TY - THES A1 - Masota, Nelson Enos T1 - The Search for Novel Effective Agents Against Multidrug-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae T1 - Die Suche nach neuen wirksamen Wirkstoffen gegen multiresistente Enterobacteriaceae N2 - This thesis aimed at searching for new effective agents against Multidrug-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae. This is necessitated by the urgent need for new and innovative antibacterial agents addressing the critical priority pathogens prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Among the available means for antibiotics discovery and development, nature has long remained a proven, innovative, and highly reliable gateway to successful antibacterial agents. Nevertheless, numerous challenges surrounding this valuable source of antibiotics among other drugs are limiting the complete realization of its potential. These include the availability of good quality data on the highly potential natural sources, limitations in methods to prepare and screen crude extracts, bottlenecks in reproducing biological potentials observed in natural sources, as well as hurdles in isolation, purification, and characterization of natural compounds with diverse structural complexities. Through an extensive review of the literature, it was possible to prepare libraries of plant species and phytochemicals with reported high potentials against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumnoniae. The libraries were profiled to highlight the existing patterns and relationships between the reported antibacterial activities and studied plants’ families and parts, the type of the extracting solvent, as well as phytochemicals’ classes, drug-likeness and selected parameters for enhanced accumulation within the Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, motivations, objectives, the role of traditional practices and other crucial experimental aspects in the screening of plant extracts for antibacterial activities were identified and discussed. Based on the implemented strict inclusion criteria, the created libraries grant speedy access to well-evaluated plant species and phytochemicals with potential antibacterial activities. This way, further studies in yet unexplored directions can be pursued from the indicated or related species and compounds. Moreover, the availability of compound libraries focusing on related bacterial species serves a great role in the ongoing efforts to develop the rules of antibiotics penetrability and accumulation, particularly among Gram-negative bacteria. Here, in addition to hunting for potential scaffolds from such libraries, detailed evaluations of large pool compounds with related antibacterial potential can grant a better understanding of structural features crucial for their penetration and accumulation. Based on the scarcity of compounds with broad structural diversity and activity against Gram-negative bacteria, the creation and updating of such libraries remain a laborious but important undertaking. A Pressurized Microwave Assisted Extraction (PMAE) method over a short duration and low-temperature conditions was developed and compared to the conventional cold maceration over a prolonged duration. This method aimed at addressing the key challenges associated with conventional extraction methods which require long extraction durations, and use more energy and solvents, in addition to larger quantities of plant materials. Furthermore, the method was intended to replace the common use of high temperatures in most of the current MAE applications. Interestingly, the yields of 16 of 18 plant samples under PMAE over 30 minutes were found to be within 91–139% of those obtained from the 24h extraction by maceration. Additionally, different levels of selectivity were observed upon an analytical comparison of the extracts obtained from the two methods. Although each method indicated selective extraction of higher quantities or additional types of certain phytochemicals, a slightly larger number of additional compounds were observed under maceration. The use of this method allows efficient extraction of a large number of samples while sparing heat-sensitive compounds and minimizing chances for cross-reactions between