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Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2019) | Viewed by 91280

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Prof. Dr. Angela Rampa

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Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: drug design; hybrid molecules; Alzheimer’s disease; AChE inhibitors; FAAH inhibitors; CB receptors ligands; flavonoids
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Dr. Alessandra Bisi

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Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: flavonoids; drug design; hybrid molecules; MDR reversal; neurodegeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chalcones belong to the flavonoid family and are widely distributed in edible plants. Naturally-occurring chalcones are endowed with a broad spectrum of biological activities and have been used in traditional medicine for many years. These natural products can be defined “privileged structures” and, as such, they can be properly exploited to develop effective strategies in drug discovery. The design and synthetic feasibility of chalcone-based compounds provides a new world of possibilities to find novel biological activities and unexplored therapeutic applications. Indeed, the peculiar electrophilic trans-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl framework of chalcone allows the molecule to interact with cysteine residues of different biological targets. Furthermore, because of their conjugated system, chalcones can be fluorescent, making them potential chemical probes for mechanistic investigations and imaging/diagnosis. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the latest applications of this intriguing class of natural/synthetic compounds in medicinal chemistry.

Prof. Dr. Angela Rampa
Prof. Dr. Alessandra Bisi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

chalcone
antioxidant
anticancer
anti-inflammatory
antibacterial
antimicrobial
neuroprotective effects
antimalarial
antidiabetic
Probes

Published Papers (11 papers)

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26 pages, 7646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functionalization of the Chalcone Scaffold for the Discovery of Novel Lead Compounds Targeting Fungal Infections

by Francesca Bonvicini, Giovanna A. Gentilomi, Francesca Bressan, Silvia Gobbi, Angela Rampa, Alessandra Bisi and Federica Belluti

Molecules 2019, 24(2), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24020372 - 21 Jan 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3486

Abstract

The occurrence of invasive fungal infections represents a substantial threat to human health that is particularly serious in immunocompromised patients. The limited number of antifungal agents, devoid of unwanted toxic effects, has resulted in an increased demand for new drugs. Herein, the chalcone framework was functionalized to develop new antifungal agents able to interfere with cell growth and with the infection process. Thus, a small library of chalcone-based analogues was evaluated in vitro against C. albicans ATCC 10231 and a number of compounds strongly inhibited yeast growth at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Among these, 5 and 7 interfered with the expression of two key virulence factors in C. albicans pathogenesis, namely, hyphae and biofilm formation, while 28 emerged as a potent and broad spectrum antifungal agent, enabling the inhibition of the tested Candida spp. and non-Candida species. Indeed, these compounds combine two modes of action by selectively interfering with growth and, as an added value, weakening microbial virulence. Overall, these compounds could be regarded as promising antifungal candidates worthy of deeper investigation. They also provide a chemical platform through which to perform an optimization process, addressed at improving potency and correcting liabilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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14 pages, 3666 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structure-Based Drug Design Studies Toward the Discovery of Novel Chalcone Derivatives as Potential Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Inhibitors

by Menier Al-Anazi, Belal O. Al-Najjar and Melati Khairuddean

Molecules 2018, 23(12), 3203; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23123203 - 05 Dec 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4214

Abstract

Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-1 (EGFR), a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor (RTK), has been associated with several types of cancer, including breast, lung, ovarian, and anal cancers. Thus, the receptor was targeted by a variety of therapeutic approaches for cancer treatments. A series of chalcone derivatives are among the most highly potent and selective inhibitors of EGFR described to date. A series of chalcone derivatives were proposed in this study to investigate the intermolecular interactions in the active site utilizing molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. After a careful analysis of docking results, compounds 1a and 1d were chosen for molecular dynamics simulation study. Extensive hydrogen bond analysis throughout 7 ns molecular dynamics simulation revealed the ability of compounds 1a and 1d to retain the essential interactions needed for the inhibition, especially MET 93. Finally, MM-GBSA calculations highlight on the capability of the ligands to bind strongly within the active site with binding energies of −44.04 and −56.6 kcal/mol for compounds 1a and 1d, respectively. Compound 1d showed to have a close binding energy with TAK-285 (−66.17 kcal/mol), which indicates a high chance for compound 1d to exhibit inhibitory activity, thus recommending to synthesis it to test its biological activity. It is anticipated that the findings reported here may provide very useful information for designing effective drugs for the treatment of EGFR-related cancer disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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22 pages, 8394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploiting the Chalcone Scaffold to Develop Multifunctional Agents for Alzheimer’s Disease

