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Abstract: Chalcone-derived isoxazole scaffolds remain the central focus due to their greater biological, clinical, and pharmacological properties. The present study reviews the synthesis of various chalcone derived - 5- membered isoxazoline and isoxazole scaffolds with the available literature until 2021.

Hydroxysafflower yellow A (HSYA) protects against acute kidney injury through TLR4/NF-κB pathway. However, the effect and potential mechanism of HSYA in ulcerative colitis (UC) have been rarely reported, which is thus investigated in this research. An in vivo UC model was established by oral administration of 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in Sprague-Dawley rats. After HSYA treatment, the daily body weight and colon length of rats were measured. Then rat colon tissues, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines were examined by histopathological examination (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry, ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) respectively. The activated TLR4/NF-κB pathway was detected by Western blot. RAW 264.7 cell viability was detected by MTT assay after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, and ELISA and Western blot were performed again to investigate the effects of HSYA on LPS-treated cells. DSS administration increased body weight and colon length of rats and induced colon tissue injury. DSS or LPS treatment up-regulated the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and activated TLR4/NF-κB pathway of colon tissues and cells, respectively. HSYA partially reversed the above effect of DSS and LPS treatment, and the effects of the drug were improved with the dosage. Taken together, HSYA alleviates UC by suppressing TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, which may provide a new insight for the treatment of UC.

A novel approach for convertingiN/i-substituted acetylpyrroles and primary alcohols intoiN/i-substituted pyrrolyl chalcones in air with the assistance ofit/i-BuOK is reported, and several prominent flavor and bioactive molecules were obtained. The process entails oxidizing the alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes, andit/i-BuOK is crucial to the effective production of CC bonds by aldol condensation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O) was used to examine the odor properties of pyrrolyl chalcones, which are usually different from those of the associated acetylpyrroles and alcohols. The biological evaluation assay showed that the products (iE/i)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)-1-(1-methyl-1iH/i-pyrrol-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3j), (iE/i)-1-(1-ethyl-1iH/i-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (4a), (iE/i)-3-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(1-ethyl-1iH/i-pyrrol-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (4e), (iE/i)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(1-ethyl-1iH/i-pyrrol-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (4f) and (iE/i)-1-(1-ethyl-1iH/i-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (4g) exhibited excellent inhibitory activity againstiR. solani/iwith ECsub50/subvalues from 0.0107 to 0.0134 mg mLsup-1/sup. Molecular docking of 3j with SDH (succinate dehydrogenase) was performed to reveal the binding modes in the active pocket and analyze the interactions between the molecules and the SDH protein. Meanwhile, they have good thermal stability according to the results of thermogravimetry (TG) analysis.

Deposition of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates is one of the neuropathological hallmarks of synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple-system atrophy. In vivo detection of α-syn aggregates with SPECT or PET may be an effective tool for medical intervention against synucleinopathy. In the present study, we designed and synthesized a series of chalcone analogues with different aryl groups to evaluate their potential as α-syn imaging probes. In competitive inhibition assays, aryl groups markedly affected binding affinity and selectivity for recombinant α-syn aggregates. Chalcone analogues with a 4-(dimethylamino)phenyl group bound to both α-syn and amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates while ones with a 4-nitrophenyl group displayed α-syn-selective binding. In fluorescent staining, only chalcone analogues with a 4-nitrophenyl group succeeded in selective detection of human α-syn against Aβ aggregates in patients' brain samples. Among them, PHNP-3 exhibited the most promising binding characteristics for α-syn aggregates (

Astragalus ponticus Pall. species was investigated for its antiproliferative effects on HeLa cells. Two new chalcones (B5 and B8) along with eight known compounds (B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, B10, B14 and B15) were isolated by following bioactivity guided isolation methods. In addition, from non-active fraction, three cycloartane glycosides (B11, B12 and B13) were isolated. Molecular structures of these isolated compounds were revealed by using spectroscopic methods like MS, 1D and 2D NMR and a single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. New compounds B5 and B8 showed the highest antiproliferative activities against HeLa cells (IC50 values of 36.6 and 20.6 µM, respectively) while the rest showed high and low activities. Non-endemic species attract relatively low attention from the scientific community but this study demonstrates that valuable new compounds, which might be used as ingredients in medicinal preparations, can be obtained from these materials.

