK and JNK kinases abrogated the observed anticancer actions of BD. Overall, the data indicated that BD can induce substantial apoptosis and interfere with cellular invasion by modulating MAPK signaling pathway in breast cancer cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is becoming lethal to humanity due to easy transmission and difficult-to-treat skin and flimsy diseases. The most threatening aspect is the rapid resistance development of MRSA to any approved antibiotics, including vancomycin. The development of new, efficient, and nontoxic drug candidate to fight against MRSA isolates is the need of the hour. The intriguing molecular structure and versatile bioactive pyrazole core attracting to development required novel antibiotics. This review presents the decade developments of pyrazole-containing derivatives with a broad antibacterial movement against diverged bacterial strains. In specific, we correlated the efficacy of structurally diversified pyrazole analogs against MRSA and discussed different angles of structure-activity relationship (SAR). The current survey highlights pyrazole hybrids' present scenario on MRSA studies, covering articles published from 2011 to 2020. This collective information may become an excellent platform to plan and develop new pyrazole-based small MRSA growth inhibitors with minimal side effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major malignancy that stands second in terms of global cancer-related mortality. STAT3 has been described as a latent transcription factor that promotes tumorigenesis. This study was designed to examine the effect of vitexin on STAT3 signaling and important hallmarks of cancer. HCC cells were employed to decipher the impact of vitexin on activation of STAT3 signaling using Western blotting, EMSA, immunocytochemistry, and reporter assay. The combinational apoptotic effects of vitexin with approved anti-cancer drugs was examined by live-dead assay, and its anti-invasive potential was studied using matrigel assay. The results obtained in cell-based assays were verified using in silico analysis. Vitexin effectively inhibited sustained activation of JAK1, JAK2, Src, and STAT3 in HCC cells. Vitexin downregulated DNA binding ability, reduced the nuclear pool of STAT3, and diminished epidermal growth factor (EGF)-driven STAT3 gene expression. Interestingly, treatment with tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor altered the vitexin-induced STAT3 phosphorylation, and the attenuation of STAT3 by vitexin was found to be driven through the upregulation of PTPεC. The combinational studies indicated that vitexin can exhibit substantial apoptotic effects with doxorubicin and sorafenib. It also suppressed the CXCL12-induced cell invasion. The results of cell-based assays are supported by in silico analysis as the vitexin displayed favorable interaction with kinase domain of JAK2 protein. Overall, this study demonstrated that vitexin can act as a potential blocker of the STAT3 signaling cascade and mitigate the survival as well as invasion of HCC cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Biologically active or bioactive peptides are unique amino acid sequences found encrypted in food proteins. These peptides, upon hydrolysis, can exert positive physiological effects on human health, different from that of their native protein. These effects are brought about by their interaction with specific targets in the body, thereby, mimicking physiologically relevant peptides. Peptides are derived from food proteins, they are popular natural alternatives for the management of common metabolic disorders. In the present study, we aimed to identify bioactive peptide sequences (less than 3 kDa) from fat globule membrane protein (FGMP) hydrolysates of buffalo colostrum using a combination of empirical, computational and in vitro methods. The empirical approach aided in the identification of 89 FGMP peptides (m/z-415 to 2939) which were annotated and profiled for bioactivity. Few lead peptides were analyzed by molecular docking for the inhibitory potential of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV (DPP-IV). A heptapeptide (m/z-723.3) synthesized was found to inhibit ACE (IC 50 : 74.27 μM) and DPP-IV (IC 50 : 3.83 mM)., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Structural based molecular docking approach revealed the findings of 2-(phenoxymethyl) -5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives. The compounds (7a-o) were synthesized and characterized well by using conventional methods. The compounds, 7b and 7m were reconfirmed through single crystal XRD analysis. The synthesized compounds (7a-o) were evaluated their antiproliferative activities against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-453. Furthermore, Lipinski's rule of five and pharmacokinetic properties were predicted for the test compounds. These results demonstrate that the compounds 7b and 7d exhibit more potent cytotoxicity and 7d exhibits dose-dependent activity and reduced cell viability. Further, the mechanism of action for the induced apoptosis was observed through morphological changes and western blotting analysis. These findings may furnish the lead for further development., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The synthesis and antiproliferative effect of a series of quinoline and thiazole containing coumarin analogs 12a-d and 13a-f respectively, on mice leukemic cells was performed. The chemical structures of newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and mass spectral analysis. The result indicates that, 7-methoxy-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carboxylic acid [4-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-amide (13f) showed potent activity against EAC and DLA cells in MTT (15.3 μM), tryphan blue (15.6 μM) and LDH (14.2 μM) leak assay with 5-fluorouracil as a standard. Further, the anti-neoplastic effect of the compound 13f was verified against Ehrlich ascites tumour by BrdU incorporation, TUNEL, FACS and DNA fragmentation assays. Experimental data showed that compound 13f induces the apoptotic cell death by activating apoptotic factors such as caspase-8 &-3, CAD, Cleaved PARP, γ-H2AX and by degrading genomic DNA of cancer cells and thereby decreasing the ascitic tumour development in mice. Besides, compound 13f was also subjected for docking studies to approve the in vitro and in