by Angela Rampa, Manuela Bartolini, Letizia Pruccoli, Marina Naldi, Isabel Iriepa, Ignacio Moraleda, Federica Belluti, Silvia Gobbi, Andrea Tarozzi and Alessandra Bisi

Molecules 2018, 23(8), 1902; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23081902 - 30 Jul 2018

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4100

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease still represents an untreated multifaceted pathology, and drugs able to stop or reverse its progression are urgently needed. In this paper, a series of naturally inspired chalcone-based derivatives was designed as structural simplification of our previously reported benzofuran lead compound, aiming at targeting both acetyl (AChE)- and butyryl (BuChE) cholinesterases that, despite having been studied for years, still deserve considerable attention. In addition, the new compounds could also modulate different pathways involved in disease progression, due to the peculiar trans-α,β-unsaturated ketone in the chalcone framework. All molecules presented in this study were evaluated for cholinesterase inhibition on the human enzymes and for antioxidant and neuroprotective activities on a SH-SY5Y cell line. The results proved that almost all the new compounds were low micromolar inhibitors, showing different selectivity depending on the appended substituent; some of them were also effective antioxidant and neuroprotective agents. In particular, compound 4, endowed with dual AChE/BuChE inhibitory activity, was able to decrease ROS formation and increase GSH levels, resulting in enhanced antioxidant endogenous defense. Moreover, this compound also proved to counteract the neurotoxicity elicited by Aβ_1–42 oligomers, showing a promising neuroprotective potential. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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16 pages, 3051 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chalcone Derivatives Enhance ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters A1 in Human THP-1 Macrophages

by I-Jou Teng, Min-Chien Tsai, Shao-Fu Shih, Bi-Feng Tsuei, Hsin Chang, Yi-Ping Chuang, Chin-Sheng Lin, Ching-Yuh Chern and Sy-Jou Chen

Molecules 2018, 23(7), 1620; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23071620 - 03 Jul 2018

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6302

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a process of imbalanced lipid metabolism in the vascular walls. The underlying pathology mainly involves the deposition of oxidized lipids in the endothelium and the accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages. Macrophages export excessive cholesterol (cholesterol efflux) through ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) to counter the progression of atherosclerosis. We synthesized novel chalcone derivatives and assessed their effects and the underlying mechanisms on ABCA1 expression in macrophages. Human THP-1 macrophages were treated with synthetic chalcone derivatives for 24 h. In Western blot and flow cytometry analyses, a chalcone derivative, (E)-1-(3,4-diisopropoxyphenyl)-3-(4-isopropoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop- 2-en-1-one (1m), was observed to significantly enhance ABCA1 protein expression in THP-1 cells (10 µM, 24 h). Levels of mRNA of ABCA1 and liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) were quantified using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique and were found to be significantly increased after treatment with the novel chalcone derivative 1m. Several microRNAs, including miR155, miR758, miR10b, miR145, miR33, and miR106b, which functionally inhibit ABCA1 expression were suppressed after treatment with 1m. Collectively, 1m increases ABCA1 expression in human THP-1 macrophages. The mechanisms involve the activation of the LXRα-ABCA1 pathway and suppression of certain microRNAs that regulate ABCA1 expression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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28 pages, 28572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Evaluation of Antiplasmodial Activity of 2,2,2-Trifluoroethoxychalcones and 2-Fluoroethoxy Chalcones against Plasmodium falciparum in Culture

by Kavita Devi, Vinoth Rajendran, Ayushee, T. M. Rangarajan, Rishi Pal Singh, Prahlad C. Ghosh and Manjula Singh