Chalcones are an interesting class of compounds endowed with a plethora of biological activities beneficial to human health. These chemotypes have continued to attract increased research attention over the years; hence, numerous natural and synthetic chalcones have found with interesting anticancer activities through the inhibition of various molecular targets including ABCG2, BCRP, P-glycoprotein, 5α-reductase, Androgen Receptor (AR), Histone Deacetylases (HDAC), Sirtuin 1, proteasome, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Cathepsin-K, tubulin, CDC25B phosphatase, Topoisomerase, EBV, NF-κB, mTOR, BRAF, and Wnt/β-catenin. Moreover, the study of intrinsic mechanisms of action, particularly relating to specific cellular pathways and modes of engagement with molecular targets, may help medicinal chemists to develop more effective, selective, and cost-effective chalcone-based anticancer drugs. This review, therefore, sheds light on the effect of structural variations on the anticancer potency of chalcone hybrids reported in 2018-2019 alongside their mechanism of action, molecular targets, and potential impacts on effective cancer chemotherapy.

The chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of the endemic Lysimachia baviensis were investigated for the first time in this study. A phytochemical fractionation of the methanol extract of L. baviensis resulted in the isolation of a new stilbene (bavienside A, 1) and two new chalcone glycosides (baviensides B and C, 2 and 3). Their structures were elucidated via the interpretation of NMR and HRESIMS spectroscopic data. Compounds 1–3 strongly inhibited the production of nitric oxide in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells with the IC50 values of 6.23, 2.86 and 3.51 μM, respectively. The C-acetylstilbene and carbomethyl chalcone structures in compound 1 and 3 were found for the first time from natural source and could be important markers for chemotaxonomy of Lysimachia baviensis.

The ligation behavior of the chalcone ligand namely (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) acrylic acid (ferulic acid) (FA) toward the Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions was determined. The structure of the isolated solid complexes was elucidated by elemental analyses, spectral techniques (IR, UV–Vis, 13C– and 1H-NMR spectra) as well as the conductance measurements and thermal analyses. UV–Vis spectra and magnetic moments had suggested square planar and tetrahedral stereochemistry for Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes, respectively. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for some selected decomposition steps have been calculated. Two precise and sensitive spectrophotometric methods were utilized to determine Zn(II) and Cu(II) complexes with ferulic acid using a micellar media of cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) with an absorption maxima of 430 and 465 nm for Zn(II) and Cu(II), respectively. Various analytical conditions, for example, the concentration of the reagent, temperature, the sequence and timing of addition were also looked into. Under optimum conditions, the complexes exhibited good linearity in concentration range of 2.0–70.0 and 4.0–140.0 µg mL−1; molar absorptivities 1.3161 × 104 and 8.826 × 103 L mol−1 cm−1; and Sandell’s sensitivity 0.00496 and 0.00719 µg cm−2 for the proposed methods of Zn(II) and Cu(II), respectively. The complexes ratio was found to be 1:2 [Zn(II):FA or Cu(II):FA] and the stability constants were 2.771 × 105 and 2.826 × 105, respectively. Finally, the newly synthesized complexes were shown potent antimicrobial activity.

A series of 2-heteroaryl benzimidazole-chalcone hybrids were synthesized and the anticancer activity was estimated by MTT assay in human breast, lung, colon, and ovarian cancer cell lines. The biological results indicate that the compounds showed good anticancer activity with IC50 value in the range of 0.056-19.5 μM. Compound 11b with hexa methoxy groups, bearing three methoxy groups on each terminal aryl ring exhibited a significant IC50 value (56 nM) against human breast carcinoma cells, which is 37 times higher potency in comparison with the reference Etoposide. Further compounds substituted variably with methoxy and nitro groups on the phenyl ring of chalcone showed more promising anticancer activity than the compounds with unsubstituted phenyl ring or variably alkyl-substituted phenyl ring of chalcone. The molecular docking results indicate that the synthesized compounds bind in the active site of Abl tyrosine kinase, the target of anticancer drug Imatinib. The present study provides the synergistic effect of hybrids, benzimidazole-chalcones as potential anticancer agents that will aid in the discovery of new anticancer agents.

