Synthesis of 3-aryl-5-styryl-2-pyrazolines by the reaction of (E,E)-cinnamylideneacetophenones with hydrazines and their oxidation into pyrazoles

Some 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoline derivatives targeting breast cancer: Design, synthesis, cytotoxic activity, EGFR inhibition and molecular docking

Different 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoline derivatives 2a-c, 3-c, 4a-f, 6a-c, 7a-f and 8a-d were prepared via condensation reaction of the appropriate chalcone 1a-c or 5a-c with various hydrazine derivatives. All compounds were screened for their cytotoxicity against breast MCF-7 cancer cell line and the normal fibroblasts WI-38. Thirteen compounds 2a, 3a, 3c, 4a-d, 6c, 7d, 7e, 8b, 8d and 8f revealed promising cytotoxicity against MCF-7 compared to the reference standard staurosporine and they were safe to the normal fibroblasts WI-38. In addition, compounds 3c, 6c, 7d, 8b and 8d elicited higher cytotoxicity than erlotinib and exhibited promising EGFR inhibitory activity at submicromolar level comparable to that of erlotinib except for compound 8b that may exert its cytotoxicity via another mechanism besides EGFR inhibition. Molecular docking of 3c, 6c, 7d, 8b and 8d in the active site of EGFR confirmed the obtained results.

Potassium Carbonate Assisted Synthesis Of α, β, γ, δ-Unsaturated Ketones

The Cinnamylideneacetophenones derivative is shows important medicinal properties and intermediate in organic synthesis. Several substituted α, β, γ, δ-Unsaturated Ketones were prepared in high yield and purity by direct reaction of substituted cinnamaldehyde and ketones in the presence of potassium carbonate as a base in ethanol at 50ºC. The merit of the method is short reaction times, high yield, easy work-up and purification process, inexpensive and easily available catalyst.

A study towards drug discovery for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus through inhibition of the carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase by chalcone derivatives

The inhibition of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes, α-amylase and α-glucosidase, is one of the major therapeutic strategies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Chalcones have been recognized for their multiple biological activities, including antidiabetic properties, through unclear mechanisms. In the present work, a panel of chalcones bearing hydroxy, methoxy, methyl, nitro, chloro, fluoro and bromo substituents were evaluated against α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, most of them for the first time. The results showed that the substitution patterns and the type of substituents of chalcones influence their inhibitory activity. The presence of hydroxy groups at C-2'- and C-4' of the A ring and at C-3 and C-4 of the B ring favors the intended effect. Chalcones holding nitro groups and chloro substituents, together with a hydroxy group in the chalcone scaffold, showed strong inhibition of the α-glucosidase activity. The present study provides related scaffolds that may serve as the basis for the design and synthesis of new structures in order to obtain the ideal antidiabetic chalcone.

Thermal electron-transfer-induced oxidation of 2-pyrazolines

Various 3,5-diaryl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolines were synthesized, and their thermal oxidation to their corresponding 2-pyrazoles was investigated using tetrabutylammonium peroxydisulfate in acetonitrile solution. Compared to the reported oxidative methods, this oxidizing agent provides a clean and non-expensive oxidative reaction in a short reaction time. Based on the proposed reaction mechanism, the extent of co-planarity of the C₃-aryl ring toward C₃=N₂ double bond of the heterocyclic ring affects the electron-donating ability of the heterocyclic ring and decreases the time of oxidative reaction. The experimental results are supported by cyclic voltammetric measurements.

