A Class of 5-Benzylidene-2-phenylthiazolinones with High Potency as Direct 5-Lipoxygenase Inhibitors

A novel class of potent direct 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitors bearing a thiazolinone-scaffold identified by virtual screening is presented. A range of substitutions and the importance of the 2-phenyl moiety were evaluated. This series is characterized by high potency in intact polymorphonuclear leukocytes and a cell-free system, exemplified by (Z)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-5H-thiazol-4-one (18, IC₅₀ = 0.28 and 0.09 μM). These disubstituted thiazolinones may possess potential for intervention with inflammatory and allergic diseases and certain cancer types.