Design, synthesis, and molecular modeling of novel thiazolopyridine-based inhibitors of enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) as anti- Mycobacterium tuberculosis agents
Authors:
- Ahmed SabtASAhmed Sabt
- Małgorzata Korycka-MachałaMKMałgorzata Korycka-Machała
- Abdulrahman M. SalehAbdulrahman M. Saleh
- Hanaa FaragHFHanaa Farag
- Moataz A. ShaldamMSMoataz A. Shaldam
- Mohamed G. ThabitMTMohamed G. Thabit
- Anna BrzostekABAnna Brzostek
- Magdalena KuziołaMKMagdalena Kuzioła
- Bożena DziadekBDBożena Dziadek
- Hoda Atef Abdelsattar IbrahimHIHoda Atef Abdelsattar Ibrahim
- Xinsheng LeiXLXinsheng Lei
- 4 February 2026
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in RSC Medicinal Chemistry
- Vol. 17 (3) , 1586-1599
Abstract
The updated guidelines from the World Health Organization highlight that treatment options for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remain limited due to the scarcity of effective drugs. As a result, there is an urgent necessity to develop novel or repurposed drugs that demonstrate efficacy against multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. In this study, a new series of thiazole-pyridine hybrids were thoughtfully designed and synthesized to assess their potential as antitubercular agents. These compounds were specifically created to target enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA), a crucial enzyme in the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The majority of the compounds evaluated demonstrated substantial antitubercular activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.5 to 3.9 μg mL−1 against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Among them, compound 5a was the most effective, with an MIC of 0.5 μg mL−1. Further evaluations of compound 5a demonstrated its ability to disrupt bacterial biofilms and its strong inhibition of InhA, with an IC50 of 0.19 ± 0.008 μg ml−1, demonstrating superior efficacy compared to triclosan, which was employed as the reference drug. Molecular docking and dynamics analyses demonstrated that the pyridine ring and thiazole group are essential for binding affinity, and the pyridine-thiazole framework in compound 5a formed stable interactions within the active site of InhA.Keywords
Funding Information
- Narodowe Centrum Nauki (UMO-2023/49/B/NZ7/01421)
- Ministerstwo Edukacji i Nauki (2024/WK/06)
This publication has 52 references indexed in Scilit:
- Metabolomic Profiling and Therapeutic Potential of Melilotus indicus Leaves Against Ulcerative Colitis Induced by DSS and Gamma Radiation via Modulation of NF‐κB Pathway in RatsChemistrySelect, 2025
- Novel imidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines tethered with indolinone motif as VEGFR-2 inhibitors and apoptotic inducers: Design, synthesis and biological evaluationsBioorganic Chemistry, 2024
- New coumarin linked thiazole derivatives as antimycobacterial agents: Design, synthesis, enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) inhibition and molecular modelingBioorganic Chemistry, 2024
- Identification of new anti-mycobacterial agents based on quinoline-isatin hybrids targeting enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA)Bioorganic Chemistry, 2024
- Antibacterial Activity of Quinoline‐Based Derivatives against Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Design, Synthesis, DFT and Molecular Dynamic SimulationsChemistry & Biodiversity, 2023
- 4-Phenylcoumarin derivatives as new HIV-1 NNRTIs: Design, synthesis, biological activities, and computational studiesBioorganic Chemistry, 2023
- Essential tuberculosis medicines and health outcomes in countries with a national essential medicines listJournal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, 2022
- Mycobacterium enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA): A key target for antitubercular drug discoveryBioorganic Chemistry, 2021
- Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Evaluation of some Novel Pyridine, Coumarin, and Thiazole DerivativesJournal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, 2017
- Towards a new tuberculosis drug: pyridomycin – nature's isoniazidEMBO Molecular Medicine, 2012