Synthesis and antiprotozoal activity of some new synthetic substituted quinoxalines

Synthesis, crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 1-[(1-octyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl]-3-phenyl-1,2-di-hydro-quinoxalin-2(1H)-one

In the title mol-ecule, C25H29N5O, the di-hydro-quinoxaline unit is not quite planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.030 Å) as there is a dihedral angle of 2.69 (3)° between the mean planes of the constituent rings and the mol-ecule adopts a hairpin conformation. In the crystal, the polar portions of the mol-ecules are associated through C-H⋯O and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds and C-H⋯π(ring) and C=O⋯π(ring) inter-actions, forming thick layers parallel to the bc plane and with the n-octyl groups on the outside surfaces.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Biogenic δ-MnO2 NPs for the Dehydrogenative Coupling of Diamines with Alcohols for Benzimidazole and Quinoxaline Synthesis: An Efficient Catalyst for Electrochemical Applications

An efficient, unique, and eco-friendly biogenic synthesis of single-crystalline δ-phase manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO2 NPs) using Gliricidia sepium leaves (GSL) extract at room temperature has been revealed for the first time. The active chemicals present in the GSL extract were found to serve as both reducing and stabilizing agents. The catalyst shows an excellent surface area of 301.13 m2 g-1, a mean pore diameter of 4.01 nm, and 39.97% w/w of active metal content. The reactivity of the synthesized catalyst was demonstrated by achieving a one-pot synthesis of benzimidazoles and quinoxalines via an acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling strategy utilizing biorenewable alcohols. The release of hydrogen gas was observed as the only side product and proven by its successful utilization for alkene reduction which supports the mechanistic elucidation. The release of hydrogen gas as a useful byproduct highlights the scientific importance of the present methodology. Additionally, gram-scale synthesis and catalyst recyclability studies are deliberated. Importantly, the δ-MnO2 NP catalyst exhibited superior catalytic activity and high durability toward hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media, highlighting the dual use of the catalyst. The δ-MnO2 NPs attain the current density of 10 mA/cm2 at an overpotential of 154 mV with a Tafel slope of 119 mV/dec.

Recent Developments on Photochemical Synthesis of 1,n-Dicarbonyls

1,n-dicarbonyls are one of the most fascinating chemical feedstocks finding abundant usage in the field of pharmaceuticals. Besides, they are utilized in a plethora of synthesis in general synthetic organic chemistry. A number of 'conventional' methods are available for their synthesis, such as the Stetter reaction, Baker-Venkatraman rearrangement, oxidation of vicinal diols, and oxidation of deoxybenzoins, synonymous with unfriendly reagents and conditions. In the last 15 years or so, photocatalysis has taken the world of synthetic organic chemistry by a remarkable renaissance. It is fair to say now that everybody loves the light and photoredox chemistry has opened a new gateway to organic chemists towards milder, more simpler alternatives to the previously available methods, allowing access to many sensitive reactions and products. In this review, we present the readers with the photochemical synthesis of a variety of 1,n-dicarbonyls. Diverse photocatalytic pathways to these fascinating molecules have been discussed, placing special emphasis on the mechanisms, giving the reader an opportunity to find all these significant developments in one place.

Ca(IO3)2 nanoparticles: fabrication and application as an eco-friendly and recyclable catalyst for the green synthesis of quinoxalines, pyridopyrazines, and 2,3-dicyano pyrazines

In this paper, calcium iodate nanoparticles were first synthesized by the modified reaction of Ca(NO₃)₂ and KIO₃ in an aqueous medium under ultrasonic irradiation. The structure of nanocatalyst was then characterized by FT-IR, FESEM, EDX, XRD, and BET techniques. Afterward, the fabricated Ca(IO₃)₂ was applied as a nanocatalyst in the facile synthesis of heterocycles including quinoxalines, 5,6-dicyano pyrazines, and pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazines. For this purpose, the feasibility of the reaction in the presence of different catalyst amounts, solvents, and temperatures was first investigated. Next, the target compounds were obtained by the condensation reaction of aryl-1,2-diamines or 2,3-diaminomaleonitrile with 1,2-diketones in the presence of a catalytic amount of Ca(IO₃)₂ in ethanol or acetic acid solvents at ambient temperature in good to excellent yields. One of the salient advantages of this work is the synthesis of calcium iodate nanoparticles by chemical precipitation method and its application as a heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the first time in the synthesis of organic compounds. The other important benefits of this process are the use of an inexpensive, safe, stable and recyclable catalyst, high product yields, short reaction times, and easy isolation of the product in pure form.

