A series of pyrido[2,3-b[pyrazin-3(4 H)-one derivatives as aldose reductase inhibitors with antioxidant activity

A series of pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-3(4H)-one based derivatives were designed as inhibitors of aldose reductase (ALR2), the enzyme which plays a key role in the development of diabetes complications as well as in the oxidative stress processes associated with diabetes and other pathologies. Most of the derivatives, having a substituted C2 aromatic group and a N4 acetic acid group on the core structure, were found to be potent and selective aldose reductase inhibitors with submicromolar IC₅₀ values, and 9c was the most active with IC₅₀ value 0.009 μM. Particularly, a number of the designed compounds bearing phenolic hydroxyl substituted C2-styryl side chain showed excellent not only in ALR2 inhibition but also in antioxidant, and among these 11i was proved to be the top one with an antioxidant ability even comparable to that of the well-known antioxidant Trolox. Structure-activity relationship and molecular docking studies highlighted the importance of phenolic hydroxyl substituents and vinyl spacer in C2 side chain of the scaffold for the construction of efficient and multifunctional ALR2 inhibitors.