3-Substituted coumarins as dual inhibitors of AChE and MAO for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The complex etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has encouraged active research in the development of multi-target drugs with two or more complementary biological activities, since they may represent an important advance in the treatment of this disease. A series of 3-substituted coumarins were synthesized and evaluated as monoamino oxidases (MAO) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. Most of the 3-benzamide coumarin derivatives inhibited both MAO-B and AChE with values in the micromolar range. It might be a promising direction for developing novel drugs as potential agents for the treatment of AD patients.