Faculty Publications

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    New INH-pyrazole analogs: Design, synthesis and evaluation of antitubercular and antibacterial activity
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2015) Nayak, N.; Ramprasad, J.; Udayakumar, U.
    With the aim of developing promising antitubercular and antibacterial leads, we have designed and synthesized a new series of isonicotinohydrazide based pyrazole derivatives (5a-r). All new derivatives (4a-b and 5a-r) were screened for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (MTB) strain. Four compounds 5j, 5k, 5l and 4b emerged as promising antitubercular agents with MIC of ?4.9 ?M which is much lower than the MIC of the first line antitubercular drug, ethambutol. The 3-chlorophenyl substituent at position-3 of the pyrazole ring enhanced the antiTB activity of the molecules. Three derivatives 5b, 5k and 4b exhibited promising antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains. The active molecules were nontoxic to normal Vero cells and showed high selectivity index (>160). The structure and antitubercular activity relationship was further supported by in silico molecular docking study of the active compounds against enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) enzyme of M. tuberculosis. © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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    The bioisosteric modification of pyrazinamide derivatives led to potent antitubercular agents: Synthesis via click approach and molecular docking of pyrazine-1,2,3-triazoles
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2020) Reddyrajula, R.; Udayakumar, U.
    Tuberculosis remains as a major public health risk which causes the highest mortality rate globally and an improved regimen is required to treat the drug-resistant strains. Pyrazinamide is a first-line antitubercular drug used in combination therapy with other anti-TB drugs. Herein, we describe the modification of pyrazinamide structure using bioisosterism and rational approaches by incorporating the 1,2,3-triazole moiety. Three sets of pyrazine-1,2,3-triazoles (3a-o, 5a-o and 9a-l) are designed, synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory potency against mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The pyrazine-1,2,3-triazoles synthesized through the bioisosteric modification displayed improved activity as compared to rationally modified pyrazine-1,2,3-triazoles. Among 42 title compounds, seven derivatives demonstrated significant anti-tubercular activity with the MIC of 1.56 ?g/mL, which are two-fold more potent than the parent compound pyrazinamide. Further, the synthesized pyrazinamide analogs demonstrated moderate inhibition activity against several bacterial strains and possessed an acceptable in vitro cytotoxicity profile as well. Additionally, the activity profile of pyrazine-1,2,3-triazoles was validated by performing the molecular docking studies against the Inh A enzyme. Furthermore, in silico ADME prediction revealed good oral bioavailability for the potent molecules. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
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    Discovery of 1,2,3-triazole incorporated indole-piperazines as potent antitubercular agents: Design, synthesis, in vitro biological evaluation, molecular docking and ADME studies
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Reddyrajula, R.; Etikyala, U.; Vijjulatha, V.; Udayakumar, U.
    In this report, a library consisting of three sets of indole-piperazine derivatives was designed through the molecular hybridization approach. In total, fifty new hybrid compounds (T1-T50) were synthesized and screened for antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain (ATCC-27294). Five (T36, T43, T44, T48 and T49) among fifty compounds exhibited significant inhibitory potency with the MIC of 1.6 µg/mL, which is twofold more potent than the standard first-line TB drug Pyrazinamide and equipotent with Isoniazid. N-1,2,3-triazolyl indole-piperazine derivatives displayed improved inhibition activity as compared to the simple and N-benzyl indole-piperazine derivatives. In addition, the observed activity profile of indole-piperazines was similar to standard anti-TB drugs (isoniazid and pyrazinamide) against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, demonstrating the compounds’ selectivity towards the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. All the active anti-TB compounds are proved to be non-toxic (with IC50 > 300 μg/mL) as verified through the toxicity evaluation against VERO cell lines. Additionally, molecular docking studies against two target enzymes (Inh A and CYP121) were performed to validate the activity profile of indole-piperazine derivatives. Further, in silico-ADME prediction and pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that these compounds have good oral bioavailability. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
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    Benzothiazole derivatives as p53-MDM2 inhibitors: in-silico design, ADMET predictions, molecular docking, MM-GBSA Assay, MD simulations studies
    (Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Shridhar Deshpande, N.; Naik, S.; Udayakumar, U.; Ghate, S.D.; Dixit, S.R.; Awasthi, A.; Revanasiddappa, B.C.
