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Aims: To develop anti-cancer active pharmaceutical intermediates. Background: Acridone derivatives possess a wide range of pharmacological activities: 1) they intercalate DNA and 2) form a covalent bond with DNA. Objective: To screen in vitro anti-cancer activity against Cdc25b and SHP1 of new acridone derivatives and preliminary study on the structure-activity relationship. Materials and Methods: The synthesis of new acridone derivatives and in vitro evaluation of their anti-cancer activity on Cdc25b and SHP1 was achieved. Natural products that contain acridine structures, such as cystodytin A and acronycine, are isolated from certain marine (tunicates & ascidians, sponges, sea anemones) and plant (bark of Australian scrub ash tree) species. Herein, we report the efficient one-pot green synthesis of twelve novel 3,4-dihydro-1 (2H) acridone derivatives, using montmorillonite K10 as the catalyst and iron/citric acid in water. Also, their inhibitory activity against Cdc25B and SHP1 is examined, in which specific derivatives show enhanced inhibitory activity compared to others. Results and Discussion: Twelve new acridone derivatives were prepared, starting from 2-nitrobenzaldehyde derivatives and 1, 3-cyclohexanedione derivatives, which exhibited substantial anti-cancer activity against Cdc25b and SHP1 cells. Conclusion: Preliminary studies on the structure-activity relationship have shown the influence of the structural parameters and, in particular, the nature of the substituent on aromatic ring structure and cyclohexanone. Other: Further study on the structure-activity relationship is required.

Acridone derivatives, which have been shown to have in vitro and in vivo activity against Plasmodium spp, inhibit Toxoplasma gondii proliferation at picomolar concentrations. Using enzymatic assays, we show that acridones inhibit both T. gondii cytochrome bc1 and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and identify acridones that bind preferentially to the Qi site of cytochrome bc1. We identify acridones that have efficacy in a murine model of systemic toxoplasmosis. Acridones have potent activity against T. gondii and represent a promising new class of preclinical compounds.

An aromatic alkaloid-rich 'absolute' extract from inhibited at 62.5 μg.mL and at 500 μg.mL A loss of activity upon fractionation indicated possible synergistic effects. Three new acridones, gossweicridone A ( ), B ( ) and C ( ) and known compounds from the extract were inactive. Combinations of compounds showed that a sub-fraction containing mixtures of minor compounds with ( )-caryophyllene augmented activity by 50-folds, with MIC values of 19.6 μg.mL for and 375.0 μg.mL for , demonstrating potent ΣFIC values of 0.02 and 0.375 respectively. From the active sub-fraction, three compounds were assigned as tecleanatalensine B, 13 -hydroxy-9 ,11 ,15 -octadecatrienoic acid and normelicopine. In combination with ( )-caryophyllene they separately demonstrated MIC values of 18 μg.mL , 34 μg.mL and 16 μg.mL respectively against . The synergistic combinations were more potent with addition of pheophytin A, suggesting that the synergistic antifungal effect of the extract is multi-layered.

Computed nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS), contour plots of isotropic magnetic shielding (IMS), and gauge-including magnetically induced current (GIMIC) plots suggest that polarization of the π-system of acridones may perturb the numbers and positions of Clar sextet rings. Decreasing numbers of Clar sextets are connected to experimental observations of a narrowing HOMO-LUMO gap and increased charge mobility in solid-state assemblies of quinacridone and epindolidione.

The oxidative demethylation of ortho-dimethoxyacridone with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) regioselectively furnished an ortho-quinone leaving a methoxyl group unreacted, which further condensed with aromatic ortho-diamines to afford angularly fused π-extended acridone derivatives. Crystallographic analysis reveals the distinct manner of molecular packing in the crystals according to the dimension of π-extension. The benzene at the turning point possesses a shorter outer bond and a longer inner bond, which affects molecular conjugation and results in weakened aromaticity.

Objectives Acridone alkaloids from Citrus and their derivatives show various kinds of biological activity. However, the anticancer activities of dimeric acridone alkaloids with unique structures and the molecular mechanism of these effects are poorly understood. Methods We investigated the cytotoxicity effects of dimeric acridone alkaloids isolated from Marsh grapefruit on human myeloid leukaemia HL-60 cells. Key findings Of the six dimeric acridone alkaloids tested, citbismine-E, the most potent, dose- and time-dependently decreased HL-60 cell viability by inducing apoptosis. The treatment of HL-60 cells with citbismine-E yielded a significant increase in levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Citbismine-E lowered the mitochondrial membrane potential and increased the activities of caspase-9 and -3. In addition, citbismine-E-induced apoptosis, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase activation were significantly alleviated by pretreatment of the cells with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Citbismine-E induced intrinsic caspase-dependent apoptosis through ROS-mediated c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation. Citbismine-E-induced production of oxidative stress biomarkers, malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine was also attenuated by pretreatment with NAC. Conclusions Citbismine-E is a powerful cytotoxic agent against HL-60 cells that acts by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated apoptosis through ROS-dependent JNK activation. Citbismine-E also induced oxidative stress damage via ROS-mediated lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in HL-60 cells.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the CHCl3-soluble extract of the roots of Paramignya trimera was carried out to obtain a new acridone alkaloid, paratrimerin I. Its structure was elucidated base...