phytochemicals. Moreover, findings from another investigation highlighted the low likelihood of reproducing antibacterial activities previously reported among various plant species, identified the key drivers of poor reproducibility, and proposed possible measures to mitigate the challenge. The majority of extracts showed no activities up to the highest tested concentration of 1024 µg/mL. In the case of identical plant species, some activities were observed only in 15% of the extracts, in which the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were 4 – 16-fold higher than those in previous reports. Evaluation of related plant species indicated better outcomes, whereby about 18% of the extracts showed activities in a range of 128–512 μg/mL, some of the activities being superior to those previously reported in related species. Furthermore, solubilizing plant crude extracts during the preparation of test solutions for Antibacterial Susceptibility Testing (AST) assays was outlined as a key challenge. In trying to address this challenge, some studies have used bacteria-toxic solvents or generally unacceptable concentrations of common solubilizing agents. Both approaches are liable to give false positive results. In line with this challenge, this study has underscored the suitability of acetone in the solubilization of crude plant extracts. Using acetone, better solubility profiles of crude plant extracts were observed compared to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at up to 10 %v/v. Based on lacking toxicity against many bacteria species at up to 25 %v/v, its use in the solubilization of poorly water-soluble extracts, particularly those from less polar solvents is advocated. In a subsequent study, four galloylglucoses were isolated from the leaves of Paeonia officinalis L., whereby the isolation of three of them from this source was reported for the first time. The isolation and characterization of these compounds were driven by the crucial need to continually fill the pre-clinical antibiotics pipeline using all available means. Application of the bioautography-guided isolation and a matrix of extractive, chromatographic, spectroscopic, and spectrometric techniques enabled the isolation of the compounds at high purity levels and the ascertainment of their chemical structures. Further, the compounds exhibited the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) in a range of 2–256 µg/mL against Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) strains of E. coli and K. pneumonia exhibiting diverse MDR phenotypes. In that, the antibacterial activities of three of the isolated compounds were reported for the first time. The observed in vitro activities of the compounds resonated with their in vivo potentials as determined using the Galleria mellonella larvae model. Additionally, the susceptibility of the MDR bacteria to the galloylglucoses was noted to vary depending on the nature of the resistance enzymes expressed by the MDR bacteria. In that, the bacteria expressing enzymes with higher content of aromatic amino acids and zero or positive net charges were generally more susceptible. Following these findings, a plausible hypothesis for the observed patterns was put forward. The generally challenging pharmacokinetic properties of galloylglucoses limit their further development into therapeutic agents. However, the compounds can replace or reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock keeping as well as in the treatment of septic wounds and topical or oral cavity infections, among other potential uses. Using nature-inspired approaches, a series of glucovanillin derivatives were prepared following feasible synthetic pathways which in most cases ensured good yields and high purity levels. Some of the prepared compounds showed MIC values in a range of 128 – 512 μg/mL against susceptible and MDR strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). These findings emphasize the previously reported essence of small molecular size, the presence of protonatable amino groups and halogen atoms, as well as an amphiphilic character, as crucial features for potential antibacterial agents. Due to the experienced limited success in the search for new antibacterial agents using purely synthetic