Convenient Synthesis of N-Alkyl-2-(3-phenyl-quinoxalin-2-ylsulfanyl)acetamides and Methyl-2-[2-(3-phenyl-quinoxalin-2-ylsulfanyl)acetylamino]alkanoates

A series of 27 new quinoxaline derivatives (N-alkyl-[2-(3-phenyl-quinoxalin-2-ylsulfanyl)]acetamides, methyl-2-[2-(3-phenylquinoxalin-2-ylsulfanyl)-acetylamino]alkanoates, and their corresponding dipeptides) were prepared from 3-phenylquinoxaline-2(1H)-thione based on the chemoselective reaction with soft electrophiles. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to study the efficacy of 27 compounds on cancer cell viability and proliferation. A total of 13 compounds (4a-c, 5, 6, 8c, 9c, 9f, 10a, 10b, 11c, 12b, and 12c) showed inhibitory action on HCT-116 cancer cells and 15 compounds (4a-c, 5, 6, 8c, 9a, 9c, 9f, 9h, 10b, 11c, 12a, 12b, and 12c) showed activity on MCF-7 cancer cells, with compound 10b exhibiting the highest inhibitory action (IC₅₀ 1.52 and 2 μg/mL, respectively) on both cell lines. The molecular modeling studies on the human thymidylate synthase (hTS) homodimer interface showed that these compounds are good binders and could selectively inhibit the enzyme by stabilizing its inactive conformation. The study also identified key residues for homodimer binding, which could be used for further optimization and development.

I2-Catalyzed Carbonylation of α-Methylene Ketones to Synthesize 1,2-Diaryl Diketones and Antiviral Quinoxalines in One Pot

An efficient approach for the synthesis of 1,2-diaryl diketones was developed from readily available α-methylene ketones by catalysis of I2. In the same oxidation system, a novel one-pot procedure was established for the construction of antiviral and anticancer quinoxalines. The reactions proceeded well with a wide variety of substrates and good functional group tolerance, affording desired compounds in moderate to excellent yields. Quinoxalines 4ca and 4ad inhibited viral entry of SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudoviruses into HEK-293T-ACE2h host cells as dual blockers of both human ACE2 receptor and viral spike RBD with IC50 values of 19.70 and 21.28 μM, respectively. In addition, cytotoxic evaluation revealed that 4aa, 4ba, 4ia, and 4ab suppressed four cancer cells with IC50 values ranging from 6.25 to 28.55 μM.

A porous organic polymer supported Pd/Cu bimetallic catalyst for heterogeneous oxidation of alkynes to 1,2-diketones

A reusable Pd/Cu bimetal-loaded porous organic polymer (Pd/Cu@POP–POPh3) has been developed for heterogeneous oxidation of various alkynes to afford the corresponding 1,2-diketones in high to excellent yields.

Natural vs. Synthetic Phosphate as Efficient Heterogeneous Compounds for Synthesis of Quinoxalines

Natural phosphate (NP) and synthetic fluorapatite phosphate (SFAP) were proposed as stable, inexpensive, readily available and recyclable catalysts for the condensation of 1,2-diamines with 1,2-dicarbonyls in methanol to afford quinoxaline at room temperature. NP provided as high as 92-99% yield for quinoxalines in short reaction times (i.e., 1-45 min), while SFAP created quinoxalines with 87-97% yield in 60-120 min. From the chemical analyses, X-ray fluoresecency, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy methods, two main phases (CaO, P2O5) appeared in NP together with other low content phases (SiO2, Fe2O3). Compared to other phases, apatite (CaO and P2O5 as Ca10(PO4)6) played a major role in the catalytic activity of NP. SFAP with similar Ca/P atomic ratio showed a relatively lower catalytic activity than NP for the condensation of 1,2-diamine with 1,2-dicarbonyl in methanol at ambient temperature. To investigate the recyclability of catalysts, the surface properties of NP and 6-recycled NP were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda methods. Some differences were observed in NP and 6-recycled NP's particle size, surface area, the volume and size of pores, and the content of elements; nevertheless, the use-reuse process did not noticeably change the catalytic property of NP.

