Morpholine-based chalcones as dual-acting monoamine oxidase-B and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: synthesis and biochemical investigations.

Nine compounds () containing the morpholine moiety were assessed for their inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidases (MAOs) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Most of the compounds potently inhibited MAO-B; most potently inhibited with an IC value of 0.030 µM, followed by (0.25 µM). most potently inhibited AChE (IC = 6.1 µM), followed by (IC = 12.01 µM) and most potently inhibited MAO-A (IC = 7.1 µM). was a reversible mixed-type inhibitor of MAO-B ( = 0.018 µM); reversibly competitively inhibited AChE ( = 2.52 µM); and reversibly noncompetitively inhibited AChE ( = 7.04 µM). , and crossed the blood-brain barrier, and were non-toxic to normal VERO cells. These results show that is a selective inhibitor of MAO-B and that is a dual-acting inhibitor of AChE and MAO-B, and that both should be considered candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.