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Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose-oxidase (DprE1), a subunit of the essential decaprenylphosphoribose-2'-epimerase, plays a crucial role in the synthesis of cell wall arabinan components in mycobacteria, including the pathogen responsible for tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis . In this study, we designed, synthesised, and evaluated 15 (BOK-1-BOK-10 and BOP-1-BOP-5) potential inhibitors of DprE1 from a series of 1,2,3-triazole ligands using a validated DprE1 inhibition assay. Two compounds, BOK-2 and BOK-3, demonstrated significant inhibition with IC 50 values of 2.2 ± 0.1 and 3.0 ± 0.6 μM, respectively, whereas the standard drug (TCA-1) showed inhibition at 3.0 ± 0.2 μM. Through molecular modelling and dynamic simulations, we explored the structural relationships between selected 1,2,3-triazole compounds and DprE1, revealing key features for effective drug-target interactions. This study introduces a novel approach for designing ligands against DprE1, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for tuberculosis treatment.

Mimicking the transition state of tryptophan (Trp) and O 2 in the enzymatic reaction is an effective approach to design indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors. In this study, we firstly assembled a small library of 2-substituted benzo-fused five membered heterocycles and found 2-sulfinyl-benzoxazoles with interesting IDO1 inhibitory activities. Next the inhibitory activity toward IDO1 was gradually improved. Several benzoxazoles showed potent IDO1 inhibitory activity with IC 50 of 82-91 nM, and exhibited selectivity between IDO1 and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2). Enzyme binding studies showed that benzoxazoles are reversible type II IDO1 inhibitors, and modeling studies suggested that the oxygen atom of the sulfoxide in benzoxazoles interacts with the iron atom of the heme group, which mimics the transition state of Fe-O-O-Trp complex. Especially, 10b can effectively inhibit the NO production in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and it also shows good anti-inflammation effect on mice acute inflammation model of croton oil induced ear edema., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Taking advantage of key interactions between sulfoxide and heme cofactor, we used the sulfoxide as the anchor functional group to develop two series of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors: 2-benzylsulfinylbenzoxazoles (series 1) and 2-phenylsulfinylbenzoxazoles (series 2). In vitro enzymatic screening shows that both series can inhibit the activity of IDO1 in low micromolar (series 1) or nanomolar (series 2) levels. They also show inhibitory selectivity between IDO1 and tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase 2. Interestingly, although series 1 is less potent IDO1 inhibitors of these two series, it exhibited stronger inhibitory activity toward kynurenine production in interferon-γ stimulated BxPC-3 cells. Enzyme kinetics and binding studies demonstrated that 2-sulfinylbenzoxazoles are non-competitive inhibitors of tryptophan, and they interact with the ferrous form of heme. These results demonstrated 2-sulfinylbenzoxazoles as type II IDO1 inhibitors. Furthermore, molecular docking studies supports the sulfoxide being of the key functional group that interacts with the heme cofactor. Compound 22 (series 1) can inhibit NO production in a concentration dependent manner in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and can relieve pulmonary edema and lung injury in LPS induced mouse acute lung injury models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Current study aims exploration of bis -benzoxazole bearing bis -Schiff base scaffolds ( 1-16 ) as anti-Alzheimer's agents. Materials & methods: 2-aminophenol is used as starting materials which react with different reagents in different step to give us bis -benzoxazole bearing bis -Schiff base analogs. NMR and HREI-MS techniques were used for characterization. All derivatives demonstrated varied range of activities with IC 50 values 1.10 ± 0.40-24.50 ± 0.90 μM against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and 1.90 ± 0.70-28.60 ± 0.60 μM against butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in contrast to donepezil. In both cases, analog- 3 was found most potent. Molecular docking explored modes of interactions between scaffolds and receptor sites of targeted enzymes. Conclusion: This study offering promising approach for optimization and development of potent inhibitors of cholinesterase enzymes.

We have carried out the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a small library of 2-aminobenzoxazole-appended coumarins as novel inhibitors of tumour-related CAs IX and XII. Substituents on C-3 and/or C-4 positions of the coumarin scaffold, and on the benzoxazole moiety, together with the length of the linker connecting both units were modified to obtain useful structure-activity relationships. CA inhibition studies revealed a good selectivity towards tumour-associated CAs IX and XII ( K i within the mid-nanomolar range in most of the cases) in comparison with CAs I, II, IV, and VII ( K i > 10 µM); CA IX was found to be slightly more sensitive towards structural changes. Docking calculations suggested that the coumarin scaffold might act as a prodrug, binding to the CAs in its hydrolysed form, which is in turn obtained due to the esterase activity of CAs. An increase of the tether length and of the substituents steric hindrance was found to be detrimental to in vitro antiproliferative activities. Incorporation of a chlorine atom on C-3 of the coumarin moiety achieved the strongest antiproliferative agent, with activities within the low micromolar range for the panel of tumour cell lines tested.

A new series of benzoxazole derivatives were designed and synthesised to have the main essential pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Cytotoxic activities were evaluated for all derivatives against two human cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and HepG2. Also, the effect of the most cytotoxic derivatives on VEGFR-2 protein concentration was assessed by ELISA. Compounds 14o , 14l , and 14b showed the highest activities with VEGFR-2 protein concentrations of 586.3, 636.2, and 705.7 pg/ml, respectively. Additionally, the anti-angiogenic property of compound 14b against human umbilical vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC) was performed using a wound healing migration assay. Compound 14b reduced proliferation and migratory potential of HUVEC cells. Furthermore, compound 14b was subjected to further biological investigations including cell cycle and apoptosis analyses. Compound 14b arrested the HepG2 cell growth at the Pre-G1 phase and induced apoptosis by 16.52%, compared to 0.67% in the control (HepG2) cells. The effect of apoptosis was buttressed by a 4.8-fold increase in caspase-3 level compared to the control cells. Besides, different in silico docking studies were also performed to get better insights into the possible binding mode of the target compounds with VEGFR-2 active sites.

