Design and evaluation of selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors based on Cinchona alkaloid scaffold

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 5;13(10):e0205193. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205193. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

This paper describes the synthesis and anticholinesterase potency of Cinchona-based alkaloids; ten quaternary derivatives of cinchonines and their corresponding pseudo-enantiomeric cinchonidines. The quaternization of quinuclidine moiety of each compound was carried out with groups diverse in their size: methyl, benzyl and differently meta- and para-substituted benzyl groups. All of the prepared compounds reversibly inhibited human butyrylcholinesterase and acetylcholinesterase with Ki constants within nanomolar to micromolar range. Five cinchonidine derivatives displayed 95-510 times higher inhibition selectivity to butyrylcholinesterase over acetylcholinesterase and four were potent butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors with Ki constants up to 100 nM, of which N-para-bromobenzyl cinchonidinium bromide can be considered a lead for further modifications and optimizations for possible use in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / chemistry
  • Butyrylcholinesterase / chemistry*
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Cinchona / chemistry
  • Cinchona Alkaloids / chemistry*
  • Drug Design*
  • Enzyme Assays
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Cinchona Alkaloids
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • cinchonidine
  • ACHE protein, human
  • Acetylcholinesterase
  • Butyrylcholinesterase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Croatian Science Foundation, Projects No: IP-2016-06-3775 ADESIRE (TH) and IP-2013-11-4307 CHOLINESTERASE (ZK), URL: https://www.hrzz.hr/.