Background Acridone alkaloids are heterocyclic compounds that exhibit a broad-range of pharmaceutical and chemotherapeutic activities, including anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, and antimicrobial effects. Certain plant species such as Citrus microcarpa, Ruta graveolens, and Toddaliopsis bremekampii synthesize acridone alkaloids from anthranilate and malonyl-CoA. Results We synthesized two acridones in Escherichia coli. Acridone synthase (ACS) and anthraniloyl-CoA ligase genes were transformed into E. coli, and the synthesis of acridone was examined. To increase the levels of endogenous anthranilate, we tested several constructs expressing proteins involved in the shikimate pathway and selected the best construct. To boost the supply of malonyl-CoA, genes coding for acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) from Photorhabdus luminescens were overexpressed in E. coli. For the synthesis of 1,3-dihydroxy-10-methylacridone, we utilized an N-methyltransferase gene (NMT) to supply N-methylanthranilate and a new N-methylanthraniloyl-CoA ligase. After selecting the best combination of genes, approximately 17.3 mg/L of 1,3-dihydroxy-9(10H)-acridone (DHA) and 26.0 mg/L of 1,3-dihydroxy-10-methylacridone (NMA) were synthesized. Conclusions Two bioactive acridone derivatives were synthesized by expressing type III plant polyketide synthases and other genes in E. coli, which increased the supplement of substrates. This study showed that is possible to synthesize diverse polyketides in E. coli using plant polyketide synthases.

We report the chemistry and biological activities of a Cameroonian Citrus clementina Hort. Ex Tanaka, a vegetatively propagated species. The compounds isolated from this plant were determined to be...

Three new compounds comprising two coumarins, paramicoumarins A (1) and B (2), and an acridone alkaloid, paramiacridone (3), together with seven known compounds, were isolated from the n-hexane extract of the roots of Paramignya trimera (Rutaceae). Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, mainly 1D and 2D NMR. α-Glucosidase inhibition and DPPH radical scavenging activity of the compounds and fifteen other compounds previously isolated from the roots of this plant were evaluated. Most of the compounds exhibited stronger α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than acarbose, the positive control (IC50 = 223.0 μM), and the new compounds paramiacridone (3) and paramicoumarin B (2) showed good inhibitory effect (IC50 = 62.5 and 65.5 μM, respectively). In the DPPH test for radical scavenging activity, the acridone alkaloid glycocitrin III (17) exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 84.2 μM) (compared with the positive control, ascorbic acid, IC50 = 152.7 μM).

Exosomes are promising biomarkers for cancer screening, but the development of a robust approach that can sensitively and accurately detect exosomes remains challenging. In the present study, an aptasensor based on the multifunctional signal probe 10-benzyl-2-amino-acridone (BAA) was developed for the colorimetric and photoelectrochemical detection and quantitation of exosomes. Exosomes are captured by cholesterol DNA anchor-modified magnetic beads (MBs) through hydrophobic interactions. This capture process can be monitored under a confocal fluorescence microscope using BAA as the fluorescent signal probe. The aptamer modified copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) then bind to mucin 1 (MUC1) on the surface of the exosomes to form a sandwich structure (MBs-Exo-CuO NPs). Finally, the MBs-Exo-CuO NPs are dissolved in nitric acid to generate Cu2+, which inhibits the visible-light-induced oxidase mimic activity and photoelectrochemical activity of BAA simultaneously. The changes in absorbance and photocurrent intensities are directly proportional to the concentration of exosomes. In this dual-modal aptasensor, the colorimetric assay can achieve rapid screening and identification, which is especially useful for point-of-care testing. The UV–vis absorbance and photocurrent assays then provide quantitative information, with a limit of detection of 1.09 × 103 particles μL−1 and 1.38 × 103 particles μL−1, respectively. The proposed aptasensor thus performs dual-modal detection and quantitation of exosomes. This aptasensor provides a much-needed toolset for exploring the biological roles of exosomes in specific diseases, particularly in the clinical setting.

Based on the molecular modelling studies, a rational modification of the lead molecule was made to develop highly potent compounds showing anti-cancer activity against human breast cancer cell lines MCF 7, MDA-MB-468 and T-47D. The most potent compounds have Log P and total polar surface area 4.4–5.4 and 59.8 A, respectively and they also exhibited promising ADME profile.

Self-assembled, porous coordination cages with a functional interior find application in controlled guest inclusion/release, drug delivery, separation processes, and catalysis. However, only few studies exist that describe their utilization for the development of self-assembled materials based on their 3-dimensional shape and external functionalization. Here, dodecyl chain-containing, acridone-based ligands (LA) and shape-complementary phenanthrene-derived ligands (LB) are shown to self-assemble to heteroleptic coordination cages cis-[Pd2(LA)2(LB)2]4+ acting as a gemini amphiphile (CGA-1; Cage-based Gemini Amphiphile-1). Owing to their anisotropic decoration with short polar and long nonpolar side chains, the cationic cages were found to assemble into vesicles with diameters larger than 100 nm in suitable polar solvents, visualized by cryo-TEM and Liquid-Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy (LC-TEM). LC-TEM reveals that these vesicles aggregate into chains and necklaces via long-range interactions. In addition, the cages show a rarely described ability to stabilize oil-in-oil emulsions.

Fluorescent amino acids are powerful biophysical tools as they can be used in structural or imaging studies of a given protein without significantly perturbing its native fold or function. Here, we have synthesized and characterized 7-(dimethylamino)acridon-2-ylalanine (Dad), a red-shifted derivative of the genetically-incorporable amino acid, acridon-2-ylalanine. Alkylation increases the quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime of Dad relative to a previously published amino acid, 7-aminoacridon-2-ylalanine (Aad). These properties of Dad make it a potentially valuable protein label, and we have performed initial testing of its ability to be genetically incorporated using an evolved aminoacyl tRNA synthetase., Graphical Abstract

