Abstract:
Carbohydrates are an important group of biomolecules that have received special attention
due to their significant role in the design and synthesis of new bioactive compounds. In this study, a
new class of 5-arylisoxazole-glucose hybrids was designed and synthesized for evaluation of their
inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and tyrosinase. The target compounds depicted selective
α-glucosidase inhibitory activity over α-amylase, which is an important factor in reducing probable
gastrointestinal problems in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In this respect, compound 9a, possessing
the phenylisoxazole group, was found to be the most potent α-glucosidase inhibitor (IC50 =
292.2 ± 0.1 μM) compared to acarbose (IC50 = 750.2 ± 0.1 μM) as the positive control. All
compounds were also evaluated for their anti-tyrosinase effect, and among them, compound 9j,
containing a fluoroaryl moiety, showed potent activity (IC50 = 50.1 ± 6.3 μM) in comparison to kojic
acid (IC50 = 23.6 ± 2.6 μM). Also, docking studies were performed to investigate the probable mode
of action, which indicated the construction of important H-bonding interactions between the sugar
moiety and the enzyme’s active sites. According to the results, hybrids containing heterocycles
attached to glucose can be used to inhibit α-glucosidase.