Synthesis and pharmacological activity of 2-(biphenyl-4-yl)imidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazoles

An efficient method for the synthesis of novel 9H-imidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives containing a biphenyl substituent at position 2 was developed. These compounds, belonging to the privileged substructures, have been tested for a wide range of pharmacological activities in the in vitro test panel. It was shown that the synthesized derivatives demonstrated high antioxidant activity, some of them inhibit type 1B protein tyrosine phosphatase, activate AMP-activated protein kinase, possess antiplatelet properties, and a rare and very interesting kind of activity, the ability to break cross-links of glycated proteins. The most active compounds can be suggested for further optimization.