Bacterial resistance to antibacterial agents is a natural phenomenon that has been present in nature since the origin of bacteria. The discovery of antibacterial agent and commercialization revolutionized modern medicine. The use in surgical procedures and infections has become a constant and with it the development of bacterial resistance, which is considered by the World Health Organization to be a major threat to public health.
One of the biggest differences between a bacterial and a human cell is the cell wall in bacterial cells, which helps it maintain mechanical strength and osmotic pressure. Mur ligases are involved in its synthesis, which are still relatively unexplored targets for the development of new antibacterial agents.
Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease whose main symptoms are memory loss, anxiety, motor dysfunction and communication problems. Its origin has not yet been fully explored, several theories explain how the disease occurs, but scientists are not unanimous. According to the amyloid hypothesis, the accumulation of amyloid precursor protein β is responsible for the formation of amyloid plaques in brains. Currently, treatment is symptomatic, which only slows the progression of the disease.
Monoamine oxidase is responsible for the homeostasis of biogenic amines. Inhibition of monoamine oxidase B increases the degradation of amyloid precursor protein by increasing α-secretase activity.
The purpose of the master's thesis was to the design and synthesize new 3-vinylpyridine and styrene inhibitors of Mur ligase and monoamine oxidase B. Biological tests were performed on 8 compounds, for which residual activity and half maximal inhibitory concentration were measured. We started from compounds that were synthesized at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana. Compounds that could have an inhibitory effect on Mur ligases were shown to be inactive.
((E)-3-(4-methoxy-2-nitrostyryl)benzonitrile with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.98 ± 0.28 µM had the best inhibitory effect. Compound provides an excellent starting point for the synthesis of new monoamine oxidase B inhibitors and further research in this field.
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