Molecules 2018, 23(5), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23051174 - 14 May 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 14481

Abstract

A new class of compounds comprising two series of chalcones with 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy group and 2-fluoroethoxy groups were synthesized and screened for in vitro antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum (3D7) using the [³H] hypoxanthine incorporation inhibition assay. Chalcones with 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy groups substituted on the p- and m-positions of the 1-phenyl ring showed weak antiplasmodial activity, while compounds substituted on the o-position of the 1-phenyl ring displayed enhanced antiplasmodial activity, thus indicating that 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy groups on the 1-phenyl ring of chalcones show position-dependent antiplasmodial activity. Of the 34 compounds synthesized, chalcones 3a and 3f exhibited significant inhibitory effects, with IC₅₀ values of 3.0 μg/mL and 2.2 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, these compounds 3a and 3f showed profound antiplasmodial activity in combination with artemisinin in vitro. The most active molecules, 3a, and 3f, were further assessed for their cytotoxicity towards mammalian Vero cells and the selectivity index (SI) values are 8.6, and 8.2 respectively, being considered non-toxic. We also studied the antiplasmodial activity of 2-fluoroethoxychalcones to discern the effect of the number of fluorine atoms in the fluoroethoxy group. Our results showed that chalcones with 2-fluoroethoxy group on the 1-phenyl ring exhibited more enhanced inhibitory effects on the growth of parasites than their trifluoro analogues, which reveals that monofluoroethoxy group is generally more effective than trifluoroethoxy group in the inhibition of parasite growth. Thus o-2,2,2-trifluoroethoxychalcones (Series 3) and 2-fluoroethoxychalcones may serve as good antiplasmodial candidates for future further development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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13 pages, 5024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antioxidant Structure–Activity Relationship Analysis of Five Dihydrochalcones

by Xican Li, Ban Chen, Hong Xie, Yuhua He, Dewei Zhong and Dongfeng Chen

Molecules 2018, 23(5), 1162; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23051162 - 12 May 2018

Cited by 69 | Viewed by 5640

Abstract

The study determined the comparative antioxidant capacities of five similar dihydrochalcones: phloretin, phloridzin, trilobatin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, and naringin dihydrochalcone. In the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, the antioxidant activities of pairs of dihydrochalcones had the following relationship: phloretin > phloridzin, phloretin > trilobatin, trilobatin > phloridzin, trilobatin > naringin dihydrochalcone, and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone > naringin dihydrochalcone. Similar relative antioxidant levels were also obtained from 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazl radical (DPPH•)-scavenging, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•⁺)-scavenging, and superoxide radical (•O₂⁻)-scavenging assays. Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC−ESI−Q−TOF−MS/MS) analysis for the reaction products with DPPH•, phloretin, phloridzin, and trilobatin were found to yield both dihydrochalcone-DPPH adduct and dihydrochalcone-dihydrochalcone dimer, whereas naringin dihydrochalcone gave a naringin dihydrochalcone-DPPH adduct, and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone gave a dimer. In conclusion, the five dihydrochalcones may undergo redox-based reactions (especially electron transfer (ET) and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT)), as well as radical adduct formation, to exert their antioxidant action. Methoxylation at the ortho-OH enhances the ET and HAT potential possibly via p-π conjugation, whereas the glycosylation of the –OH group not only reduces the ET and HAT potential but also hinders the ability of radical adduct formation. The 2′,6′-di-OH moiety in dihydrochalcone possesses higher ET and HAT activities than the 2′,4′-di-OH moiety because of its resonance with the adjacent keto group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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13 pages, 2114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Anticandidal Activity of New Imidazole-Chalcones

by Derya Osmaniye, Betul Kaya Cavusoglu, Begum Nurpelin Saglik, Serkan Levent, Ulviye Acar Cevik, Ozlem Atli, Yusuf Ozkay and Zafer Asim Kaplancikli

