Coumarin linked to 2-phenylbenzimidazole derivatives as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors

Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 28;14(1):7408. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-57673-z.

Abstract

α-Glucosidase inhibitors have emerged as crucial agents in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the present study, a new series of coumarin-linked 2-phenylbenzimidazole derivatives 5a-m was designed, synthesized, and evaluated as anti-α-glucosidase agents. Among these derivatives, compound 5k (IC50 = 10.8 µM) exhibited a significant inhibitory activity in comparison to the positive control acarbose (IC50 = 750.0 µM). Through kinetic analysis, it was revealed that compound 5k exhibited a competitive inhibition pattern against α-glucosidase. To gain insights into the interactions between the title compounds and α-glucosidase molecular docking was employed. The obtained results highlighted crucial interactions that contribute to the inhibitory activities of the compounds against α-glucosidase. These derivatives show immense potential as promising starting points for developing novel α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Keywords: 2-Phenylbenzimidazole; Coumarin; Molecular modeling; α-Glucosidase.

MeSH terms

  • Benzimidazoles*
  • Coumarins / pharmacology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / drug therapy
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Structure
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • alpha-Glucosidases / metabolism

Substances

  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors
  • 2-phenylbenzimidazole
  • alpha-Glucosidases
  • Coumarins
  • Benzimidazoles