Novel benzimidazole-based azine derivatives as potent urease inhibitors: synthesis, <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in silico</i> approach

<b>Aim:</b> In light of various biological activities of benzimidazole and azines, this study focuses on reporting novel derivatives of benzimidazole nucleus.<b>Methods:</b> Twenty novel azines of benzimidazole were synthesized, characterized and tested for <i>in vitro</i> urease inhibitory activity.<b>Results:</b> All these derivatives showed excellent to good inhibition in the range of IC₅₀ values 14.21 ± 1.87 to 76.11 ± 1.81 μM by comparing with standard thiourea 21.14 ± 0.42 μM. Docking studies were performed for the targeted benzimidazole derivatives to understand the binding mechanics. The results indicated higher binding efficacy compared with the reference inhibitor.<b>Conclusion:</b> This work identifies potential lead candidates for novel urease inhibitors, which with industrial support may be harnessed for the development of new drugs.