Design and development of multifunctional hybrids of ferulic acid and 1,3,4-oxadiazoles for the treatment of alzheimer’s disease

Ferulic acid-based multifunctional molecular hybrids of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Among the synthesized compounds, the derivatives with 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy substituent (FA5 and CFA5) showed balanced inhibitory potential against hAChE, hBChE, and hBACE-1. Also, CFA5displayed remarkable PAS-AChE binding with significant displacement of propidium iodide, and appreciable blood-brain barrier permeability predictions in PAMPA-BBB assay. The thioflavin T assay in self-and AChE-induced experiments established the considerable anti-Aâ aggregatory activity of CFA5. Compound CFA5 also showed neuroprotective activity in Aâ-induced oxidative stress against SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines. Moreover,in vivo behavioral studies showed amelioration of cognitive dysfunction in rats tested by Y-maze. In silico molecular docking study showed consensual binding interactions of CFA5 with active binding site residues of AChE and BACE-1.