V-099
A Promising Chalcone with Multitarget Activity Against Neurodegenerative Disorders
Natalia COLETTIS1, Fabiola KAMECKI1, Victoria SUAREZ JARAMILLO1, Marina RADEMACHER1, Valentina PASTORE1, Mohammed AL-AZZANI2, Damijan KNEZ3, Stanislav GOBEC3, Tiago OUTEIRO2, Mariel MARDER1
  1. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  2. Centro Médico Universitario de Göttingen, Departamento de Neurodegeneración Experimental, Centro de Imágenes Bioestructurales de Neurodegeneración, Göttingen, Alemania.
  3. Universidad de Ljubljana, Facultad de Farmacia, Ljubljana, Eslovenia
Presenting Author:
Natalia Colettis
ncolettis@hotmail.com
Chalcones are flavonoids with potential in neurodegeneration. Our aim is to develop chalcone-derived compounds capable of simultaneously modulating multiple pharmacological targets relevant to neurodegenerative disease. From a library of 2′-hydroxychalcones, we identified chalcone 1 (3-chloro-4′,5′-dimethyl-2′-hydroxychalcone), which showed BBB permeability (PAMPA-BBB), no cytotoxicity (SH-SY5Y, ≤10 μM), and compliance with Lipinski’s rule, suggesting drug-likeness. In vitro, chalcone 1 inhibited mouse brain acetylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ = 4.4± 0.8 μM) with low butyrylcholinesterase activity, and reduced Aβ aggregation (51.6± 11.3% at 10 μM). In mice, acute administration (3 mg/kg, i.p.) improved working and long-term memory without affecting anxiety, sedation, or motor activity. Chalcone 1 also selectively inhibited human MAO-B (IC₅₀ = 0.354± 0.084 μM) with negligible MAO-A effect. In a rotenone-induced PD mice model, 7-day treatment reversed motor deficits, reduced oxidative stress, and prevented behavioral impairments, without changes in controls. ThT-based RT-QuIC assays further showed inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation (35.2 ± 7.9 and 58.2 ± 5.8%, reduction in ThT signal at 10 and 100 μM respectively). Altogether, chalcone 1 emerges as a promising multitarget lead for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, combining MAO-B inhibition, anti-cholinesterase, anti-aggregation (Aβ and α-synuclein), antioxidant, neuroprotective, and cognitive-enhancing properties.