Cancer is the second death cause worldwide, with breast and colon cancer among the most prevalent types. Traditional treatment strategies have several side effects that inspire the development of novel anticancer agents derived from natural sources, like chalcone derivatives. For this investigation, twenty-three chalcones (4a-w) were synthesized and evaluated as antiproliferative agents against MCF-7 and Caco-2 cells, finding three and two compounds with similar or higher antiproliferative activity than daunorubicin, while only two chalcones showed better selectivity indexes than daunorubicin on MCF-7. From these results, we developed good-performance QSAR models (r > 0.850, q2>0.650), finding several structural features that could modify chalcone activity and selectivity. According to these models, chalcones 4w and 4t have high potency and selectivity against Caco-2 and MCF-7, respectively, which make them attractive candidates for hit-to-lead development of ROS-independent pro apoptotic agents.

Novel alkylated heterocyclic chalcone (E)-1-(2-(allyloxy)phenyl)-3-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (AECO) with extended π-bond was prepared by the multi-steps synthesis. The structure of the AECO was established by the spectroscopic technics and purity of the compound was confirmed by the elemental analysis. Physicochemical parameters of the AECO such as molar absorption coefficient, transition dipole moments, stokes shift, oscillator strength and fluorescence quantum yield were calculated in ten various solvents on the basis of polarity of the solvents to see the effect of the solvent with AECO. Interaction of the AECO chromophore with cationic CTAB and anionic SDS surfactants were determined by using the fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. The intensity of the florescence spectrum increase with increasing the concentrations of surfactants. This suggests that strong interaction occurs between AECO with surfactants and this interaction arise from electrostatic forces. So, AECO chromophore could be used as analysis to define the Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) of the surfactants. In addition the in-vitro antibacterial active of novel heterocyclic chalcone agents four bacteria’s strain were evaluated and result showed AECO is beater antibacterial agent against Gram-Negative Bacteria (E. coli and S. flexneri) as compare to the Gram Negative Bacteria with respected to the standard drug Tetracycline.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) possesses several medicinal properties. However, it is unknown whether HSYA is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Hence, we investigated the effects of HSYA on the inflammation and synovial damage in rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) by subjecting them to treatment with different doses of HSYA. Our results revealed that HSYA could significantly reduce paw swelling, pathological manifestations, and serum cytokine levels in rats with CIA. The HSYA-treated groups showed increased antioxidant enzyme activity in the serum and decreased expression of inflammatory mediators in the synovial tissues. Furthermore, HSYA treatment inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signalling pathway activation. Notably, the highest dose of HSYA (20 mg/kg) exhibited the best effects against RA symptoms. Therefore, our findings suggest that HSYA alleviates the inflammatory response and synovial damage in rats with CIA by inhibiting the ERK signalling pathway.

Flavanones and their biochemical precursors, chalcones, are naturally occurring compounds and consist of privileged scaffolds used in drug discovery due to their wide range of biological activities. In this work, two novel flavanones (3 and 4), the arylidene flavanone 5, and the chalcone 6, displaying structural analogies with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), were synthesized via an aldol reaction. According to the antioxidant activity studies of the synthesized flavanones, the arylidene flavanone 5 was the most potent antioxidant (70.8% interaction with DPPH radical and 77.4% inhibition of lipid peroxidation). In addition, the ability of the synthesized compounds to bind with ctDNA was measured via UV-spectroscopy, revealing that chalcone 6 has the strongest interaction with DNA (Kb = 5.0 × 10−3 M−1), while molecular docking was exploited to simulate the compound-DNA complexes. In an effort to explore the conformational features of the novel synthetic flavanones (3 and 4), arylidene flavanone 5, and chalcone 6, theoretical calculations were applied and the calculation of their physicochemical properties was also performed.

Esophageal cancer has always been associated with poor prognosis and a low five-year survival rate. Chalcone, a flavonoid family member, has shown anti-tumor property in several types of cancer. However, few studies reported the potency and mechanisms of action of synthetic Chalcone derivatives against esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel chalcone analogs and Ch-19 was selected for its superior anti-tumor potency. Results indicated that Ch-19 shows a dose- and time-dependent anti-tumor activity in both KYSE-450 and Eca-109 esophageal cancer cells. Moreover, treatment of Ch-19 resulted in the regression of KYSE-450 tumor xenografts in nude mice. Furthermore, we investigated the potential mechanism involved in the effective anti-tumor effects of Ch-19. As a result, we observed that Ch-19 treatment promoted ROS accumulation and caused G2/M phase arrest in both Eca-109 and KYSE-450 cancer cell lines, thereby resulting in cell apoptosis. Taken together, our study provided a novel synthetic chalcone derivative as a potential anti-tumor therapeutic candidate for treating esophageal cancer. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12192-022-01302-z.