A newly synthetized series of N -phenacyl derivatives of 2-mercaptobenzoxazole, including analogues of 5-bromo- and 5,7-dibromobenzoxazole, were screened against Candida strains and the action mechanism was evaluated. 2-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-1-(4-bromophenyl)ethanone ( 5d ), 2-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-1-(2,3,4-trichloro-phenyl)ethanone ( 5i ), 2-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-1-(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)ethanone ( 5k ) and 2-[(5-bromo-1,3-benzoxazol-2-yl)sulfanyl]-1-phenylethanone ( 6a ) showed anti- C. albicans SC5314 activity, where 5d displayed MIC T = 16 µg/mL (%R = 100) and a weak anti-proliferative activity against the clinical strains: C. albicans resistant to azoles (Itr and Flu) and C. glabrata . Derivatives 5k and 6a displayed MIC P = 16 µg/mL and %R = 64.2 ± 10.6, %R = 88.0 ± 9.7, respectively, against the C. albicans isolate. Derivative 5i was the most active against C. glabrata (%R = 53.0 ± 3.5 at 16 µg/mL). Benzoxazoles displayed no MIC against C. glabrata . Benzoxazoles showed a pleiotropic action mode: ( 1 ) the total sterols content was perturbed; ( 2 ) 2-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethanol and 2-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-1-(2,3,4-trichlorophenyl)ethanol ( 8h - i ) at the lowest fungistatic conc. inhibited the efflux of the Rho123 tracker during the membrane transport process; ( 3 ) mitochondrial respiration was affected/inhibited by the benzoxazoles: 2-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethanol and 2-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-1-(4-bromophenyl)ethanol 8c - d and 8i . Benzoxazoles showed comparable activity to commercially available azoles due to ( 1 ) the interaction with exogenous ergosterol, ( 2 ) endogenous ergosterol synthesis blocking as well as ( 3 ) membrane permeabilizing properties typical of AmB. Benzoxazoles display a broad spectrum of anti- Candida activity and action mode towards the membrane without cross-resistance with AmB; furthermore, they are safe to mammals.

Discovery of novel anticancer drugs which have low toxicity and high activity is very significant area in anticancer drug research and development. One of the important targets for cancer treatment research is topoisomerase enzymes. In order to make a contribution to this field, we have designed and synthesized some 5(or 6)-nitro-2-(substitutedphenyl)benzoxazole (1a-1r) and 2-(substitutedphenyl)oxazolo[4,5-b]pyridine (2a-2i) derivatives as novel candidate antitumor agents targeting human DNA topoisomerase enzymes (hTopo I and hTopo IIα). Biological activity results were found very promising for the future due to two compounds, 5-nitro-2-(4-butylphenyl)benzoxazole (1i) and 2-(4-butylphenyl)oxazolo[4,5-b]pyridine (2i), that inhibited hTopo IIα with 2 µM IC 50 value. These two compounds were also found to be more active than reference drug etoposide. However, 1i and 2i did not show any satisfactory cyctotoxic activity on the HeLa, WiDR, A549, and MCF7 cancer cell lines. Moreover, molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations studies for the most active compounds were applied in order to understand the mechanism of inhibition activity of hTopo IIα. In addition, in silico ADME/Tox studies were performed to predict drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties of all the tested compounds., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

New benzoxazole derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,4-triazole or triazolothiadiazine rings were synthesized and screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Doxorubicin, cisplatin and 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazole (CJM 126) were used as references. The most active compounds 7a, 8d, 8e and 10c were screened for their antiproliferative activities against MCF-10A normal breast cells where compounds 8e and 7a were the most selective towards MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, respectively compared to CJM 126. In vitro enzymatic inhibition assays of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and aromatase (ARO) enzymes were performed. Compound 7a showed inhibition of EGFR comparable to that of erlotinib while compound 8e exhibited nearly half the inhibitory activity of erlotinib towards EGFR and was more potent inhibitor of ARO than letrozole. Caspase-9 activation assay, cell cycle analysis and Annexin-V/ Propidium iodide assay performed for compounds 7a, 8d, 8e and 10c demonstrated over expression of caspase-9 protein level, pre G 1 apoptosis and high annexin V binding affinity. Therefore, these compounds are considered as potent apoptosis-promoting agents. The predicted docking studies and in silico chemo-informatic properties of compounds 7a and 8e were appropriate. Compounds 7a and 8e are promising anti-breast cancer agents exhibiting potent apoptosis-promoting properties., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rare diseases are increasingly recognized as a global public health priority. Governments worldwide currently provide important incentives to stimulate the discovery and development of orphan drugs for the treatment of these conditions, but substantial scientific, clinical, and regulatory challenges remain. Tafamidis is a first-in-class, disease-modifying transthyretin (TTR) kinetic stabilizer that represents a major breakthrough in the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR amyloidosis). ATTR amyloidosis is a rare, progressive, and fatal systemic disorder caused by aggregation of misfolded TTR and extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils in various tissues and organs, including the heart and nervous systems. In this review, we present the successful development of tafamidis spanning 3 decades, marked by meticulous laboratory research into disease mechanisms and natural history, and innovative clinical study design and implementation. These efforts established the safety and efficacy profile of tafamidis, leading to its regulatory approval, and enabled post-approval initiatives that further support patients with ATTR amyloidosis., Competing Interests: Medical writing support for this article was provided by Donna McGuire of Engage Scientific Solutions and was funded by Pfizer. AC, MB, SR, JS, MBS, and SST are full-time employees of Pfizer and may hold Pfizer stock and/or stock options. AB is a paid consultant to Pfizer in connection with the development of this manuscript.  DPJ has received consultancy fees from Alnylam, Blade Therapeutics, GSK, and Pfizer and research grants from Array Biopharma, Eidos, and Pfizer. JWK discovered tafamidis at the Scripps Research Institute; is a shareholder of FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, acquired by Pfizer Inc in October 2010 (the companies that developed tafamidis into a drug); and receives royalty payments from tafamidis patents and sales. JP has received grant/research support from Akcea, Alnylam, Alexion, Eidos, and Pfizer; served as a consultant for Akcea, Alnylam, Cytokinetics, and Pfizer; and served on the speaker’s bureau for Akcea and Alnylam. The authors report no other conflicts of interest related to this work., (© 2021 Burton et al.)

