Chagas disease, caused by the kinetoplastid protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a relevant cause of illness and premature death and it is estimated that 6 million to 7 million people are infected worldwide. Although chemotherapy options are limited presenting serious problems, such as low efficacy and high toxicity. T. cruzi is susceptible to thiazoles, making this class of compounds appealing for drug development. Previously, thiazoles resulted in an increase in anti-T. cruzi activity in comparison to thiosemicarbazones. Here, we report the structural planning, synthesis and anti-T. cruzi evaluation of new thiazoles derivatives (3a-m and 4a-m), designed from molecular hybridization associated with non-classical bioisosterism. By varying substituents attached to the phenyl and thiazole rings, substituents were observed to retain, enhance or greatly increase their anti-T. cruzi activity, in comparison to the corresponding thiosemicarbazones. In most cases, electron-withdrawing substituents, such as bromine, 3,4-dichloro and nitro groups, greatly increased antiparasitic activity. Specifically, new thiazoles were identified that inhibit the epimastigote proliferation and were toxic for trypomastigotes without affecting macrophages viability. These compounds were also evaluated against cruzain. However, inhibition of this enzyme was not observed, suggesting that the compounds work through another mechanism. In addition, examination of T. cruzi cell death showed that these molecules induce apoptosis. In conclusion, except for compounds 3h and 3k, all thiazoles derivatives evaluated exhibited higher cytotoxic activity against the trypomastigote forms than the reference medicament benznidazole, without affecting macrophages viability. Compounds 4d and 4k were highlights, CC50 = 1.2 e 1.6 μM, respectively. Mechanistically, these compounds do not inhibit the cruzain, but induce T. cruzi cell death by an apoptotic process, being considered a good starting point for the development of new anti-Chagas drug candidates.

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In vitro tumor growth inhibition by the ethanol extract of Miconia fallax DC. (Melastomataceae) was evaluated in culture media containing HeLa cells at the following concentrations: 5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 µg/mL. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract furnished a mixture of ursolic and oleanolic acids. Both the ethanol extract and the mixture of the triterpenoid acids produced dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition. This antitumor activity was more pronounced when a mixture of the triterpene acids at a concentration of 45 µg/mL was added to a HeLa cell culture medium.

Chagas disease is a parasitic infection caused by protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi that affects approximately 6-7 million people worldwide. Benznidazole is the only drug approved for treatment during the acute and asymptomatic chronic phases; however, its efficacy during the symptomatic chronic phase is controversial. The present work reports the synthesis and anti-T. cruzi activities of a novel series of phthalimido-thiazoles. Some of these compounds showed potent inhibition of the trypomastigote form of the parasite at low cytotoxicity concentrations in spleen cells, and the resulting structure-activity relationships are discussed. We also showed that phthalimido-thiazoles induced ultrastructural alterations on morphology, flagellum shortening, chromatin condensation, mitochondria swelling, reservosomes alterations and endoplasmic reticulum dilation. Together, these data revealed, for the first time, a novel series of phthalimido-thiazoles-structure-based compounds with potential effects against T. cruzi and lead-like characteristics against Chagas disease.

24 compounds were synthesized and their immunomodulation of TNF-α and IL-1β was evaluated.