This work reports the convenient strategy for the synthesis of bis-thiazolidinone based chalcone analogs (1-20) from readily available thiosemicarbazide hydrochloride, ammonium thiocyanate and benzaldehyde. All the newly afforded bis-thiazolidinone based chalcone analogs (1-20) were screened in vitro for their acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition profile. It was noteworthy, that all the synthetic analogs (except analogs 10, 12 and 14, which are found to be inactive) showed moderate to good inhibitory potentials on screening against acetylcholinesterase having range of inhibitory with IC

In this review, we have reported the antioxidant mechanisms and structure-antioxidant activity relationship of several chalcone derivatives, investigated in the recent past, based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, considering free radical scavenging and metal chelation ability. The antioxidant mechanisms include hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET), single electron transfer followed by proton transfer (SET-PT), sequential proton loss hydrogen atom transfer (SPLHAT), sequential double proton loss electron transfer (SdPLET), sequential triple proton loss double electron transfer (StPLdET), sequential triple proton loss triple electron transfer (StPLtET), double HAT, double SPLET, double SET-PT, triple HAT, triple SET-PT, triple SPLET, proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), single electron transfer (SET), radical adduct formation (RAF) and radical adduct formation followed by hydrogen atom abstraction (RAF-HAA). Furthermore, solvent effects have also been considered using different solvation models. The feasibility of scavenging different reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) has been discussed considering various factors such as the number and position of hydroxyl as well as methoxy groups present in the antioxidant molecule, stability of the species formed after scavenging reactive species, nature of substituent, steric effects, etc. This review opens new perspectives for designing new compounds with better antioxidant potential.

Chalcones are aromatic ketones found in nature as the central core of many biological compounds. They have a wide range of biological activity and are biogenetic precursors of other important molecules such as flavonoids. Their pharmacological relevance makes them a privileged scaffold, advantageous for seeking alternative therapies in medicinal chemistry. Due to their structural diversity and ease of synthesis, they are often employed as building blocks for chemical transformations. Chalcones have a carbonyl conjugated system with two electrophilic centers that are commonly used for nucleophilic additions, as described in numerous articles. They can also participate in Diels-Alder reactions, which are [4+2] cycloadditions between a diene and a dienophile. This microreview presents a chronological survey of studies on chalcones as dienes and dienophiles in Diels-Alder cycloadditions. Although these reactions occur in nature, isolation of chalcones from plants yields very small quantities. Contrarily, synthesis leads to large quantities at a low cost. Hence, novel methodologies have been developed for [4+2] cycloadditions, with chalcones serving as a 2π or 4π electron system.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great promise for applications in cell therapy and drug screening in the cardiovascular field. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is key for early cardiac mesoderm induction in hPSC and subsequent cardiomyocyte derivation. Small‐molecular BMP4 mimetics may help to standardize cardiomyocyte derivation from hPSCs. Based on observations that chalcones can stimulate BMP4 signaling pathways, we hypothesized their utility in cardiac mesoderm induction. To test this, we set up a two‐tiered screening strategy, (1) for directed differentiation of hPSCs with commercially available chalcones (4’‐hydroxychalcone [4’HC] and Isoliquiritigen) and 24 newly synthesized chalcone derivatives, and (2) a functional screen to assess the propensity of the obtained cardiomyocytes to self‐organize into contractile engineered human myocardium (EHM). We identified 4’HC, 4‐fluoro‐4’‐methoxychalcone, and 4‐fluoro‐4’‐hydroxychalcone as similarly effective in cardiac mesoderm induction, but only 4’HC as an effective replacement for BMP4 in the derivation of contractile EHM‐forming cardiomyocytes., Have a little heart: A screen for mesoderm inducing chalcones in human pluripotent stem cell cultures identified 4’‐hydroxychalcone (4’HC) as an effective replacement for bone‐morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) in supporting the derivation of engineered heart muscle (EHM)‐formation competent cardiomyocytes.