Recent advances in the transition-metal-free synthesis of quinoxalines

Quinoxalines, also known as benzo[a]pyrazines, constitute an important class of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds as a result of their widespread prevalence in natural products, biologically active synthetic drug candidates, and optoelectronic materials. Owing to their importance and chemists' ever-increasing imagination of new transformations of these products, tremendous efforts have been dedicated to finding more efficient approaches toward the synthesis of quinoxaline rings. The last decades have witnessed a marvellous outburst in modifying organic synthetic methods to create them sustainable for the betterment of our environment. The exploitation of transition-metal-free catalysis in organic synthesis leads to a new frontier to access biologically active heterocycles and provides an alternative method from the perspective of green and sustainable chemistry. Despite notable developments achieved in transition-metal catalyzed synthesis, the high cost involved in the preparation of the catalyst, toxicity, and difficulty in removing it from the final products constitute disadvantageous effects on the atom economy and eco-friendly nature of the transformation. In this review article, we have summarized the recent progress achieved in the synthesis of quinoxalines under transition-metal-free conditions and cover the reports from 2015 to date. This aspect is presented alongside the mechanistic rationalization and limitations of the reaction methodologies. The scopes of future developments are also highlighted.

Recent Updates on the Synthesis of Bioactive Quinoxaline-Containing Sulfonamides

Quinoxaline is a privileged pharmacophore that has broad-spectrum applications in the fields of medicine, pharmacology and pharmaceutics. Similarly, the sulfonamide moiety is of considerable interest in medicinal chemistry, as it exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities. Therefore, the therapeutic potential and biomedical applications of quinoxalines have been enhanced by incorporation of the sulfonamide group into their chemical framework. The present review surveyed the literature on the preparation, biological activities and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of quinoxaline sulfonamide derivatives due to their broad range of biomedical activities, such as diuretic, antibacterial, antifungal, neuropharmacological, antileishmanial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anticancer action. The current biological diagnostic findings in this literature review suggest that quinoxaline-linked sulfonamide hybrids are capable of being established as lead compounds; modifications on quinoxaline sulfonamide derivatives may give rise to advanced therapeutic agents against a wide variety of diseases.

Organocatalytic Combinatorial Synthesis of Quinazoline, Quinoxaline and Bis(indolyl)methanes

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE

An efficient and practical procedure for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds such as quinazolines, quinoxalines and bis(indolyl)methanes was developed using 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl ammonium hexafluorophosphate (BFPHP) as a novel organocatalyst.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All of the obtained products are known compounds and identified by IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR and melting points.

RESULT

Various products were obtained in good to excellent yields under reaction conditions.

CONCLUSION

The BFPHP organocatalyst demonstrates a novel class of non-asymmetric organocatalysts, which has gained much attention in green chemistry.

Synthesis and Structure-Chirality Relationship Analysis of Steroidal Quinoxalines to Design and Develop New Chiral Drugs

Of the utmost importance of chirality in organic compounds and drugs, the present work reports structure-chirality relationship of three steroidal quinoxalines, which were synthesised by condensing diaminobenzenes with cholestenone. All the compounds were purified and characterised by varying analytical tools prior to their chiroptical analysis by circular dichroism (CD) technique. The substituent groups on quinoxalines contributed to determining the chiroptical properties of the compounds. The positive Cotton effects have been observed in the CD spectra of unsubstituted and methyl-substituted quinoxalines, which indicated their P helicity. Importantly, chloro-substituent on quinoxalines produced different CD behaviour, which can be attributed to the presence of three lone pairs of electrons on Cl atom. The present work provides guidelines for determining the chiral properties of steroidal quinoxalines, which can be useful to design and develop potential molecules of biological importance.

Activities of Quinoxaline, Nitroquinoxaline, and [1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline Analogs of MMV007204 against Schistosoma mansoni

The reliance on one drug, praziquantel, to treat the parasitic disease schistosomiasis in millions of people a year shows the need to further develop a pipeline of new drugs to treat this disease. Recently, an antimalarial quinoxaline derivative (MMV007204) from the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) Malaria Box demonstrated promise against Schistosoma mansoni In this study, 47 synthesized compounds containing quinoxaline moieties were first assayed against the larval stage of this parasite, newly transformed schistosomula (NTS); of these, 16 killed over 70% NTS at 10 µM. Further testing against NTS and adult S. mansoni yielded three compounds with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀s) of ≤0.31 µM against adult S. mansoni and selectivity indices of ≥8.9. Administration of these compounds as a single oral dose of 400 mg/kg of body weight to S. mansoni -infected mice yielded only moderate worm burden reduction (WBR) (9.3% to 46.3%). The discrepancy between these compounds' good in vitro activities and their poor in vivo activities indicates that optimization of their pharmacokinetic properties may yield compounds with greater bioavailabilities and better antischistosomiasis activities in vivo.