means, pursuing semi-synthetic approaches as employed in this study are highly encouraged. This way, it is possible to explore broader chemical spaces around natural scaffolds while addressing their inherent limitations such as solubility, toxicity, and poor pharmacokinetic profiles. N2 - Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Suche nach neuen wirksamen Antiinfektiva gegen multiresistente Enterobacteriaceae. Grund dafür ist der dringende Bedarf an neuen und innovativen antibakteriellen Wirkstoffen gegen die von der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) als vorrangig eingestuften Krankheitserreger. Unter den verfügbaren Methoden zur Entdeckung und Entwicklung von Antibiotika ist die Natur seit langem ein bewährtes, innovatives und äußerst zuverlässiges Mittel, um erfolgreich zu antibakteriellen Wirkstoffen zu gelangen. Dennoch stehen dieser wertvollen Quelle von Antibiotika und anderen Arzneimitteln zahlreiche Herausforderungen gegenüber, die die vollständige Ausschöpfung ihres Potenzials einschränken. Dazu gehören die Verfügbarkeit qualitativ hochwertiger Daten über die hochpotenten natürlichen Quellen, Einschränkungen bei den Methoden zur Herstellung und zum Screening von Rohextrakten, Engpässe bei der Reproduktion des in natürlichen Quellen beobachteten biologischen Potenzials sowie Hürden bei der Isolierung, Reinigung und Charakterisierung von Naturstoffen mit unterschiedlicher struktureller Komplexität. Mittels einer umfassenden Durchsicht der Literatur war es möglich, Bibliotheken mit Pflanzenarten und Phytochemikalien zu erstellen, die ein hohes Potenzial gegen Escherichia coli und Klebsiella pneumnonia aufweisen. Die Bibliotheken wurden profiliert, um die bestehenden Muster und Beziehungen zwischen den berichteten antibakteriellen Aktivitäten und den untersuchten Pflanzenfamilien und -teilen, der Art des Extraktionslösungsmittels sowie den Klassen der Phytochemikalien, der Wirkstoffähnlichkeit und ausgewählten Parametern für eine verstärkte Akkumulation in den gramnegativen Bakterien aufzuzeigen. Darüber hinaus wurden Motivationen, Ziele, die Rolle traditioneller Methoden und andere wichtige experimentelle Aspekte beim Screening von Pflanzenextrakten auf antibakterielle Aktivitäten identifiziert und diskutiert. Auf der Grundlage der strengen Aufnahmekriterien bieten die erstellten Bibliotheken einen schnellen Zugang zu gut bewerteten Pflanzenarten und Phytochemikalien mit potenziellen antibakteriellen Aktivitäten. Auf diese Weise können weitere Studien in noch unerforschten Richtungen mit den angegebenen oder ähnlichen Arten und Verbindungen durchgeführt werden. Darüber hinaus spielt die Verfügbarkeit von Substanzbibliotheken, die sich auf verwandte Bakterienarten konzentrieren, eine große Rolle bei den laufenden Bemühungen, die Regeln für die Penetration und Akkumulation von Antibiotika zu entwickeln, insbesondere bei gramnegativen Bakterien. Neben der Suche nach potenziellen Molekülgerüsten aus solchen Bibliotheken können detaillierte Bewertungen großer Pools von Verbindungen mit antibakteriellem Potenzial ein besseres Verständnis der strukturellen Merkmale ermöglichen, die für ihre Penetration und Akkumulation entscheidend sind. Da es kaum Verbindungen mit breiter struktureller Vielfalt und Aktivität gegen gramnegative Bakterien gibt, ist die Erstellung und Aktualisierung solcher Bibliotheken nach wie vor ein mühsames, aber wichtiges Unterfangen. Es wurde eine schnelle mikrowellenunterstützte Extraktionsmethode unter Druck (PMAE) und bei niedrigen Temperaturen entwickelt und mit der herkömmlichen Kaltmazeration mit längerer andauernd verglichen. Mit der PMAE-Methode sollten die wichtigsten Probleme herkömmlicher Extraktionsmethoden gelöst werden, die eine lange Extraktionsdauer erfordern, mehr Energie und Lösungsmittel verbrauchen und zudem größere Mengen an Pflanzenmaterial benötigen. Darüber hinaus sollte die Methode die übliche Verwendung hoher Temperaturen in den meisten der derzeitigen MAE-Anwendungen ersetzen. Interessanterweise lag die Ausbeute von 16 der 18 Pflanzenproben bei der 30-minütigen PMAE zwischen 91 und 139 % der jenigen, die bei der 24-stündigen Extraktion durch Mazeration erzielt wurde. Darüber hinaus wurden bei einem analytischen Vergleich