Flavonoids are specialized metabolites widely distributed across the plant kingdom. They are involved in the growth and survival of plants, conferring the ability to filter ultra-violet rays, conduct symbiotic partnerships, and respond to stress. While many branches of flavonoid biosynthesis have been resolved, recent discoveries suggest missing auxiliary components. These overlooked elements can guide metabolic flux, enhance production, mediate stereoselectivity, transport intermediates, and exert regulatory functions. This review describes several families of auxiliary proteins from across the plant kingdom, including examples from specialized metabolism. In flavonoid biosynthesis, we discuss the example of chalcone isomerase-like (CHIL) proteins and their non-catalytic role. CHILs mediate the cyclization of tetraketides, forming the chalcone scaffold by interacting with chalcone synthase (CHS). Loss of CHIL activity leads to derailment of the CHS-catalyzed reaction and a loss of pigmentation in fruits and flowers. Similarly, members of the pathogenesis-related 10 (PR10) protein family have been found to differentially bind flavonoid intermediates, guiding the composition of anthocyanins. This role comes within a larger body of PR10 involvement in specialized metabolism, from outright catalysis (e.g., (S)-norcoclaurine synthesis) to controlling stereochemistry (e.g., enhancing cis-trans cyclization in catnip). Both CHILs and PR10s hail from larger families of ligand-binding proteins with a spectrum of activity, complicating the characterization of their enigmatic roles. Strategies for the discovery of auxiliary proteins are discussed, as well as mechanistic models for their function. Targeting such unanticipated components will be crucial in manipulating plants or engineering microbial systems for natural product synthesis.

Introduction: OC26, an ortho-aryl chalcone compound, shows excellent antitumor activity in vitro and vivo. However, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of OC26 have not been comprehensively reported. It is essential to investigate the correlation of pharmacological response. Objective: To further explore OC26, this study aims to develop an ultra-performance liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometric (UPLC-MS/MS) method to reveal the pharmacokinetics and distribution characteristics in rats of OC26. Methods: An UPLC-MS/MS method was developed to detect OC26 in plasma and various tissues. The protein precipitation method was applied to process the biological samples. After intravenous injection 12.5mg/kg of OC26 in rats, plasma and tissue samples were collected from rats and the method was applied to investigate pharmacokinetic and distribution characteristics of OC26. Results: Calibration curve samples of OC26 concentration range from 20 to 2000 ng/mL with the goodness of fit (r2> 0.99). The precisions for the method were within 12.3%, while the accuracies for the method were within ±11% (bias). The matrix effect had no influence on the accuracy and precision of the method. After intravenous injection 12.5mg/kg of OC26 in rats, OC26 was rapidly eliminated (t1/2=31.39±7.87min, MRT0→∞=15.03±2.55min) from rat plasma and widely distributed (Vd=4.83±0.96L/kg) in tissues. The highest concentration of OC26 was detected in the brain in which peak content (~8962.78ng/g at 15min) was over 5-fold higher than that of in other tissues, which prompted new potential targets in the brain. Besides, lung and heart also detected quite a high level of OC26. Benefited from quick elimination in the collected tissues and plasma, long-term accumulation was not observed as chronic toxicity might be less. Conclusions: This UPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to detect OC26 and provide a theoretical basis for the further study of OC26.

Two unreported chalcone derivatives: flemingins P and Q (1 and 2), and two known analogues (3 and 4) were isolated from the leaves of Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.)Merr.The structures of flemingins P and Q were determined by a combination of spectroscopic methods. Chalcones 1–4 were assayed in four cancer cells (4T1, T47D, HeLa, and WiDr). Flemingin Q (2) exhibited high cytotoxic activity against 4T1, T47D, and HeLa cells, whereas compound 3 showed high cytotoxicity against 4T1 and WiDr cells. Conversely, compounds 1 and 4 did not show any anticancer activity towards the four cancer cells examined.

