Curcuminoid analogs with potent activity against <i>Trypanosoma</i> and <i>Leishmania</i> species

The natural curcuminoids curcumin (1), demethoxycurcumin (2) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (3) have been chemically modified to give 46 analogs and 8 pairs of 1:1 mixture of curcuminoid analogs and these parent curcuminoids and their analogs were assessed against protozoa of the Trypanosoma and Leishmania species. The parent curcuminoids exhibited low antitrypanosomal activity (EC50 for our drug-sensitive Trypanosoma brucei brucei line (WT) of compounds 1, 2 and 3 are 2.5, 4.6 and 7.7á[mu]M, respectively). Among 43 curcuminoid analogs and 8 pairs of 1:1 mixture of curcuminoid analogs tested, 8 pure analogs and 5 isomeric mixtures of analogs exhibited high antitrypanosomal activity in submicromolar order of magnitude. Among these highly active analogs, 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hept-4-en-3-one (40) was the most active compound, with an EC50 value of 0.053á¦á0.007á[mu]M; it was about 2-fold more active than the standard veterinary drug diminazene aceturate (EC50 0.12á¦á0.01á[mu]M). Using a previously characterized diminazene-resistant T. b. brucei (TbAT1-KO) and a derived multi-drug resistant line (B48), no cross-resistance of curcuminoids was observed to the diamidine and melaminophenyl arsenical drugs that are the current treatments. Indeed, curcuminoids carrying a conjugated keto (enone) motif, including 40, were significantly more active against T. b. brucei B48. This enone motif was found to contribute to particularly high trypanocidal activity against all Trypanosoma species and strains tested. The parent curcuminoids showed low antileishmanial activity (EC50 values of compounds 1 and 2 for Leishmania mexicana amastigotes are 16á¦á3 and 37á¦á6á[mu]M, respectively) while the control drug, pentamidine, displayed an EC50 of 16á¦á2á[mu]M. Among the active curcuminoid analogs, four compounds exhibited EC50 values of less than 5á[mu]M against Leishmania major promastigotes and four against L. mexicana amastigotes. No significant difference in sensitivity to curcuminoids between L. major promastigotes and L. mexicana amastigotes was observed. The parent curcuminoids and most of their analogs were also tested for their toxicity against human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. All the curcuminoids exhibited lower toxicity to HEK cells than to T. b. brucei bloodstream forms and only one of the tested compounds showed significantly higher activity against HEK cells than curcumin (1). The selectivity index for T. b. brucei ranged from 3-fold to 1500-fold. The selectivity index for the most active analog, the enone 40, was 453-fold

A reduced curcuminoid analog as a novel inducer of fetal hemoglobin

Thalassemia is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin molecules that is characterized by an imbalance of α- and β-globin chain synthesis. Accumulation of unbound α-globin chains in erythroid cells is the major cause of pathology in β-thalassemia. Stimulation of γ-globin production can ameliorate disease severity as it combines with the α-globin to form fetal hemoglobin. We examined γ-globin-inducing effect of curcuminoids extracted from Curcuma longa L. and their metabolite reduced forms in erythroid leukemia K562 and human primary erythroid precursor cells. The results showed that curcuminoid compounds, especially bisdemethoxycurcumin are potential γ-globin enhancers. We also demonstrated that its reduced analog, hexahydrobisdemethoxycurcumin (HHBDMC), is most effective and leads to induction of γ-globin mRNA and HbF in primary erythroid precursor cells for 3.6 ± 0.4- and 2.0 ± 0.4-folds, respectively. This suggested that HHBDMC is the potential agent to be developed as a new therapeutic drug for β-thalassemia and related β-hemoglobinopathies

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SAR studies of diphenyl cationic trypanocides: Superior activity of phosphonium over ammonium salts

In previous studies, we have shown that phosphonium salt diphenyl derivatives are attractive antitrypanosomal hit compounds with EC50 values against Trypanosoma brucei in the nanomolar range. To evaluate the role of the cationic center on the trypanocidal activity and extend the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this series, trialkylammonium, pyridinium, and quinolinium salt analogues were synthesized and evaluated in vitro against T. b. brucei. Similar SARs were observed with ammonium and phosphonium salts showing that charge dispersion and lipophilic groups around the cationic center are crucial to obtain submicromolar activities. The new compounds were equally effective against wild type (T. b. brucei s427) and resistant strains (TbAT1-KO and TbB48) of trypanosomes indicating that the P2 and high affinity pentamidine transporters (HAPT) are not essential to their trypanocidal action. Similarly to phosphonium salt derivatives, diffusion seems to be the main route of entry into trypanosomes.Peer Reviewe