vivo studies. The data revealed that the compound 13f has very good interaction with caspase 3 protein by binding with amino acid Arg 207 through hydrogen bond., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Azepane-based compounds showed a variety of pharmacological properties, and its derivatives possess a high degree of structural diversity, and it is useful for the discovery of new therapeutic agents. The development of new less toxic, low-cost and highly active azepane-containing analogs is a hot research topic in medicinal chemistry. Now, more than 20 azepane-based drugs have been approved by FDA, and widely used to treat various types of diseases. This review highlights the recent developments of azepane-based compounds in a wide range of therapeutic applications, such as anti-cancer, anti-tubercular, anti-Alzheimer's disease, and antimicrobial agents, as well as, histamine H 3 receptor inhibitors, α-glucosidase inhibitors, anticonvulsant drugs and other miscellaneous applications. We here briefly describe the structure-activity relationship (SAR) and molecular docking studies of potential bioactive compounds for future discovery of suitable drug candidates. It can serve as an inspiration for new ideas for design and development of less toxic and more powerful azepane-based drugs against numerous devastating diseases., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Ten new 2(4-hydroxy-3-benzoyl) benzamide-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (10a-j) were synthesized by coupling 3-benzoyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (5) with 2-amino-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles (9a-j). The structures of these compounds were confirmed by IR, 1 H, 13 C NMR, and mass spectra, and also by elemental analyses. The anti-inflammatory activity of the compounds 10a-j were investigated by screening them against human red blood cells (HRBC) in-vitro. The results reveal that among this series, compound 10j with hydroxy substituent, particularly at the ortho position of the phenyl ring attached to the 5th carbon atom of the oxadiazole ring possess significant membrane stabilizing activity in comparison with the control. Further, in-vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and rat corneal anti-angiogenesis assays were performed to assess the effect of compound 10j on endothelial cell migration. This confirmed that compound 10j inhibits the proliferation of endothelial cells. Anti-inflammatory studies detected the amelioration of carrageen induced rat hind paw edema. Further in-vivo and in-silico approaches revealed the inhibition of inflammatory marker enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and myleoperoxidase (MPO). The study reports that the compound 10j effectively act against the inflammatory mediated anti-angiogenic disorders which could be translated into a new drug in future., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of novel coumarin-theophylline hybrids were synthesized and examined for their anti-tubercular activity in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H 37 Rv, anti-microbial activity in vitro against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative bacterias (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi) as well as fungi (Candida albicans). The compound (3a) has shown excellent anti-tubercular activity with MIC of 0.12 μg/mL. Electron donating compounds (3a, 3f) have displayed significant anti-microbial activity. The compounds have also been precisely elucidated using single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Molecular docking study has been performed against 4DQU enzyme of Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed good binding interactions and is in agreement with the in vitro results., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Tumor microenvironment is a complex multistep event which involves several hallmarks that transform the normal cell into cancerous cell. Designing the novel antagonistic molecule to reverse the tumor microenvironment with specific target is essential in modern biological studies. The novel 4-phenyl-2-phenoxyacetamide thiazole analogues 8 a-ab were synthesized in multistep process, then screened and assessed for cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects in vitro against multiple cancer cells of different origin such as MCF-7, A549, EAC and DLA cells which revealed that compound 8f with fluoro and methyl substitute has potential cytotoxic efficacy with an average IC 50 value of ˜ 13 μM. The mechanism of cytotoxicity assessed for anti-tumor studies both in ascites and solid tumor models in-vivo inferred the regressed tumor activity. This is due to changes in the cause of tumor microenvironment with crackdown of neovascularization and evoking apoptosis process as assessed by CAM, corneal vascularization and apoptotic hallmarks in 8f treated cells. The molecular gene studies inferred involvement of HIF-1upregulation and stabilization of p53 which are interlinked in signaling as conferred by immunoblot analysis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Praecitrullus fistulosus, belonging to the family of Cucurbitaceae is a tropical vegetable and medicinal plant, grown and consumed extensively in subtropical countries, including the subcontinent India. However, there are limited reports on the medicinal properties of the plant and need to be explored. The lectin identified from the fruit sap of Praecitrullus fistulosus, named as PfLP, possesses potent agglutinating activity against trypsinized rabbit erythrocytes and exhibited its functional role against tumor progression, on in vitro &in vivo models. Experimental results revealed that PfLP shows a promising cytotoxic effect against multiple cancer cell lines. Further, we examined the in vivo anticancer and anti-angiogenic properties of PfLP against EAC bearing mice. PfLP treatment resulted in tumor growth inhibition and increased the life-span of the EAC bearing mice, without showing any detectable side effects, as revealed by histological parameters. Further, a significant decrease in the ascites VEGF secretion level was parallel with a drastic reduction in tumoral neovasculature as evidence for angiogenic parameters. Gelatin zymogram study reveals that PfLP inhibits metalloproteinases (MMP-2 & MMP-9) activity in order to execute its anti-angiogenic effect. PfLP has also inducing apoptosis, in cancer cells was revealed by DNA fragmentation assay followed by Giemsa and AO/EBr staining method, showed the apoptotic bodies and condensed nuclei compared to control cells. More interestingly, PfLP did not exhibit any adverse side effects or secondary complications in normal mice. These results clearly exhibit the potential role of PfLP in regressing the tumor progression by targeting angiogenesis and inducing cell death in mouse transplantable tumor., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diabetes as it is one of the inevitable outcomes of the cellular process. The present study aims to investigate the putative antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant efficacy of a monoterpene borneol, in comparison with glibenclamide, a standard drug for therapy of diabetes. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 40mg/kg body weight. The results of the present study showed a significant increase in the biochemical indices viz., fasting blood glucose concentration, glycated hemoglobin, urea, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, malondialdehyde concentration, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and atherogenic index, with a significant decrease in body weight, plasma insulin, HOMA-β-cell functioning index, glycogen, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activities, viz., superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione in diabetic rats when compared to controls. In addition, histology of the normal architecture of pancreas was affected in diabetic rats when compared to controls. The results for the first time reveal that oral administration of borneol for twenty eight days significantly attenuated the above mentioned alterations near to controls. Therefore, it is suggested that borneol could be a potential therapeutic antidiabetic molecule of biological relevance., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Disrupted redox balance is implicated in multiple pathologies including malignant progression and tumor angiogenesis. In this investigation, we report the design and development of novel and effective ROS detoxifying azo-hydrazone molecules targeting malignant pathologies and neoangiogenesis. A series of azo-derivatives conjugated to hydrazones moieties (9a-j) were synthesized using Nano BF 3 ·SiO 2 . The compounds (9a-j) were screened for in-vitro antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity. Among the series 9a-j, compound 9f potently quenched biologically relevant radicals such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide which emerged as the lead ROS detoxifying molecules. Compound 9f potently inhibited the proliferative capability of Daltons Lymphoma Ascites (DLA) tumor cells in-vivo in dose dependent manner. Regressed tumor progression was correlated with pronounced endogenous antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase and catalase in-vivo. Also, ROS levels were severely suppressed in 9f treated mice as assessed by lapsed lipid peroxidation. Altered enzymic and ROS levels in-vivo by 9f were implicated in suppressed VEGF secretion leading to regressed tumor neovasculature and tumor growth. Considering together, it is evident that the synthetic azo-hydrazone analogue 9f with potent ROS scavenging efficacy inhibits tumor progression and neo-angiogenesis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Neoplastic metastasis is a major process where tumor cells migrate from the primary tumor and colonize at other parts of our body to form secondary tumor. Cancer incidences are rising and novel anti-neoplastic compounds with new mechanism of actions are essential for preventing cancer related deaths. In the current examination, a novel series of pyridazine analogues 6a-l was synthesized and evaluated against metastatic neoplastic cells. Experimental data postulated compound 6j has potential cytotoxic efficacy with prolonged activity against various cancer cells, including A549, HepG2, A498, CaSki and SiHa cells. Moreover, compound 6j arrests the A549 migration and invasions markedly by counteracting matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 expressions. Also, compound 6j proved its potentiality against Dalton's solid lymphoma progression in-vivo by abridging MVD and MMP expressions. Compound 6j interacts with MMP-2 and MMP-9 by H- bond in-silico, thereby down regulates the MMPs action in tumourigenesis. Altogether, we concluded that compound 6j down regulates MMP-2 and MMP-9 and thereby impairs metastatic cancer cell migration and invasions which can be translated into a potent anti-neoplastic agent., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A new series of 2,5 and 1,5-regioisomers of the tetrazolyl group viz., 3-[(5-benzyl/benzylthio-2H-tetrazol-2-yl) methyl]-2-chloro-6-substituted quinoline 6h-q and 3-[(5-benzyl/benzylthio-1H-tetrazol-1-yl) methyl]-2-chloro-6-substituted quinolines 7h-q were synthesized. Docking studies of all these compounds with DNA as target using PDB: 1AU5 and 453D revealed that the compounds 6h and 6i act as covalent cross linker on the DNA helix of the former and intercalate the latter both with higher C score values. Another set of docking studies in the active pocket of dihydrofolate reductase and N-myristoyl transferase as targets to assess antifungal activity revealed that compounds 6k, 6l, 6p and 7q (with bromo and fluro substituents) showcases different binding modes and hydrogen bonding. Further, the compounds were screened for anticancer activity (primary cytotoxicity) against NCI-60 Human tumor cell line at a single high dose (10 -5  M) concentration assay. Among the tested compounds, 6h has shown 99.28% of GI against Melanoma (SK-MEL-5) and compound 6i has shown 97.56% of GI against Breast Cancer (T-47D). Further, in vitro antifungal assay against A. fumigatus and C. albicans for these compounds 6h-q and 7h-q revealed potential to moderate activities as compared to the standard., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Synthesis of 3-(4-((3-Phenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazol-5-yl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl) benzoisothiazole derivatives (5a-i), which constitute a new class of isoxazolines, has been accomplished in regio-selective manner. These derivatives have been prepared by employing the reaction between substituted aldoximes (4a-i) and 3-(4-Allylpiperazin-1-yl) benzoisothiazole in presence of chloramine-T which afforded in good yields. These compounds were screened for cytotoxic activity on tumor cells. Four among the nine synthesized compounds were found to exhibit potent cytotoxic and antineoplastic activities in comparison to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) protein in mammalian cancer cells. The rest of the derivatives showed moderate activity., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