There is always a need for efficient luminescent materials with simple synthesis and possible ease of hydrogen atom or functional group manipulation for use in different optoelectronic and biological applications. However, for certain real-world uses aggregation caused quenching effect of luminophores in their solid/aggregate state is undesirable, and is a cause of concern in areas, wherein the solid-state optical performance is more crucial. In this regard, chalcones have been explored for their ability to display aggregation-induced emission (AIE) or aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE), which can be of practical use. This article is thus focused on an integrated evidence-based report on the AIE/AIEE-active chalcone systems for potential technological and biological applications. Graphic abstract

Helicobacter pylori causes chronic gastritis through cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and flagellin as pathogen-related molecular patterns (PAMPs), which, in combination with the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of host cells promotes the expression and secretion of inflammation-causing cytokines and activates innate immune responses such as inflammasomes. To identify useful compounds against H. pylori-associated gastric disorders, the effect of chalcone derivatives to activate the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome was examined in an H. pylori-infected human monocytic THP-1 cell line in this study. Among the five synthetic structurally-related chalcone derivatives examined, 2'-hydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxychalcone (8) and 2'-hydroxy-3,4,5- trimethoxychalcone (12) strongly blocked the NLRP3 inflammasome in H. pylori-infected THP-1 cells. At 10 μM, these compounds inhibited the production of active IL-1β, IL-18, and caspase-1, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) oligomerization, but did not affect the expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, and pro-caspase-1. The interruption of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by these compounds was found to be mediated via the inhibition of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4)/IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathway. These compounds also inhibited caspase-4 production associated with non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These results show for the first time that certain chalcones could interrupt the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in H. pylori-infected THP-1 cells. Therefore, these chalcones may be helpful in alleviating H. pylori-related inflammatory disorders including chronic gastritis.

Chronic stress plays a critical role in the etiology of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there are currently no effective drugs that can target chronic stress to prevent AD. In this study, we explored the neuroprotective effect of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) against chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced memory impairments in mice and the underlying mechanism. The Morris water maze test showed that HSYA significantly reduced CMS-induced learning and memory impairments in mice. HSYA increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and activated downstream tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. HSYA decreased the expression of regulator of calcineurin 1-1L (RCAN1-1L) that could promote the activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). HSYA also attenuated tau phosphorylation by inhibiting the activity of GSK-3β and cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5). Our data indicated that HSYA has protective effects against CMS-induced BDNF downregulation, tau phosphorylation and memory impairments. HSYA may be a promising therapeutic candidate for AD by targeting chronic stress.

The structures and molecular interactions of established synthetic chalcones were correlated with their release profiles from asolectin liposomes. The effects of chalcones on the properties of liposomes were evaluated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), horizontal attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (HATR-FTIR)

Nineteen heterocyclic chalcones were synthesized from 4-acetyl-5-methylquinolylpyrazole and heteroaryl (imidazole, pyrazole, thiophene, indole and triazole) aldehydes and were screened in vitro using four tumor cell lines for their cytotoxic capability and for antimicrobial activity. The chalcone 5b exhibited the highest activity with IC

A novel chalcone derivative (4-(5-(pyridin-2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-3-yl) phenol (PDP) was synthesized, characterized and investigated for its potential as a fluorescent probe. The structure of the synthesized molecule was determined by FTIR

Background: Chalcones, originated from natural product, have been broadly studied their biological activity against various proteins which at the molecular level, are responsible for the progress of the diseases in cancer (e.g. kinases), inflammation (oxidoreductases), atherosclerosis (cathepsins receptor), and diabetes (e.g. α-glucosidase). Objective: Here we synthesize 10 chalcone derivatives to be evaluated their in vitro enzymatic inhibition activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Methods: The synthesis was carried out using Claissen-Schimdt condensation and the in vitro assay was conducted using Ellman Method. Results: Compounds 2b and 4b demonstrated as the best IC50 of 9.3 μM and 68.7 μM respectively, towards AChE and BChE inhibition. Molecular docking studies predicted that this activity might be due to the interaction of the chalcones with important amino acid residues in the binding site of AChE such as SER200 and in that of BChE, such as TRP82, SER198, TRP430, TYR440, LEU286 and VAL288. Conclusion: Chalcone can be used as the scaffold for cholinesterase inhibitor, in particularly either fluorine or nitro group to be augmented at the para-position of Ring B, whereas the hydrophobic chain is necessary at the meta-position of Ring B.

