Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Some Pyrazoline Derivatives Bearing a Dithiocarbamate Moiety as New Cholinesterase Inhibitors

In the present study, new pyrazoline derivatives were synthesized via the reaction of 1-(chloroacetyl)-3-(2-furyl)-5-aryl-2-pyrazolines with sodium salts of N,N-disubstituted dithiocarbamic acids. Each derivative was evaluated for its ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) using a modification of Ellman's spectrophotometric method. The compounds were also investigated for their cytotoxic properties using the MTT assay. The most potent AChE inhibitor was found as compound 7 followed by compounds 27 and 17, when compared with eserine. Compounds effective on AChE carry the 2-dimethylaminoethyl moiety, which resembles the trimethylammonium group and the ethylene bridge of acetylcholine. Among all compounds, compound 7 bearing 2-dimethylaminoethyl and 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl moieties was also found to be the most effective inhibitor of BuChE. The MTT assay indicated that the effective concentration of compound 7 was lower than its cytotoxic concentration.