Novel fluorescent dyes such as benzoxazole-boron complexes, bearing β-ketoiminate ligands, have been synthesized and characterized with a focus on the influence of a substituent on the basic photophysical properties. 1 H, 11 B, 13 C, 15 N, and 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of substituted 2-phenacylbenzoxazole difluoroboranes have been recorded and discussed. It is worth mentioning that a high correlation coefficient was found between 15 N-NMR parameters and substituent constants. The photophysical properties of these new dyes have been investigated by fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy. The geometry optimization, vibrational spectra, and the HOMO and LUMO energies were calculated based on density functional theory with the use of the B3LYP functional and 6-311++G(d,p) basis set.

A series of novel synthetic substituted benzo[d]oxazole-based derivatives ( 5a - 5v ) exerted neuroprotective effects on β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced PC12 cells as a potential approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In vitro studies show that most of the synthesized compounds were potent in reducing the neurotoxicity of Aβ 25-35 -induced PC12 cells at 5 μg/mL. We found that compound 5c was non-neurotoxic at 30 μg/mL and significantly increased the viability of Aβ 25-35 -induced PC12 cells at 1.25, 2.5 and 5 μg/mL. Western blot analysis showed that compound 5c promoted the phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3β) and decreased the expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in Aβ 25-35 -induced PC12 cells. In addition, our findings demonstrated that compound 5c protected PC12 cells from Aβ 25-35 -induced apoptosis and reduced the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, and decreased the expression of receptor for AGE (RAGE), β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP)-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Bcl-2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bax/Bcl-2) via Akt/GSK-3β/NF-κB signaling pathway. In vivo studies suggest that compound 5c shows less toxicity than donepezil in the heart and nervous system of zebrafish.

A series of novel 4-aminobenzofuroxan derivatives containing aromatic/aliphatic amines fragments was achieved via aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,6-dichloro-5-nitrobenzofuroxan. The quantum chemistry calculations were performed to identify the factors affecting the regioselectivity of the reaction. The formation of 4-substituted isomer is favored both by its greater stability and the lower activation barrier. Antimicrobial activity of the obtained compounds has been evaluated and some of them were found to suppress effectively bacterial biofilm growth. Fungistatic activity of 4-aminobenzofuroxans were tested on two genetically distinct isolates of M. nivale . The effect of some benzofuroxan derivatives is likely to be more universal against different varieties of M. nivale compared with benzimidazole and carbendazim. Additionally, their anti-cancer activity in vitro has been tested. 4-aminofuroxans possessing aniline moiety showed a high selectivity towards MCF-7 and M-HeLa tumor cell lines. Moreover, they exhibit a significantly lower toxicity towards normal liver cells compared to Doxorubicin and Tamoxifen. Thus, benzofuroxans containing aromatic amines fragments in their structure are promising candidates for further development both as anti-cancer and anti-microbial agents.

