Discovery of Cinnamic Acid Derivatives as Potent Anti-<i>H. pylori</i> Agents
Yonglian Li,
Kun Zhao,
Zhidi Wu,
Yujun Zheng,
Jialin Yu,
Sikun Wu,
Vincent Kam Wai Wong,
Min Chen,
Wenfeng Liu,
Suqing Zhao
Affiliations
Yonglian Li
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Kun Zhao
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Zhidi Wu
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yujun Zheng
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Jialin Yu
School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Sikun Wu
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Vincent Kam Wai Wong
Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
Min Chen
School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Wenfeng Liu
School of Pharmacy and Food Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Suqing Zhao
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Antibiotics are currently used for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is confirmed to be the major cause of gastric disorders. However, the long-term consumption of antibiotics has already caused antibiotic resistance and side effects in vivo. Therefore, there is an emerging need for searching for safe and effective anti-H. pylori agents. Inspired by the excellent bioactivities of cinnamic acid, a series of cinnamic acid derivatives (compounds 1–30) were synthesized and determined for H. pylori inhibition. The initial screening revealed that compound 23, a 2,4-dinitro cinnamic acid derivative containing 4-methoxyphenol, showed excellent H. pylori inhibition with an MIC value of 4 μM. Further studies indicated that compound 23 showed anti-bacterial activity and had a bactericidal effect on H. pylori due to the destruction of the bacterial structure. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the 2,4-dinitro groups in cinnamic acid moiety formed hydrogen bonding with amino acid residues in an active pocket of H. pylori protein. Interestingly, the ester moiety fitted into the hydrophobic pocket, attaining additional stability to compound 23. Above all, the present study reveals that compound 23 could be considered a promising anti-H. pylori agent to treat H. pylori causing gastritis.
