Structure-guided design of Benzodioxole–acrylamide hybrids as potent and low-toxicity α-amylase inhibitors: Integration of MicroED and molecular docking analyses


Hawash M., ÇAPAN İ., Henawi H., Jawabre B., Nassif Y., Zorba I., ...Daha Fazla

Journal of Molecular Structure, cilt.1368, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 1368
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2026.146300
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Molecular Structure
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Antidiabetic lead, Benzodioxole–acrylamide hybrids, MicroED, Molecular docking, Structure–activity relationship, α-Amylase inhibition
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The search for selective and low-toxicity α-amylase inhibitors remains a key challenge in developing safer antidiabetic therapeutics. In this study, a new series of benzodioxole–acrylamide hybrids were designed and synthesized through a structure-guided approach aimed at enhancing α-amylase inhibition and metabolic safety. The synthesized derivatives were comprehensively characterized HRMS, and multinuclear NMR (¹H, ¹³C, HETCOR) spectroscopy, and their molecular structures were further resolved at atomic resolution using Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED). Among the tested compounds, the N-4-(2-thienyl)phenyl-bearing analog IHBY56 demonstrated the highest α-amylase inhibitory potency (IC₅₀ = 0.99 µM), surpassing the reference inhibitor acarbose (IC₅₀ = 1.53 µM). Importantly, IHBY56 displayed negligible cytotoxicity across six cancer cell lines (HeLa, MCF-7, HepG2, Hep3B, B16F1, and CaCo-2) and two normal cell lines (LX-2 and HEK-293T), supporting its favorable therapeutic window. Molecular docking simulations using AutoDock Vina and UCSF Chimera revealed that IHBY56 exhibited a strong binding affinity (−8.20 kcal mol⁻¹) toward α-amylase, engaging in key hydrogen bonds with THR163 and GLN63, and forming hydrophobic contacts with VAL107 and ALA106. The integration of MicroED structural analysis and in-silico docking provided complementary insights into the conformational stability and binding behavior of the benzodioxole–acrylamide scaffold, establishing a clear structure–activity relationship. Collectively, these findings identify IHBY56 as a potent and safe α-amylase inhibitor and highlight MicroED-guided structural elucidation as a promising strategy for future rational design of enzyme-targeted antidiabetic agents.