From a medical point of view lot of existing antibiotics became unusable because microbial gained strong antibiotic resistance. The combination of two compounds in one core may lead to kill such type of pathogens. Herein, we developed pyranopyrazole derivatives comprising benzoxazole moiety by green approach strategy and studied their antimicrobial performance on four bacteria and two fungi. As a result, most of the compounds delivered reliable toxicity to kill the pathogens. In those,6aexhibited considerable activity against the microbial pathogens. Moreover,compounds 6d, 6l,and6nshowed prominent antibacterial activity. In addition, molecular docking studies of docked compounds revealed the strong bonding interaction with DNA-Gyrase and were docked into the intercalation location of DNA of the DNA-gyrase complex. The molecule bounded to the DNA stabilized by the H bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and π-π interaction. In addition, the linked 5-chlorobenazoxazole structure stabilized by the DT-8 and DG2009 of the F chain with pi-pi interactions. From the computer-aided results, it was observed that compound6a demonstrated maximum docking score -10.0 kcal/mole towards DNA-gyrase. Overall, this investigation suggested that these biologically active compounds can be utilized as leads for preclinical studies with the goal of developing newer antimicrobial drugs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Substituted nitrogen heterocycles are structural key units in many important pharmaceuticals. A new synthetic approach towards heterocyclic compounds displaying antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus or cytotoxic activity has been developed. The selective synthesis of a series of 64 new N-heterocycles from the three nitrobutadienes 2-nitroperchloro-1,3-butadiene, 4-bromotetrachloro-2-nitro-1,3-butadiene and ( Z )-1,1,4-trichloro-2,4-dinitrobuta-1,3-diene proved feasible. Their reactions with N-, O- and S-nucleophiles provide rapid access to push-pull substituted benzoxazolines, benzimidazolines, imidazolidines, thiazolidinones, pyrazoles, pyrimidines, pyridopyrimidines, benzoquinolines, isothiazoles, dihydroisoxazoles, and thiophenes with unique substitution patterns. Antibacterial activities of 64 synthesized compounds were examined. Additionally, seven compounds (thiazolidinone, nitropyrimidine, indole, pyridopyrimidine, and thiophene derivatives) exhibited a significant cytotoxicity with IC 50 -values from 1.05 to 20.1 µM. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that polyhalonitrobutadienes have an interesting potential as structural backbones for a variety of highly functionalized, pharmaceutically active heterocycles., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Firefly luciferase (FLuc) is a powerful tool for molecular and cellular biology, and popular in high-throughput screening and drug discovery. However, FLuc assays have been plagued with positive and negative artefacts due to stabilisation and inhibition by small molecules from a range of chemical classes. Here we disclose Phase II clinical compound SMT C1100 for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy as an FLuc inhibitor (K D of 0.40 ± 0.15 µM). Enzyme kinetic studies using SMT C1100 and other non-competitive inhibitors including resveratrol and NFκBAI4 identified previously undescribed modes of inhibition with respect to FLuc's luciferyl adenylate intermediate. Employing a photoaffinity strategy to identify SMT C1100's binding site, a photolabelled SMT C1100 probe instead underwent FLuc-dependent photooxidation. Our findings support novel binding sites on FLuc for non-competitive inhibitors., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study, new chalcone compounds having the chemical structure of 6-(3-aryl-2-propenoyl)-2( 3H )-benzoxazolones ( 1-8 ) were synthesised and were characterised by 1 H-NMR, 13  C-NMR, and HRMS spectra. Cytotoxic and carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitory effects of the compounds were investigated. Cytotoxicity results pointed out that compound 4 , 6-[3-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-propenoyl]-3 H -benzoxazol-2-one, showed the highest cytotoxicity (CC 50 ) and potency-selectivity expression (PSE) value, and thus can be considered as a lead compound of this study. According to the CA inhibitory results, IC 50 values of the compounds 1-8 towards hCA I were in the range of 29.74-69.57 µM, while they were in the range of 18.14 - 48.46 µM towards hCA II isoenzyme. K i values of the compounds 1-8 towards hCA I were in the range of 28.37 ± 6.63-70.58 ± 6.67 µM towards hCA I isoenzyme and they were in the range of 10.85 ± 2.14 - 37.96 ± 2.36 µM towards hCA II isoenzyme.

A simple, economical and metal-free approach to the synthesis of 2-substituted benzoxazoles and 2-substituted benzothiazoles from 2-aminophenols, 2-aminothiophenols and DMF derivatives, only using imidazolium chloride (50% mmol) as promoter without any other additive, was reported. Various 2-substituted benzoxazoles and 2-substituted benzothiazoles were thus prepared in moderate to excellent yields.

Thymoquinone ( TQ ), a natural compound with antimicrobial and antitumor activity, was used as the starting molecule for the preparation of 3-aminothymoquinone ( ATQ ) from which ten novel benzoxazole derivatives were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and NMR (¹H, 13 C) spectroscopy in solution. The crystal structure of 4-methyl-2-phenyl-7-isopropyl-1,3-benzoxazole-5-ol ( 1a ) has been determined by X-ray diffraction. All compounds were tested for their antibacterial, antifungal and antitumor activities. TQ and ATQ showed better antibacterial activity against tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains than benzoxazoles. ATQ had the most potent antifungal effect against Candida albicans , Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus brasiliensis . Three benzoxazole derivatives and ATQ showed the highest antitumor activities. The most potent was 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-methyl-7-isopropyl-1,3-benzoxazole-5-ol ( 1f ). Western blot analyses have shown that this compound inhibited phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Receptor (IGF1R β) in HeLa and HepG2 cells. The least toxic compound against normal fibroblast cells, which maintains similar antitumor activities as TQ , was 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-methyl-7-isopropyl-1,3-benzoxazole-5-ol ( 1e ). Docking studies indicated that 1e and 1f have significant effects against selected receptors playing important roles in tumour survival.

