Structural understanding of 5-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-N-(2-(5-methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl)-3-oxopentanamide as a neuroprotectant for Alzheimer's disease.

In our continuing efforts to develop novel neuroprotectants for Alzheimer's disease (AD), a series of analogs based on a lead compound that was recently shown to target the mitochondrial complex I were designed, synthesized and biologically characterized to understand the structure features that are important for neuroprotective activities. The results from a cellular AD model highlighted the important roles of the 4-OH on the phenyl ring and the 5-OCH3 on the indole ring of the lead compound. The results also demonstrated that the β-keto moiety can be modified to retain or improve the neuroprotective activity. Docking studies of selected analogs to the FMN site of mitochondrial complex I also supported the observed neuroprotective activities. Collectively, the results provide further information to guide optimization and development of analogs based on this chemical scaffold as neuroprotectants with a novel mechanism of action for AD.