Synthesis, antiviral activity, 3D-QSAR, and interaction mechanisms study of novel malonate derivatives containing quinazolin-4(3H)-one moiety

A series of novel malonate derivatives containing quinazolin-4(3H)-one moiety were synthesized and evaluated for their antiviral activities against cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Results indicated that the title compounds exhibited good antiviral activities. Notably, compounds g15, g16, g17, and g18 exhibited excellent curative activities in vivo against CMV, with 50% effective concentration (EC50) values of 208.36, 153.78, 181.47, and 164.72 mu g/mL, respectively, which were better than that of Ningnanmycin (256.35 mu g/mL) and Ribavirin (523.34 mu g/mL). Moreover, statistically valid three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models with good correlation and predictive power were obtained with comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) steric and electrostatic fields (r(2) = 0.990, q(2) = 0.577) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) with combined steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydrogen bond acceptor fields (r(2) = 0.977, q(2) = 0.516), respectively. Based on those models, compound g25 was designed, synthesized, and showed better curative activity (146.30 mu g/mL) than that of compound g16. The interaction of between cucumber mosaic virus coat protein (CMV CP) and g25 with 1:1.83 ratio is typically spontaneous and exothermic with micromole binding affinity by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and fluorescence spectroscopy investigation. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.