Synthesis, antitumor activity of 2-amino-4H-benzo[h]chromene derivatives, and structure–activity relationships of the 3- and 4-positions

Novel 3-phenyl-1- (alkylphenyl)-9-oxa-4-azaphenanthren-10-ones as inhibitors of some enzymes: synthesis, characterization, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies

A series of novel 3-phenyl-1-(alkylphenyl)-9-oxa-4-azaphenanthren-10-ones and (E)-1-phenyl-3-(aryl)prop-2-en-1-ones were synthesized and characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The synthesized Compounds 5a-f were subjected to molecular docking simulation with three proteins, namely, tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, heme oxygenase 1 and acetylcholinesterase to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition, respectively. Moreover, the docked poses of all compounds inside the proteins were subjected to further dynamic simulation through the calculation of the binding free energy using MM-GBSA analysis. Compound 5d exhibits high potential inhibition against antibacterial, antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase activities. Compounds 3d, 3f, 5a and 5d recorded an important scavenging activity in DPPH and ABTS assays. Investigation of the anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of the synthesized compounds showed that Compounds 5a and 3d are the most potent inhibitors against AchE, with percent inhibition values of 38 and 30%, respectively.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis of β-Enaminonitrile-Linked 8-Methoxy-1H-Benzo[f]Chromene Moieties and Analysis of Their Antitumor Mechanisms

A series of aryl-substituted 3-amino-1-aryl-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitriles (4a-4q) were designed and synthesized via reaction of 6-methoxy-2-naphthol with a mixture of appropriate aromatic aldehydes and malononitrile under microwave conditions. The structures of the novel compounds 4b, 4c, 4f, 4g, 4i, 4l, 4m, and 4o-4q were established according to IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR/13C-NMR-DEPT, and MS. The benzochromene derivative 4c with a single chlorine at the meta position of the phenyl ring and, to a lesser extent, other benzochromenes with monohalogenated phenyl ring (4a, 4c-4f) exhibited the highest cytotoxicity against six human cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, HeLa, MIA PaCa-2, 5,637, and Hep G2. The mechanisms of the cytotoxic activities of benzochromenes with monohalogenated phenyl ring (4a, 4c-4f) were further analyzed using triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. Cell cycle analysis showed accumulation of the treated cells in S phase for 4a, 4d-4f, and S-G2/M phases for 4c. In vivo, 4a and 4c-4f inhibited growth, proliferation, and triggered apoptosis in preestablished breast cancer xenografts grown on the chick chorioallantoic membranes while exhibiting low systemic toxicity. Compounds 4a and 4c-4f increased levels of mitochondrial superoxide and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential resulting in initiation of apoptosis as demonstrated by caspase 3/7 activation. In addition, 4c induced general oxidative stress in cancer cells. The SAR study confirmed that halogens of moderate size at meta or para positions of the pendant phenyl ring enhance the cytotoxic activity of 3-amino-1-aryl-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitriles, and these compounds could serve as leads for the development of novel anticancer therapies.

Three-Component Synthesis of 2-Amino-3-cyano-4H-chromenes, In Silico Analysis of Their Pharmacological Profile, and In Vitro Anticancer and Antifungal Testing

Chromenes are compounds that may be useful for inhibiting topoisomerase and cytochrome, enzymes involved in the growth of cancer and fungal cells, respectively. The aim of this study was to synthesize a series of some novel 2-amino-3-cyano-4-aryl-6,7-methylendioxy-4H-chromenes 4a-o and 2-amino-3-cyano-5,7-dimethoxy-4-aryl-4H-chromenes 6a-h by a three-component reaction, and test these derivatives for anticancer and antifungal activity. Compounds 4a and 4b were more active than cisplatin (9) and topotecan (7) in SK-LU-1 cells, and more active than 9 in PC-3 cells. An evaluation was also made of the series of compounds 4 and 6 as potential antifungal agents against six Candida strains, finding their MIC₅₀ to be less than or equal to that of fluconazole (8). Molecular docking studies are herein reported, for the interaction of 4 and 6 with topoisomerase IB and the active site of CYP51 of Candida spp. Compounds 4a-o and 6a-h interacted in a similar way as 7 with key amino acids of the active site of topoisomerase IB and showed better binding energy than 8 at the active site of CYP51. Hence, 4a-o and 6a-h are good candidates for further research, having demonstrated their dual inhibition of enzymes that participate in the growth of cancer and fungal cells.