A series of diamide-coupled benzophenone, 2-(4-benzoyl-phenoxy)-N-{2-[2-(4-benzoyl-phenoxy)-acetylamino]-phenyl}-acetamide analogues (9a-l) were synthesized by multistep reactions and all compounds were well characterized. Among the series (9a-l), compound 9k with three methyl groups at ortho position in rings A, B, and D and bromo group at the para position in ring E was selected as a lead compound by screening through multiple cancer cell types by in-vitro cytotoxic and antiproliferative assay systems. Also, the cytotoxic nature of the compound 9k resulted the regression of the tumor growth in-vivo, which could be due to decreased vascularisation in the peritoneum lining of the mice which regress the tumor growth. The results were reconfirmed in-vivo chorioallantoic membrane model which indicates a scope of developing 9k into potent anticancer drug in near future., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Mitogenicity is the ability of the natural or synthetic compounds to induce cell division or proliferation. A series of salicylic acid derivatives containing isoxazoline moiety (8a-j) were synthesized and their immunopharmacological activities targeting lymphocyte proliferation and angiogenesis were evaluated. The compounds 8a-j mitogenicity were investigated on immunological cells that include human peripheral blood lymphocytes and murine splenocytes in-vitro. The results implicate that among the series of 8a-j, compound 8e showed a potent proliferative response on both human and murine lymphocytes. The proliferative index of the compound 8e was comparable to the reference mitogen Con A and mitogenecity is due to increased secretion IL-2. In -vivo CAM and rat corneal angiogenesis assays were performed to assess the compound's effect on endothelial cell migration and proliferation which inferred that 8e also induces the proliferation of endothelial cells. The study reports the synthetic immunostimulatory and pro-angiogenic activity of novel mitogen 8e which could be translated into new drug in future., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Breast cancer is probably the most prevalent cancer in women. The development of resistance to therapeutic agents and lack of targeted therapy for breast cancer cells provide motivation to identify new compounds for the treatment. With this objective in mind, a new series of 3-fluoro-4-methoxyphenyl group based 1,3,5-trisubstituted aryl-5-hydroxypyrazoline analogues 4a-l was synthesized through multi-step reaction sequence. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, LC-MS and elemental analysis. They were screened for their in vitro anticancer and in vitro antioxidant activities. Among the tested compounds 4h, 4c and particularly 4i displayed promising cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cell lines. The compounds were also found to possess antioxidant activity when tested against DPPH free radical. Overall, this work has contributed to the development of promising leads for anticancer and antioxidant activities., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of 2-(2-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-(substituted phenyl) pyrimidin-4-yl)-3H-benzo[f]chromen-3-one derivatives (1a-1o) were selectively prepared in high yields under microwave irradiation. The synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental and spectroscopic analysis; in addition the structures of compound (1a), (1b) and (1j) were elucidated by the X-ray diffraction technique. Compounds (1a-1o) were evaluated for their in-vitro antitubercular activity while the most active compounds were further subjected for their cytotoxicity and DNA cleavage study. Results revealed that most of the tested compounds displayed potent antitubercular activity with MIC in the range 0.05-2.81 μg/mL. Among them, compound (1b) possessed excellent activity (MIC 0.05 μg/mL) against M.tb H37Rv strain and exhibited low level of cytotoxicity against Vero cells, which suggested compound (1b) is a promising lead for subsequent investigation in search of new antitubercular agents. DNA cleavage by gel electrophoresis method revealed that compounds (1b, 1g, 1k and 1n) were found to cleave the DNA completely., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of 2-(4-benzoyl-phenoxy)-N-(4-phenyl-thiazol-2-yl)-acetamides (10a-n) were synthesized by multistep reaction sequence and all the compounds were well characterized for structural elucidation. The in vitro cytotoxicity of compounds 10a-n was evaluated against EAC and DLA cell lines using trypan blue dye exclusion method. Further MTT assay and LDH release assay, followed by in vivo studies on murine model were also evaluated. The compound 10h with a methyl and fluoro groups at benzophenone moiety and methoxy group at phenyl ring was in a leading position to exhibit the promising antiproliferative effect through translational VEGF-A inhibition., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of urea/thiourea derivatives were synthesized by using peptides conjugated to 3-(1-piperazinyl)-1,2-benzisothiazole and their structure was characterized by analytical and spectral ((1)H, (13)C NMR and Mass) methods. These compounds were screened for antimicrobial and antiglycating activity as well as urease and H(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibition. Preliminary structure-activity relationship studies revealed that the compounds possessing fluoro moiety were excellent antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, for other biological activities methoxy substituent was found to be the most active particularly upon substitution at para position., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

