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Deposition of hydroxyapatite (HA) or alkaline phosphate crystals on soft tissues causes the pathological calcification diseases comprising of end-stage osteoarthritis (OA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), medial artery calcification and tumour calcification. The pathological calcification is symbolised by increased concentration of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). An efficient therapeutic strategy to eradicate these diseases is required, and for this the alkaline phosphatase inhibitors can play a potential role. In this context a series of novel quinolinyl iminothiazolines was synthesised and evaluated for alkaline phosphatase inhibition potential. All the compounds were subjected to DFT studies where N-benzamide quinolinyl iminothiazoline (6g), N-dichlorobenzamide quinolinyl iminothiazoline (6i) and N-nitrobenzamide quinolinyl iminothiazoline (6j) were found as the most reactive compounds. Then during the in-vitro testing, the compound N-benzamide quinolinyl iminothiazoline (6g) exhibited the maximum alkaline phosphatase inhibitory effect (IC50 = 0.337 ± 0.015 µM) as compared to other analogues and standard KH2PO4 (IC50 = 5.245 ± 0.477 µM). The results were supported by the molecular docking studies, molecular dynamics simulations and kinetic analysis which also revealed the inhibitory potential of compound N-benzamide quinolinyl iminothiazoline (6g) against alkaline phosphatase. This compound can be act as lead molecule for the synthesis of more effective inhibitors and can be suggested to test at the molecular level.

Methylene blue (MB) is a most commonly used synthetic dye in the textile industry. It is an extremely carcinogenic phenothiazine derivative and therefore needs to be removed from the water bodies. In the present study, a single-step hydrothermal novel synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) extracted from biomass of chicken feathers has been performed, and the synthesized CQDs were applied to remove MB present in the aqueous samples. A number of techniques such as ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the samples for the conformity purposes. SEM and XRD analysis showed that CQDs are highly crystalline and have spherical structures with an average particle diameter of 35 nm. In the presence of 0.2 g of synthesized CQDs, MB dye degraded drastically under the sunlight. The rate of degradation was studied by determining the absorbance of the degraded sample with time relevant to untreated sample. The % degradation achieved during first 60 min of time was approximately 92% which increased minimally to a value of only 95% after 100 min of time. The ease of synthesis of carbon dots at low cost contributes hugely to their utilizations as an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of aqueous pollutants. The opted approach to synthesize CQDs is cost-effective and eco-friendly and demonstrates excellent potential to remove MB from the aqueous samples.

Using a big data set of venture capital financing and related startup firms from Crunchbase, this paper develops a machine-learning model called CapitalVX (for “Capital Venture eXchange”) to predict the outcomes for startups, i.e., whether they will exit successfully through an IPO or acquisition, fail, or remain private. Using a large feature set, the out-of-sample accuracy of predictions on startup outcomes and follow-on funding is 80–89%. This research suggests that VC/PE firms may be able to benefit from using machine learning to screen potential investments using publicly available information, diverting this time instead into mentoring and monitoring the investments they make.

The designed bi-heterocyclic sulfonamides were synthesized through a two-step protocol and their structures were ascertained by spectral techniques including IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR along with CHN analysis. The in vitro inhibitory effects of these sulfonamides were evaluated against tyrosinase and kinetics mechanism was analyzed by Lineweaver–Burk plots. The binding modes of these molecules were ascribed through molecular docking studies. These synthesized bi-heterocyclic molecules were identified as potent inhibitors relative to the standard (kojic acid) and compound 5 inhibited the tyrosinase non-competitively by forming an enzyme-inhibitor complex. The inhibition constant Ki (0.09 µM) for compound 5 was calculated from Dixon plots. Computational results also displayed that all compounds possessed good binding profile against tyrosinase and interacted with core residues of target protein.

The present study describes the anti‐melanogenesis effect of Acemetacin (ACE). Essential protein (melanin) that is vital for the skin for defense from UV rays. In the present research, emerging drug ACE was examined for its melanin inhibition using three different (in vitro, in vivo and computational) methods. ACE showed remarkable potency (IC50 = 0.353 ± 0.003 µM) against tyrosinase in the comparison of standard, kojic acid (IC50 = 16.841 ± 1.161 µM) and ACE exhibited competitive inhibition. In the in vivo study zebrafish embryos were exposed with 5, 10, 15 and 20 µM of ACE and same doses for positive control (Kojic Acid). At 72 h treatment, ACE expressively (P