der mit den beiden Methoden gewonnenen Extrakte unterschiedliche Selektivitätsgrade festgestellt. Obwohl jede Methode eine selektive Extraktion größere Mengen oder zusätzlicher Arten bestimmter Phytochemikalien anzeigte, wurde bei der Mazeration eine etwas größere Anzahl an Verbindungen beobachtet. Die Anwendung dieser PMAE-Methode ermöglicht eine effiziente Extraktion einer großen Anzahl von Proben, wobei hitzeempfindliche Verbindungen geschont werden und die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Kreuzreaktionen zwischen Phytochemikalien minimiert wird. Die weitere Untersuchung von Pflanzenextraktionen haben die geringe Reproduzierbarkeit von antibakteriellen Aktivitäten, die zuvor für verschiedene Pflanzenarten berichtet wurden, aufgedeckt, die Hauptursachen für die schlechte Reproduzierbarkeit identifiziert und mögliche Maßnahmen zur Minimierung dieser Herausforderung vorgeschlagen. Die Mehrheit der Extrakte zeigte bis zur höchsten getesteten Konzentration von 1024 µg/ml keine Aktivitäten. Bei identischen Pflanzenarten wurden nur bei 15 % der Extrakte gewisse Aktivitäten beobachtet, wobei die minimalen Hemmkonzentrationen (MHK) um das Vier- bis 16-fache höher waren als in früheren Berichten. Die Auswertung verwandter Pflanzenarten zeigte geringfügig bessere Ergebnisse, wobei etwa lagen 18 % der Extrakte Aktivitäten in einem Bereich von 128-512 µg/ml aufwiesen; dabei einige der Aktivitäten über denen, die zuvor bei verwandten Arten berichtet wurden. Darüber hinaus wurde die Löslichkeit von Pflanzenrohextrakten bei der Herstellung von Testlösungen für die Bestimmung der Antimikrobischen Suszeptibilität (AST) als eine der größten Herausforderungen bezeichnet. Bei dem Versuch, diese Herausforderung zu bewältigen, wurden in einigen Studien bakterientoxische Lösungsmittel oder allgemein inakzeptable Konzentrationen gängiger Lösungsvermittler verwendet. Beide Ansätze können zu falsch-positiven Ergebnissen führen. Deshalb hat diese Studie die Eignung von Aceton für die Solubilisierung von Pflanzenrohextrakten unterstrichen. Bei Verwendung von Aceton wurden eine bessere Löslichkeit der Pflanzenrohextrakten im Vergleich zu Dimethylsulfoxid (DMSO) bei bis zu 10 % v/v beobachtet. Aufgrund der fehlenden Toxizität gegen viele Bakterienarten bei bis zu 25 % v/v wird die Verwendung von Aceton für die Solubilisierung schwer wasserlöslicher Extrakte, insbesondere solcher aus weniger polaren Lösungsmitteln, befürwortet. In der nachfolgenden Untersuchung wurden vier Galloylglucosen aus den Blättern von Paeonia officinalis L. isoliert, wobei von drei Substanzen aus dieser Quelle zum ersten Mal berichtet wurde. Die Isolierung und Charakterisierung dieser Verbindungen wurden durch die dringende Notwendigkeit vorangetrieben, die präklinische Antibiotika-Pipeline mit allen verfügbaren Methoden zu füllen. Die Anwendung der bioautographisch gesteuerten Isolierung und einer Matrix aus extraktiven, chromatographischen, spektroskopischen und spektrometrischen Techniken ermöglichte die Isolierung der Verbindungen mit hohem Reinheitsgrad und die Bestimmung ihrer chemischen Strukturen. Darüber hinaus wiesen die Verbindungen minimale Hemmkonzentrationen (MHK) in einem Bereich von 2-256 µg/ml gegen multiresistente (MDR) Stämme von E. coli und K. pneumonia auf, die verschiedene MDR-Phänotypen aufweisen. Über die antibakteriellen Aktivitäten von drei der isolierten Verbindungen wurde zum ersten Mal berichtet. Die beobachteten In-vitro-Aktivitäten der Verbindungen stimmten mit ihren In-vivo-Potenzialen überein, die anhand des Galleria mellonella-Larvenmodells ermittelt wurden. Darüber hinaus wurde festgestellt, dass die Empfindlichkeit der MDR-Bakterien gegenüber den Galloylglucosen von der Art der von den MDR-Bakterien exprimierten Resistenzenzyme abhängt. So waren die Bakterien, die Enzyme mit einem höheren Gehalt an aromatischen Aminosäuren und null oder positiven Nettoladungen exprimieren, im Allgemeinen anfälliger. Nach diesen Erkenntnissen wurde eine plausible Hypothese für die beobachteten Muster aufgestellt. Die allgemein schwierigen pharmakokinetischen Eigenschaften von Galloylglucosen schränken ihre weitere Entwicklung als therapeutischen Wirkstoffen ein. Die Verbindungen können jedoch den Einsatz von Antibiotika in