One of the main strategies to inhibit the tumor growth is to promote the biochemical events leading to DNA degradation, which would eventually culminate in apoptosis. We have earlier reported that the 2,5-di(4-aryloylaryloxymethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole(DAO-9) possessed anti-cancer activity. To address the exact molecular mechanism underlying anti-cancer property, present study focused on evaluating the anti-tumor effect of the DAO-9 on murine ascites carcinoma cells using various in vivo and in vitro assays. The in vivo assays implicated a strong regression in tumor growth of ascites carcinoma after treatment which is due to apoptogenic efficacy as assessed through structural morphology of EAC cells by Giemsa, Acridine orange, Annexin V staining and FACS analysis. Nucleosomal DNA fragmentation induced by DAO-9 is due to activation of caspase-3 mediated DNAse as verified by endonuclease assays and immunoblot analysis. The caspase-3 activation mechanism is by induction of intrinsic cascade signaling molecules, such as p53, Bax, Bad and cytochrome c (cyt c) expression as verified by western blot. The results concluded that the tumor inhibiting activity of DAO-9 is due to activation of the apoptotic signaling cascade, which could be translated into targeted anti-cancer drug in the near future., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The present work reveals the synthesis and antiproliferative effect of a series of 2, 3 disubstituted 4-thiazolidinone analogues on human leukemic cells. The chemical structures of newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and mass spectral analysis. Compound methyl 3-methoxy-4-(4-oxo-3-(5-(piperazin-1-yl)pyridin-2-yl)thiazolidin-2-yl)benzoate (5) displayed potent activity (IC509.71, 15.24 and 19.29 μM) against Nalm6, K562, Jurkat cells. Cell cycle analysis and mitochondrial membrane potential further confirmed that compound 5 is cytotoxic and able to induce cell death., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A sequence of coumarin analogs 5a-j was obtained by multi step synthesis from hydroxy benzophenones (1a-j). The in vitro antiproliferative effect of the title compounds was tested against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and Daltons lymphoma ascites (DLA) cell lines. Among the series, compound 5c with bromo group in the benzophenone moiety was endowed with excellent antiproliferative potency with significant IC50 value. Further, in vivo antitumor effect of compound 5c against murine EAC and solid DL tumor model system was evident by the extended survivality. The tumor inhibitory mechanism of compound 5c was due to the antiangiogenesis and promotion of apoptosis. These results suggest possible applications of compound 5c which could be developed as a potent anticancer drug in the near future., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of new iodinated-4-aryloxymethylcoumarins 6, 8 and 10 have been obtained from the reaction of various 4-bromomethylcoumarins 4 with 2-iodophenol 5, 3-iodophenol 7 and 4-iodophenol 9 respectively. All the title compounds were screened for anticancer activity against two cancer cell lines (MDA-MB human adenocarcinoma mammary gland and A-549 human lung carcinoma) and two mycobacterial strains (Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇ RV and Mycobacterium phlei). The SAR results indicate that nine compounds are potent, among these 10h and 10i having chlorine are most effective. This is the first report assigning in vitro anti-mycobacterial, anticancer and structure-activity relationship for this new class of iodinated-4-aryloxymethyl-coumarins., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Platelets play an indispensable role in human health and disease. Platelets are very sensitive to oxidative stress, as it leads to the damage of mitochondrial DNA, which is the initial step of a sequence of events culminating in the cell death through the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Owing to a lot of reports on secondary complications arising from oxidative stress caused by therapeutic drug overdose, the present study concentrated on the influence of sesamol on oxidative stress-induced platelet apoptosis. Sesamol, a phenolic derivative present in sesame seeds is an exceptionally promising drug with lots of reports on its protective functions, including its inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation at concentrations below 100 μM, and its anti-cancer effect at 1 mM. However, the present study explored the toxic effects of sesamol on human platelets. Sesamol at the concentration of 0.25 mM and above induced platelet apoptosis through endogenous generation of ROS, depletion of thiol pool, and Ca(2+) mobilization. It also induced mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, caspase activation, cytochrome c translocation and phosphatidylserine exposure, thus illustrating the pro-apoptotic effect of sesamol at higher concentration. However, even at high concentration of 2 mM sesamol effectively inhibited collagen/ADP/epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation. The study demonstrates that even though sesamol inhibits platelet aggregation, it has the tendency to elicit platelet apoptosis at higher concentrations. Sesamol has a potential as thrombolytic agent, nevertheless the current work highlights the significance of an appropriate dosage of sesamol when it is used as a therapeutic drug., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of novel 1-[5-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-yl]-piperazine derivatives 8(a-o) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and mass spectral studies. The newly synthesized compounds were screened for their anticonvulsant activity against maximal electroshock seizure (MES) model in male wistar rats and compared with the standard drug phenytoin. The neurotoxic effects were determined by rotorod test by using mice. Compounds 8d, 8e, 8f and 8h were found to be most potent of this series. The same compounds showed no neurotoxicity at the maximum dose administered (100 mg/kg). The efforts were also made to establish the structure activity relationships among synthesized compounds. The pharmacophore model was used to validate the anticonvulsant activity of the synthesized molecules., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Coumarins are a group of natural compounds widely distributed in plants. Of late, coumarins and their derivatives have grabbed much attention from the pharmacological and pharmaceutical arena due to their broad range of therapeutical