A series of N-(2-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-benzoxazole-5-yl)benzamide derivatives (3a-3n) was synthesized and evaluated for its in vitro inhibitory activity against COX-1 and COX-2. The compounds with considerable in vitro activity (IC 50  < 1 µM), were evaluated in vivo for their anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic potential. Out of the fourteen newly synthesized compounds; 3b, 3d, 3e, 3h, 3l and 3m were found to be most potent COX-2 inhibitors in in vitro enzymatic assay with IC 50 in the range of 0.14-0.69 µM. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity of these six compounds (3b, 3d, 3e, 3h, 3l and 3m) was assessed by carrageenan induced rat paw edema method. The compound 3b (79.54%), 3l (75.00%), 3m (72.72%) and 3d (68.18%) exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity than standard drug ibuprofen (65.90%). Ulcerogenic activity with histopathological studies was performed, and the screened compounds demonstrated significant gastric tolerance than ibuprofen. Molecular Docking study was also performed with resolved crystal structure of COX-2 to understand the interacting mechanisms of newly synthesized inhibitors with the active site of COX-2 enzyme and the results were found to be in line with the biological evaluation studies of the compounds., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Novel N-(benzothiazol/oxazol-2-yl)-2-[(5-(phenoxymethyl)-4-aryl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio] acetamide derivatives (5a-n) were synthesized and investigated for in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and p38α MAP kinase inhibition. Compounds showing good in vitro activities (5a, 5b, 5d, 5e, 5i, 5k and 5l) were studied for their in vivo anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan induced rat paw edema model. Compound 5b emerged as the most active compound with an edema inhibition of 84.43%. It also showed improved GI safety profile with lower ulcer severity index and lipid peroxidation potential. Also, p38α MAP kinase assay of 5b showed superior inhibitory potency (IC 50 :0.031 ± 0.14 µM) than the standard SB 203580 (IC 50 :0.043 ± 0.14 µM). To predict their binding mode compounds were also docked against p38α MAP kinase enzyme. Compound 5b and SB 203580 showed hinge region interaction with MET 109., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Based on benzoxazole and benzothiazole scaffold as an important pharmacophore, two series of 2-(aryloxymethyl) benzoxazole and benzothiazole derivatives were synthesized and their antifungal effects against eight phytopathogenic fungi were evaluated. Compounds 5a , 5b , 5h , and 5i exhibited significant antifungal activities against most of the pathogens tested. Especially 5a , 5b , 5h , 5i , 5j , and 6h inhibited the growth of F. solani with IC 50 of 4.34⁻17.61 μg/mL, which were stronger than that of the positive control, hymexazol (IC 50 of 38.92 μg/mL). 5h was the most potent inhibitor (IC 50 of 4.34 μg/mL) against F. Solani , which was about nine times more potent than hymexazol. Most of the test compounds displayed significant antifungal effects against B. cinerea (IC 50 of 19.92⁻77.41 μg/mL), among them, 5a was the best one (IC 50 of 19.92 μg/mL). The structure-activity relationships (SARs) were compared and analyzed. The result indicates that the electron-drawing ability and position of the substituents have a significant impact on biological activities. Furthermore, docking studies were carried out on the lipid transfer protein sec14p from S. cerevisiae , and preliminarily verified the antifungal activities. Taken together, these results provide 2-(phenoxymethyl)benzo[d]oxazole as an encouraging framework that could lead to the development of potent novel antifungal agents.

Compounds containing nitrogen and sulfur atoms can be widely used in various fields such as industry, medicine, biotechnology and chemical technology. Therefore, the reactions of aminomethylation and alkoxymethylation of mercaptobenzothiazole, mercaptobenzoxazole and 2-aminothiazole were developed. Additionally, the alkoxymethyl derivatives of mercaptobenzoxazole and 2-aminothiazole were synthesized by a reaction with hemiformals, which are prepared by the reaction of alcohols and formaldehyde. In this study, the inhibitory effects of these molecules were investigated against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes and carbonic anhydrase I, and II isoenzymes (hCA I and II). Both hCA isoenzymes were significantly inhibited by the recently synthesized molecules, with K i values in the range of 58-157 nM for hCA I, and 81-215 nM for hCA II. Additionally, the K i parameters of these molecules for BChE and AChE were calculated in the ranges 23-88 and 18-78 nM, respectively.

The development of adenosine A 2A receptor antagonists has received much interest in recent years for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on docking studies, a new series of 2-arylbenzoxazoles has been identified as potential A 2A R antagonists. Structure-affinity relationship was investigated in position 2, 5 and 6 of the benzoxazole heterocycle leading to compounds with a micromolar affinity towards the A 2A receptor. Compound F1, with an affinity of 1 μm, presented good absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion properties with an excellent aqueous solubility (184 μm) without being cytotoxic at 100 μm. This compound, along with low-molecular weight compound D1 (K i  = 10 μm), can be easily modulated and thus considered as relevant starting points for further hit-to-lead optimisation.

A facile, green, and efficient method for the direct oxidative amination of benzoxazoles using heterocyclic ionic liquid as catalyst has been developed. The reaction proceeded smoothly at room temperature and gave the desirable 2-aminobenzoxazoles with good to excellent yields (up to 97%). The catalyst 1-butylpyridinium iodide can be easily recycled and reused with similar efficacies for at least four cycles.

An efficient copper-catalyzed direct 2-arylation of benzoxazoles and benzoimidazoles with aryl bromides is presented. The CuI/PPh 3 -based catalyst promotes the installation of various aryl and heteroaryl groups through a C-H activation process in good to excellent yields. The cytotoxicity of obtained 2-aryl benzoxazoles (benzoimidazoles) was also evaluated and 1-methyl-2-(naphthalen-1-yl)benzoimidazole showed potential cytotoxicity.

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a critical inflammatory cytokine, is primarily produced by T helper 1 (Th1) cells and accelerates the pathogenesis of inflammatory colitis. Pharmacological suppression of IFN-γ production attenuates dysregulated inflammatory responses and may be beneficial for treating inflammatory disease. In this study, we aimed to discover potent anti-inflammatory compounds that suppress IFN-γ production and found that the novel benzoxazole derivatives, 2-((3,4-dichlorophenyl) amino) benzo[d]xazol-5-ol (DCPAB) and 2-((3,4-hydroxyphenyl) amino) benzo[d]xazol-5-ol (HPAB), suppressed IFN-γ production by T cells. Treatment of CD4+ T cells with DCPAB and HPAB selectively inhibited Th1 cell development, and DCPAB more potently suppressed IFN-γ than HPAB did. Interestingly, DCPAB and HPAB significantly suppressed the expression of T-box containing protein expressed in T cells (T-bet) that activates IFN-γ gene transcription. DCPAB additionally suppressed transcriptional activity of T-bet on IFN-γ gene promoter, whereas HPAB had no effect on T-bet activity. IFN-γ suppressive activity of DCPAB and HPAB was impaired in the absence of T-bet but was retrieved by the restoration of T-bet in T-bet-deficient T cells. Furthermore, DCPAB and HPAB attenuated inflammatory colitis development that was induced by CD4+ T cells in vivo. We suggest that the novel benzoxazole derivatives, DCPAB and HPAB, may have therapeutic effects on inflammatory colitis., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

