Intramolecular oxidative rearrangement: I2/TBHP/DMSO-mediated metal free facile access to quinoxalinone derivatives

A Comprehensive Exploration of the Synergistic Relationship between DMSO and Peroxide in Organic Synthesis

In the realm of organic synthesis, reagents can serve not only as solvents but also as synthons. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is recognized for its efficiency in this dual capacity, enabling diverse chemical transformations. DMSO can generate various synthons, including methyl, methylene, methine, oxygen, and methyl sulfoxide, broadening the accessible compound repertoire. Activation of DMSO as a reagent relies heavily on synergies with secondary agents like peroxide, persulfate, or iodine. Recent years have witnessed a surge in innovative synthetic techniques harnessing the synergistic interplay of DMSO and peroxide, leading to environmentally friendly and cost-effective reactions with mild conditions. This review highlights the synergistic effects of DMSO and peroxides (up to 2023), detailing their activation mechanisms and the generation of various synthons, along with numerous reported derivatives. Although this topic has received considerable attention in recent years, there are numerous discrepancies and a plethora of possibilities yet to be explored. We anticipate that this review will significantly support researchers in advancing their innovations to a greater extent in the future.

I2/DMSO-mediated oxidative C-C and C-heteroatom bond formation: a sustainable approach to chemical synthesis

The I2/DMSO pair has emerged as a versatile, efficient, practical, and eco-friendly catalyst system, playing a significant role as a mild oxidative system, and thus employed as a good alternative to metal catalysts in synthetic chemistry. Presently, I2/DMSO is a thriving catalytic system that is used in preparing C-C and C-X (X = O/S/N/Se/Cl/Br) bonds, resulting in the formation of various bioactive molecules. Many processes utilize this system, including in situ glyoxal synthesis by diverse sp, sp2, and sp3 functionalities via iodination and subsequent Kornblum oxidation. Focusing on oxidation processes, this study examines the synergistic effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and molecular iodine in improving synthetic techniques. We provide a comprehensive overview of the research progress on the I2/DMSO catalytic system for the formation of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds from 2018 to the present. Additionally, the future prospects of this research field are discussed.

Quinoxalinone substituted pyrrolizine (4h)-induced dual inhibition of AKT and ERK instigates apoptosis in breast and colorectal cancer by modulating mitochondrial membrane potential

AKT and ERK 1/2 play a pivotal role in cancer cell survival, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. Therefore, AKT and ERK 1/2 are considered crucial targets for cancer intervention. In this study, we envisaged the role of AKT and ERK signaling in apoptosis regulation in presence of compound 4h, a novel synthetic derivative of quinoxalinone substituted spiropyrrolizines exhibiting substantial antiproliferative activity in various cancer cell lines. Structurally 4h is a spiropyrrolizine derivative. Molecular docking analysis revealed that compound 4h shows strong binding affinity with AKT-1 (-9.5 kcal/mol) and ERK2 (-9.0 kcal/mol) via binding at allosteric sites of AKT and active site of ERK2. The implications of 4h binding with these two survival kinases resulted in the obstruction for ATP binding, hence, hampering their phosphorylation dependent activation. We demonstrate that 4h mediated apoptotic induction via disruption in the mitochondrial membrane potential of MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells and 4h-mediated inhibition of survival pathways occurred in a wild type PTEN background and is diminished in PTEN-/- cells. In 4T1 mammary carcinoma model, 4h exhibited pronounced reduction in the tumor size and tumor volume at significantly low doses. Besides, 4h reached the highest plasma concentration of 5.8 μM within a period of 1 h in mice model intraperitoneally. Furthermore, 4h showed acceptable clearance with an adequate elimination half-life and satisfactory pharmacokinetic behaviour, thus proclaiming as a potential lead molecule against breast and colorectal cancer by specifically inhibiting simultaneously AKT and ERK1/2 kinases.