Targeting HIV-TB coinfection by developing novel piperidin-4-substituted imines: Design, synthesis, in vitro and in silico studies

Tuberculosis is the “Achilles heel” of the human immunodeficiency (HIV) ministration. HIV-positive people are 16–27 times more prone to contract tuberculosis. But the adverse interaction between antiretroviral drugs and antitubercular drugs has made it necessary to look for a single drug regimen for HIV-TB coinfection. Piperidine derivatives have been reported as anti-HIV and anti-TB agents. This inspired us to design, synthesize, and characterize a series of 3,5-bis(furan-2-ylmethylidene)-piperidin-4-substituted imines (R1-R25) and these were further screened for in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and anti-HIV activity. Molecular docking studies showed energetically favorable binding interactions with both EACP reductase (1ZID.pdb) and reverse-transcriptase (1REV.pdb) targets. The compounds R7, R12, R17, R18, R19, R20 were found to be more potent as anti-TB agents than ethambutol (MIC 3.125 μg/ml). Compound R7 was found to be moderately active with an IC₅₀ of 2.1 ± 0.04 μM in multicycle infection assays, in comparison with the standard drug, zidovudine (IC₅₀ = 5.7 ± 0.04 nM), used as anti-HIV drug. The cytotoxicity assay was done on Vero, MT-2, and TZM-bl cells to assess the safety of these compounds and they were found to be safe. From the above results, R7 seems to be a promising lead for anti-HIV and anti-TB activity.