der Tierhaltung sowie bei der Behandlung von septischen Wunden und Infektionen der Haut oder der Mundhöhle ersetzen oder reduzieren, neben anderen potenziellen Anwendungen. Mit von der Natur inspirierten Ansätzen wurde eine Reihe von Glucovanillin-Derivaten synthetisch hergestellt. Einige der neuen Verbindungen wiesen MHK-Werte im Bereich von 128 - 512 μg/ml gegen empfindliche und MDR-Stämme von Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methicillin-resistentem Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) und Vancomycin-resistentem Enterococcus faecium (VRE) auf. Diese Ergebnisse unterstreichen die bereits früher berichtete Bedeutung einer kleinen Molekülgröße, des Vorhandenseins protonierbarer Aminogruppen und Halogenatome sowie eines amphiphilen Charakters als entscheidende Merkmale für potenzielle antibakterielle Wirkstoffe. Da die Suche nach neuen antibakteriellen Wirkstoffen mit rein synthetischen Mitteln bisher nur begrenzt erfolgreich war, sind halbsynthetische Ansätze, wie sie in dieser Studie verwendet wurden, sehr zu empfehlen. Auf diese Weise ist es möglich, größere chemische Räume um natürliche Molekülgerüste herum zu erforschen und gleichzeitig deren inhärente Einschränkungen wie Löslichkeit, Toxizität und schlechte pharmakokinetische Profile zu überwinden. KW - Enterobacteriaceae KW - Pflanzen KW - Synthese KW - Multidrugresistant KW - Plant extracts KW - Isolation and Characterization KW - Microwave Assisted Extraction KW - Nature-Insipired Synthesis KW - Reproducibility challenges KW - Library of Phytochemicals KW - Library of plant species KW - Plants KW - Characterization KW - Synthesis Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-302632 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Masota, Nelson E. A1 - Vogg, Gerd A1 - Ohlsen, Knut A1 - Holzgrabe, Ulrike T1 - Reproducibility challenges in the search for antibacterial compounds from nature JF - PLoS One N2 - Background Reproducibility of reported antibacterial activities of plant extracts has long remained questionable. Although plant-related factors should be well considered in serious pharmacognostic research, they are often not addressed in many research papers. Here we highlight the challenges in reproducing antibacterial activities of plant extracts. Methods Plants with reported antibacterial activities of interest were obtained from a literature review. Antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were tested using extracts’ solutions in 10% DMSO and acetone. Compositions of working solutions from both solvents were established using LC-MS analysis. Moreover, the availability of details likely to affect reproducibility was evaluated in articles which reported antibacterial activities of studied plants. Results Inhibition of bacterial growth at MIC of 256–1024 μg/mL was observed in only 15.4% of identical plant species. These values were 4–16-fold higher than those reported earlier. Further, 18.2% of related plant species had MICs of 128–256 μg/mL. Besides, 29.2% and 95.8% of the extracts were soluble to sparingly soluble in 10% DMSO and acetone, respectively. Extracts’ solutions in both solvents showed similar qualitative compositions, with differing quantities of corresponding phytochemicals. Details regarding seasons and growth state at collection were missing in 65% and 95% of evaluated articles, respectively. Likewise, solvents used to dissolve the extracts were lacking in 30% of the articles, whereas 40% of them used unidentified bacterial isolates. Conclusion Reproducibility of previously reported activities from plants’ extracts is a multi-factorial aspect. Thus, collective approaches are necessary in addressing the highlighted challenges. KW - acetones KW - antibacterials KW - leaves KW - phytochemicals KW - solubility KW - plants KW - liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry KW - ethanol Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260239 VL - 16 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Firdessa, Rebuma A1 - Good, Liam A1 - Amstalden, Maria Cecilia A1 - Chindera, Kantaraja A1 - Kamaruzzaman, Nor Fadhilah A1 - Schultheis, Martina A1 - Röger, Bianca A1 - Hecht, Nina A1 - Oelschlaeger, Tobias A. A1 - Meinel, Lorenz A1 - Lühmann, Tessa A1 - Moll, Heidrun