Recruitment of hexahydroquinoline as anticancer scaffold targeting inhibition of wild and mutants EGFR (EGFRWT, EGFRT790M, and EGFRL858R)

Hexahydroquinoline (HHQ) scaffold was constructed and recruited for development of new series of anticancer agents. Thirty-two new compounds were synthesised where x-ray crystallography was performed to confirm enantiomerism. Thirteen compounds showed moderate to good activity against NCI 60 cancer cell lines, with GI % mean up to 74% for 10c. Expending erlotinib as a reference drug, target compounds were verified for their inhibiting activities against EGFRWT, EGFRT790M, and EGFRL858R where compound 10d was the best inhibitor with IC50 = 0.097, 0.280, and 0.051 µM, respectively, compared to erlotinib (IC50 = 0.082 µM, 0.342 µM, and 0.055 µM, respectively). Safety profile was validated using normal human lung (IMR-90) cells. 10c and 10d disrupted cell cycle at pre-G1 and G2/M phases in lung cancer, HOP-92, and cell line. Molecular docking study was achieved to understand the potential binding interactions and affinities in the active sites of three versions of EGFRs.

Green metrics in mechanochemistry

The development of new green methodologies and their broader adoption for promoting sustainable development in chemistry laboratories and industry play a significant role in society, due to the economic importance of chemistry and its widespread presence in everyday life. Therefore, a sustainable approach to chemistry contributes to the well-being of the worldwide population and complies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and the European Green Deal. The review highlights how batch and continuous mechanochemical methods are an eco-friendly approach for organic synthesis, with a lower environmental footprint in most cases, compared to solution-based procedures. The assessment is objectively based on the use of green metrics (e.g., atom and real atom economy, E-factor, process mass intensity, material parameter recovery, Eco-scale, stoichiometric factor, etc.) and indicators (e.g. DOZN tool and life cycle assessment, LCA, studies) applied to organic transformations such as synthesis of the amide bond, carbamates, heterocycles, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), porphyrins, porous organic polymers (POPs), metal- or acid-catalysed processes, multicomponent and condensation reactions, rearrangements, etc. The generalized absence of bulk solvents, the precise control over the stoichiometry (i.e., using agents in a stoichiometrically rather than in excess), and the more selective reactions enabling simplified work-up procedures are the distinctive factors, marking the superiority of mechanochemical processes over solution-based chemistry.

Engaging Isatins in Multicomponent Reactions (MCRs) - Easy Access to Structural Diversity

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) are a valuable tool in diversity-oriented synthesis. Its application to privileged structures is gaining relevance in the fields of organic and medicinal chemistry. Isatin, due to its unique reactivity, can undergo different MCRs, affording multiple interesting scaffolds, namely oxindole-derivatives (including spirooxindoles, bis-oxindoles and 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles) and even, under certain conditions, ring-opening reactions occur that leads to other heterocyclic compounds. Over the past few years, new methodologies have been described for the application of this important and easily available starting material in MCRs. In this review, we explore these novelties, displaying them according to the structure of the final products obtained.

Stereoselective synthesis and applications of spirocyclic oxindoles

This review summaries recent synthetic developments towards spirocyclic oxindoles and applications as valuable medicinal and synthetic targets.