Hybrid caffeic acid derivatives as monoamine oxidases inhibitors: Synthesis, radical scavenging activity, molecular docking studies and in silico ADMET analysis

Abstract

Background: Monoamine oxidase has been implicated in numerous neurological disorders. Although synthetic monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) have emerged with many side effects, the aspiration of natural based MAOI has greatly increased. As they exhibit fewer side effects and food interaction along with improved neuropharmacological profile. Results: The in silico design of the caffeic acid derivatives led potent MAO inhibitors with remarkable antioxidant activity. The mechanistic insight of the compounds within the hMAO active site was achieved by molecular docking which led us to be more confident of the possible inhibition of MAO. Conclusions: The synthesized eugenol based ester of caffeic acid compound 7 exhibited MAO-A inhibition with IC50 values of 07.03±0.022μM with good selectivity (SI=0.291) towards MAO-A. Conversely, two anilides compounds 2 and 1, bearing chloro and nitro group at 2, 4 positions showed MAO-A inhibition with IC50 values of 08.51±0.017μM and 08.87±0.005μM, respectively. Only one compound 5 was found as a significant MAO-B inhibitor with the IC50 value of 10.80±0.024μM. Moreover, compounds 1, 2, 4 and 9 have profoundly appeared as potent antioxidants as evaluated in duel assay by scavenging DPPH and H2O2.