Insights into the crystal structure of two newly synthesized quinoxalines derivatives as potent inhibitor for c-Jun N-terminal kinases

Two new compounds namely, ethyl (2E)-3-(dimethylamino)-2-(3-methoxyquinoxalin-2-yl)propen-2-enoate (II) and ethyl 2-(3-oxo-4-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)-3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2-yl)-3-phenylpropanoate (III) have been synthesized from ethyl 2-(oxo-3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2-yl) acetate (I). The compounds were characterized using NMR (¹H and ¹³C), Fourier transform infrared and confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The quinoxaline portion of II is almost planar with the substituent containing the dimethylamino and carboxyethyl groups rotated well out of its mean plane. In the crystal, C-H···O and C-H···N hydrogen bonds as well as C-H···π(ring) interactions form chains having a U-shaped cross-section and running along the c-axis direction. Two sets of pair-wise C-H···O hydrogen bonds connect the chains into corrugated sheets. In III, the three substituents on the dihydroquinoxaline moiety are rotated well out of its mean plane. Three sets of C-H···O hydrogen bonds as well as C-H···π(ring) and π-π-stacking interactions form layers approximately parallel to [001]. These are associated along the c-axis direction by additional C-H···π(ring) interactions. Additionally, the Hirshfeld surface analyses showed that the H···H contact is the most important interaction for both II and III. In addition to this, molecular docking and dynamics studies were carried for these two compounds with the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK1) molecule.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis, crystal structure at 219 K and Hirshfeld surface analyses of 1,4,6-tri-methyl-quinoxaline-2,3(1H,4H)-dione monohydrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C11H12N2O2·H2O, contains a mol-ecule of 1,4,6-trimethyl-1,4-di-hydro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione and a solvent water mol-ecule. Four atoms of the benzene ring are disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.706 (7):0.294 (7) ratio while the N-bound methyl groups are rotationally disordered with occupancy ratios of 0.78 (4):0.22 (4) and 0.76 (5):0.24 (5). In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into layers lying parallel to (10). The Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions to the packing arrangement are due to H⋯H (51.3%) and O⋯H/H⋯O (28.6%) inter-actions. The mol-ecular structure calculated by density functional theory is compared with the experimentally determined mol-ecular structure, and the HOMO-LUMO energy gap has been calculated.

Catalytic Applications of Saccharin and its Derivatives in Organic Synthesis

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Saccharin (1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one-1,1-dioxide) is a very mild, cheap, commercially available, water soluble, environmentally benign and edible Brønsted acidic substance. Recently, with other utilities, saccharin and its derivatives were employed as catalysts for various organic transformations. In this review, catalytic applicability of saccharin and its derivatives under various reaction conditions is summarized.

From simple quinoxalines to potent oxazolo[5,4-f]quinoxaline inhibitors of glycogen-synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)

2,7-Disubstituted oxazolo[5,4-f]quinoxalines were synthesized from 6-amino-2-chloroquinoxaline in four steps (iodination at C5, substitution of the chloro group, amidation and copper-catalysed cyclization) affording 28 to 44% overall yields. 2,8-Disubstituted oxazolo[5,4-f]quinoxaline was similarly obtained from 6-amino-3-chloroquinoxaline (39% overall yield). For the synthesis of other oxazolo[5,4-f]quinoxalines, amidation was rather performed before substitution; moreover, time-consuming purification steps were avoided between the amines and the final products (38 to 54% overall yields). Finally, a more efficient method involving merging of the last two steps in a sequential process was developed to access more derivatives (37 to 65% overall yields). Most of the oxazolo[5,4-f]quinoxalines were evaluated for their activity on a panel of protein kinases, and a few 2,8-disubstituted derivatives proved to inhibit GSK3 kinase. While experiments showed an ATP-competitive inhibition on GSK3β, structure-activity relationships allowed us to identify 2-(3-pyridyl)-8-(thiomorpholino)oxazolo[5,4-f]quinoxaline as the most potent inhibitor with an IC50 value of about 5 nM on GSK3α.

