title: Synthetic derivatives of curcumin and their activity against Leishmania amazonensis.
abstract: In a previous work, the in vitro and in vivo activity of a series of diarylheptanoid derivatives against Leishmania amazonensis has been described. Based on the promising results, ten new compounds belonging to the same chemical class were synthesized and have been investigated in relation to their leishmanicidal activity. The compounds were obtained through several chemical modifications on the basic structure of curcumin (1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) in an attempt to increase its effectiveness and decrease the potential toxic effects. The drugs were assayed in vitro against L. amazonensis promastigotes and using pentamidine isethionate as reference drug. The results showed that the most effective compound is 1,7-bis-(4-propargyl-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione, which is about ten times more efficient than the original curcumin. Nevertheless, these results did not allow us to make any correlation between the leishmanicidal activity and the chemical structure of the compounds.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química-Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro.
authors.forename: Denise de C F
authors.initials: Dde C
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Leila Vilela
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Alegrio
authors.forename: Marco Edilson Freire
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Leonor L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: Catarina A C
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000187:drug effects*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D003474:Curcumin