Isoxazoles: Synthesis, evaluation and bioinformatic design as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

Abstract

Objectives Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a common treatment for early stages of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, nine isoxazoles derivatives were tested for their in-vitro AChE activity. The molecular docking showed the interaction of the compounds with the active site. Methods The isoxazoles were synthesized using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition in the presence of sodium hypochlorite. They were also isolated and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The in-vitro activity was measured by an adapted version of Ellman's assay. Key findings The isoxazoles are described as inhibitors of AChE. The most potent compound in the series exhibited a moderate inhibitory activity (50% inhib..