Carbonic anhydrases (CA), having Zn2+ metal atoms, are responsible for the catalysis of CO2 and water to bicarbonate and protons. Any abnormality in the functioning of these enzymes may lead to morbidities such as glaucoma and different types of cancers including brain, renal and pancreatic carcinomas. To cope with the lack of presence of a promising therapeutic agent against these cancers, searching for an efficient and suitable carbonic anhydrase inhibitor is crucial. In the current study, ten novel 3-ethylaniline hybrid imino-thiazolidinones were synthesized and characterized by FTIR, NMR (1H, 13C), and mass spectrometry. Synthesis was carried out by diethyl but-2-ynedioate cyclization and different acyl thiourea substitutions of 3-ethyl amine. The CA (II) enzyme inhibition profile for all synthesized derivatives was determined. It was observed that compound 6e demonstrated highest inhibition of CA-II with an IC50 value of 1.545 ± 0.016 µM. In order to explore the pharmacophoric properties and develop structure activity relationship, in silico screening was performed. In silico investigations included density functional theory (DFT) studies, pharmacophore-guided model development, molecular docking, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, and prediction of drug likeness scores. DFT investigations provided insight into the electronic characteristics of compounds, while molecular docking determined the binding orientation of derivatives within the CA-II active site. Compounds 6a, 6e, and 6g had a reactive profile and generated stable protein-ligand interactions with respective docking scores of −6.12, −6.99, and −6.76 kcal/mol. MD simulations were used to evaluate the stability of the top-ranked complex. In addition, pharmacophore-guided modeling demonstrated that compound 6e produced the best pharmacophore model (HHAAARR) compared to standard brinzolamide. In vitro and in silico investigations anticipated that compound 6e would be an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase II with high efficacy. Compound 6e may serve as a potential lead for future synthesis that can be investigated at the molecular level, and additional in vivo studies are strongly encouraged.

Novel drug development is onerous, time consuming and overpriced process with particularly low success and relatively high enfeebling rates. To overcome this burden, drug repositioning approach is being used to predict the possible therapeutic effects of FDA approved drugs in different diseases. Herein, we designed a computational and enzyme inhibitory mechanistic approach to fetch the promising drugs from the pool of FDA approved drugs against AD. The binding interaction patterns and conformations of screened drugs within active region of AChE were confirmed through molecular docking profiles. The possible associations of selected drugs with AD genes were predicted by pharmacogenomics analysis and confirmed through data mining. The stability behaviour of docked complexes (Drugs-AChE) were checked by MD simulations. The possible therapeutic potential of repositioned drugs against AChE were checked by in vitro analysis. Taken together, Cinitapride displayed a comparable results with standard and can be used as possible therapeutic agent in the treatment of AD.

In the study presented here, a novel chlorobenzylated bi-heterocyclic hybrid molecule (7) was synthesized and its structural confirmation was carried out by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and CHN analysis data. This compound 7 was subjected to biological study with B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. The anti-proliferative results showed that 7 showed no significant toxicity at concentrations ranging of 0–44 μM. The treatment of B16F10 cells with 7 at aforementioned concentration range indicated that migration of cells was significantly lower than that of the control cells in a dose dependent manner. The possible migration inhibitory effect of these melanoma cells was further evaluated through gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted from B16F10 cells. It was inferred from our results that 7 was not affecting the expression and activity of these enzymes. Some other zinc-dependent matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were involved in the inhibitory progression. Taken together, compound 7 inhibited migrations of B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. Therefore, it may deserve consideration as a potential agent for the treatment of cancer. Keywords: 2-Aminothiazole, Triazole, Anti-proliferation, Matrix metalloproteinase, Zymography

A series of nine novel 1,2,4-triazole based compounds were synthesized through a multistep reaction pathway and their structures were scrutinized by using spectral methods such as FTIR, LC-MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The synthesized derivatives were screened for inhibitory activity against the mushroom tyrosinase and we found that all the synthesized compounds demonstrated decent inhibitory activity against tyrosinase. However, among the series of compounds, N-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(5-(2-fluorophenyl)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylthio) acetamide exhibited more prominent activity when accompanied with the standard drug kojic acid. Furthermore, the molecular docking studies identified the interaction profile of all synthesized derivatives at the active site of tyrosinase. Based on these results, N-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(5-(2-fluorophenyl)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylthio) acetamide could be used as a novel scaffold to design some new drugs against melanogenesis.

