Novel Benzimidazole-Thiazolidine-2,4-dione Hybrid Compounds as Promising PPAR-γ Modulators with Antidiabetic Activity: Design, Synthesis, Molecular Docking, and In Vitro Evaluation

Introduction: Design, synthesis, and molecular docking studies of a novel series of Benzimidazole–Thiazolidine–2,4–dione hybrid compounds as PPAR-γ modulators for antidiabetic activity. Thiazolidinediones function as agonists of PPAR-γ, influencing the expression of numerous genes involved in the regulation of glucose, lipid, and protein metabolism. They improve insulin sensitivity by promoting glucose uptake in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and by reducing hepatic gluconeogenesis. Objectives: To perform the synthesis, molecular docking studies, in vitro cytotoxicity assessment, glucose uptake assay, and in vitro PPAR-γ transcription factor assay of Benzimidazole– Thiazolidine–2,4–dione hybrid compounds as antidiabetic agents. Methods: A molecular hybridization strategy was employed for the synthesis of Benzimidazole- Thiazolidine-2,4-dione hybrid compounds, and their chemical identities were confirmed using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and LC-MS techniques. Molecular docking studies were conducted to analyze the binding affinities of the synthesized analogs with the target protein. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of the new compounds, which were subsequently tested for glucose uptake using rat L6 myotubes as a model. Furthermore, the compounds underwent an in vitro PPAR-γ transcription factor assay. Results: Synthesized compounds were screened for their activation potential of PPAR-γ expression in HepG2 cell lines, and several compounds, notably PT14 and PT18, displayed an activation potential higher than the reference standard pioglitazone. Discussion: Compounds PT18 and PT14 exhibited significant PPAR-γ expression in comparison to the commercially available PPAR-γ agonist pioglitazone, at a concentration of 1μM which was used as the benchmark of agonist action. Conclusion: Compounds PT14 and PT18 are promising candidates to investigate further, as they exhibit significant cell viability, glucose uptake, and PPAR-γ transcription factor activation in nuclear extracts. These encouraging findings warrant further exploration through in vivo pharmacokinetic and antidiabetic efficacy studies, which will help establish their therapeutic potential and safety profile in biological systems.