The chalcone derivatives of 20-oxo-lupanes have been synthesised and screened for some types of biological activity. Ozonolysis of lupanes afforded 20-oxo-derivatives with the following condensation using different aromatic aldehydes by Claisen‒Schmidt reaction to the target compounds. The

Abstract:: Phthalhydrazide immobilized on TiO2-coated nano Fe3O4 (Fe3O4-P) was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDS and VSM analysis. The resulting magnetic nanocatalyst was used as a catalyst for the synthesis of chalcone derivatives which affords the desired products in good to excellent yields. This catalyst can be isolated readily after completion of the reaction by an external magnetite field and reused several times without significant loss of activity.

An ionic liquid (IL) catalyzed solvent-free process was developed for the direct synthesis of chalcone and its derivatives by using substituted acetophenones and benzaldehydes via aldol reaction under mild conditions. A series of acidic and basic ILs were selected and screened. The influences of cations and reaction conditions on product yield and selectivity were systematically investigated. The [Bmim]OH was identified as the optimal IL, with the highest yield and selectivity reaching up to 96.7% and 100%, respectively. A reaction mechanism-based kinetic model was established and regressed with experimental data, revealing the β-Hydroxylketone dehydrolysis with activation barrier of 37.8 kJ·mol−1 was observed as the rate-controlling step.

Discovering therapeutic agents: New bioactive agents, either as sole or combinational agents, have been constructed through the synthetic manipulation of the intermediates within the total synthesis of the uvaretin class of natural products. It was found that increasing the hydrophobic character of the phenolic core correlates to a decrease in sole agent cytotoxicity. The synthesis of new, small chemical screening libraries (CSL) constructed from the intermediates of our total synthesis route of the uvaretin class of natural products is demonstrated herein. Numerous chalcone-based CSLs with various substitution on the phenolic groups within the chalcone core were assembled. Through cytotoxicity investigations, it was found that the level of hydrophobicity of the phenolic core of the chalcones gives biases: less cytotoxicity with more hydrophobic cores. In addition, it was observed that the potentiation, evaluated with 6-thiopurine in the pancreatic cancer cell line MIA PaCa-2, is tunable by the inclusion of less-hydrophobic character on the phenolic core. The role of the o-hydroxybenzyl group, present within the uvaretin family, was revealed to be cytotoxic in character. Merging all of the structure-activity relationship studies performed on the CSLs constructed in this effort led to the construction of a new chalcone hybrid possessing both a cytotoxic enone group and a small-molecule-potentiating, reduced enone group.

Zika virus caused of the emerging infections characterized by fever, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) for adults. In the current work, we aimed to study the binding orientation of 1,5-benzothiazepine compounds as new potential agent against Zika virus inhibitor through molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation. Since, 1-5-Benzothiazepines are particular interest for drug discovery and they also has some biological activities. However, their antiviral activities and in silico studies of the binding to their biological targets have not been extensively investigated. Molecular docking study of 1,5-benzothiazepine chalcone derivatives compounds with protein target 5GJB (PDB ID) and this protein was taken from the crystallographic structure. In this study, twelve 1,5-benzothiazepine chalcone derivative compounds were docked to the protein with the grid box along x, y and z radius of 26.85, 28.17 and 24.43 Å, respectively. Suramin was used as positive control. Thus, it can be used as a reference for design new inhibitors for Zika virus helicase. Based on the docking results, it is observed that compounds MA3 and MA8 are estimated to have activity as inhibitors for Zika virus helicase with binding free energy values of -4.6490 and -4.9291 kcal/mol, respectively. MA3 and MA8 were also stable during the MD simulations with the hydrogen bonding are still maintained before and after MD simulation. Furthermore, both of these compounds can be used an early stage for drug design and drug delivery process.

Chalcone has a variety of interesting biological activities, including as an antioxidant and anticancer. Antioxidants are molecules that can retard or prevent the oxidation process or inhibit the formation of free radicals. p-Hydroxy-m-Methoxy Chalcone (pHmMC) is a chalcone derivative reported has anticancer activity both in used single and in combination treatment with Doxorubicin (DOX) in breast cancer cell lines. DOX is one of the chemotherapy agents widely used in cancer treatment but the medicine has side effects of cardiotoxicity. This effect is generally associated with free radical formation. This study aims to find out the activity of pHmMC as an antioxidant both in used single and in combination treatment with DOX by in vitro and to explore the potential of pHmMC as an antioxidant by in silico. Activity tests as antioxidants were measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test. Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) was used as a positive control. Antioxidant activity was calculated as the value of 50% Inhibition Concentration (IC50). In silico study was carried out by molecular docking using Protein Ligand ANT System (PLANTS) software with peroxiredoxin 5 [1HD2] as the target. The results showed that the IC50 values of pHmMC, DOX, and Vitamin C were 11.9; 21.6 and 3.3 μ/mL respectively. The combination of pHmMC-DOX has a higher antioxidant activity than single pHmMC or single DOX. The docking molecular showed that there were similarities amino acids involved in the interaction between PRDX5[1HD2]-pHmMC and PRDX5[1HD2]-DOX. This research indicated that pHmMC and pHmMC-DOX are potentially developed as an antioxidant.

