Exploring fluorine-substituted piperidines as potential therapeutics for diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's diseases

Eur J Med Chem. 2024 Jul 5:273:116523. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116523. Epub 2024 May 21.

Abstract

In the current study, a series of fluorine-substituted piperidine derivatives (1-8) has been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. In vitro and in vivo enzyme inhibitory studies were conducted to elucidate the efficacy of these compounds, shedding light on their potential therapeutic applications. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, these heterocyclic structures have been investigated against α-glucosidase and cholinesterase enzymes. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds was also assessed. Evaluation of synthesized compounds revealed notable inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and cholinesterases. Remarkably, the target compounds (1-8) exhibited extraordinary α-glucosidase inhibitory activity as compared to the standard acarbose by several-fold. Subsequently, the potential antidiabetic effects of compounds 2, 4, 5, and 6 were validated using a STZ-induced diabetic rat model. Kinetic studies were also performed to understand the mechanism of inhibition, while structure-activity relationship analyses provided valuable insights into the structural features governing enzyme inhibition. Kinetic investigations revealed that compound 4 displayed a competitive mode of inhibition against α-glucosidase, whereas compound 2 demonstrated mixed-type behavior against AChE. To delve deeper into the binding interactions between the synthesized compounds and their respective enzyme targets, molecular docking studies were conducted. Overall, our findings highlight the promising potential of these densely substituted piperidines as multifunctional agents for the treatment of diseases associated with dysregulated glucose metabolism and cholinergic dysfunction.

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase; Anti-oxidant; Butyrylcholinesterase; Docking study; In vivo; Kinetic; Piperidine; Structure-activity relationship; α-Glucosidase.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease* / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / chemical synthesis
  • Antioxidants / chemistry
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors* / chemical synthesis
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Cholinesterases / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental* / drug therapy
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Fluorine* / chemistry
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors* / chemical synthesis
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents* / chemical synthesis
  • Hypoglycemic Agents* / chemistry
  • Hypoglycemic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Hypoglycemic Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Molecular Docking Simulation*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Piperidines* / chemical synthesis
  • Piperidines* / chemistry
  • Piperidines* / pharmacology
  • Piperidines* / therapeutic use
  • Rats
  • Streptozocin
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • alpha-Glucosidases* / metabolism

Substances

  • Piperidines
  • Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Fluorine
  • alpha-Glucosidases
  • Acetylcholinesterase
  • Antioxidants
  • Cholinesterases
  • Streptozocin