T1 - Pathogen- and host-directed antileishmanial effects mediated by polyhexanide (PHMB) JF - PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases N2 - Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. CL causes enormous suffering in many countries worldwide. There is no licensed vaccine against CL, and the chemotherapy options show limited efficacy and high toxicity. Localization of the parasites inside host cells is a barrier to most standard chemo- and immune-based interventions. Hence, novel drugs, which are safe, effective and readily accessible to third-world countries and/or drug delivery technologies for effective CL treatments are desperately needed. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we evaluated the antileishmanial properties and delivery potential of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB; polyhexanide), a widely used antimicrobial and wound antiseptic, in the Leishmania model. PHMB showed an inherent antileishmanial activity at submicromolar concentrations. Our data revealed that PHMB kills Leishmania major (L. major) via a dual mechanism involving disruption of membrane integrity and selective chromosome condensation and damage. PHMB's DNA binding and host cell entry properties were further exploited to improve the delivery and immunomodulatory activities of unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN). PHMB spontaneously bound CpG ODN, forming stable nanopolyplexes that enhanced uptake of CpG ODN, potentiated antimicrobial killing and reduced host cell toxicity of PHMB. Conclusions Given its low cost and long history of safe topical use, PHMB holds promise as a drug for CL therapy and delivery vehicle for nucleic acid immunomodulators. KW - resistance KW - activation KW - dendritic cells KW - Cutaneous leishmaniasis KW - topical treatment KW - biocide polyhexamethylene biguanide KW - experimental visceral leishmaniasis KW - drug-delivery systems KW - therapy KW - paromomycin Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148162 VL - 9 IS - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Masota, Nelson E. A1 - Ohlsen, Knut A1 - Schollmayer, Curd A1 - Meinel, Lorenz A1 - Holzgrabe, Ulrike T1 - Isolation and characterization of galloylglucoses effective against multidrug-resistant strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae JF - Molecules N2 - The search for new antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR), Gram-negative bacteria is crucial with respect to filling the antibiotics development pipeline, which is subject to a critical shortage of novel molecules. Screening of natural products is a promising approach for identifying antimicrobial compounds hosting a higher degree of novelty. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of four galloylglucoses active against different MDR strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. A crude acetone extract was prepared from Paeonia officinalis Linnaeus leaves, and bioautography-guided isolation of active compounds from the extract was performed by liquid–liquid extraction, as well as open column, flash, and preparative chromatographic methods. Isolated active compounds were characterized and elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out on E. coli and K. pneumoniae using 2 reference strains and 13 strains hosting a wide range of MDR phenotypes. Furthermore, in vivo antibacterial activities were assessed using Galleria mellonella larvae, and compounds 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose, 3-O-digalloyl-1,2,4,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose, 6-O-digalloyl-1,2,3,4-tetra-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose, and 3,6-bis-O-digalloyl-1,2,4-tri-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose were isolated and characterized. They showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in the range of 2–256 µg/mL across tested bacterial strains. These findings have added to the number of known galloylglucoses from P. officinalis and highlight their potential against MDR Gram-negative bacteria. KW - antimicrobial resistance KW - Enterobacteriaceae KW - Paeonia KW - gallotannins KW - isolation KW - structural elucidation KW - Escherichia coli KW - Klebsiella