The present article is a systematic and constructive review of the traditional medicinal uses, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and formulation aspects of Glycosmis species. The genus Glycosmis comprise 51 accepted species broadly distributed in Australia, China, India, and South-East Asia. Traditionally, Glycosmis species are used in folk medicines to treat cancer, anaemia, rheumatism, fever, cough, liver-related problems, skin ailments, intestinal worm infections, wounds, and facial inflammation. This review aims to provide readers with the latest information highlighting chemical constituents isolated from the Glycosmis species, plant parts utilized for their isolation and their pharmacological activities. So far, 307 chemical constituents have been isolated and characterized from different species of the genus Glycosmis; among these constituents, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics, and sulphur-containing amides are the major bioactive compounds. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the crude extracts and compounds isolated from this genus exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities like anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, larvicidal, insecticidal, hepatoprotective, wound healing, antiviral, antidiarrheal, and anxiolytic. The carbazole and acridone alkaloids from this genus have shown potential anticancer activity in various in vitro and in vivo studies. Rare scaffolds like dimeric carbazoles, dimeric acridone alkaloids, flavanocoumarins and sulphur-containing amides from this genus need further exploration for their potential bioactivity. This article also briefs about the toxicological screening and discusses various polyherbal and nano formulation aspects of Glycosmis species. Most of the pharmacological studies reported from this genus were carried out in vitro. An in-depth in vivo and toxicology evaluation of the crude extracts and isolated specialized compounds is required to explore the full therapeutic potential of this genus.

International audience; Combination of complexes of trivalent lanthanide cations (Ln 3+) for their luminescent properties and peptides for their recognition properties or folding abilities is interesting in view of designing responsive luminescent probes. The octadentate DOTA chelate is the most popular chelate to design luminescent Ln 3+ complex-peptide conjugates. In this article, we describe a novel building block, DO3Apic-tris(allyl)ester, which provides access to peptides with a conjugated nonadentate chelate, namely DO3Apic, featuring a cyclen macrocycle functionalized by three acetate and one picolinamide arms, for improved luminescence properties. This building block, with allyl protecting groups, is readily obtained by solid phase synthesis. We show that it is superior to its analogue with tBu protecting groups for the preparation of peptide conjugates because of the difficult removal of the tBu protecting groups for the latter. Then, two Zn 2+-responsive luminescent probes, which rely on (i) a zinc finger scaffold for selective Zn 2+ binding, (ii) a Eu 3+ complex and (iii) an acridone antenna for long-wavelength sensitization of Eu 3+ luminescence, are compared. One of these probes, LZF3 ACD|Eu , incorporates a DOTA chelate whereas the other, LZF4 ACD|Eu , incorporates a DO3Apic chelate. We show that changing the octadentate DOTA for the nonadentate DO3Apic ligand results in a higher Eu 3+ luminescence lifetime and in a doubling of the quantum yield, confirming the interest of the DO3Apic chelate and the DO3Apic(tris(allyl)ester building block for the preparation of Ln 3+ complex-peptide conjugates. Additionally, the DO3Apic chelate provides self-calibration for LZF4 ACD|Eu luminescence upon excitation of its picolinamide chromophore, making LZF4 ACD|Eu a ratiometric sensor for Zn 2+ detection.

Upregulation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFR-β) has been found to be associated with development of various types of cancers, which has become an attractive target for anti-tumor treatment. Previously, we have synthesized and studied an acridone derivative B19, which can selectively bind to and stabilize oncogene c-myc promoter i-motif, resulting in down-regulation of c-myc transcription and translation, however its effect on tumor cells apoptosis requires improvement. In the present study, we synthesized a variety of B19 derivatives containing a known anti-cancer fluorescent chromophore naphthalimide for the purpose of enhancing anti-cancer activity. After screening, we found that acridone-naphthalimide derivative WZZ02 could selectively stabilize PDGFR-β promoter G-quadruplex and destabilize its corresponding i-motif structure, without significant interaction to other oncogenes promoter G-quadruplex and i-motif. WZZ02 down-regulated PDGFR-β gene transcription and translation in a dose-dependent manner, possibly due to above interactions. WZZ02 could significantly inhibit cancer cell proliferation, and induce cell apoptosis and cycle arrest. WZZ02 exhibited tumor growth inhibition activity in MCF-7 xenograft tumor model, which could be due to its binding interactions with PDGFR-β promoter G-quadruplex and i-motif. Our results suggested that WZZ02 as a dual G-quadruplex/i-motif binder could be effective on both oncogene replication and transcription, which could become a promising lead compound for further development with improved potency and selectivity. The wide properties for the derivatives of 1,8-naphthalimide could facilitate further in-depth mechanistic studies of WZZ02 through various fluorescent physical and chemical methods, which could help to further understand the function of PDGFR-β gene promoter G-quadruplex and i-motif.

As part of our continuing search for potent inhibitors of tubulin polymerization, two novel series of 42 10-(4-phenylpiperazine-1-carbonyl)acridin-9(10H)-ones and N-benzoylated acridones were synthesized on the basis of a retrosynthetic approach. All newly synthesized compounds were tested for antiproliferative activity and interaction with tubulin. Several analogs potently inhibited tumor cell growth. Among the compounds tested, 10-(4-(3-methoxyphenyl)piperazine-1-carbonyl)acridin-9(10H)-one (17c) exhibited excellent growth inhibitory effects on 93 tumor cell lines, with an average GI50 value of 5.4 nM. We were able to show that the strong cytotoxic effects are caused by disruption of tubulin polymerization, as supported by the EBI (N,N'-Ethylenebis(iodoacetamide)) assay and the fact that the most potent inhibitors of cancer cell growth turned out to be the most efficacious tubulin polymerization inhibitors. Potencies were nearly comparable or superior to those of the antimitotic reference compounds. Closely related to this, the most active analogs inhibited cell cycling at the G2/M phase at concentrations down to 30 nM and induced apoptosis in K562 leukemia cells. We believe that our work not only proves the excellent suitability of the acridone scaffold for the design of potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors but also enables synthetic access to further potentially interesting N-acylated acridones.

