Design of Arylsulfonylhydrazones as Potential FabH Inhibitors: Synthesis, Antimicrobial Evaluation and Molecular Docking

Title:Design of Arylsulfonylhydrazones as Potential FabH Inhibitors: Synthesis, Antimicrobial Evaluation and Molecular Docking

Volume: 17 Issue: 5

Author(s): Thais Batista Fernandes, Natanael Dante Segretti, Felipe Rebello Lourenço, Thalita Marcílio Cândido, André Rolim Baby, Euzébio Guimarães Barbosa and Roberto Parise-Filho*

Affiliation:

• Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo,Brazil

Keywords: Sulfonylhydrazone, methylcatechol, FabH inhibitors, antibacterial, antioxidant, molecular docking.

Abstract:

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a persistent problem regarding infection treatment and calls for developing new antimicrobial agents. Inhibition of bacterial β-ketoacyl acyl carrier protein synthase III (FabH), which catalyzes the condensation reaction between a CoAattached acetyl group and an ACP-attached malonyl group in bacteria is an interesting strategy to find new antibacterial agents.

Objective: The aim of this work was to design and synthesize arylsulfonylhydrazones potentially FabH inhibitors and evaluate their antimicrobial activity.

Methods: MIC₅₀ values of sulfonylhydrazones against E. coli and S. aureus were determined. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH (1-1’-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay and cytotoxicity against LL24 lung fibroblast cells was verified by MTT method. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed in order to suggest a structure-activity relationship. Molecular docking allowed to propose sulfonylhydrazones interactions with FabH.

Results: The most active compound showed activity against S. aureus and E. coli, with MIC₅₀ = 0.21 and 0.44 μM, respectively. PCA studies correlated better activity to lipophilicity and molecular docking indicated that sulfonylhydrazone moiety is important to hydrogen-bond with FabH while methylcatechol ring performs π-π stacking interaction. The DPPH assay revealed that some sulfonylhydrazones derived from the methylcatechol series had antioxidant activity. None of the evaluated compounds was cytotoxic to human lung fibroblast cells, suggesting that the compounds might be considered safe at the tested concentration.

Conclusion: Arylsufonylhydrazones is a promising scaffold to be explored for the design of new antimicrobial agents.

Cite this article as:

Fernandes Batista Thais , Segretti Dante Natanael , Lourenço Rebello Felipe , Cândido Marcílio Thalita , Baby Rolim André, Barbosa Guimarães Euzébio and Parise-Filho Roberto *, Design of Arylsulfonylhydrazones as Potential FabH Inhibitors: Synthesis, Antimicrobial Evaluation and Molecular Docking, Medicinal Chemistry 2021; 17 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573406415666191122111228