Thioether-substituted Benzimidazolium Salts: Synthesis, Characterization, Crystal Structure, and Their Inhibitory Properties Against Acetylcholinesterase and Xanthine Oxidase

The sulfurous compounds are known as organosulfur, which has been associated with numerous biological activities in both natural products and synthetic organic compounds. In this work, we present the synthesis of a series of 4-(methylthio)benzyl substituted benzimidazolium salts. All compounds were characterized using NMR (1H and 13C) and FTIR spectroscopic methods as well as an elemental analysis technique. The molecular and crystal structures of the compound 1a were determined by X-ray crystallography revealing that the compound crystallized in the trigonal space group R-3. Enzyme inhibition studies demonstrated that a new series of sulfurous compounds precursors were highly potent inhibitors for xanthine oxidase (XO) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. The IC50 values were found in the range of 0.548 ± 0.033 to 0.725 ± 0.043 µM for XO promising strategy for the treatment from gout disease, while IC50 values were found in the range 0.813 ± 0.076 to 1.149 ± 0.072 µM toward AChE as the key enzyme promising strategy for the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Furthermore, pharmacodynamics studies prove the binding interaction patterns, structural orientations and drug potential of sulfide derivatives in the binding sites of xanthine oxidase (XO) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymes. Potential inhibitors (compounds 1d-f) were compared with standard compounds allopurinol (for XO) and donepezil (for AChE). Compared to the positive compound of target XO, the 4-vinylbenzyl group of potential compound 1f and the 4-methylbenzyl group of compound le more effectively formed electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with the target's interaction site. While donepezil as standard compound interacts only at the peripheral anionic site of AChE, the related compounds interact with both regions (PAS and CAS sites) of the same target. These compounds were placed at the active sites of the respective targets by molecular docking method using AutoDock software. Binding energy, binding modes and interaction types were used to evaluate the series of 4-(methylthio)benzyl substituted benzimidazolium salts's ability to bind to each target. Binding energy lower than zero remarks spontaneous binding, and equal and/or lower than -5 kcal/mol remarks good binding. Besides XO, the related compounds show higher activity against the AChE enzyme. They can also be analyzed as strong candidate compounds in biological studies of related enzymes

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of thymoquinone formula (TQF) for treating outpatient SARS-CoV-2

There is an urgent need for an oral drug for the treatment of mild to moderate outpatient SARS-CoV-2. Our preclinical and clinical study's aim was to determine the safety and preliminary efficacy of oral TQ Formula (TQF), in the treatment of outpatient SARS-CoV-2. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial, we randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) non-hospitalized, adult (>18 years), symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 patients to receive oral TQF or placebo. The primary endpoints were safety and the median time-to-sustained-clinical-response (SCR). SCR was 6 days in the TQF arm vs. 8 days in the placebo arm (p = 0.77), and 5 days in the TQF arm vs. 7.5 days in the placebo arm in the high-risk cohort, HR 1.55 (95% CI: 0.70, 3.43, p = 0.25). No significant difference was found in the rate of AEs (p = 0.16). TQF led to a significantly faster decline in the total symptom burden (TSB) (p < 0.001), and a significant increase in cytotoxic CD8(+) (p = 0.042) and helper CD4(+) (p = 0.042) central memory T lymphocytes. TQF exhibited an in vitro inhibitory effect on the entry of five SARS-CoV-2 variants. TQF was well-tolerated. While the median time-to-SCR did not reach statistical significance; it was shorter in the TQF arm and preclinical/clinical signals of TQF activity across multiple endpoints were significant. Therefore, a confirmatory study is planned.Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Lt