Synthesis and Evaluation of Quinazolin-4(3H)-one Derivatives as Multitarget Metabolic Enzyme Inhibitors: A Biochemistry-Oriented Drug Design

Abstract

In this study, imines bearing quinazolin-4(3H)-one were synthesized and their inhibitory properties were investigated against some metabolic enzymes including Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), & alpha;-Glycosidase (& alpha;-Gly), and human Carbonic Anhydrase I-II (hCA I-II). All compounds had inhibitory strength with K-i values in the range of 38.55 & PLUSMN;4.08-159.05 & PLUSMN;10.68 nM and 41.04 & PLUSMN;6.73-177.12 & PLUSMN;8.06 nM against hCA I and hCA-II, respectively in comparison to the standard acetazolamide (AZA) K-i=125.15 & PLUSMN;0.78 nM (for hCA-I) and K-i=148.75 & PLUSMN;0.92 nM (for hCA-II). The compounds showed potent inhibitory activity against & alpha;-Gly enzyme with IC50 value 0.34-2.28 nM (standard inhibitor acarbose (ACR): 3.18 nM). Also, these analogs had potent inhibitory strength with K-i values in the range of 4.20 & PLUSMN;0.15-26.10 & PLUSMN;2.36 nM against AChE and 1.22 & PLUSMN;0.05-16.09 & PLUSMN;0.88 nM against BChE in comparison to the standard tacrine (TAC) K-i=37.62 & PLUSMN;6.86 nM (for AChE) and K-i=26.75 & PLUSMN;5.79 nM (for BChE). Additionally, the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation study was carried out for the determination of ligand-enzyme interactions. The docking scores of the most active compound were calculated as -7.31, -7.59, -6.66, -6.93 and -7.11 kcal/mol for AChE, BChE, hCA I, hCA II, and & alpha;-Gly, respectively.