Molecules 2018, 23(4), 831; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23040831 - 04 Apr 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6071

Abstract

In the present work, 15 new 1-(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)-3-(4-substituedphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one derivatives (3a–3o) were synthesized to evaluate their antifungal activity. Structures of newly synthesized imidazole derivatives (3a–3o) were characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and LCMSMS spectroscopic methods. The anticandidal activity of compounds (3a–3o) against C. albicans (ATCC 24433), C. krusei (ATCC 6258), C. parapsilosis (ATCC 22019), and C. glabrata (ATCC 90030) was elucidated according to the EUCAST definitive (EDef 7.1) method. Consistent with the activity studies, 3a–3d were found to be more potent derivatives with their MIC₅₀ values (0.78 µg/mL–3.125 µg/mL) against Candida strains. Compound 3c indicated similar antifungal activity to ketoconazole against all Candida species and was evaluated as the most active derivative in the series. Effects of the most potent derivatives 3a–3d on ergosterol biosynthesis were observed by LC-MS-MS method, which is based on quantification of the ergosterol level in C. krusei. Moreover, these compounds were subjected to a cytotoxicity test for the preliminary toxicological profiles and were found as non-cytotoxic. Furthermore, docking studies for the most active derivative 3c were performed to evaluate its binding modes on lanosterol 14-α-demethylase. In addition to in vitro tests, docking studies also revealed that Compound 3c is a potential ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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16 pages, 6275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of Minor Hops Prenylflavonoids and New Insights on Prenyl Group Cyclization

by Jarosław Popłoński, Eliza Turlej, Sandra Sordon, Tomasz Tronina, Agnieszka Bartmańska, Joanna Wietrzyk and Ewa Huszcza

Molecules 2018, 23(4), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23040776 - 28 Mar 2018

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5476

Abstract

Synthesis of minor prenylflavonoids found in hops and their non-natural derivatives were performed. The antiproliferative activity of the obtained compounds against some human cancer cell lines was investigated. Using xanthohumol isolated from spent hops as a lead compound, a series of minor hop prenylflavonoids and synthetic derivatives were obtained by isomerization, cyclisation, oxidative-cyclisation, oxidation, reduction and demethylation reactions. Three human cancer cell lines—breast (MCF-7), prostate (PC-3) and colon (HT-29)—were used in antiproliferative assays, with cisplatin as a control compound. Five minor hop prenyl flavonoids and nine non-natural derivatives of xanthohumol have been synthetized. Syntheses of xanthohumol K, its dihydro- and tetrahydro-derivatives and 1″,2″,α,β-tetrahydroxanthohumol C were described for the first time. All of the minor hops prenyl flavonoids exhibited strong to moderate antiproliferative activity in vitro. The minor hops flavonoids xanthohumol C and 1″,2″-dihydroxanthohumol K and non-natural 2,3-dehydroisoxanthohumol exhibited the activity comparable to cisplatin. Results described in the article suggest that flavonoids containing chromane- and chromene-like moieties, especially chalcones, are potent antiproliferative agents. The developed new efficient, regioselective cyclisation reaction of the xanthohumol prenyl group to 1″,2″-dihydroxantohumol K may be used in the synthesis of other compounds with the chromane moiety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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2260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Series of Pyrrole-Based Chalcones: Synthesis and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Genotoxicity

by Ahmet Özdemir, Mehlika Dilek Altıntop, Belgin Sever, Hülya Karaca Gençer, Handan Açelya Kapkaç, Özlem Atlı and Merve Baysal

Molecules 2017, 22(12), 2112; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22122112 - 30 Nov 2017

