Synthesis of Hybrid Peptidomimetics and Neoglycoconjugates Employing Click Protocol: Dual Utility of Poc-Group for Inserting Carbamate-Triazole Units into Peptide Backbone

8-Hydroxyquinoline Glycoconjugates: Modifications in the Linker Structure and Their Effect on the Cytotoxicity of the Obtained Compounds

Small molecule nitrogen heterocycles are very important structures, widely used in the design of potential pharmaceuticals. Particularly, derivatives of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) are successfully used to design promising anti-cancer agents. Conjugating 8-HQ derivatives with sugar derivatives, molecules with better bioavailability, selectivity, and solubility are obtained. In this study, 8-HQ derivatives were functionalized at the 8-OH position and connected with sugar derivatives (D-glucose or D-galactose) substituted with different groups at the anomeric position, using copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). Glycoconjugates were tested for inhibition of the proliferation of cancer cell lines (HCT 116 and MCF-7) and inhibition of β-1,4-galactosyltransferase activity, which overexpression is associated with cancer progression. All glycoconjugates in protected form have a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells in the tested concentration range. The presence of additional amide groups in the linker structure improves the activity of glycoconjugates, probably due to the ability to chelate metal ions present in many types of cancers. The study of metal complexing properties confirmed that the obtained glycoconjugates are capable of chelating copper ions, which increases their anti-cancer potential.

Synthesis and antioxidant evaluation of enantiomerically pure bis-(1,2,3-triazolylmethyl)amino esters from modified α-amino acids

The efforts for synthesis of enantiomerically pure bis-(1,2,3-triazolylmethyl)amino esters 6 are reported in good yields from an in situ generated α-azidomethyl ketone. Optimum experimental conditions were established for preparation of α-halomethyl ketones 10 and α-N,N-dipropargylamino esters 11, all derived from α-amino acids. The starting materials reacted under conventional click chemistry conditions, revealing a specific reactivity of bromomethyl ketones over chloromethyl ketones. The antioxidant activity of compounds 6 was assayed by DPPH method. The compound 6c with an IC50 of 75.57 ± 1.74 μg mL(-1) was the most active. Technically, this methodology allows the preparation of a combinatorial library of analogues with different structural characteristics depending on the nature of the modified α-amino acids employed in the synthesis.