Design, synthesis, a-glucosidase inhibition, pharmacokinetic, and cytotoxic studies of new indole-carbohydrazide-phenoxy-N-phenylacetamide derivatives

A new series of indole-carbohydrazide-phenoxy-N-phenylacetamide derivatives 7a-l were designed, synthesized, and screened for their alpha-glucosidase inhibitory abilities and cytotoxic effects. The results obtained in the alpha-glucosidase inhibition assay indicated that most of the synthesized derivatives displayed good to moderate inhibitory abilities (K-i values ranging from 14.65 +/- 2.54 to 37.466 +/- 6.46 mu M) when compared with the standard drug acarbose ( K-i = 42.38 +/- 5.73 mu M). Among them, 2-mehoxy-phenoxy derivatives 7l and 7h with 4-nitro and 4-chloro substituents on the phenyl ring of the N-phenylacetamide moiety, respectively, displayed the most inhibition effects. The inhibitory mechanism of these compounds was investigated by molecular docking studies. The in vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that only one compound, 2-methoxy-phenoxy derivative 7k with a 4- bromo substituent on the phenyl ring of the N-phenylacetamide moiety, exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against the human non-small-cell lung cancer cell line A549 and the rest of the compounds show almost no cytotoxicity. Further cytotoxic evaluations were also performed on compound 7k. The in silico pharmacokinetic study predicted that the selected compounds 7l and 7h are likely to be orally active.