Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Synthesis and in vitro antidiabetic activity of some alkyl carbazole compounds

Olorunfemi A Eseyin¹ , Edidiong Edem¹, Ekarika Johnson¹, Ashfaq Ahmad², Sheryar Afzal²

¹Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria; ²Cardiovascular and Renal Physiology Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.

For correspondence:- Olorunfemi Eseyin Email: femieseyin2@yahoo.co.uk Tel:+2348065161478

Accepted: 9 June 2017 Published: 31 March 2018

Citation: Eseyin OA, Edem E, Johnson E, Ahmad A, Afzal S. Synthesis and in vitro antidiabetic activity of some alkyl carbazole compounds. Trop J Pharm Res 2018; 17(3):537-541 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v17i3.21

© 2018 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To synthesize some alkyl derivatives of carbazole and evaluate their in vitro inhibitory effect on alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase.

Methods: Synthesis of methylcarbazole, ethylcarbazole, propylcarbazole and butylcarbazole was carried out using acid-catalysed alkylation method while in vitro inhibitory assay on alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase enzymes on the synthesized compounds was evaluated using standard procedures. Acarbose was used as the reference compound.

Results: For carbazole, methylcarbazole, ethylcarbazole, propylcarbazole and butylcarbazole, the IC₅₀ values of alpha amylase inhibitory assay were 87.47, 50.23, 47.20, 42.36 and 42.11 µg/mL respectively. IC₅₀ values of alpha glucosidase inhibitory assay for ethylcarbazole, propylcarbazole and butylcarbazole were 205.30, 153.93 and 152.90 µg/mL, respectively. Carbazole and methylcarbazole had no inhibitory effect on this enzyme but the reference drug (acarbose) had a better inhibitory effect towards the two enzymes than the synthesized products.

Conclusion: Some alkyl-carbazoles with anti-diabetic effect have been successfully synthesised. Alkylation of carbazole increased the alpha amylase inhibitory effect of carbazole. The inhibitory effect is directly proportional to the chain length of the alkyl group

Keywords: Alkyl carbazole, alpha amylase, alpha glucosidase, synthesis