10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.11.031
The research focuses on the synthesis and evaluation of a series of 2-(2-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethyl aryl carboxylate derivatives for their potential as β-glucuronidase inhibitors. The study employs biology-oriented drug synthesis (BIODS) to create these derivatives by reacting metronidazole with various aryl and heteroaryl carboxylic acids using 1,1'-carbonyl diimidazole (CDI) as a coupling agent. The synthesized compounds were characterized using spectroscopic techniques such as EI-MS, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR, and their β-glucuronidase inhibitory activities were assessed in vitro. The results showed that most of the derivatives exhibited good inhibitory activity, with some demonstrating superior potency to the standard D-saccharic acid 1,4-lactone. The study also includes in silico docking studies to explore the structure-activity relationship, revealing that compounds with electron-withdrawing groups like NO2, F, Cl, and Br generally showed better activity than those with electron-donating groups. Key chemicals involved in the research include metronidazole, various aryl and heteroaryl carboxylic acids, CDI, and the enzyme β-glucuronidase, along with the substrate p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucuronide used in docking studies.