Dioxoisoindolines have been included as a pharmacophore group in diverse drug-like molecules with a wide range of biological activity. Various reports have shown that phthalimide derivatives are potent inhibitors of AChE, a key enzyme involved in the deterioration of the cholinergic system during the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In the present study, 2-(2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl)isoindoline-1,3-dione was synthesized, crystallized and evaluated as an AChE inhibitor. The geometric structure of the crystal and the theoretical compound (from molecular modeling) were analyzed and compared, finding a close correlation. The formation of the C6–H6···O19 interaction could be responsible for the non-negligible out of phenyl plane deviation of the C19 methoxy group, the O3 from the carbonyl group lead to C16–H16···O3i intermolecular interactions to furnish C(9) and C(14) infinite chains within the (− 4 0 9) and (− 3 1 1) families of planes. Finally, the biological experiments reveal that the isoindoline-1,3-dione exerts a good competitive inhibition on AChE (Ki = 0.33–0.93 mM; 95% confidence interval) and has very low acute toxicity (LD50 > 1600 mg/kg) compared to the AChE inhibitors currently approved for clinical use.

No abstract