Unlike other DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) inhibitors, our recently identified acridone derivative E17 exerted strong cytotoxic activity by inhibiting topo II without causing topo II degradation and DNA damage, which promoted us to explore more analogues of E17 by expanding its chemical diversification and enrich the structure–activity relationship (SAR) outcomes of acridone-oriented chemotypes. To achieve this goal, 42 novel acridone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative efficacies. SAR investigations revealed that orientation and spatial topology of R3 substituents make greater contributions to the bioactivity, exemplified by compounds E24, E25 and E27, which has provided valuable information for guiding further development of acridone derivatives as promising drug candidates.

International audience; By starting from a common substrate, 2-aminobenzaldehyde, both acridines and acridones were prepared. The former were generated in high yields by copper-catalyzed N-arylation followed by acid-mediated cyclization while the latter were obtained by double copper-catalyzed N-arylation followed by cyclization under the same reaction conditions. Moreover, acridine was subjected to deprotometalation by recourse to a lithium-zinc base and converted to the corresponding 4-iodo derivative, which was involved in copper-catalyzed couplings with pyrrolidinone and pyrazole. Finally, addition of pyrazole, indole and carbazole onto the 9 position of bare acridine was improved. While moderate biological activity was noticed in melanoma cells growth inhibition, the newly prepared compounds feature interesting photophysical properties which were evaluated in a preliminary study.

In this study, a novel fluorescent labeling reagent 2-(9-acridone)-ethyl chloroformate (AEC-Cl) was designed, synthesized and applied for the determination of free amino acids by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). The free amino acids were rapidly and efficiently labeled by AEC-Cl in the presence of basic catalyst (pH 9.0) within 5 min at room temperature (25 °C). The derivatives exhibited excellent stability and fluorescence properties, with maximum excitation and emission wavelengths at 268 nm and 438 nm, respectively. Derivatives of 22 kinds of natural amino acids were completely separated by gradient elution on a Hypersil ODS C18 column. Under the optimal conditions, the calibration curves exhibited excellent linear responses, with correlation coefficients of R2 > 0.9994. The detection and quantification limits were in the range of 0.61–2.67 μg kg−1 and 2.07–8.35 μg kg−1, respectively. Therefore, AEC-Cl was successfully applied for the detection of trace levels of free amino acids in honey samples.

Simple and robust assays to monitor enzymatic ATP cleavage with high efficiency in real‐time are scarce. To address this shortcoming, we developed fluorescently labelled adenosine tri‐, tetra‐ and pentaphosphate analogues of ATP. The novel ATP analogues bear — in contrast to earlier reports — only a single acridone‐based dye at the terminal phosphate group. The dye's fluorescence is quenched by the adenine component of the ATP analogue and is restored upon cleavage of the phosphate chain and dissociation of the dye from the adenosine moiety. Thereby the activity of ATP‐cleaving enzymes can be followed in real‐time. We demonstrate this proficiency for ubiquitin activation by the ubiquitin‐activating enzymes UBA1 and UBA6 which represents the first step in an enzymatic cascade leading to the covalent attachment of ubiquitin to substrate proteins, a process that is highly conserved from yeast to humans. We found that the efficiency to serve as cofactor for UBA1/UBA6 very much depends on the length of the phosphate chain of the ATP analogue: triphosphates are used poorly while pentaphosphates are most efficiently processed. Notably, the novel pentaphosphate‐harbouring ATP analogue supersedes the efficiency of recently reported dual‐dye labelled analogues and thus, is a promising candidate for broad applications., Novel fluorescently labelled ATP analogues for direct monitoring of ubiquitin activation: Fluorescently modified adenosine tri‐, tetra‐ and pentaphosphates (ATP) analogues changing their fluorescence properties upon enzymatic turnover have been synthesised and applied to both E1s found in humans. Pentaphosphates were found to have superior processing and with the used acridone fluorophore the read‐out showed both fluorescence intensity and lifetime, making this assay versatile in application.

Based on structure analyses of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a series of 21 acridone glycosides were designed, synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their BChE and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. d -ribose derivative 6f exhibited the greatest inhibitory activity on BChE (IC50 = 6.95 μM), and was the most selective inhibitor of BChE with the IC50 ratio of AChE/BChE was 20.59. d -glucose and d -galactose derivatives 6a and 6b showed inhibitory activities against both AChE and BChE. Moreover, compounds 6a, 6b, 6f and 5t were found nontoxic on SHSY5Y neuroblastoma and HepG2 cell and exhibited remarkable neuroprotective activity. Besides, compound 6f showed mixed-type inhibition against BChE (Ki = 1.76 μM), which renders 6f a potential agent for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. These novel acridone hybrids might be used as efficient probes to reveal the relationship between ligands and BChE and pave the way for developing selective BChE inhibitors to further study the pathogenesis of alzheimer's disease.

A mesomeric form of quaternary indoloquinazoline alkaloid, soyauxinium chloride (1) was obtained through the chemical investigation of stem bark and roots of Araliopsis soyauxii Engl. [syn. Vepris soyauxii (Engl.) Mziray] (Rutaceae) together with fifteen known compounds, including three furoquinoline alkaloids, three 2-quinolones, two limonoids, two triterpenes, two steroids, a coumarin, an acridone alkaloid, and a flavonoid glycoside. Their structures were established by comprehensive spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses (1D and 2D NMR, ESI-HR-MS) and by comparison with previously reported data. 13C NMR data of araliopsinine are also reported here for the first time. The isolated compounds were screened in vitro for their effects on the viability of two different human cancer cell lines, namely prostate PC-3 adenocarcinoma cells and colorectal HT-29 adenocarcinoma cells. However, none of the tested compounds exhibited strong anti-proliferative or cytotoxic activities, to either prostate PC-3 cells or colon HT-29 cells. At 100 μM, the furoquinoline maculine showed a slightly increased anti-proliferative effect, however, exclusively on HT-29 cells. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds has also been discussed.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau protein are two crucial hallmarks in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Their aggregation forms are thought to be toxic to the neurons in the brain. A series of new 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-acridone analogues were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as potential dual inhibitors for Aβ and tau aggregation. In vitro studies showed that compounds 25-30 (20 μM) with N-methylation of the quinolone ring effectively inhibited Aβ1-42 aggregation by 84.7%-99.5% and tau aggregation by 71.2%-101.8%. Their structure-activity relationships are discussed. In particular, 30 could permeate the blood-brain barrier, bind to Aβ1-42 and tau, inhibit Aβ1-42 β-sheets formation, and prevent tau aggregation in living cells.