    Breast cancer stands as the most prevalent malignancy among the female populace. One of the pivotal domains in the therapeutic landscape of breast cancer revolves around the precise targeting of the p53-MDM2 inhibitory pathway. The advent of p53-MDM2 inhibition in the context of developing treatments for breast cancer marks a significant stride. In the quest for enhancing the efficacy of p53-MDM2 inhibition against breast cancer, a new series of benzothiazole compounds (B1-B30) was designed through in-silico methodologies in the present work. Using Schrodinger Maestro, the compounds underwent molecular docking assessments against the p53-MDM2 target (PDB: 4OGT). Compared to reference compounds, B25 and B12 exhibited notably elevated glide scores. Extensive in-silico studies, including ADMET and toxicity evaluations, were performed to predict pharmacokinetics, drug likeness, and toxicity. All compounds adhered to Lipinski criteria, signifying favorable oral drug properties. The MM-GBSA analysis indicated consistent binding free energies. Molecular dynamics simulations for B25 over 200 ns assessed complex stability and interactions. In summary, these compounds exhibit potential for future cancer therapy medication development. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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    Noncovalent inhibitors of DprE1 for tuberculosis treatment: design, synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in silico studies of 4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinazolinylpyrazine-2-carboxamides
    (Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Naik, S.; Dinesha, P.; Udayakumar, U.
    In this study, we present a novel series of 4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinazolinylpyrazine-2-carboxamide derivatives, which exert their inhibitory effect on decaprenylphosphoryl-?-D-ribose 2’-epimerase (DprE1) via the establishment of non-covalent interactions with the pivotal Cys387 residue located within the enzyme’s active site. These compounds underwent scrutiny for their efficacy in combatting the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain, and compounds T8 and T13 exhibited promising antitubercular activity, boasting a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 7.99 and 8.27 µM respectively. Additionally, three compounds, T2, T3 and T12, showcased substantial antibacterial activity whereas compounds T12 and T13 exhibited pronounced antifungal efficacy. Remarkably, all active compounds demonstrated negligible cytotoxicity, and none posed harm to normal cells. To attain a more profound comprehension of the attributes of these compounds, we conducted in silico investigations to evaluate their Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion properties. Additionally, molecular docking analyses were executed to elucidate their interactions with the DprE1 enzyme. Finally, Density Functional Theory studies were leveraged to explore the electronic characteristics of these compounds, thereby providing insights into their potential utility in the realm of pharmaceuticals. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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    An in silico approach to identify novel and potential Akt1 (protein kinase B-alpha) inhibitors as anticancer drugs
    (Springer Nature, 2025) Etikyala, U.; Reddyrajula, R.; Vani, T.; Kuchana, V.; Udayakumar, U.; Vijjulatha, V.
    Akt1 (protein kinase B) has become a major focus of attention due to its significant functionality in a variety of cellular processes and the inhibition of Akt1 could lead to a decrease in tumour growth effectively in cancer cells. In the present work, we discovered a set of novel Akt1 inhibitors by using multiple computational techniques, i.e. pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular docking, binding free energy calculations, and ADME properties. A five-point pharmacophore hypothesis was implemented and validated with AADRR38. The obtained R2 and Q2 values are in the acceptable region with the values of 0.90 and 0.64, respectively. The generated pharmacophore model was employed for virtual screening to find out the potential Akt1 inhibitors. Further, the selected hits were subjected to molecular docking, binding free energy analysis, and refined using ADME properties. Also, we designed a series of 6-methoxybenzo[b]oxazole analogues by comprising the structural characteristics of the hits acquired from the database. Molecules D1–D10 were found to have strong binding interactions and higher binding free energy values. In addition, Molecular dynamic simulation was performed to understand the conformational changes of protein–ligand complex. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.
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    Exploring Indole-1,3,4-Thiadiazole Schiff Base Derivatives as Anticancer Agents: Design, Synthesis, In Vitro and In Silico Evaluation
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2025) Etikyala, U.; Reddyrajula, R.; Udayakumar, U.; Kokku, P.; Vijjulatha, V.
    Cancer remains a major global health challenge, with resistance to existing therapeutic regimens underscoring the development of novel agents with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity. The indole and 1,3,4-thiadiazole scaffolds are distinguished for their broad-spectrum bioactivities, including anticancer properties. In this study, the synthesis and biological evaluation of a new series of indole-1,3,4-thiadiazole Schiff bases (U1-U31) designed to enhance anticancer efficacy is explored. In vitro evaluation demonstrates potent and selective cytotoxicity of several compounds, particularly U19 and U24, against multiple cancer cell lines, with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Molecular docking and density functional theory studies demonstrate that these hybrid compounds effectively occupy the ATP-binding sites of Pi3K and Akt proteins, exhibiting notable binding interactions comparable to the respective standard inhibitors. In addition, molecular dynamics simulation is performed to understand the conformational changes of the protein–ligand complex. Overall, the findings indicate that these novel indole-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives have selective inhibitory potency, making them promising leads for further anticancer drug development. © 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.