Catalyst-free direct cross-dehydrogenative coupling of imidazoheterocycles with glyoxal hydrates: an efficient approach to 1,2-diketones

An efficient and convenient methodology for catalyst-free cross-dehydrogenative coupling of imidazoheterocycles with glyoxal hydrates in good yields was developed. This methodology exhibits a broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance and offers a straightforward means to produce different heterocycles such as imidazoheterocyclic quinoxaline, imidazoheterocyclic hydantoin and imidazoheterocyclic α-keto ketamine under relatively mild conditions. Biological evaluation showed that the most potent compound 3m possesses significant in vitro antiproliferative activities against human-derived lung cancer cell lines with an IC50 value of 14.8 μM.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Some New Substituted Quinoxalines

A number of new symmetrically and asymmetrically 2,3-disubstituted quinoxalines were synthesized through functionalization of 2,3-dichloroquinoxaline (2,3-DCQ) with a variety of sulfur and/or nitrogen nucleophiles. The structures of the obtained compounds were established based on their spectral data and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial activity for the prepared compounds was investigated against four bacterial species and two fungal strains. The symmetrically disubstituted quinoxalines 2, 3, 4, and 5 displayed the most significant antibacterial activity, while compounds 6a, 6b, and the pentacyclic compound 10 showed considerable antifungal activity. Furthermore, compounds 3f, 6b showed broad antimicrobial spectrum against most of the tested strains.

A novel scaffold for EGFR inhibition: Introducing N-(3-(3-phenylureido)quinoxalin-6-yl) acrylamide derivatives

Clinical data acquired over the last decade on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment with small molecular weight Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have shown significant influence of EGFR point mutations and in-frame deletions on clinical efficacy. Identification of small molecules capable of inhibiting the clinically relevant EGFR mutant forms is desirable, and novel chemical scaffolds might provide knowledge regarding selectivity among EGFR forms and shed light on new strategies to overcome current clinical limitations. Design, synthesis, docking studies and in vitro evaluation of N-(3-(3-phenylureido)quinoxalin-6-yl) acrylamide derivatives (7a-m) against EGFR mutant forms are described. Compounds 7h and 7l were biochemically active in the nanomolar range against EGFR_wt and EGFR_L858R. Molecular docking and reaction enthalpy calculations have shown the influence of the combination of reversible and covalent binding modes with EGFR on the inhibitory activity. The inhibitory profile of 7h against a panel of patient-derived tumor cell lines was established, demonstrating selective growth inhibition of EGFR related cells at 10 μM among a panel of 30 cell lines derived from colon, melanoma, breast, bladder, kidney, prostate, pancreas and ovary tumors.

Design, synthesis, in silico docking studies and biological evaluation of novel quinoxaline-hydrazide hydrazone-1,2,3-triazole hybrids as α-glucosidase inhibitors and antioxidants

Novel quinoxaline-hydrazidehydrazone-1,2,3-triazole hybrids were synthesized, characterized and screened for α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities.

Antitumoral activity of quinoxaline derivatives: A systematic review

Cancer is a leading cause of death and a major health problem worldwide. While many effective anticancer agents are available, the majority of drugs currently on the market are not specific, raising issues like the common side effects of chemotherapy. However, recent research hold promise for the development of more efficient and safer anticancer drugs. Quinoxaline and its derivatives are becoming recognized as a novel class of chemotherapeutic agents with activity against different tumors. The present review compiles and discusses studies concerning the therapeutic potential of the anticancer activity of quinoxaline derivatives, covering articles published between July 2013 and July 2018.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of ethyl 2-{4-[(3-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-di-hydro-quinoxalin-1-yl)meth-yl]-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl}acetate

The mol-ecule of the title compound, C16H17N5O3, is build up from two fused six-membered rings linked to a 1,2,3-triazole ring, which is attached to an ethyl azido-acetate group. The di-hydro-qinoxalinone portion is planar to within 0.0512 (12) Å and is oriented at a dihedral angle of 87.83 (5)° with respect to the pendant triazole ring. In the crystal, a combination of inter-molecular C-H⋯O and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds together with slipped π-stacking [centroid-centroid distance = 3.7772 (12) Å] and C-H⋯π (ring) inter-actions lead to the formation of chains extending along the c-axis direction. Additional C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link these chains into layers parallel to the bc plane and the layers are tied together by complementary π-stacking [centroid-centroid distance = 3.5444 (12) Å] inter-actions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (44.5%), H⋯O/O⋯H (18.8%), H⋯N/N⋯H (17.0%) and H⋯C/C⋯H (10.4%) inter-actions.