A facile protocol for the synthesis of acridone derivatives has been developed through palladium-catalyzed carbonylation/C H activation sequence from 2-bromo-diarylamines in moderate to excellent yields. The reactions occurred smoothly and allowed both electron-rich and electron-deficient substrates converted to the corresponding acridones.

DNA is the primary target of many anticancer drugs involved in important intercellular processes, especially in transcriptional regulation, and histone is known to inhibit gene expression. Small molecules can bind to histone-DNA and impair the cell division, growth, inhibition, and apoptosis in cancer cells. In this research, the interaction of a histone H1-calf thymus DNA (ct DNA) complex and propyl acridone (PA) was investigated in Tris-HCl buffer, pH 6.8, using multi-spectroscopic, viscosity, and molecular modeling techniques. The Stern Volmer plot of the (H1-ct DNA) PA complex demonstrated two sets of binding sites with various binding affinities at three different temperatures. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔH° 0 and ΔS° 0) indicated that hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces played the main roles in the binding of the drug to H1-ct DNA. The interaction between PA and ct DNA as well as (H1-ct-DNA) in the presence of acridine orange and ethidium bromide showed two different interaction behaviors in ternary systems. According to results from UV absorption spectroscopy and melting temperature (Tm) measurements, the binding mode of PA with ct DNA and the (H1-ct DNA) complex was indicative of an intercalative binding for the binary system and of both intercalative with groove binding with molecular fraction for the ternary system. Furthermore, the PA-induced detectable changes in the circular dichroism spectrum of ct DNA as well as changes in its viscosity. All of the experimental results proved that the intercalative binding between PA and ct DNA as well as the (H1-ct DNA) complex as binary and ternary systems must be predominant. The results obtained from experimental data were in good agreement with molecular modeling with regard to the determination of the binding site of PA to ct DNA in the absence and presence of histone H1.

Quinolone synthase from Aegle marmelos (AmQNS) is a Rutacean-specific plant type III polyketide synthase that synthesizes quinolone, acridone, and benzalacetone with therapeutic potential. Simple architecture and broad substrate affinity of AmQNS make it as one of the target enzymes to produce novel structural scaffolds. Another unique feature of AmQNS despite its high similarity to acridone forming type III polyketide synthase from Citrus microcarpa is the variation in the product formation. Hence, to explore the characteristic features of AmQNS, an in-depth sequence and structure-based bioinformatics analyses were performed. Our studies indicated that AmQNS and its nearest homologs have evolved by a series of gene duplication events and strong purifying selection pressure constrains them in the evolutionary process. Additionally, some amino acid alterations were identified in the functionally important region(s), which can contribute to the functional divergence of the enzyme. Prediction of favorable amino acid substitutions will be advantageous in the metabolic engineering of AmQNS for the production of novel compounds. Furthermore, comparative modeling and docking studies were utilized to investigate the structural behavior and small molecule interaction pattern of AmQNS. The observations and results reported here are crucial for advancing our understanding of AmQNS's phylogenetic position, selection pressure, evolvability, interaction pattern and thus providing the foundation for further studies on the structural and reaction mechanism.

We synthesized a series of acridone derivatives for specific binding ligands of i-motifs. Subsequent evaluations showed that B19 could selectively bind to and stabilize the c-myc promoter i-motif without significant binding to the G-quadruplex and duplex DNA. This caused down-regulation of c-myc transcription and expression, resulting in tumor cell apoptosis.

Chemical investigation of root bark of Glycosmis pentaphylla and stem bark of Tabernaemontana coronaria led to the isolation of three carbazole alkaloids glycozoline, glycozolidine and methyl carbazole 3-carboxylate, two furoquinoline alkaloids skimmianine and dictamine, an acridone alkaloid arborinine, three monomeric indole alkaloids coronaridine, 10-methoxy coronaridine and tabernaemontanine, and two dimeric indole alkaloids voacamine and tabernaelegantine B. Their structures were established by detailed spectral analysis. Mutagenic and antimutagenic potential of methanol extract of both plant materials were evaluated by Ames test against known positive mutagens 2-aminofluorine, 4-nitro-O-phenylenediamine and sodium azide using Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 bacterial strains both in the presence and absence of S9. Both the extracts were non-mutagenic in nature. Both the extracts of G. pentaphylla and T. coronaria exhibited significant antimutagenic activity against NPD and sodium azide for S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains. The results indicated that the extracts could counteract the mutagenicity induced by different genotoxic compounds.