This article describes the design and synthesis of a series of novel amantadine-thiourea conjugates (3a–j) as Jack bean urease inhibitors. The synthesized hybrids were assayed for their in vitro urease inhibition. Accordingly, N-(adamantan-1-ylcarbamothioyl)octanamide (3j) possessing a 7-carbon alkyl chain showed excellent activity with IC50 value 0.0085 ± 0.0011 µM indicating that the long alkyl chain plays a vital role in enzyme inhibition. Whilst N-(adamantan-1-ylcarbamothioyl)-2-chlorobenzamide (3g) possessing a 2-chlorophenyl substitution was the next most efficient compound belonging to the aryl series with IC50 value of 0.0087 ± 0.001 µM. The kinetic mechanism analyzed by Lineweaver–Burk plots revealed the non-competitive mode of inhibition for compound 3j. Moreover, in silico molecular docking against target protein (PDBID 4H9M) indicated that most of the synthesized compounds exhibit good binding affinity with protein. The compound 3j forms two hydrogen bonds with amino acid residue VAL391 having a binding distance of 1.858 Å and 2.240 Å. The interaction of 3j with amino acid residue located outside the catalytic site showed its non-competitive mode of inhibition. Based upon these results, it is anticipated that compound 3j may serve as a lead structure for the design of more potent urease inhibitors.

Context: Ostericum koreanum (Maxim.) Kitagawa (Apiaceae) roots are traditionally used as an analgesic and antiulcer agent. However, the antiulcer potential of isoimperatorin isolated from O. koreanum has not yet been explored. Aim: To evaluate the antiulcer activity of isoimperatorin isolated from the roots of O. koreanum. Materials and methods: Isoimperatorin was isolated as cubic crystals by repeated column chromatography of the ethyl acetate fraction and structure was verified with 1H NMR, 13C NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS-FAB). The crystals obtained were analyzed with the single crystal X-ray method. The MTT assay was used to determine its cytotoxicity against chondrocytes at different concentrations (0.0–737.74 μM, 24 h). The in vivo antiulcer activity of isoimperatorin (40 mg/kg) was determined against ethanol-, indomethacin- and pyloric ligation-induced ulcers in Sprague-Dawley rats. Furthermore, the effect of isoimperatorin (0.0–737.74 μM, 24 h) on the expression of type II collagen in chondrocytes was determined using western blot method. The in vitro urease inhibitory activity of isoimperatorin (0–80 μM) and molecular docking was also performed against urease. Results and discussion: Isoimperatorin demonstrated significant inhibitory activity (IC50 36.43 μM) against urease as compared to the standard drug thiourea (IC50 33.57 μM) without cytotoxic effects. It provided 70.9%, 67.65% and 54.25% protection in ulcer models induced by ethanol, indomethacin and pyloric ligation, respectively. Isoimperatorin showed the highest expression level of type II collagen at 368.87 μM. The docking results confirmed strong binding affinity with the target protein. Conclusion: Isoimperatorin may be used to develop antiulcer drugs with decreased side effects.

Background: The methods like bio-green are advantageous over chemical and physical methods due to ecofriendly and cost-effective synthesis of nanoparticles. Current study was designed for green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their biological evaluation. Methods: Methanolic extract of Bergenia ciliata (BC) rhizomes prepared by maceration was used for the synthesis of AgNPs and confirmed by UV–visible and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy. Further field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for the shape and size determination. In vitro Antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential was determined by using standard protocols. Results: The nanoparticles were spherical in shape having average particle size of 35 nm. FTIR analysis revealed the possible involvement of phyto-constituents in silver nanoparticles of crude extract. Green synthesized nanoparticles (BCAgNPs) showed the enhanced antioxidant properties compared to the crude extract. These nanoparticles showed the cytotoxic effects against brine shrimp (Artemia salina) nauplii with a value of 33.92 μg/ml LD50. BCAgNPs were found effective against the pathogenic fungal and bacterial strains in comparison to the Bergenia ciliata extract. Conclusion: Green synthesized BCAgNPs showed enhanced biological activities. Present results also support the advantages of using bio-green method for the production of nanoparticles having the potential of antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

The present study comprises the synthesis of a new series of sulfonamides derived from 4-methoxyphenethylamine (1). The synthesis was initiated by the reaction of 1 with 4-methylbenzenesulfonyl chloride (2) in aqueous sodium carbonate solution at pH 9 to yield N-(4-methoxyphenethyl)-4-methylbenzensulfonamide (3).This parent molecule 3 was subsequently treated with various alkyl/aralkyl halides, (4a–j), using N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent and LiH as activator to produce a series of new N-(4-methoxyphenethyl)-N-(substituted)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamides (5a–j). The structural characterization of these derivatives was carried out by spectroscopic techniques like IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR. The elemental analysis data was also coherent with spectral data of these molecules. The inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase and DPPH were evaluated and it was observed that N-(4-Methoxyphenethyl)-4-methyl-N-(2-propyl)benzensulfonamide (5c) showed acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity 0.075 ± 0.001 (IC50 0.075 ± 0.001 µM) comparable to Neostigmine methylsulfate (IC50 2.038 ± 0.039 µM).The docking studies of synthesized ligands 5a–j were also carried out against acetylcholinesterase (PDBID 4PQE) to compare the binding affinities with IC50 values. The kinetic mechanism analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots demonstrated that compound (5c) inhibits the acetylcholinesterase competitively to form an enzyme inhibitor complex. The inhibition constants Ki calculated from Dixon plots for compound (5c) is 2.5 µM. It was also found from kinetic analysis that derivative 5c irreversible enzyme inhibitor complex. It is proposed on the basis of our investigation that title compound 5c may serve as lead structure for the design of more potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

