New 1,4-Dihydropyridines Endowed with NO-Donor and Calcium Channel Agonist Properties

Multicomponent Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Derivatives of 4-Methyl-Substituted 5-Nitropyridines

The multicomponent reaction of 2-nitroacetophenone (or nitroacetone), acetaldehyde diethyl acetal, β-dicarbonyl compound, and ammonium acetate in an acetic acid solution allowed the acquisition of previously undescribed 4-methyl-substituted derivatives of 5-nitro-1,4-dihydropyridine in satisfactory yields. The oxidation of the obtained 5-nitro-1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives resulted in the corresponding 2,4-dimethyl-5-nitropyridines. In addition, for the first time in the synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,4-dihydropyridines by the Hantzsch reaction acetaldehyde, diethyl acetal was used as a source of acetaldehyde. The use of more volatile and sufficiently reactive acetaldehyde in this reaction did not lead to a controlled synthesis of unsymmetrical 5-nitro-1,4-dihydropyridines. The proposed multicomponent approach to the synthesis of 4-methyl-substituted 5-nitro-1,4-dihydropyridines and their subsequent aromatization into pyridines made it possible to obtain previously undescribed and hardly accessible substituted 5(3)-nitropyridines.

Nanocrystalline ZnO: A Competent and Reusable Catalyst for the Preparation of Pharmacology Relevant Heterocycles in the Aqueous Medium

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Nanoparticle catalyzed synthesis is a green and convenient method to achieve most of the chemical transformations in water or other green solvents. Nanoparticle ensures an easy isolation process of catalyst as well as products from the reaction mixture avoiding the hectic work up procedure. Zinc oxide is a biocompatible, environmentally benign and economically viable nanocatalyst with effectivity comparable to the other metal nanocatalyst employed in several reaction strategies. This review mainly focuses on the recent applications of zinc oxide in the synthesis of biologically important heterocyclic molecules under sustainable reaction conditions.

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Application of zinc oxide in organic synthesis: Considering the achievable advantages of this nanocatalyst, presently several research groups are paying attention in anchoring zincoxide or its modified structure in several types of organic conversions e.g. multicomponent reactions, ligand-free coupling reactions, cycloaddition reaction, etc. The advantages and limitations of this nanocatalyst are also demonstrated. The present study aims to highlight the recent multifaceted applications of ZnO towards the synthesis of diverse heterocyclic motifs. Being a promising biocompatible nanoparticle, this catalyst has an important contribution in the fields of synthetic chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel nitric oxide releasing dehydroandrographolide derivatives

A series of new hybrids of dehydroandrographolide (TAD), a biologically active natural product, bearing nitric oxide (NO)-releasing moieties were synthesized and designated as NO-donor dehydroandrographolide. The biological activities of target compounds were studied in human erythroleukemia K562 cells and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Biological evaluation indicated that the most active compound I-5 produced high levels of NO and inhibited the proliferation of K562 (IC₅₀ 1.55 μmol·L^-1) and MCF-7 (IC₅₀ 2.91 μmol·L^-1) cells, which were more potent than the lead compound TAD and attenuated by an NO scavenger. In conclusion, I-5 is a novel hybrid with potent antitumor activity and may become a promising candidate for future intensive study.

New chiral 4-substituted 2-cyanoethyl-oxazolines: synthesis and assessment of some biological activities

This paper describes the synthesis of new enantiomerically pure 2-cyanoethyl-oxazolines in one step starting from a wide range of amino alcohols and 4-ethoxy-4-iminobutanenitrile with high to good yields (73-96%) via an appropriate procedure which can be used for a selective synthesis of mono-oxazolines. A simple operation as well as a practical separation is additional eco-friendly attributes of this method. All the synthesized compounds were identified and characterized with their physicochemical features and their spectral data ((1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and TOFMS ES(+)). Among the prepared mono-oxazolines, the mono-oxazoline (3a) [3-[(4S)-4-benzyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-yl] propanenitrile] was tested to detect some biological activities. This compound was studied in vitro given the various types of pharmacological properties characterizing these compounds such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and analgesic activities. The antioxidant activity and mechanism of (3a) were identified using various in vitro antioxidant assays including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide anion radicals (O2(-)) scavenging activity. In addition, compared to Quercetin, the tested synthetic product reveals a relatively-strong antiradical activity towards the DPPH (activity percentage of 81.22%) free radicals and significantly decreased the reactive oxygen species such as (O2(-)) formation evaluated by the non-enzymatic (nitroblue tetrazolium/riboflavine) and the enzymatic (xanthine/xanthine oxidase) systems. Related activity values were, respectively, 66% and 60.30%. The oxazoline (3a) showed a high ability to reduce the O2(-) generation and proved to be a very potent radical scavenger. On the other hand, the analgesic property of the 3[(4S)-benzyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-yl] propanenitrile (3a) was demonstrated. The subcutaneous administration of (3a) produced a significant reduction in the number of abdominal constrictions amounting to 73.81% in the acetic acid writhing test in mice. In addition to these advances, the oxazoline (3a) has been investigated as an antimicrobial agent. Our results showed that this molecule exhibited various levels of antibacterial effect against all the tested bacterial strains.

Do nitric oxide-releasing drugs offer a potentially new paradigm for the management of cardiovascular risks in diabetes?

Cardiovascular complications are frequently observed in diabetic patients and are mostly caused by endothelial dysfunction associated with a decline in biosynthesis of nitric oxide (NO). In response to this concern, a remarkable increase in the interest for development of NO-releasing hybrid drugs has been observed. The NO-donating entity was linked to known drugs with the belief that NO is a vasorelaxant and an inhibitor of platelet aggregation or reduces thrombotic events. Many of these NO-releasing hybrid drugs have shown significant improvement in cardiovascular safety. In this editorial the potential roles of NO-releasing drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular complications in diabetes will be discussed.

Hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazolyl Moiety as Bioisoster of the Carboxy Function. Synthesis, Ionization Constants, and Pharmacological Characterization of γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Related Compounds

Three 4-substituted 1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-ols containing aminoalkyl substituents (analogues and homologues of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)) were synthesized to investigate the hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazolyl moiety as a bioisoster for a carboxyl group at GABA receptors. The pK(a) values of the target compounds were close to those of GABA. At GABA(A) receptors of cultured cerebral cortical neurons, weak agonist and partial agonist profiles were identified, demonstrating the 4-hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-yl unit to be a nonclassical carboxyl group bioisoster.

Mild and efficient oxidation of Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridines with sodium periodate catalyzed by a new polystyrene-bound Mn(TPP)Cl

Mild and efficient oxidation of Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridines with sodium periodate catalyzed by Mn(TTP)Cl supported on polystyrene-bound imidazole is reported. This heterogeneous catalyst is of great stability and reusability in the oxidation of 1,4-dihydropyridines with sodium periodate without significant loss of its catalytic activity.