Explore new quinoxaline pharmacophore tethered sulfonamide fragments as in vitro α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with ADMET and molecular modeling simulation

Drug Dev Res. 2024 Jun;85(4):e22216. doi: 10.1002/ddr.22216.

Abstract

A new series of quinoxaline-sulfonamide derivatives 3-12 were synthesized using fragment-based drug design by reaction of quinoxaline sulfonyl chloride (QSC) with different amines and hydrazines. The quinoxaline-sulfonamide derivatives were evaluated for antidiabetic and anti-Alzheimer's potential against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and acetylcholinesterase enzymes. These derivatives showed good to moderate potency against α-amylase and α-glucosidase with inhibitory percentages between 24.34 ± 0.01%-63.09 ± 0.02% and 28.95 ± 0.04%-75.36 ± 0.01%, respectively. Surprisingly, bis-sulfonamide quinoxaline derivative 4 revealed the most potent activity with inhibitory percentages of 75.36 ± 0.01% and 63.09 ± 0.02% against α-glucosidase and α-amylase compared to acarbose (IP = 57.79 ± 0.01% and 67.33 ± 0.01%), respectively. Moreover, the quinoxaline derivative 3 exhibited potency as α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory with a minute decline from compound 4 and acarbose with inhibitory percentages of 44.93 ± 0.01% and 38.95 ± 0.01%. Additionally, in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity for designed derivatives exhibited weak to moderate activity. Still, sulfonamide-quinoxaline derivative 3 emerged as the most active member with inhibitory percentage of 41.92 ± 0.02% compared with donepezil (IP = 67.27 ± 0.60%). The DFT calculations, docking simulation, target prediction, and ADMET analysis were performed and discussed in detail.

Keywords: DFT study; antidiabetic and anti‐Alzheimer; in silico ADMET; quinoxaline‐sulfonamide; synthesis; target prediction; docking simulation.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / chemistry
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / pharmacology
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Docking Simulation*
  • Pharmacophore
  • Quinoxalines* / chemistry
  • Quinoxalines* / pharmacology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Sulfonamides* / chemistry
  • Sulfonamides* / pharmacology
  • alpha-Amylases* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • alpha-Amylases* / metabolism
  • alpha-Glucosidases* / chemistry
  • alpha-Glucosidases* / metabolism

Substances

  • Quinoxalines
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors
  • alpha-Amylases
  • alpha-Glucosidases
  • Sulfonamides
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Acetylcholinesterase