Synthesis, characterization, and SAR of arylated indenoquinoline-based cholinesterase and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

We report the synthesis of bromoindenoquinolines (15a-f) by Friedlander reactions in low yields (13-50%) and the conversion of the corresponding phenyl-substituted indenoquinoline derivatives 16-21 in high yields (80-96%) by Suzuki coupling reactions. To explore the structure-activity relationship (SAR), their inhibition potentials to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and human carbonic anhydrase cyctosolic (hCA I and II) enzymes were determined. Monophenyl (16-18) indenoquinolines significantly inhibited the AChE and BChE enzymes in ranges of IC50 37-57nM and 84-93nM, respectively, compared with their starting materials 15a-c and reference compounds (galanthamine and tacrine). On the other hand, these novel arylated indenoquinoline-based derivatives were effective inhibitors of the BChE, hCA I and II, BChE and AChE enzymes with K-i values in the range of 37 +/- 2.04 to 88640 +/- 1990nM for AChE, 120.94 +/- 37.06 to 1150.95 +/- 304.48nM for hCA I, 267.58 +/- 98.05 to 1568.16 +/- 438.67nM for hCA II, and 84 +/- 3.86 to 144120 +/- 2910nM for BChE. As a result, monophenyl indenoquinolines 16-18 may have promising anti-Alzheimer drug potential and 3,8-dibromoindenoquinoline amine (15f) can be novel hCA I and hCA II enzyme inhibitors.