qualities. A coumarin derivative 4-methylesculetin (4-ME) has known to possess effective antioxidant and radical-scavenging properties. Recently they have also shown to down regulate nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and protein kinase B (Akt) that play a vital role in inflammation and apoptosis. In view of this, the present study investigated the anti-arthritic potentiality of 4-ME by assessing its ability to inhibit cartilage and bone degeneration, inflammation and associated oxidative stress. Arthritis being a debilitating joint disease, results in the deterioration of extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage and synovium. Participation of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic factors in disease perpetuation is well documented. The present study demonstrated the mitigation of augmented serum levels of hyaluronidase and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-13, MMP-3 and MMP-9) responsible for cartilage degeneration by 4-ME. It also protected bone resorption by reducing the elevated levels of bone-joint exoglycosidases, cathepsin-D and tartrate resistant acid phosphatases. Further, 4-ME significantly ameliorated the upregulated non-enzymatic inflammatory markers like TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2 and PGE2. Besides, 4-ME effectively stabilized the arthritis-induced oxidative stress by restoring the levels of reactive oxygen species, lipid and hydro peroxides and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-S-transferase. Thus, the study suggests that 4-ME could be an effective agent to treat arthritis and associated secondary complications like oxidative stress., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of 2,5-di(4-aryloylaryloxymethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles 9a-j were obtained via multistep synthesis from hydroxybenzophenones 4a-e. The cytotoxicity of compounds 9a-j was evaluated against human leukemia cell lines (K562 and CEM). The compounds exhibited moderate to good anti-cancer activity with compounds 9b and 9i having a chloro group exhibiting the best activity (IC50 = 10 μM). Compound 9i exhibited activity against both the cell lines and 9b only exhibited activity against CEM. Further, a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and DNA fragmentation studies of the compounds 9a-j were also performed., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Synthesis of a new series of urea/thiourea derivatives of Gly/Pro conjugated benzisoxazole has been reported. Structure of the compounds was characterized by physical and spectroscopical data and has been screened for their in vitro antiglycation activity. Several compounds showed promising activity with IC(50) < 5 μM compared to standard rutin (IC(50) = 41.9 μM). Further, it was found that compounds containing methoxy and bromine substituents have exerted highly potent activity. Thus, the title compounds represent novel class of potent antiglycating agents., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Articular cartilage degeneration and inflammation are the hallmark of progressive arthritis and is the leading cause of disability in 10-15% of middle aged individuals across the world. Cartilage and synovium are mainly degraded by either enzymatic or non-enzymatic ways. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), hyaluronidases (HAases) and aggrecanases are the enzymatic mediators and inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species being non-enzymatic mediators. In addition, MMPs and HAases generated end-products act as inflammation inducers via CD44 and TLR-4 receptors involved NF-κB pathway. Although several drugs have been used to treat arthritis, numerous reports describe the side effects of these drugs that may turn fatal. On this account several medicinal plants and their isolated molecules have been involved in modern medicine strategies to fight against arthritis. In view of this, the present study investigated the antiarthritic potentiality of Crocin, a dietary colorant carotenoid isolated from stigma of Crocus sativus. Crocin effectively neutralized the augmented serum levels of enzymatic (MMP-13, MMP-3 and MMP-9 and HAases) and non-enzymatic (TNF-α, IL-1β, NF-κB, IL-6, COX-2, PGE(2) and ROS) inflammatory mediators. Further, Crocin re-established the arthritis altered antioxidant status of the system (GSH, SOD, CAT and GST). It also protected the bone resorption by inhibiting the elevated levels of bone joint exoglycosidases, cathepsin-D and tartrate resistant acid phosphatases. Taken together, Crocin revitalized the arthritis induced cartilage and bone deterioration along with inflammation and oxidative damage that could be accredited to its antioxidant nature. Thus, Crocin could be an effective antiarthritic agent which can equally nullify the arthritis associated secondary complication., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

β-lactoglobulin is a rich source of bioactive peptides. The LC-MS separated tryptic peptides of buffalo colostrum β-lactoglobulin (BLG-col) were computed based on MS-MS fragmentation for de novo sequencing. Among the selected peptides (P1-P8), a variant was detected with methionine at position 74 instead of glutamate. The sequences of two peptides were identical to hypocholesterolemic peptides whereas the remaining peptides were in accordance with buffalo milk β-lactoglobulin. Comparative sequence analysis of BLG-col to milk β-lactoglobulin was carried out using CLUSTALW2 and a molecular model for BLG-col was constructed (PMDB ID-PM0076812). The synthesized variant pentapeptide (IIAMK, m/z-576 Da) was found to inhibit angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) with an IC(50) of 498 ± 2 μM, which was rationalized through docking simulations using Molgrow virtual docker., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Forty five new derivatives of ureas and thioureas were synthesized by the reaction of peptide conjugated heterocycles with isocyanates and isothiocyanates respectively. All the compounds have been characterized by IR, (1)H NMR, mass and elemental analysis. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of a panel of microorganisms and all the synthesized compounds displayed an excellent antimicrobial activity. From structure-activity relationship studies, it was apparent that thioureas infact is slightly more active than ureas. Also, substituents on the phenyl ring of the title compounds play a key role in the activity. Further, compound 40 is nearly twenty times more potent than the standard used. These results present a platform for the further studies in this line., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Synthesis of a series of urea/thiourea/acetamide/sulphonamide derivatives of quinazolinones conjugated lysine has been reported. Structures of the products have been determined by standard spectroscopical studies. All the compounds have been screened for their antibacterial studies and structure-activity relationship has been developed. The activity profile revealed that the compounds containing urea and thiourea functionalities along with fluoro group have exerted a highly potent activity. Thus, the title compounds represent a novel class of potent antimicrobial agents., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The peptides of elastin sequences chosen for the present study included tetrapeptides, pentapeptides and tricosapeptides (30 amino acids), synthesized by classical solution phase method and conjugated to [3-(4-piperidyl)-6-fluoro-1,2-benzisoxazole]. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by physical and spectroscopic techniques followed by the antimicrobial evaluation by both agar well diffusion and microdilution methods. Here we wish to report the effect of conjugation of these moieties which enabled us to identify a novel set of peptides conjugated to heterocycle which have exhibited more potent antimicrobial activity than the conventional drugs used. Further, conjugates of tricosamers 34 and 35 were able to inhibit the growth of fungal species at 3-5 μg/mL which is nearly 5 fold more potent than the reference drug., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Recently we have reported the effect of (S)-6-aryl urea/thiourea substituted-2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazole derivatives as potent anti-leukemic agents. To elucidate further the Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) studies on the anti-leukemic activity of (S)-2,6-diamino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazole moiety, a series of 2-arlycarboxamide substituted-(S)-6-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazole were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-leukemic activity by trypan blue exclusion, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays and cell cycle analysis. Results suggest that the position, number and bulkiness of the substituent on the phenyl ring of aryl carboxamide moiety at 2nd position of 6-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrhydrobenzo[d]thiazole play a key role in inhibiting the proliferation of leukemia cells. Compounds with ortho substitution showed poor activity and with meta and para substitution showed good activity., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In the present investigation, a series of novel {5-chloro-2-[(3-(substitutedphenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-methoxy]-phenyl}-(phenyl)-methanones (3a-i) have been synthesized from 5-(chloromethyl)-3-substitutedphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole (2a-i). The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, NMR (1H and 13C), mass spectral and elemental analysis. The title compounds were investigated for in-vitro qualitative (zone of inhibition) and quantitative (MIC) antibacterial activity by agar cup plate and microtitration methods, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration and structure activity relationships (SARs) were evaluated. Amongst the synthesized compounds in this series, {5-chloro-2-[(3-(2,5-difluoro-4-methyl-phenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-methoxy]-phenyl}-(phenyl)-methanone (3d) was found to exhibit significant activity with MICs of 21.5, 22.4, 29.8 and 30.6 microg/mL against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A series of 5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine containing different aminophenols and substituted aminophenols were synthesized. 3-chloro-1-(5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-5yl)propan-1-one (2) was obtained by N-acylation of 5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine (1) with 3-chloro propionyl chloride. Further base condensation with different aminophenols and substituted aminophenols to produce series of 5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine containing aminophenol and substituted aminophenol (2a-e). The structures of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. Their antioxidant properties were evaluated by using several methods: scavenging effects on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, inhibition of lipid peroxidation using beta-carotene linoleate system, inhibition of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and reducing power. Butylated Hydroxy Anisole (BHA) and Ascorbic acid (AA) were used as the reference antioxidant compounds and also the comparative study with the synthesized compounds was done. Under our experimental conditions, Compound (2) showed negligible activity over all the antioxidant assays but 5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine containing different aminophenols and substituted aminophenols (2a-e) showed good antioxidant activities over all the methods and compounds containing substituted aminophenols 2e and 2d showed predominant antioxidant activities among the synthesized analogues., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Earlier we have reported the effect of arecoline thiazolidinone and morpholino arecoline analogues as muscarinic receptor 1 agonist in Alzheimer's dementia models. To elucidate further our SAR study on the chemistry and muscarinic receptor binding efficacy, a series of novel N-alkyl/aryl substituted thiazolidinone arecoline analogues 6(a-m) were designed and synthesized from 3-pyridine carboxaldehyde by reacting with different amines in the presence of gamma-ferrite as catalyst and subjected to in vitro muscarinic receptor binding studies using male Wistar rat brain membrane homogenate and extended to in vivo pharmacological evaluation of memory and learning in male Wistar rats. Derivative 6j having diphenylamine moiety attached to nitrogen of thiazolidinone showed significant affinity for the M1 receptor binding.