A series of 4-aryl-2,6-dimethyl-3,5-bis-N-(aryl)-carbamoyl-1,4-dihydropyri-dines 6a-6h were prepared by using the one-pot three component synthetic method. The target compounds 6a-6h were synthesized by reacting two molar equivalents of ketone functionality and one mole of aromatic aldehydes in ammonium acetate to obtain the desired products. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and elemental analysis. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their elastase inhibition and antioxidant activity. Almost all of the com-pounds 6a-h showed good to excellent activities against elastase enzyme more than the reference drug. Compounds 6d and 6b at 0.2 ± 0.0 µM and 0.2 ± 0.0 µM were found to most potent derivatives against elastase enzyme. Compound 6a exhibited prominent free radical scavenging activity. From the results of the biological activity, we infer that some derivatives can serve as lead molecules in pharmacology. Video Clip of Methodology: 3 min 13 sec Full Screen Alternate

A series of symmetrical salicylaldehyde-bishydrazine azo molecules, 5a–5h, have been synthesized, characterized by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR, and evaluated for their in vitro α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities. All the synthesized compounds efficiently inhibited both enzymes. Compound 5g was the most potent derivative in the series, and powerfully inhibited both α-glucosidase and α-amylase. The IC50 of 5g against α-glucosidase was 0.35917 ± 0.0189 µM (standard acarbose IC50 = 6.109 ± 0.329 µM), and the IC50 value of 5g against α-amylase was 0.4379 ± 0.0423 µM (standard acarbose IC50 = 33.178 ± 2.392 µM). The Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated that compound 5g is a competitive inhibitor of α-glucosidase. The binding interactions of the most active analogues were confirmed through molecular docking studies. Docking studies showed that 5g interacts with the residues Trp690, Asp548, Arg425, and Glu426, which form hydrogen bonds to 5g with distances of 2.05, 2.20, 2.10 and 2.18 Å, respectively. All compounds showed high mutagenic and tumorigenic behaviors, and only 5e showed irritant properties. In addition, all the derivatives showed good antioxidant activities. The pharmacokinetic evaluation also revealed promising results

A small library of new drug-1,3,4-thiazidazole hybrid compounds (3a⁻3i) was synthesized, characterized, and assessed for their acetyl cholinesterase enzyme (AChE) inhibitory and free radical scavenging activities. The newly synthesized derivatives showed promising activities against AChE, especially compound 3b (IC50 18.1 ± 0.9 nM), which was the most promising molecule in the series, and was substantially more active than the reference drug (neostigmine methyl sulfate; IC50 2186.5 ± 98.0 nM). Kinetic studies were performed to elucidate the mode of inhibition of the enzyme, and the compounds showed mixed-type mechanisms for inhibiting AChE. The Ki of 3b (0.0031 µM) indicates that it can be very effective, even at low concentrations. Compounds 3a⁻3i all complied with Lipinski’s Rule of Five, and showed high drug-likeness scores. The pharmacokinetic parameters revealed notable lead-like properties with insignificant liver and skin-penetrating effects. The structure⁻activity relationship (SAR) analysis indicated π⁻π interactions with key amino acid residues related to Tyr124, Trp286, and Tyr341.

Sulfonamide derivatives serve as an important building blocks in the drug design discovery and development (4D) process. Ciprofloxacin-, sulfadiazine- and amantadine-based sulfonamides were synthesized as potent inhibitors of jack bean urease and free radical scavengers. Molecular diversity was explored and electronic factors were also examined. All 24 synthesized compounds exhibited excellent potential against urease enzyme. Compound 3e (IC50 = 0.081 ± 0.003 µM), 6a (IC50 = 0.0022 ± 0.0002 µM), 9e (IC50 = 0.0250 ± 0.0007 µM) and 12d (IC50 = 0.0266 ± 0.0021 µM) were found to be the lead compounds compared to standard (thiourea, IC50 = 17.814 ± 0.096 µM). Molecular docking studies were performed to delineate the binding affinity of the molecules and a kinetic mechanism of enzyme inhibition was propounded. Compounds 3e, 6a and 12d exhibited a mixed type of inhibition, while derivative 9e revealed a non-competitive mode of inhibition. Compounds 12a, 12b, 12d, 12e and 12f showed excellent radical scavenging potency in comparison to the reference drug vitamin C.