A series of 2-(p-substituted phenyl)-5-[(4-substituted phenyl) sulfonylamido]-benzoxazoles were synthesized and tested for their antimicrobial activities. The structures of the new derivatives were elucidated by spectral techniques. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the new benzoxazoles were determined against standard bacterial and fungal strains and drug-resistant isolates and compared to those of several reference drugs.

Thrombosis is the main outcome of many cardiovascular diseases. Current treatments to prevent thrombotic events involve the long-term use of antiplatelet drugs. However, this therapy has several limitations, thereby justifying the development of new drugs. A series of N-oxide derivatives (furoxan and benzofuroxan) were synthesized and characterized as potential antiplatelet/antithrombotic compounds. All compounds (3a,b, 4a,b, 8a,b, 9a,b, 13a,b and 14a,b) inhibited platelet aggregation induced by adenosine-5-diphosphate, collagen, and arachidonic acid. All compounds protected mice from pulmonary thromboembolism induced by a mixture of collagen and epinephrine; however, benzofuroxan derivatives (13a,b and 14a,b) were the most active compounds, reducing thromboembolic events by up to 80%. N-oxide derivative 14a did not induce genotoxicity in vivo. In conclusion, 14a has emerged as a new antiplatelet/antithrombotic prototype useful for the prevention of atherothrombotic events.

Ir(III)-catalyzed direct C-H sulfamidation of aryl nitrones has been developed to synthesize various sulfamidated nitrones in moderate to excellent yields with excellent regioselectivity and broad functional group tolerance. This transformation could proceed smoothly at room temperature with low catalyst loading in the absence of external oxidants, acids, or bases. Molecular nitrogen was released as the sole byproduct, thus providing an environmentally benign sulfamidation process. And this protocol could efficiently apply to synthesize the substituted benzisoxazoline via one-step transformation from the product.

A novel BF3·Et2O-promoted tandem reaction of easily prepared 2-propynolphenols/anilines and trimethylsilyl azide is developed to give C2-alkenylated benzoxazoles and benzimidazoles in moderate to good yields. Most reactions could be accomplished in 30 min at room temperature. This tandem process involves a Csp-Csp2 bond cleavage and a C-N bond formation. Moreover, both tertiary and secondary propargylic alcohols with diverse functional groups were tolerated under the mild conditions.

We describe an original pathway to produce new 5-substituted 3-methyl-6-nitro-benzoxazolones by the reaction of aromatic carbonyl and α-carbonyl ester derivatives with a benzoxazolinonic anion formed exclusively via the TDAE strategy.

On the basis of our recently reported aniline aqueous borylation, molecular diversity was achieved in a one-pot process by combining other reactions such as esterification, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, hydrogenolysis, or Petasis borono-Mannich.

An organocatalytic protocol for the syntheses of 2-substituted benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles is described from alkyl-/arylanilides and alkyl-/arylthioanilides using 1-iodo-4-nitrobenzene as catalyst and oxone as an inexpensive and environmentally safe terminal oxidant at room temperature in air via oxidative C-H functionalization and C-O/S bond formation. The procedure is simple and general and provides an effective route for the construction of functionalized 2-alkyl-/arylbenzoxazoles and 2-alkyl-/arylbenzothiazoles with moderate to high yields. The synthetic and mechanistic aspects have been described.

A novel series of furoxan (1,2,5-oxadiazole 2-oxide) (compounds 3, 4a and -b, 13a and -b, and 14a to -f) and benzofuroxan (benzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazole 1-oxide) (compounds 7 and 8a to -c) derivatives were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for in vitro activity against promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis. The furoxan derivatives exhibited the ability to generate nitric oxide at different levels (7.8% to 27.4%). The benzofuroxan derivative 8a was able to increase nitrite production in medium supernatant from murine macrophages infected with L. amazonensis at 0.75 mM after 48 h. Furoxan and benzofuroxan derivatives showed remarkable leishmanicidal activity against both promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms. Compounds 8a, 14a and -b, and 14d exerted selective leishmanicidal activities superior to those of amphotericin B and pentamidine. In vitro studies at pH 5.4 reveal that compound 8a is stable until 8 h and that compound 14a behaves as a prodrug, releasing the active aldehyde 13a. These compounds have emerged as promising novel drug candidates for the treatment of leishmaniasis., (Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

A series of twelve 2-[(E)-2-substituted-ethenyl]-1,3-benzoxazoles was designed. All the synthesized compounds were tested against three mycobacterial strains. The compounds were also evaluated for their ability to inhibit photosynthetic electron transport (PET) in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts. 2-[(E)-2-(4-Methoxyphenyl)ethenyl]-1,3-benzoxazole, 2-[(E)-2-(2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-5-yl)ethenyl]-1,3-benzoxazole and 2-{(E)-2-[4-(methylsulfanyl)phenyl]ethenyl}-1,3-benzoxazole showed the highest activity against M. tuberculosis, M. kansasii, and M. avium, and they demonstrated significantly higher activity against M. avium and M. kansasii than isoniazid. The PET-inhibiting activity of the most active ortho-substituted compound 2-[(E)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)ethenyl]-1,3-benzoxazole was IC₅₀ = 76.3 μmol/L, while the PET-inhibiting activity of para-substituted compounds was significantly lower. The site of inhibitory action of tested compounds is situated on the donor side of photosystem II. The structure-activity relationships are discussed.