Synthesis, Cytotoxic Activity, Crystal Structure, DFT Studies and Molecular Docking of 3-Amino-1-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitrile

The target compound 3-amino-1-(2,5-d ichlorophenyl)-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]-chromene-2-carbonitrile (4) was synthesized via a reaction of 6-methoxynaphthalen-2-ol (1), 2,5-dichlorobenzaldehyde (2), and malononitrile (3) in ethanolic piperidine solution under microwave irradiation. The newly synthesized β-enaminonitrile was characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction data. Its cytotoxic activity was evaluated against three different human cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, and MIA PaCa-2 in comparison to the positive controls etoposide and camptothecin employing the XTT cell viability assay. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surface was utilized to visualize the reliability of the crystal package. The obtained results confirmed that the tested molecule revealed promising cytotoxic activities against the three cancer cell lines. Furthermore, theoretical calculations (DFT) were carried out with the Becke3-Lee-Yang-parr (B3LYP) level using 6-311++G(d,p) basis. The optimization geometry for molecular structures was in agreement with the X-ray structure data. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap of the studied system was discussed. The intermolecular-interactions were studied through analysis of the topological-electron-density(r) using the QTAIM and NCI methods. The novel compound exhibited favorable ADMET properties and its molecular modeling analysis showed strong interaction with DNA methyltransferase 1.

One-pot multi-component process for the synthesis of 4-azaphenanthrene-3,10-dione, 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene and tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran derivatives catalyzed by the deep eutectic solvent choline chloride-oxalic acid

An effective method based on choline chloride (ChCl)-oxalic acid (Ox) deep eutectic solvent was proposed for the synthesis of 4-azaphenanthrene-3,10-dione, 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene and tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran derivatives. The eutectic mixture worked as both the solvent and acidic catalyst for conversion. The impacts of different variables, including the composition and volume of ChCl-Ox, and temperature, on reaction yield were studied for optimization. The crucial advantages of this process are simplicity of the experimental procedure, high yields, short reaction times, high recyclability, and the use of safe and inexpensive components.

Heteroaromatization with 4-Phenyldiazenyl-1-naphthol. Part IV: Synthesis of Some New Heterocyclic Compounds with Potential Biological Activity

BACKGROUND

Synthetic azo compounds and their derivatives have been studied extensively due to their biological and pharmacological activities. Pyranopyridines, pyranopyrimidines and tetrazoles derivatives have emerged as a promising and attractive scaffold in the development of potent biological and pharmacological agents.

OBJECTIVES

To design a series of new benzochromeno(pyridine/pyrimidine/tetrazole) derivatives and evaluate their antimicrobial activity against some bacterial strains (Gram-positive and Gram-negative) and some fungal strains.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The (E)-7-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-(phenyldiazenyl)-10-thioxo-7,9,10,11-tetrahydro-8Hnaptho[ 1,2-b]pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidin-8-one (4) was synthesized by the reaction of 4H-naphtho[1,2-b]pyran-3- carbonitrile (3) with carbon disulfide in alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution. Reaction of 3 with sodium azide in DMF and in presence of ammonium chloride afforded 6-(phenyldiazenyl)-3-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-4Hbenzo[ h]chromen-2-amine (7) while with malononitrile, thiourea or urea gave chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine-9- carbonitrile (8), chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-10-thione (9) and chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-10-one (10), respectively. The assignment structures were established on the basis of spectral data.

RESULTS

In this study, the antimicrobial activity of the synthesized compounds 3-12 was examined for their in vitro antimicrobial activity by using agar diffusion method such as Mueller-Hinton agar medium for bacteria and Sabouraud's agar medium for fungi. Ampicillin and mycostatine were included in the experiments as reference drugs.

CONCLUSION

A series of new benzochromeno(pyridine/pyrimidine/tetrazole) derivatives were synthesized in this work. All compounds were evaluated in antimicrobial activities.

Antiproliferative effect, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis generation of novel synthesized anticancer heterocyclic derivatives based 4H-benzo[h]chromene

Novel β-enaminonitrile/ester compounds (4, 6) and an imidate of 4 (9) were utilized as key scaffolds for the synthesis of newly 2-substituted 4H-benzo[h]chromene (7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14) and 7H-benzo[h]chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives (15-19). The spectral data confirmed the successful isolation of the desired compounds. The targeted compounds were assessed for their in vitro anticancer activity against mammary gland breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), human colon cancer (HCT-116), and liver cancer (HepG-2), while doxorubicin, vinblastine, and colchicine were utilized as standard references drugs. Some of the examined compounds displayed high growth inhibitory activity against the three different cell lines. For example, the aminoimino derivative (18) exhibited excellent antitumor activity versus all cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values = 0.45 µg/mL, 0.7 µg/mL, and 1.7 µg/mL. Among the tested molecules, compounds 9, 15, and 18 were selected for further study regarding their effects on cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, caspase 3/7 activity, and DNA fragmentation. We found that these three potent cytotoxic compounds induce cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases, which causes apoptosis. Furthermore, these compounds significantly inhibit the invasion and migration of the different tested cancer cells. Finally, the SAR survey highlighted the antitumor activity of the new molecules that was remarkably influenced by the hydrophilicity of substituent as well the fused rings at certain positions.