Two new acridone alkaloids, verdoocridone A (1) and B (4), together with fifteen known compounds were isolated from methanol extracts of the roots and leaves of Vepris verdoorniana. The structures of all compounds were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR, EI-and ESIMS). The C-13 NMR values of 1,2,3,5-tetramethoxy-N-methylacridone (2) and 5-methoxyaborinine (3) are also reported. The crude extracts and compounds (1-6) were tested for their antimicrobial activity. The test delivered moderate activities for crude extracts and compounds 1, 5 and 6 against the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the fungi Mucor meihei and Candida albicans with MIC values between 115 and 180 mu g/mL for extracts and between 21.3 and 29.4 mu M for compounds, compared to gentamycin with 0.2 mu M and nystatin with 5.2 mu M against both fungi. The determination of the radical scanvenging activity using 1,1-dephenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay gave moderate antioxidant values for all tested compounds, with IC50 between 0.29 and 0.41 mu M, compared to the standard 3-t-butyl-4hydroxyanisole (BHA) displaying 0.03 mu M. (C) 2017 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The main activity of mycophenolic acid 1 (MPA) and its analogs is the inhibition of proliferation of T cells. Here, we hypothesized that MPA and its conjugates inhibits also the activity of antigen-presenting cells (APC) including dendritic cells (DCs). We tested the effect of novel amino acid derivatives of MPA and conjugates of MPA with acridines/acridones on DCs by flow cytometry, ELISA and MLR assay. Both acridines/acridone derivatives could inhibit the maturation of DC, as shown by the decreased expression of B7 family receptors. It was confirmed in the mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR), in which T cells challenged with DCs pretreated with the analogs showed decreased proliferation and reduced cytokine secretion. The most interesting activity in this series of studies, that is, the suppression of CD86 receptor expression, decreased cytokine production and suppressed mixed leucocyte reaction, exhibited (mycophenoyl-N-3-propyl)-9-acridone-4-carboxamide ester 5a and (mycophenoyl-N-5-pentyl)-9-acridone-4-carboxamide ester 5b. These compounds reduced also the secretion of IL-2 and IL-15. In addition, they increased secretion of suppressive IL-10. Equally promising results were obtained for the N-mycophenoyl-D-glutamic acid 4b, which previously gave the highest value of selectivity. Acridone derivatives of MPA are therefore good immunosuppressive drug candidates for further testing.

Quinacrine-the drug based on 9-aminoacridine-failed in clinical trials for prion diseases, whereas it was active in in vitro studies. We hypothesize that aromatic nucleophilic substitution at C9 could be contributing factor responsible for this failure because of the transfer of acridine moiety from quinacrine to abundant glutathione. Here, we described the semi-large-scale synthesis of the acridinylated glutathione and the consequences of its formation on biological and biophysical activities. The acridinylated glutathione is one order of magnitude weaker prion protein binder than the parent quinacrine. Moreover, according to log DpH 7.4 , the glutathione conjugate is two orders of magnitude more hydrophilic than quinacrine. Its higher hydrophilicity and higher dsDNA binding potency will significantly decrease its bioavailability in membrane-like environment. The glutathione deactivates quinacrine not only directly but also decreases its bioavailability. Furthermore, the conjugate can spontaneously decompose to practically insoluble acridone, which is precipitated out from the living systems.

Hybrid systems of acridones with substituted pyrimidines were designed with an objective of discovering next generation anticancer agents targeting multiple mechanisms in the cancer cell. Hybrid compounds were synthesized by simple and convenient methods in the lab, characterized by NMR and Mass spectral methods and screened for cytotoxicity against A549 (lung), Hela (cervical), MCF7 (breast) and MDA-MB-231 (breast) cancer cell lines respectively. Evaluation of compounds for cell proliferation identified active compounds 11b, 11d and 11h against MCF7, MDA-MB-231 and A549 cell lines. Further absorption titrations with CT-DNA and gel electrophoresis identified that hybrid molecules displayed anticancer activity partly by DNA intercalation. Also further results of western blotting assay with Akt kinase identified that hybrid compounds have the ability to inhibit the Akt kinase activity and induce apoptosis, with ABCC1 suggests that active compounds too have the ability to modulate multidrug resistance (MDR) associated with ABCC1/MRP1. Selective Akt1 kinase assay have identified 11a, 11b, 11d and 11h as potential inhibitors. Molecular docking studies identified the orientation and binding interactions at the active site of Akt1 and DNA. Compounds 12e and 12f have shown good cytotoxicity profile against lung cancer cell lines of sensitive and resistant type. Acute toxicity study of compound 12f at the dose of 5000 mg/kg has identified no signs of clinical toxicity. Prediction of ADMET properties and oral toxicity of the drug likeness features of new hybrid systems were carried out using software's. This experimental data suggests that hybrid systems of acridone with substituted pyrimidines can be taken as a lead for the design of efficient inhibitors and active compounds which can be taken up for further studies.

Many people in the world struggle with cancer or bacterial, parasitic, viral, Alzheimer's and other diseases. Therefore, many scientists seek new, more effective, more selective and less toxic drugs. Acridine/acridone derivatives constitute a class of compounds with a broad spectrum of biological activity and are of great interest to scientists. To date, many acridine/acridone analogues have been obtained, which, inter alia, exhibit antitumour (e.g., (1–5)), antimicrobial (e.g., (59)), and antiviral (e.g., (61)) activities and are applicable in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (e.g., (26)). However, in many cases, their clinical application is limited and excluded because of side effects. In this survey, we describe acridine and acridone derivatives reported since 2013, methods of their synthesis and their potential clinical applications.

STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) has become a focal point in immunology research and a target in drug discovery. The discovery of a potent human-STING agonist is expected to revolutionize current anti-virus or cancer immunotherapy. Inspired by the structure and function of murine STING-specific agonists (DMXAA and CMA), we rationally designed and synthesized four series of novel compounds for the enhancement of human sensitivity. In the cell-based assay, we identified six compounds from all the synthetic small molecules: 2g, 9g, and 12b are STING agonists that are efficacious across species, and all have the skeleton of acridone; 1b, 1c, and 12c just function in the murine STING pathway. Notably, 12b exhibits the best activity among the six agonists, and its inductions of both human and murine STING-dependent signalling are similar to that of 2′3′-cGAMP, which is a well-known STING inducer. While a protein assay indicated that 2 g, 9 g, and 12b could activate the pathway by directly binding human STING, 12b also displayed the strongest binding affinity. Additionally, our studies show that 12b can induce faster, more powerful, and more durable responses of assorted cytokines in a native system than 2′3′-cGAMP. Consequently, our team is the first to successfully modify murine STING agonists to obtain human sensitivity, and these results suggest that 12b is a potent direct-human-STING agonist. Additionally, the acridone analogues demonstrate tremendous potential in the treatment of tumours or viral infections.

