Novel Aminothiazole–Chalcone Analogs: Synthesis, Evaluation Acetylcholinesterase Activity, In Silico Analysis

In this study, novel thiazole-chalcone analogs were synthesized, and their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were examined. In vitro enzyme activity studies were conducted to calculate IC₅₀ values, which were found to range between 2.55 and 72.78 µM (tacrine IC₅₀ = 53.31 µM). The K_i values of the compounds showing the best inhibition (6g and 6e) were calculated and compared to those of the standard substance tacrine. All compounds reduced the AChE activity. Additionally, predictions made with SwissADME indicated that all compounds complied with Lipinski's rules and possessed good oral bioavailability properties, and the inhibitory effects of compounds 6e and 6g on AChE were evaluated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns). The results showed that compounds 6e and 6g had strong and stable interactions with AChE.