This study was to assess the possibility of using competitive and slow binding experiments with affinity-based ultrafiltration UPLC-QTof-MS analysis to identify potent bacterial neuraminidase (bNA) inhibitors from the Broussonetia papyrifera roots extract. To isolate unbound compounds from the enzyme-binding complex, the root bark extracts were either incubated in the absence of bNA, in the presence of bNA, or with the time-dependent bNA before the ultrafiltration was performed. Thirteen flavonoids were separated from the target extract, and their inhibitory activities were tested against bNA. The isolated flavonoids exhibited potent inhibition against NA (IC50 = 0.7–54.0 μM). Our kinetic analysis of representative active flavonoids (1, 2, and 6) showed slow and time-dependent reversible inhibition. Additionally, chalcones exhibited noncompetitive inhibition characteristics, whereas flavonols and flavans showed mixed-type behavior. The computational results supported the experimental behaviors of flavonoids 2, 6, 10, and 12, indicating that bounded to the active site, but flavonoids 6 and 10 binds near but not accurately at the active site. Although this is mixed-type inhibition, their binding can be considered competitive.

The synthesis of 5-acetyl-6-methyl-4-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-3,4-dihydropyrmidin-2(1H)-thione was achieved by one-pot three-component synthesis using CaCl2 in refluxing EtOH. The starting compound was utilized to synthesize a new series of 5-pyrazolyl; isoxazolyl; pyrimidinyl derivatives via the synthesized chalcone. Also, fused isoxazolo [5,4-d]pyrimidine and pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine were obtained by the treatment of 5-acetyl derivative with hydroxyl amine and/ or hydrazine hydrate. Also, the thiosemicarbazide derivative was prepared and utilized to synthesize other new thiazole derivatives. The structures of all compounds have been established on the basis of their analytical and spectral data. All compounds was also evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activity against various strains of bacteria and fungi. Also, the anti-inflammatory activity of some of synthesized compounds was evaluated using the carrageenan induced paw oedema test in rats using indomethacin as the reference drug.

In nature, chalcones are extensively available in edible plants and as starting components of flavonoids. Based on the presence of reactive bi-electrophilic group and the keto-vinyl spacer, chalcon...

Fifteen chalcone derivatives having D–A–D, D–A–A and A–A–D architectures have been synthesized by Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction and characterized by UV–Vis, IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and Mass spectrometry. In order to unambiguously establish the structure–activity relationship for the non-linear optical activity of these compounds, for the first time to our knowledge, we use the femtosecond degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) technique to quantify and compare the third-order non-linear optical (NLO) activity of all the 15 compounds, under identical conditions. The second harmonics generation (SHG) efficiencies for all the compounds have also been evaluated using the Kurtz-Perry powder method. Among the compounds that we have synthesized here, the ones with A–A–D architecture show the highest NLO activity. Our results show that the NLO activity of a compound with A–A–D architecture can be further enhanced by incorporating a substituent with strong electron withdrawing ability on ring A and strong electron donating substituent on ring B. The results of the in silico studies that we have carried out correlate well with our experimental findings. The compounds (E)-3-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one with the compound code (4-N(CH3)2–4′-NO2) and (E)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one with the compound code (4-MeO-4′-NO2) show the highest NLO activity among the compounds we have reported here.

Indole-based chalcones have been identified as interesting compounds with anticancer properties. In the present study, we report the synthesis and evaluation of new 1-methoxyindole and 2-alkoxyindole chalcone hybrids as antiproliferative agents active against colorectal carcinoma cell line. Among the 19 investigated molecules, four inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells HCT-116 with IC50 values