Design and Synthesis of Novel Heterocyclic-Based 4H-benzo[h]chromene Moieties: Targeting Antitumor Caspase 3/7 Activities and Cell Cycle Analysis

Novel fused chromenes (4,7–11) and pyrimidines (12–16) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their mammary gland breast cancer (MCF-7), human colon cancer (HCT-116), and liver cancer (HepG-2) activities. The structural identity of the synthesized compounds was established according to their spectroscopic analysis, such as FT-IR, NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The preliminary results of the bioassay disclosed that some of the target compounds were proven to have a significant antiproliferative effect against the three cell lines, as compared to Doxorubicin, Vinblastine, and Colchicine, used as reference drugs. Particularly, compounds 7 and 14 exerted promising anticancer activity towards all cell lines and were chosen for further studies, such as cell cycle analysis, cell apoptosis, caspase 3/7 activity, DNA fragmentation, cell invasion, and migration. We found that these potent cytotoxic compounds induced cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases, prompting apoptosis. Furthermore, these compounds significantly inhibit the invasion and migration of the different tested cancer cells. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) survey highlights that the antitumor activity of the desired compounds was affected by the hydrophobic or hydrophilic nature of the substituent at different positions.

Ferrocene-Containing Ionic Liquid Supported on Silica Nanospheres (SiO2@Imid-Cl@Fc) as a Mild and Efficient Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of Pyrano[3,2-b]Pyran Derivatives Under Ultrasound Irradiation

A novel heterogeneous silica nanosphere-supported ferrocene-containing ionic liquid catalyst (SiO2@Imid-Cl@Fc) was designed and synthesised and was systematically characterised by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The catalytic activity of the SiO2@Imid-Cl@Fc catalyst was tested in a one-pot, three-component reaction of malononitrile and kojic acid with 15 aromatic aldehydes at room temperature under ultrasound irradiation. The products were pyrano[3,2-b]pyran derivatives, four of which are new. The catalyst exhibited good catalytic performance over short reaction times (15–20 min) and could be recycled at least five times without significant loss of activity.

Photochemical synthesis of benzo[f]chromene

The one-pot photocatalytic synthesis of benzo[f]chromene was performed at room temperature by the addition of benzyl alcohol, malononitrile and β-naphthol in contact with an illuminated nano-SnO₂/TiO₂ composite. This study illustrated the potential of photochemical synthesis of benzo[f]chromene. A simple procedure was proposed for the synthesis of a nano-SnO₂/TiO₂ composite using the sol-gel method by hydrolysis of tin(iv) chloride and titanium(iv) chloride at room temperature in the presence of polyethylene glycol 200, diethanolamine, and distilled water. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and FT-IR were employed to characterize the proposed photocatalyst.

Crystal structure of 3-amino-8-methoxy-1-phenyl-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitrile, C21H16N2O2

C21H16N2O2, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 8.5971(3) Å, b = 9.8586(3) Å, c = 10.6199(4) Å, α = 95.747(2)°, β = 104.384(2)°, γ = 101.768(2)°, V = 842.69(5) Å3, Z = 2, R gt(F) = 0.0482, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1377, T = 293(2).

Crystal structure of 3-amino-9-methoxy-1-phenyl-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitrile, C21H16N2O2

C21H16N2O2, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 13.4768(7) Å, b = 6.9225(3) Å, c = 18.2840(8) Å, β = 107.601(2)°, V = 1625.92(13) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0593, wRref(F2) = 0.1529, T = 100 K.

Synthesis, in-vitro cytotoxicity of 1H-benzo[f]chromene derivatives and structure–activity relationships of the 1-aryl group and 9-position

A series of 1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitriles was synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against MCF-7, HCT-116, and HepG-2 cancer cells. The SAR studies reported that the substitution in the phenyl ring at 1-position of 1H-benzo[f]chromene nucleus with the specific group, H atom, or methoxy group at 9-position increases the ability of the molecule against the different cell lines.

Structural Characterization and Antimicrobial Activities of 7H-Benzo[h]chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidine and 14H-Benzo[h]chromeno[3,2-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c] pyrimidine Derivatives

Three new series of chromene molecules have been synthesized in order to explore their antimicrobial activity. The series encompass 2-substituted 14-(4-halophenyl)-12-methoxy-14H-benzo[h]chromeno[3,2-e][1,2,4]-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines 7a-o, 9-benzylideneamino-7-(4-halo-phenyl)-5-methoxy-8-imino-7H-benzo-[h]chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidines 8a-b and 3-ethoxycarbonyl-14-(4-halophenyl)-12-methoxy-14H-benzo-[h]chromeno[3,2-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine-2-one derivatives 12a-b. The structure of these novel compounds were confirmed using IR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR as well as MS spectroscopy. The new compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antimicrobial activity and it was demonstrated that 7H-benzochromenopyrimidine and derivatives of 14H-benzochromenotriazolopyrimidine exhibited the most promising antibacterial activities compared to the reference antimicrobial agents. The structure activity relationship (SAR) studies of the target compounds agreed with the in vitro essays and confirmed higher potent antimicrobial activity against some of the tested microorganisms.