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5600

Abstract

In an effort to develop new potent antimicrobial and anticancer agents, new pyrrole-based chalcones were designed and synthesized via the base-catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt condensation of 2-acetyl-1-methylpyrrole with 5-(aryl)furfural derivatives. The compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial effects on pathogenic bacteria and Candida species using microdilution and ATP luminescence microbial cell viability assays. MTT assay was performed to determine the cytotoxic effects of the compounds on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma, HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma, C6 rat glioma, and NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines. 1-(1-Methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(4-chlorophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (7) and 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (9) were found to be the most potent antifungal agents against Candida krusei and therefore these compounds were chosen for flow cytometry analysis and Ames MPF assay. ATP bioluminescence assay indicated that the antifungal activity of compounds 7 and 9 against C. krusei was significantly higher than that of other compounds and the reference drug (ketoconazole), whereas flow cytometry analysis revealed that the percentage of dead cells treated with compound 7 was more than that treated with compound 9 and ketoconazole. According to Ames MPF assay, compounds 7 and 9 were found to be non-genotoxic against TA98 and TA100 with/without metabolic activation. MTT assay indicated that 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(2-nitrophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3) showed more selective anticancer activity than cisplatin against the HepG2 cell line. On the other hand, 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(4-nitrophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (1) was found to be more effective and selective on the A549 cell line than cisplatin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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1691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Practical Synthesis of Chalcone Derivatives and Their Biological Activities

by Jae-Chul Jung, Yongnam Lee, Dongguk Min, Mankil Jung and Seikwan Oh

Molecules 2017, 22(11), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22111872 - 01 Nov 2017

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 14804

Abstract

Practical synthesis and biological activities of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-2-propene derivatives are described. The novel chalcone derivatives were prepared by acid catalysed one-step condensation of 1,3- or 1,4-diacetylbenzene and 1,3,5-triacetylbenzene with 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde. They were then evaluated for free radical scavenging activity, suppression of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced NO generation, and anti-excitotoxicity in vitro. It was found that all compounds showed good effects for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, LPS-induced NO generation, and anti-neurotoxicity. Compounds 6 and 7 were potent suppressor of NO generation with the concentration range 10 µM and especially compound 8 showed very potent anti-inflammatory activity with 1 µM. In addition, the di- and tri-acetylbenzyl derivatives 6, 7, and 8 showed enhanced anti-neurotoxicity activity in cultured cortical neurons. Molecular modelling studies to investigate the chemical structural characteristics required for the enhanced biological activities interestingly revealed that compound 8 has the smallest highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest energy unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) gap, which signifies easy electron and radical transfer between HOMO and LUMO in model studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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Review

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22 pages, 2471 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

The Keap1/Nrf2-ARE Pathway as a Pharmacological Target for Chalcones

by Matheus De Freitas Silva, Letizia Pruccoli, Fabiana Morroni, Giulia Sita, Francesca Seghetti, Claudio Viegas Jr and Andrea Tarozzi

Molecules 2018, 23(7), 1803; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23071803 - 20 Jul 2018

Cited by 80 | Viewed by 18699

Abstract

Chalcones have shown a broad spectrum of biological activities with clinical potential against various diseases. The biological activities are mainly attributed to the presence in the chalcones of the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl system, perceived as a potential Michael acceptor. Chalcones could activate the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway through a Michael addition reaction with the cysteines of Keap1, which acts as a redox sensor and negative regulator of Nrf2. This modification allows the dissociation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasmic complex with Keap1 and its nuclear translocation. At this level, Nrf2 binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE) and activates the expression of several detoxification, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory genes as well as genes involved in the clearance of damaged proteins. In this regard, the Keap1/Nrf2–ARE pathway is a new potential pharmacological target for the treatment of many chronic diseases. In this review we summarize the current progress in the study of Keap1/Nrf2–ARE pathway activation by natural and synthetic chalcones and their potential pharmacological applications. Among the pharmacological activities highlighted, anti-inflammatory activity was more evident than others, suggesting a multi-target Michael acceptor mechanism for the chalcones involving key regulators of the Nrf2 and nuclear factor- κB (NF-κB) pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry)

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