In the present investigation a series of novel 2-[1-(5-chloro-2-methoxy-phenyl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]-5-(substituted-phenyl)-[1,3,4]oxadiazoles (4a-j) were synthesized by cyclization of substituted-benzoic acid N'-[1-(5-chloro-2-methoxy-phenyl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonyl]-hydrazide by using phosphorousoxychloride at 120 degrees C. The chemical structure of the newly synthesized compounds was characterized by analytical and spectral (IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and LC-MS) methods. The title compounds were screened for qualitative (zone of inhibition) and quantitative antibacterial activity (MIC) by agar cup plate and microtitration methods, respectively. Among the synthesized compounds in this series compound 2-[1-(5-chloro-2-methoxyphenyl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (4b) was found to exhibit significant antibacterial activity with MICs of 22.4, 29.8, 29.6 and 30.0 microg/mL against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively. The other compounds exhibited moderate activity when compared to standard substance Ampicillin.

A series of novel ether-linked bis(heterocycle)s have been synthesized via [3+2]-cycloaddition reaction of nitrile oxide with allyl alcohol followed by intramolecular 1,3-diploar cycloaddition reaction of nitrile imine with carbonyl group. All the newly synthesized compounds were screened for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Among the list of compounds (7a-k) studied, 7d, 7g, 7j, and 7k exhibited excellent activity comparable to ibuprofen and aspirin at the similar dosages.

Hypocholinergic function associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is well-accepted hypothesis, in this regard, many research attempts have been made to elevate the reduced cholinergic neurotransmission, among them two main treatment strategies were widely explored, namely stimulation of muscarinic receptor 1 and/or reversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. In an attempt to improve the efficacy and to minimize general side effects of these AChE inhibitors, many lead molecules are developed in research; one among them is piperidine derivative. Donazepil is a widely prescribed AChE inhibitor which displays a piperidine ring in its structure. In the present study, we have docked cis-2,6-dimethyl piperidine sulfonamides (3a-i) on AChE enzyme and synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reaction between cis-2,6-dimethyl piperidine and alkyl/aryl sulfonyl chlorides in the presence of triethylamine. These piperidine sulfonamides were subjected to in vitro AChE enzyme inhibition studies and in vivo antiamnesic study to reverse scopolamine induced memory loss in rats. Two derivatives (3a and f) in this class of piperidines (3a-i) showed considerable inhibition against different sources of AChE in vitro and reduced average number of mistakes done by wistar rats as compared to scopolamine treated group in vivo (rodent memory evaluation).

Series of 2-[4-(2,4-dimethoxy-benzoyl)-phenoxy]-1-[4-(3-piperidin-4-yl-propyl)-piperidin-1-yl]-ethanone derivatives 9(a-d) and 10(a-d) were synthesized in good yield. The synthesized compounds were characterized by (1)H NMR, LC-MS, FTIR and elemental analysis. All the compounds were screened for in vivo wound-healing activity by incision and dead space wound models on Swiss albino rats. Significant wound healing was observed in 10b and 10d treated groups as also the epithelialization of the incision wound was faster with a high rate of wound contraction in these groups. The tensile strength of the incision wound was significantly increased in 10b and 10d compared to the Nitrofurazone, the standard skin ointment. In dead space wound model also the weight of the granulation was higher indicating increase in collagenation. The SAR correlation studies revealed that the thioamide functional linkage and electron withdrawing groups influence the wound-healing activity.

In order to explore the antiproliferative effect associated with the piperazine framework, several 1-benzhydrylpiperazine derivatives 8(a-d), 9(a-d) and 10(a-h) were synthesized. Variation in the functional group at N-terminal of the piperazine led to three sets of compounds, bearing the sulfonyl, amide and thiourea, respectively. Their chemical structures were confirmed by (1)H NMR, LCMS, IR and elemental analysis. The antiproliferative effect of the compounds were evaluated in vitro using the MTT colorimetric method against one normal cell line (NF-103 skin fibroblast cells) and four human cancer cell lines (MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell line, HepG-2 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, HeLa cervix carcinoma cell line and HT-29 colon carcinoma cell line) for the time period of 24 h. Among the series, four compounds exhibited interesting growth inhibitory effects against all four cell lines.

A new series of 5,6-dihydro-4H-1,2-oxazines were synthesized via hetero Diels-Alder reaction of alpha-nitrosoolefins with alkenes. alpha-Nitrosoolefins were generated from ketoximes by the action of chloramine-T. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized with IR, NMR, elemental analysis and screened for their antimicrobial activity; they exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity. The minimal inhibitory concentration of the compounds was in the range of 10-35 microg ml(-1) for bacteria and 10-40 microg ml(-1) for fungi.