Urolithins (that is, hydroxy substituted benzo[c]chromen‐6‐one derivatives) are formed within the gastrointestinal tract following to the exposure to various ellagitannin rich diet, particularly involving pomegranate, nuts, and berries. Regarding the bioavailability deficiency of ellagitannins, the biological activities obtained through the extracts of these dietaries are attributed to the urolithin compounds, since they are bioavailable. Particularly, there are studies indicating the importance of ellagitannin‐rich food for protective and alternative treatment of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). From this perspective, within this study, the major urolithins (that is, urolithins A and B), their methyl ether metabolites, as well as some synthetic urolithin analogs have been synthesized and screened for their biological activities in various enzyme inhibition (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, monoamine oxidase B, cyclooxygenase 1, and cyclooxygenase 2) and antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging) assay systems. The results pointed out the potential of urolithins to act as inhibitors on these receptors. Docking studies were also performed to investigate the possible interactions.
The investigation of biological activities of natural products, particularly considering the secondary metabolites, continuously receives attention. Urolithins, the bioavailable metabolites of ellagitannins, were shown to possess enzyme inhibitor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory compounds in scientific studies conducted in the last two decades. Regarding the limited number of studies related to their antimicrobial activity, this study aimed to synthesize major urolithins (Urolithin A and B) concomitant to their methyl ether derivatives and screen their antibacterial activity against some Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. In parallel to the antibacterial activity, the synergistic and antagonist properties of the compounds were also analyzed in the presence of reference beta-lactam antibiotics. The results displayed the improvable characteristics of urolithin scaffold to be employed in antibiotic drug design studies. In addition, the antagonist effect of some compounds on the antibacterial action of standard molecules also pointed out the compound specific activities of the title molecules.
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