Effects of 1,3,5-triphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole derivatives on cell-cycle and apoptosis in human acute leukemia cell lines

Pyrazoline is an important 5-membered nitrogen heterocycle that has been extensively researched. Ten derivatives were synthesized and tested for antileukemic effects on 2 human acute leukemia cell lines, K562 and Jurkat. The most cytotoxic of these derivatives, compound 21, was chosen for investigation of cytotoxicity mechanisms. The results obtained with selectivity calculations revealed that compound 21 is more selective for acute leukemia (K562 and Jurkat cell lines) than for other tumor cell lines. Moreover, compound 21 was not cytotoxic to normal cell lines, indicating a potential use in clinical tests. Compound 21 caused a significant cell cycle arrest in the S-phase in Jurkat cells and increased the proportion of cells in the sub G0/G1 phase in both cell lines. Cells treated with compound 21 demonstrated morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis in the EB/AO assay, confirmed by externalization of phosphatidylserine by the annexin V – fluorescein isothiocyanate method and by DNA fragmentation. An investigation of cytotoxicity mechanisms suggests the involvement of an intrinsic apoptosis pathway due to mitochondrial damage and an increase in the ratio of mitochondrial Bax/Bcl2. Pyrazoline 21 obeyed Lipinski’s “rule of five” for drug-likeness. Based on these preliminary results, the antileukemic activity of compound 21 makes it a potential anticancer agent.

Synthesis and anti-cancer evaluation of steroidal diglycoside–pyrazoline hybrids

A new series of pyrazoline-steroidal diglycoside hybrids were synthesized via catalyzed cyclocondensation of the corresponding chalcones, screened for in vitro cytotoxic activity and the SAR deduced.

Synthesis of D-ring-substituted (5'R)- and (5'S)-17β-pyrazolinylandrostene epimers and comparison of their potential anticancer activities

Various steroidal benzylidenes were synthetized from pregnenolone with benzaldehyde and p-substituted benzaldehydes. The resulting 17β-chalconyl derivatives of pregnenolone were reacted with hydrazine hydrate in acetic acid solution. Regardless of the starting material, the ring-closure reaction afforded (in contrast with the literature data) a mixture of two steroidal pyrazoline epimers. The epimers were critical isomer pairs, which could be separated only in their acetylated form; their structures were investigated by NMR techniques. The in vitro inhibition of rat testicular C(17,20)-lyase activity and the antiproliferative effects on four human cancer cell lines were measured, and the results obtained from the two epimer series were compared.

NMR spectroscopic elucidation of the structure and stereochemistry of tricyclic 3-styrylpyrazolines

Diastereomeric mixtures of tricyclic 3-styrylpyrazolines have been prepared by the reaction of 3-cynnamylidenechroman-4-ones and their 1-thio analogs with hydrazine in hot acetic acid or propionic acid solutions. The diastereomeric mixtures were separated by column chromatography to obtain the pure diastereomers. The elucidation of their structure and stereochemistry and complete (1)H and (13)C assignments have been performed by a combination of various one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments.

Energy-variable collision-induced dissociation study of 1,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrazolines by electrospray mass spectrometry

The pathways of the ([M+H](+)) ions generated from electrosprayed solutions of nine 1,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrazoline derivatives were studied using energy-variable collision-induced dissociation (CID) and pseudo-MS(3) (in-source CID combined with MS/MS) methods. It was shown that under CID conditions several structurally important product ions such as the 2,4-substituted azete and 1,2-substituted aziridine ions were formed. The compositions of the product ions were unambiguously supported by accurate mass measurement (mass accuracy was within +/- 8 ppm). The fragmentation pathways of 1,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrazolines were established by means of pseudo-MS(3). It was found that a substituent at the N-1 position greatly affects the fragmentation pathways of the 2-pyrazoline derivatives. The 1-acetyl- and 1-propionyl-2-pyrazoline derivatives dissociate mainly through formation of a pyrazolium cation, while in the case of 1-phenyl-2-pyrazoline derivatives product ions arising from the consecutive fragmentation of 2,4-substituted azete and 1,2-substituted aziridine ions dominate. Another interesting finding is the formation of a radical cation from the 2,4-substituted azete by loss of a methyl radical. The fragmentation yield as a function of the collision energy for each of the 1,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrazolines was determined. Based on the fragmentation yield versus collision energy curves the relative fragmentation stabilities for the 1,3,5-trisubstituted 2-pyrazoline derivatives were also evaluated.