Conjugates of Tacrine and Its Cyclic Homologues with p-Toluenesulfonamide as Novel Acetylcholinesterase and Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors.

Using the acylation reaction with tosyl chloride of N-aminopropyl analogues of tacrine and its cyclic homologues with different size of the aliphatic cycle (5-8), we synthesized a number of new derivatives of p-toluenesulfonamide. It is shown that the synthesized hybrid compounds of tacrine and p-toluenesulfonamide are effective inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with the preferential inhibition of BChE. They also displace propidium from the peripheral anionic site of the electric eel AChE (Electrophorus electricus). The characteristics of the efficiency and selectivity of cholinesterase inhibition by the test compounds were confirmed by the results of molecular docking.