Title: Dual functional antioxidant and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel melatonin-alkylbenzylamine hybrids Liu P, Cheng M, Guo J, Cao D, Luo J, Wan Y, Fang Y, Jin Y, Xie SS, Liu J Ref: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 78:117146, 2023 : PubMed
Here, we have designed and synthesized a series of melatonin-alkylbenzylamine hybrids as multitarget agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most of them exhibited a potent multifunctional profile involving cholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant effects. Among these compounds, compound 5 was most the potent antioxidant (ORAC =5.13) and also an excellent selective inhibitor of BuChE (huBuChE IC(50)=1.20 microM, huAChE IC(50) = 177.49 microM, SIs= 147.91). Moreover, kinetic study indicated compound 5 was a mixed-type inhibitor for huBuChE. Furthermore, it could induce expression of the Nrf2 as well as its downstream markers at the protein level in cells. More importantly, compound 5 display no acute toxicity in mice at doses up to 2500 mg/kg. And we found compound 5 could improve memory function of scopolamine-induced amnesia mice. These results highlighted compound 5 as a possible hit molecule for further investigation of new anti-AD drugs.