From the dried root and rhizomes of Atalantia buxifolia afford 11 compounds, one new compound 1 and ten known compounds 2–11 were isolated and identified. The novel compound 1 was alkaloid glycoside. Its mother nuclear was the acridone, which was relatively rare. The structure of compound 1 was established identified by spectrum and elucidated as β-D-Glu-4,5-dimethoxy-1,6-dihydroxy-10-methyl-acridone. The compound 1 enriched the compound library and laid the material foundation for the subsequent study of pharmacological activities.

Acridone derivatives have much attracted attention due to their objective photoelectric properties. However, their applications in nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are rarely studied. In this work, we designed and synthesized four D-π-A-π-D acridone derivatives and one D-A-D type derivative as comparison. The effects of the structure on photophysics, electrochemistry and the third-order nonlinear optics were analyzed by UV spectrophotometer, fluorescence spectrophotometer, cyclic voltammetry and Z-scan technique. The results show that the introduction of acetylene group as a bridge is conducive to intramolecular charge transfer and can maintain the planarity of the molecule and enhances the third-order NLO properties. In the four target products, YA4 has the best third-order NLO properties, with its second-order hyperpolarizability γ (γ = 5.792 × 10−33 esu) 1.36 times that of YA1 (γ = 4.262 × 10−33 esu) and 6267 times that of urea (γ = 0.68 × 10−36 esu). The study showed that introducing an appropriate length of alkane chain into acridone derivatives can effectively reduce the intermolecular interference and improve their third-order NLO performance.

Currently, organic artificial enzymes as biocatalysts have been extensively used to construct various colorimetric sensors. However, exploiting a potential organic artificial enzyme with high catalytic efficiency still remains a challenge. To address this issue, herein, we synthesize an acridone derivative 10-benzyl-2-amino-acridone (BAA). The synthesized BAA exhibits an intrinsic visible-light-stimulated oxidase-like activity, which is capable of oxidizing various chromogenic substrates without destructive hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under visible light stimulation, resulting in colored products. The reaction system can be regulated by switching light on and off, which is milder and more reliable means than others H2O2-dependent. The photocatalytic mechanism of BAA is investigated in detail. However, l -ascorbic acid (AA), an antioxidant generating from the acid phosphatase (ACP)-mediated hydrolysis of 2-phospho- l -ascorbic acid (AAP), is able to inhibit the catalytic activity of BAA. Based on the above properties, a facile, photo-switchable and low-cost colorimetric sensing strategy is developed for ACP detection. The linear range is 0.05–2.5 U/L (r = 0.9994), and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.0415 U/L. Moreover, the proposed sensing system can be applied for monitoring ACP activity in practical samples, demonstrating promising applications in clinical analysis and biosensor platform.

We have proposed the structures of three 1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine analogs and subjected them to density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to assess their potential for applications in the area of organic electronics. Calculations encompassed reorganization energies, charge transfer rates, charge mobilities and selected nonlinear and photovoltaic properties. The potential applicability of the thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) mechanism was also investigated, through calculations of the energy difference between the first singlet and triplet excited states ( Δ E ST ). The molecule with acridone moieties exhibits the most representative hole mobility, comparable even to pentacene molecule, and Δ E ST lower than 0.37 eV.

Two new alkaloids, poggeicridone (1) and 2-methoxy-7,8- dehydroruteacarpine (6), together with nine known compounds, were isolated from the dichloromethane (DCM) extract of the bark of Zanthoxylum poggei (Engl.) P. G. Waterman. The structures of all compounds were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR and EI- and ESI–MS). Compounds 5-9 exhibited strong suppressive effects on the phagocytosis response upon activation with serum opsonized zymosan in the in vitro oxidative burst studies using whole blood. The IC50 values were in the range of 12.0–25.9 μM. These compounds displayed a moderate level of cytotoxic activity against the human Caucasian prostate adenocarcinoma cell line PC-3, with IC50 values of 15.8 and 22.1 μM (the IC50 value of the positive control standard doxorubicin was IC50 0.9 μM). All isolated compounds were also tested against plant pathogenic bacteria, fungi and oomycetes using the paper disk agar diffusion assay, resulting in no significant activities (MICs > 1 mg/mL). © 2016 Phytochemical Society of Europe

A newly synthesized acridone derivative 8a shows potent antitumor activity against CCRF-CEM leukemia cells. Herein, the first proteomic study of 8a effects in CCRF-CEM cells was performed by 2D nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS to better understand the mechanisms of action of 8a. Data analyses based on PLGS, STRING, Cytoscape, and database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery identified 55 proteins that were differentially expressed in response to 8a exposure. Multiple cellular pathways were affected, including chromatin organization, energy metabolism, DNA repair, oxidative-stress, and apoptosis. The changes in protein expression were further verified for PKM2. Moreover, 8a lowered down the expression of HEX and PFK-1. Lactate production was decreased in 8a-treated cells, indicating suppression of glycolysis. The elevated XRCC6 and decreased histone expression levels suggested increased DNA damage in 8a-treated cells, which was confirmed by the increased γ-H2AX foci. Molecular docking of 8a with DNA demonstrated direct interactions of 8a with DNA through three hydrogen bonds and four π-π interactions, potentially explaining the mode of action that 8a damaged to DNA. The differential protein profiling and dysfunction of metabolic pathways induced by 8a provide novel insights into the potential action mechanisms of 8a.