pneumoniae Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-286179 SN - 1420-3049 VL - 27 IS - 15 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Raschig, Martina A1 - Ramírez‐Zavala, Bernardo A1 - Wiest, Johannes A1 - Saedtler, Marco A1 - Gutmann, Marcus A1 - Holzgrabe, Ulrike A1 - Morschhäuser, Joachim A1 - Meinel, Lorenz T1 - Azobenzene derivatives with activity against drug‐resistant Candida albicans and Candida auris JF - Archiv der Pharmazie N2 - Increasing resistance against antimycotic drugs challenges anti‐infective therapies today and contributes to the mortality of infections by drug‐resistant Candida species and strains. Therefore, novel antifungal agents are needed. A promising approach in developing new drugs is using naturally occurring molecules as lead structures. In this work, 4,4'‐dihydroxyazobenzene, a compound structurally related to antifungal stilbene derivatives and present in Agaricus xanthodermus (yellow stainer), served as a starting point for the synthesis of five azobenzene derivatives. These compounds prevented the growth of both fluconazole‐susceptible and fluconazole‐resistant Candida albicans and Candida auris strains. Further in vivo studies are required to confirm the potential therapeutic value of these compounds. KW - antifungal drug KW - azobenzenes KW - Candida auris KW - Candida albicans Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312295 VL - 356 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Glaser, Jan A1 - Schultheis, Martina A1 - Hazra, Sudipta A1 - Hazra, Banazri A1 - Moll, Heidrun A1 - Schurigt, Uta A1 - Holzgrabe, Ulrike T1 - Antileishmanial Lead Structures from Nature: Analysis of Structure-Activity Relationships of a Compound Library Derived from Caffeic Acid Bornyl Ester N2 - Bioassay-guided fractionation of a chloroform extract of Valeriana wallichii (V. wallichii) rhizomes lead to the isolation and identification of caffeic acid bornyl ester (1) as the active component against Leishmania major (L. major) promastigotes (IC50 = 48.8 µM). To investigate the structure-activity relationship (SAR), a library of compounds based on 1 was synthesized and tested in vitro against L. major and L. donovani promastigotes, and L. major amastigotes. Cytotoxicity was determined using a murine J774.1 cell line and bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM). Some compounds showed antileishmanial activity in the concentration range of pentamidine and miltefosine which are the standard drugs in use. In the L. major amastigote assay compounds 15, 19 and 20 showed good activity with relatively low cytotoxicity against BMDM, resulting in acceptable selectivity indices. Molecules with adjacent phenolic hydroxyl groups exhibited elevated cytotoxicity against murine cell lines J774.1 and BMDM. The Michael system seems not to be essential for antileishmanial activity. Based on the results compound 27 can be regarded as new lead structure for further structure optimization KW - Valeriana wallichii KW - leishmaniasis KW - caffeic acid bornyl ester KW - structure-activity relationship Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-112835 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Glaser, Jan A1 - Schurigt, Uta A1 - Suzuki, Brian M. A1 - Caffrey, Connor R. A1 - Holzgrabe, Ulrike T1 - Anti-Schistosomal Activity of Cinnamic Acid Esters: Eugenyl JF - Molecules N2 - Bornyl caffeate (1) was previously isolated by us from Valeriana (V.) wallichii rhizomes and identified as an anti-leishmanial substance. Here, we screened a small compound library of synthesized derivatives 1–30 for activity against schistosomula of Schistosoma (S.) mansoni. Compound 1 did not show any anti-schistosomal activity. However, strong phenotypic changes, including the formation of vacuoles, degeneration and death were observed after in vitro treatment with compounds 23 (thymyl cinnamate) and 27 (eugenyl cinnamate). Electron microscopy analysis of the induced vacuoles in the dying parasites suggests that 23 and 27 interfere with autophagy. KW - thymyl cinnamate KW - vacuoles KW - autophagy KW - anti-schistosomal activity KW - schistosoma KW - schistosomula KW - parasite KW - eugenyl cinnamate Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125712 VL - 20 ER -