Benzoxazolone pharmacophore is present in clinical pharmaceuticals, drug candidates, and many compounds having a wide spectrum of biological activities. The methods available for the synthesis of benzoxazolones have limited diversity due to problems in accessibility and air-sensitivity of diversely substituted o-aminophenols from which they are generally prepared by cyclocarbonylation with phosgene or its equivalents. The present paper describes a mild method for the synthesis of 3-alkylbenzoxazolones from easily accessible and air-stable nitroarenes. Nitroarenes were converted to N-alkyl-N-arylhydroxylamines in two steps involving partial reduction to arylhydroxylamines followed by selective N-alkylation. Treatment of N-alkyl-N-arylhydroxylamines with trichloroacetyl chloride and triethylamine afforded 3-alkylbenzoxazolones generally in good yields through an uninterrupted three-step sequence involving O-trichloroacetylation, N→C(ortho) trichloroacetoxy shift, and cyclization in a single pot at ambient temperatures. The present method is mild, wide in scope, economical, and regioselective. Many sensitive groups like alkyl and aryl esters, amide, cyano, and the carbon-carbon double bond survive the reaction.

A base-promoted formal arylation of benzo[d]oxazoles with acyl chloride was achieved in moderate to good yields. This reaction was triggered by the N-acylation of oxazole to form an iminium intermediate. Then, the addition of H2O to the iminium formed the hemiacetal intermediate. After the sequential ring-opening, extrusion of CO, the ring closure, the dehydration delivered the formal arylation product. In comparison with the transition-metal-catalyzed methodology, it represents an alternative arylation method leading to 2-arylbenzooxazole.

In this study, the syntheses of 4-aminophenylbenzoxazol-2-yl-5-acetic acid, (an analogue of a known nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug [NSAID]) and 5-[4-(benzoxazol-2-yl-5-acetic acid)phenylazo]-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (a novel mutual azo prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid [5-ASA]) are reported. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed using infrared (IR), hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and mass spectrometry (MS) spectroscopy. Incubation of the azo compound with rat cecal contents demonstrated the susceptibility of the prepared azo prodrug to bacterial azoreductase enzyme. The azo compound and the 4-aminophenylbenzoxazol-2-yl-5-acetic acid were evaluated for inflammatory bowel diseases, in trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNB)-induced colitis in rats. The synthesized diazo compound and the 4-aminophenylbenzoxazol-2-yl-5-acetic acid were found to be as effective as 5-aminosalicylic acid for ulcerative colitis. The results of this work suggest that the 4-aminophenylbenzoxazol-2-yl-5-acetic acid may represent a new lead for treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Hydrogen sulfide is an important biological signaling molecule and an important environmental target for detection. A major challenge in developing H2S detection methods is separating the often similar reactivity of thiols and other nucleophiles from H2S. To address this need, the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction of H2S with electron-poor aromatic electrophiles was developed as a strategy to separate H2S and thiol reactivity. Treatment of aqueous solutions of nitrobenzofurazan (7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole, NBD) thioethers with H2S resulted in thiol extrusion and formation of nitrobenzofurazan thiol (λmax = 534 nm). This reactivity allows for unwanted thioether products to be converted to the desired nitrobenzofurazan thiol upon reaction with H2S. The scope of the reaction was investigated using a Hammett linear free energy relationship study, and the determined ρ = +0.34 is consistent with the proposed SN2Ar reaction mechanism. The efficacy of the developed probes was demonstrated in buffer and in serum with associated submicromolar detection limits as low as 190 nM (buffer) and 380 nM (serum). Furthermore, the sigmoidal response of nitrobenzofurazan electrophiles with H2S can be fit to accurately quantify H2S. The developed detection strategy offers a manifold for H2S detection that we foresee being applied in various future applications.

2 The present work deals with the synthesis of some novel heterocyclic compounds such as benzoxazoles , 7, 13 and 19, imidazoles 3, 8, 14 and 20, benzimidazoles 4, 9, 15 and 21, and tetrazoles 10, 16, and 22. The synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines such as MCF-7 (breast cancer) and HT-29 (colon cancer) by the MTT assay method. Among the tested compounds, 4,4'-sulfonylbis(N-(2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol- -2-yl)ethyl)aniline (9), N-bis(2-(benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)-ethyl)- 6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine (13), N-bis(2-(1H-benzo[ d]imidazol-2-yl)ethyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine (15) and N-tris(2-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)ethyl)- 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine (21) showed potent cytotoxicity.

A Pd-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of o-aminophenols and isocyanides for the synthesis of 2-aminobenzoxazoles and 3-aminobenzoxazines has been achieved in an air atmosphere. The procedure constructs 2-aminobenzoxazoles and 3-aminobenzoxazines with moderate to excellent yields and a broad substrate scope. Apart from experimental simplicity, this methodology has the advantages of mild reaction conditions and easily accessible starting materials. Furthermore, the utility of this method has also been successfully applied to the synthesis of other types of useful nitrogen heterocycles.

