Skin Damages—Structure Activity Relationship of Benzimidazole Derivatives Bearing a 5-Membered Ring System

• Main Authors: Ernestine Nicaise Djuidje, Elisa Durini, Sabrina Sciabica, Elena Serra, Jan Balzarini, Sandra Liekens, Stefano Manfredini, Silvia Vertuani, Anna Baldisserotto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: benzimidazole; UV-filter; melanoma
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/18/4324

In the search for scaffolds for multifunctional compounds we investigated the structure activity relationship of a class of benzimidazole derivatives bearing 5-membered ring. The newly synthesized and the already known compounds were divided into three classes that present different substituent at 5 position of the benzimidazole ring (-H, -COOH or –SO₃H) and different heterocycle at position 2 (thiophene, furan or pyrrole). All the derivatives were synthesized and tested to determine their photoprotective profile against UV rays, in vitro antioxidant capacity against different radicals (DPPH and FRAP test), antifungal inhibitory activity (dermatophytes and <i>Candida albicans</i>), antiviral and antiproliferative activity. A Structure-Activity Relationship study indicated compound <b>10</b>, bearing a pyrrole heterocycle on the benzimidazole ring, as the best multifunctional derivative of the series and as potential candidate for the development of drugs especially in case of melanoma.