A simple, sensitive, and selective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using 9-(2-iodoethyl)acridone (IEA) as a novel fluorescence derivatizing agent for the simultaneous determination of six thiophenols has been developed. An efficient Pb(2+)-modified OASIS-MCX cartridge was used and could get good recoveries. IEA was successfully used to label thiophenols with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity. The effects of different solvents, pH, and surfactants on fluorescence properties of derivatives were investigated. To obtain the best labeling efficiency, derivatizing parameters including pH value, temperature, and concentration of IEA, as well as types of catalysts were also evaluated in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the separation could be achieved within 12 min with limits of detection (LODs) in the range of 0.6-5.8 μg L(-1) and relative standard deviations (RSDs) 3.9%. This is the first time that IEA was applied to the analysis of thiophenols, and the established method has been successfully applied to the trace level detection of thiophenols in industrial wastewater samples.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is one of the most recalcitrant pharmaceutically active compounds routinely detected in wastewater effluent-impacted environment. Biocatalytic degradation with enzymes such as laccase provides a promising approach for the elimination of CBZ. However, the relatively low redox potential of laccase makes its efficient CBZ degradation difficult. Therefore, an environmentally benign and effective mediator is required. In this study, three natural phenolic compounds, namely p-coumaric acid (PCA), syringaldehyde (SYR), and acetosyringone (ACE), were investigated as redox mediators for the enzymatic removal of CBZ by both free and immobilized laccase. Among the tested mediators, PCA resulted in the optimal CBZ removal performance with 60% removal rate (20 μM initial CBZ) after 96 h incubation with immobilized laccase in a conventional suspension system. The degradation of CBZ was then carried out in a membrane hybrid reactor with the effluent recirculating through suspended biocatalytic TiO 2 nanoparticles. The effect of operation parameters including PCA concentrations, initial enzyme activity and operational flux on CBZ removal were investigated. Further CBZ metabolites study identified 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxy-CBZ (CBZD), 10,11-dihydro-10,11-epoxy-CBZ (CBZE) and acridone as the major metabolites of CBZ oxidation by laccase. The toxicity tests determined by algal viability using the fluorometric indicator alamarBlue indicated that the CBZ treatment via the hybrid reactor could effectively remove the toxicity of parent CBZ compound.

A one-pot synthesis of N -alkyl acridone via rhodium catalyzed decomposition of N -phenyl-2-(1-sulfonyl-1 H -1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)aniline and subsequent oxidative C–C bond fragmentation has been developed. 14 examples are presented and the yields range from 30% to 80%.

The ethyl acetate extract of the rhizomes of Luvunga scandens (Roxb.) Buch. - Ham. ex Wight & Arn (Rutaceae) delivered one new acridone alkaloid named Luvungaside A (1) together with three known ac...

Arborinine is an acridone alkaloids obtained from different natural sources including in the majority bark, seed, leaves of plants species of Rutaceae family among which Teclea gerrardii, Zanthoxylum leprieurii and Teclea trichocarpa, Erthela bahiensis, Ruta angustifolia,, Ruta suavolenses.. This alkaloid is extensively studied due to its great pharmacological potential, which includes anticancer, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antifeedant and antioxidant activities among others. Arborinine block heme-mediated protein oxidation and degradation markers for heme-induced oxidative stress; was predicted virtually for a critical evaluation by In silico target fishing for rationalized ligand discovery by inhibiting acetylchlolinesterase with IC50 value 34.7 ± 71µM; displayed potent in vitro activities against chloroquine sensitive HB3 cell line and chloroquine resistance K1 cell line with IC50 value 3.85 ± 0.11μM and 9.34 ± 0.37 μM; showed the good anticancer activity on three human cancer line viz human colon cancer COLO-205, human ovarian cancer OVCAR-3, Human cervical cancer human breast cancer and T-47D line with GI50 value ˂10μg/ml and presented antimicrobial activities against resistant microbial strains. The overall synthesis of Arborinine has been done and the key stapes are the Ullmann condensation followed by the cyclisation with Eaton’s reagent. It undergoes a few structural modification reactions such as selective methylation and demethylation, electrophilic substitution. Acetylation, benzoylation. This review present the chemistry and the biological properties of Arborinine: methods of isolation from plant crude extract, its characterization as well as their derivatives obtained by structural modification including structure activity relationship are also described.

A multifaceted gold(I)-catalyzed aromaticity-driven double 6-endo cascade cyclization strategy to synthesize both 12H-benzo[a]xanthen-12-ones and benzo[a]acridin-12(7H)-ones, whose core motifs xanthone and acridone both exist as important scaffolds in an immense number of bioactive compounds, was developed. The scopes of this strategy were examined by using a batch of synthetic 1,3-diphenylprop-2-yn-1-one substrates. To probe the mechanism of this cyclization a control experiment for synthesizing intermediates was performed. Thus, a putative mechanism was determined according to this experiment and previous studies.

'Acridine' along with its functional analogue 'Acridone' is the most privileged pharmacophore in medicinal chemistry with diverse applications ranging from DNA intercalators, endonuclease mimics, ratiometric selective ion sensors, and P-glycoprotein inhibitors in countering the multi-drug resistance, enzyme inhibitors, and reversals of neurodegenerative disorders. Their interaction with DNA and ability of selectively identifying numerous biologically useful ions has cemented exploitability of the acridone nucleus in modern day therapeutics. Additionally, most derivatives and salts of acridine are planar, crystalline, and stable displaying a strong fluorescence which, when coupled with their marked bio selectivity and low cytotoxicity, enables the studying and monitoring of several biochemical, metabolic, and pharmacological processes. In this review, a detailed picture covering the important therapeutic aspects of the acridone nucleus and its functional analogues is discussed.