In the search for novel biological agents, a series of new derivatives N-substituted 1,3-benzoxazol-2(3H)-one, 5-chloro-1,3-benzoxazol-2(3H)-one, 6-bromo-1,3-benzoxazol-2(3H)-one were prepared. All of the compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and ESI MS spectra. Moreover, for compound 1 an Xray structure was determined. All derivatives were tested for antimicrobial activity against a selection of Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. The selected compounds (2-8, 10) were tested for their cytotoxic properties in K562, HeLa and normal cells.

A Pd-catalyzed method for the synthesis of benzisoxazolones from benzohydroxamic acids using Oxone as an oxidant in a one-pot procedure has been developed. In this process, the reaction appears to be suitable for construction of various benzisoxazolones.

The synthesis of a series of 6-substituted 2-pyrrolyl and 2-indolyl benzoxazoles by photostimulated C-O cyclization of anions from 2-pyrrole carboxamides, 2-indole carboxamides, or 3-indole carboxamides has been found to proceed in good to excellent yields (41-100%) in DMSO and liquid ammonia. The pyrrole and indole carboxamides are obtained in good to very good isolated yields by an amidation reaction of different 2-haloanilines with 2-carboxylic acid of pyrrole and 2- or 3-carboxylic acid of indole. To explain the regiochemical outcome of these reactions (C-O arylation vs C-N or C-C arylation), a theoretical analysis was performed using DFT methods and the B3LYP functional.

In a previous hit-to-lead research program targeting anticancer agents, two promising lead compounds, 1a and 1b, were found. However, the poor solubility of 1a and 1b made difficult further in vivo studies. To solve this problem, a lead optimization was conducted through introducing N-methyl-piperazine groups at the 2-position and 6-position. To our delight, the optimized analogue 1d showed comparable antiproliferative activity in vitro with better solubility, compared with 1a. Based on this result, the replacement of the benzothiazole scaffold with benzimidazole and benzoxazole moieties afforded 1f and 1g, whose activities were fundamentally retained. In the preliminary in vitro biological evaluation, the immunofluorescence staining of HCT116 cells indicated that 1d, 1f and 1g led to cytosolic vacuolization which was not induced by 1a at low micromolecular concentrations. These results suggest that these optimized compounds might potentially constitute a novel class of anticancer agents, which merit further studies.

The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) oncogene is a promising molecular target and its inhibitors have great potential as anticancer drugs. To identify novel and STAT3-selective inhibitors, a virtual screening based on Specs and Maybridge databases was conducted and a 6,6'-bibenzoxazole type small molecule, compound 3a with a inhibition constant K(i) value of 494.32 nM to STAT3 was explored. Further, a novel series of derivatives originally derived from 3a was synthesized and evaluated through cell-based assays using human breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-468 and MCF-7 with or without constitutive expression of STAT3, respectively. In the series, 3a, 3c, 3d and 4e showed a better inhibitory activity with a good selectivity. Among them, 3a and 3c significantly inhibited STAT3 protein level and also displayed binding affinity for STAT3 that detected with flow injection analysis-quartz crystal microbalance (FIA-QCM) analysis system. The results provided a new lead for future design and development of potent STAT3 inhibitors.

A dicyanovinyl-substituted benzofurazan derivative (C1) was prepared as an efficient ratiometric chemosensor for cyanide anion detection in aqueous acetonitrile solution. Mechanism studies suggested that the nucleophilic addition of cyanide to the α-position of the dicyanovinyl group blocked the ICT progress of C1 and induced remarkable emission and absorption shift.

Two Schiff bases were synthesized by reaction of 2-(4'-aminophenyl)benzoxazole derivatives with 4-N,N-diethylaminobenzaldehyde. UV-visible (UV-vis) and steady-state fluorescence in solution were applied in order to characterize its photophysical behavior. The Schiff bases present absorption in the UV region with fluorescence emission in the blue-green region, with a large Stokes' shift. The UV-vis data indicates that each dye behaves as two different chromophores in solution in the ground state. The fluorescence emission spectra of the dye 5a show that an intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanism takes place in the excited state, whereas a twisted internal charge transfer (TICT) state is observed for the dye 5b. Theoretical calculations were performed in order to study the conformation and polarity of the molecules at their ground and excited electronic states. Using density functional theory (DFT) methods at theoretical levels BLYP/Aug-SV(P) for geometry optimizations and B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,p) for single-point energy evaluations, the calculations indicate that the lowest energy conformations are in all cases nonplanar and that the dipole moments of the excited state relaxed structures are much larger than those of the ground state structures, which corroborates the experimental UV-vis absorption results.

Cocaine interacts with monoamine transporters and sigma (σ) receptors, providing logical targets for medication development. In the present study, in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies were conducted to characterize SN79, a novel compound which was evaluated for cocaine antagonist actions. Radioligand binding studies showed that SN79 had a nanomolar affinity for σ receptors and a notable affinity for 5-HT(2) receptors, and monoamine transporters. It did not inhibit major cytochrome P450 enzymes, including CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9*1, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4, suggesting a low propensity for potential drug-drug interactions. Oral administration of SN79 reached peak in vivo concentrations after 1.5 h and exhibited a half-life of just over 7.5 h in male, Sprague-Dawley rats. Behavioral studies conducted in male, Swiss Webster mice, intraperitoneal or oral dosing with SN79 prior to a convulsive or locomotor stimulant dose of cocaine led to a significant attenuation of cocaine-induced convulsions and locomotor activity. However, SN79 produced sedation and motor incoordination on its own at higher doses, to which animals became tolerant with repeated administration. SN79 also significantly attenuated the development and expression of the sensitized response to repeated cocaine exposures. The ability of SN79 to significantly attenuate the acute and subchronic effects of cocaine provides a promising compound lead to the development of an effective pharmacotherapy against cocaine.