Novel antimalarial chloroquine- and primaquine-quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxide hybrids: Design, synthesis, Plasmodium life cycle stage profile, and preliminary toxicity studies

Emergence of drug resistance and targeting all stages of the parasite life cycle are currently the major challenges in antimalarial chemotherapy. Molecular hybridization combining two scaffolds in a single molecule is an innovative strategy for achieving these goals. In this work, a series of novel quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxide hybrids containing either chloroquine or primaquine pharmacophores was designed, synthesized and tested against both chloroquine sensitive and multidrug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Only chloroquine-based compounds exhibited potent blood stage activity with compounds 4b and 4e being the most active and selective hybrids at this parasite stage. Based on their intraerythrocytic activity and selectivity or their chemical nature, seven hybrids were then evaluated against the liver stage of Plasmodium yoelii, Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum infections. Compound 4b was the only chloroquine-quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxide hybrid with a moderate liver activity, whereas compound 6a and 6b were identified as the most active primaquine-based hybrids against exoerythrocytic stages, displaying enhanced liver activity against P. yoelii and P. berghei, respectively, and better SI values than primaquine. Although both primaquine-quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxide hybrids slightly reduced the infection of mosquitoes, they inhibited sporogony of P. berghei and compound 6a showed 92% blocking of transmission. In vivo liver efficacy assays revealed that compound 6a showed causal prophylactic activity affording parasitaemia reduction of up to 95% on day 4. Absence of genotoxicity and in vivo acute toxicity were also determined. These results suggest the approach of primaquine-quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxide hybrids as new potential dual-acting antimalarials for further investigation.

Sensing study of quinoxaline analogues with theoretical calculation, single-crystal X-ray structure and real application in commercial fruit juices

Single-crystal X-ray structures of dimeric quinoxaline aldehyde (QA), quinoxaline dihydrazone (DHQ) and HQNM (Goswami S et al. 2013 Tetrahedron Lett.54, 5075-5077. (doi:10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.07.051); Goswami S et al. 2014 RSC Adv.4, 20 922-20 926. (doi:10.1039/C4RA00594E); Goswami S et al. 2014 New J. Chem.38, 6230-6235. (doi:10.1039/C4NJ01498G)) are reported along with the theoretical study. Among them, QA is not acting as an active probe, but DHQ and HQNM are serving as selective and sensitive probe for the Fe³⁺ cation and the Ni²⁺ cation, respectively. DHQ can also detect the Fe³⁺ in commercial fruit juices (grape and pomegranate).

Cyclophilin J PPIase Inhibitors Derived from 2,3-Quinoxaline-6 Amine Exhibit Antitumor Activity

Cyclophilin J (CyPJ), also called peptidylprolyl isomerase like 3, has been identified as a novel member of the cyclophilin family. Our previous research has resolved the three-dimensional structure of CyPJ and demonstrated the peptidylprolyl cis–trans isomerase (PPIase) activity of CyPJ, which can be inhibited by the common immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine A (CsA). Importantly, CyPJ is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and promotes tumor growth; CyPJ inhibition by CsA- or siRNA-based knockdown results in a remarkable suppression of HCC. These findings suggest that CyPJ may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC, and discovery of relevant inhibitors may facilitate development of a novel CyPJ-based targeting therapy. However, apart from the common inhibitor CsA, CyPJ has yet to be investigated as a target for cancer therapy. Here, we report structure-based identification of novel small molecule non-peptidic CyPJ inhibitors and their potential as antitumor lead compounds. Based on computer-aided virtual screening, in silico, and subsequently surface plasmon resonance analysis, 19 potential inhibitors of CyPJ were identified and selected for further evaluation of PPIase CyPJ inhibition in vitro. Thirteen out of 19 compounds exhibited notable inhibition against PPIase activity. Among them, the compound ZX-J-19, with a quinoxaline nucleus, showed potential for tumor inhibition; thus, we selected it for further structure–activity optimization. A total of 22 chemical derivatives with 2,3-substituted quinoxaline-6-amine modifications were designed and successfully synthesized. At least 2 out of the 22 derivatives, such as ZX-J-19j and ZX-J-19l, demonstrated remarkable inhibition of tumor cell growth, comparable to CsA but much stronger than 5-fluorouracil. These results indicate that these two small molecules represent novel potential lead compounds for CyPJ-based antitumor drug development.