Inhibition of monoamine oxidase by indole and benzofuran derivatives

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an important drug target for the treatment of neurological disorders. A series of indole and benzofuran derivatives were synthesised and evaluated as inhibitors of the two MAO isoforms, MAO-A and MAO-B. In general, the derivatives were found to be selective MAO-B inhibitors with Ki values in the nanoMolar (nM) to microMolar (μM) concentration range. The most potent MAO-B inhibitor, 3,4-dichloro-N-(2-methyl-1H-indol-5-yl)benzamide, exhibited a Ki value of 0.03 μM and was 99 fold more selective for the B isoform. We conclude that these indole and benzofuran derivatives are promising reversible MAO-B inhibitors with a possible role in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Graphical abstractA series of indole and benzofuran derivatives were synthesised and evaluated for their ability to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide