Synthesis and Biological Activity of Isoxazolidinyl Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Potential DNA Intercalators

Synthesis and Pro-Apoptotic Effects of Nitrovinylanthracenes and Related Compounds in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) and Burkitt's Lymphoma (BL)

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a malignancy of the immune B lymphocyte cells and is the most common leukaemia diagnosed in developed countries. In this paper, we report the synthesis and antiproliferative effects of a series of (E)-9-(2-nitrovinyl)anthracenes and related nitrostyrene compounds in CLL cell lines and also in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines, a rare form of non-Hodgkin's immune B-cell lymphoma. The nitrostyrene scaffold was identified as a lead structure for the development of effective compounds targeting BL and CLL. The series of structurally diverse nitrostyrenes was synthesised via Henry-Knoevenagel condensation reactions. Single-crystal X-ray analysis confirmed the structure of (E)-9-chloro-10-(2-nitrobut-1-en-1-yl)anthracene (19f) and the related 4-(anthracen-9-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (30a). The (E)-9-(2-nitrovinyl)anthracenes 19a, 19g and 19i-19m were found to elicit potent antiproliferative effects in both BL cell lines EBV-MUTU-1 (chemosensitive) and EBV+ DG-75 (chemoresistant) with >90% inhibition at 10 μM. Selected (E)-9-(2-nitrovinyl)anthracenes demonstrated potent antiproliferative activity in CLL cell lines, with IC50 values of 0.17 μM (HG-3) and 1.3 μM (PGA-1) for compound 19g. The pro-apoptotic effects of the most potent compounds 19a, 19g, 19i, 19l and 19m were demonstrated in both CLL cell lines HG-3 and PGA-1. The (E)-nitrostyrene and (E)-9-(2-nitrovinyl)anthracene series of compounds offer potential for further development as novel chemotherapeutics for CLL.

Hydrophobic tag-based protein degradation: Development, opportunity and challenge

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a promising approach for drug development, particularly for undruggable targets. TPD technology has also been instrumental in overcoming drug resistance. While some TPD molecules utilizing proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTACs) or molecular glue strategies have been approved or evaluated in clinical trials, hydrophobic tag-based protein degradation (HyT-PD) has also gained significant attention as a tool for medicinal chemists. The increasing number of reported HyT-PD molecules possessing high efficiency in degrading protein and good pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, has further fueled interest in this approach. This review aims to present the design rationale, hydrophobic tags in use, and diverse mechanisms of action of HyT-PD. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of HyT-PD in protein degradation are discussed. This review may help inspire the development of more HyT-PDs with superior drug-like properties for clinical evaluation.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel 1, 2, 4-Triazolopyrimidofuroquinazolinones from Natural Furochromones (Visnagenone and Khellinone)

BACKGROUND

Previous and recent scientific research has shown that triazolopyrimidine and furochromones have a wide range of pharmacological activities for the treatment of numerous diseases, including anticancer, antiviral, anti-depressant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities.

OBJECTIVE

Preparation of new drugs derived from a natural furochromones as (1-hydrazinyl or methylthio),-furopyrimidoquinazolinone, 1, 2, 4-triazolopyrimidofuroquinazolin-5-one, and quinazoline- pyrimidofuro- quinazoline-8, 10-dione and the study of their biological activity as antimicrobial agents.

METHODS

A series of novel N'-furopyrimidoquinazoline-hydrazide; 1, 2, 4-triazolopyrimidofuroquinazolin- 5-one; furopyrimidoquinazolin-3-one and quinazoline-pyrimidofuroquinazoline-8, 10- dione derivatives were synthesized from substituted (methylthio)-furopyrimidoquinazolinone (3ab) and 1-hydrazinyl-furopyrimido- quinazolinone (4a-b) as the starting material.

RESULTS

All compounds were synthesized in good yields (71-95%) in a gradually efficient system under mild condition and some of the procedures were used such as microwave oven. The new compounds have been confirmed by means of different spectroscopic methods such as IR, 1D and 2D -NMR techniques and mass spectrum. The in vitro antimicrobial activities were evaluated for the prepared compounds using many types of bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative) and fungi.

CONCLUSION

1, 2, 4-triazolopyrimidofuroquinazolin-5-one derivatives (10a-f, 8a-b, 7a-b and 6a-d) showed the most efficient antimicrobial activities compared with the cefotaxime sodium and nystatin as standard drugs.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2,3,4-Triaryl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ones as p38 MAPK Inhibitors

A series of azastilbene derivatives, characterized by the presence of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole-5-one system as a linker of the two aromatic rings of stilbenes, have been prepared as novel potential inhibitors of p38 MAPK. Biological assays indicated that some of the synthesized compounds are endowed with good inhibitory activity towards the kinase. Molecular modeling data support the biological results showing that the designed compounds possess a reasonable binding mode in the ATP binding pocket of p38α kinase with a good binding affinity.

Low energy electron impact resonances of anthracene probed by 2D photoelectron imaging of its radical anion

Electron-molecule resonances of anthracene were probed by 2D photoelectron imaging of the corresponding radical anion up to 3.7 eV in the continuum. A number of resonances were observed in both the photoelectron spectra and angular distributions, and most resonances showed clear autodetachment dynamics. The resonances were assigned using density functional theory calculations and are consistent with the available literature. Competition between direct and autodetachment, as well as signatures of internal conversion between resonances, was observed for some resonances. For the 1²B_2g resonance, a small fraction of population recovers the ground electronic state as evidenced by thermionic emission. Recovery of the ground electronic state offers a route of producing anions in an electron-molecule reaction; however, the energy at which this occurs suggests that anthracene anions cannot be formed in the interstellar medium by electron capture through this resonance.

Cucurbit[7]uril as a catalytic nanoreactor for one-pot synthesis of isoxazolidines in water

The main objective of supramolecular chemistry is to mimic the macrosystems present in nature, a goal that fits perfectly with the green chemistry guidelines. The aim of our work is to use the hydrophobic cavity of cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) to mimic nature for performing different dehydration and cycloaddition reactions in water. The hydrophobic cavity of CB[7] made it possible to synthesize nitrones and isoxazolidines in a one-pot fashion using water as a reaction solvent. Substituted isoxazolidines were obtained from the cycloaddition of nitrones with various styrenes and cinnamates, under microwave irradiation, with a catalytic amount of CB[7], and a moderate increase in the formation of the trans adduct was observed, compared to the reaction being carried out in toluene. The mechanism of the reaction and the inclusion of reagents and products in the CB[7] cavity have been studied and rationalized by NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS experiments, and molecular modeling calculations.

1,2,4-Oxadiazole-5-ones as analogues of tamoxifen: synthesis and biological evaluation

A series of 2,3,4-triaryl-substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazole-5-ones have been prepared as fixed-ring analogues of tamoxifen (TAM), a drug inhibitor of Estradiol Receptor (ER) used in breast cancer therapy, by an efficient synthetic protocol based on a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones to isocyanates. Some of the newly synthesized compounds (14d-f, 14h and 14k) show a significant cytotoxic effect in a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) possessing IC50 values between 15.63 and 31.82 μM. In addition, compounds 14d-f, 14h and 14k are able to increase the p53 expression levels, activating also the apoptotic pathway. Molecular modeling studies of novel compounds performed on the crystal structure of ER reveal the presence of strong hydrophobic interactions with the aromatic rings of the ligands similar to TAM. These data suggest that 1,2,4-oxadiazole-5-ones can be considered analogues of TAM, and that their anticancer activity might be partially due to ER inhibition.

Synthesis of Novel Benzodifuranyl; 1,3,5-Triazines; 1,3,5-Oxadiazepines; and Thiazolopyrimidines Derived from Visnaginone and Khellinone as Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Agents

Novel (4-methoxy or 4,8-dimethoxy)-3-methyl-N-(6-oxo-2-thioxo-1,2,3, 6-tetrahydro- pyrimidin-4-yl) benzo [1,2-b: 5, 4-b'] difuran-2-carboxamide (5a-b) has been synthesized by the reaction of visnagenone-ethylacetate (2a) or khellinone-ethylacetate (2b) with 6-aminothiouracil in dimethylformamide or refluxing of benzofuran-oxy-N-(2-thioxopyrimidine) acetamide (4a-b) in sodium ethoxide to give the same products (5a,b) in good yields. Thus, compounds 5a-b are used as an initiative to prepare many new heterocyclic compounds such as 2-(4-(3-methylbenzodifuran- 2-carbox-amido) pyrimidine) acetic acid (6a-b), N-(thiazolo[3, 2-a]pyrimidine)-3-methylbenzo- difuran-2-carboxamide (7a-b), N-(2-thioxopyrimidine)-methylbenzodifuran-2-carbimidoylchloride (8a-b), N-(2-(methyl-thio) pyrimidine)-3-methylbenzodifuran-2-carbimidoylchloride (9a-b), N-(2, 6 -di(piperazine or morpholine)pyrimidine)-1-(3-methylbenzodifuran)-1-(piperazine or morpholine) methanimine(10a-d), 8-(methylbenzodifuran)-thiazolopyrimido[1,6-a][1,3,5]triazine-3,5-dione (11a -b), 8-(3-methyl benzodifuran)-thiazolopyrimido[6,1-d][1,3,5]oxadiazepine-trione (12a-b), and 2,10 -di(sub-benzylidene)-8-(3-methylbenzodifuran)-thiazolopyrimido[6,1-d][1,3,5]oxadiazepine-3,5,11- trione (13a-f). All new chemical structures were illustrated on the basis of elemental and spectral analysis (IR, NMR, and MS). The new compounds were screened as cyclooxygenase-1/ cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-1/COX-2) inhibitors and had analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The compounds 10a-d and 13a-f had the highest inhibitory activity on COX-2 selectivity, with indices of 99-90, analgesic activity of 51-42% protection, and anti-inflammatory activity of 68%-59%. The inhibition of edema for the same compounds, 10a-d and 13a-f, was compared with sodium diclofenac as a standard drug.

Fast construction of isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones by direct intramolecular C-H/N-H functionalization under metal-free conditions

The general protocol for the synthesis of isoxazolidine-fused isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones was established with the help of bench stable hypervalent iodine reagent PIDA. Polycyclic six-, seven- and eight-membered N-heterocycles can be rapidly synthesized from available amides under metal-free conditions within 1 min at room temperature through C-H/N-H functionalization. Moreover, the protocol has the merits of broad substrate scope, atom economy and operational simplicity.

Novel Isoxazolidine and γ-Lactam Analogues of Homonucleosides

Homonucleoside analogues cis-16 and trans-17 having a (5-methoxycarbonyl)isoxazolidine framework were synthesized via the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nucleobase-derived nitrones with methyl acrylate. Hydrogenolysis of the isoxazolidines containing thymine, dihydrouracil, theophylline and adenine moieties efficiently led to the formation of the respective γ-lactam analogues. γ-Lactam analogues having 5-bromouracil and 5-chlorouracil fragments were synthesized by treatment of uracil-containing γ-lactams with NBS and NCS. Isoxazolidine and γ-lactam analogues of homonucleosides obtained herein were evaluated for activity against a broad range of DNA and RNA viruses. None of the compounds that were tested exhibited antiviral or cytotoxic activity at concentrations up to 100 µM. The cytostatic activities of all compounds toward nine cancerous cell lines was tested. γ-Lactams trans-15e (Cl-Ura) and cis-15h (Theo) appeared the most active toward pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (Capan-1), showing IC50 values 21.5 and 18.2 µM, respectively. Isoxazolidine cis-15e (Cl-Ura) inhibited the proliferation of colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116).

Selective Killing of Cancer Cells by Nonplanar Aromatic Hydrocarbon-Induced DNA Damage

A large number of current chemotherapeutic agents prevent the growth of tumors by inhibiting DNA synthesis of cancer cells. It has been found recently that many planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derivatives, previously known as carcinogenic, display anticancer activity through DNA cross-linking. However, the practical use of these PAHs is substantially limited by their low therapeutic efficiency and selectivity toward most tumors. Herein, the anticancer property of a nonplanar PAH named [4]helicenium, which exhibits highly selective cytotoxicity toward liver, lung cancer, and leukemia cells compared with normal cells, is reported. Moreover, [4]helicenium effectively inhibits tumor growth in liver cancer-bearing mice and shows little side effects in normal mice. RNA sequencing and confirmatory results demonstrate that [4]helicenium induces more DNA damage in tumor cells than in normal cells, resulting in tumor cell cycle arrest and apoptosis increment. This study reveals an unexpected role and molecular mechanism for PAHs in selectively killing tumor cells and provides an effective strategy for precision cancer therapies.

Advancement in the development of heterocyclic nucleosides for the treatment of cancer - A review

Cancer diseases are widely recognised as an important medical problem and killing millions of people in a year. Chemotherapeutic drugs are successful against cancer in many cases and different compounds, including the analogues of natural substances, may be used for anticancer agents. Nucleoside analogues also have become a necessity for the treatment of cancer diseases. Nucleoside, nucleotide and base analogues have been utilised for decades for the treatment of viral pathogens, neoplasms and in anticancer chemotherapy. This review focuses on the different types of nucleosides and their potential role as anticancer agents. It also discusses the nucleoside analogues approved by FDA and in process of approval. The effect of the substitution on the nucleoside analogues and their pharmacological role is also discussed in the review. Owing to the advances in computational chemistry, it concludes with the future advancement and possible outcome of the nucleoside analogues. Also, it depicts the development of heterocyclic nucleoside analogues, explores the QSAR of the synthesised compounds and discusses the 3 D QSAR pharmacophore modelling in order to examine their potential anti-cancer activities.

Lewis Acids Promoted 3 + 2 Cycloaddition of Oxaziridines and Cyclic Allylic Alcohols through Carbonyl Imine Intermediates

Syntheses of isoxazolidines through the carbonyl imine intermediates are currently limited to monosubstituted olefin substrates. Herein, we reported syntheses of novel bicyclic isoxazolidine-containing compounds through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions using cyclic allylic alcohols as substrates, which proved challenging in previous reports. Generally, the reaction yields range from good to high, and the reaction substrates tolerate various functional groups, including the cyclopropyl and amine groups. Mechanistic studies suggest that an allylic cation and a carbonyl imine intermediate are involved and responsible for the observed stereochemistry and diastereoselectivity.

Synthesis of New Furothiazolo Pyrimido Quinazolinones from Visnagenone or Khellinone and Antimicrobial Activity

Substituted-6-methyl-1-thioxo-1,2-dihydro-3H-furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazolin-3-ones (5a,b) were synthesized from condensation of visnagenone (2a) or khellinone (2b) with 6-amino-thiouracil (3) in dimethylformamide or refluxing of (4a) or (4b) in dimethylformamide. Hence, compounds (5a,b) were used as the starting materials for preparing many new heterocyclic compounds such as; furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazoline (6a,b), furo[3,2-g]thiazolo[2',3':2,3]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazolinone (7a,b), substituted-benzylidene-furo[3,2-g]thiazolo[2',3':2,3]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazoline-3,5-dione (8a⁻f), 3-oxo-furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazoline-pentane-2,4-dione (9a,b), 1-(pyrazole)-furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazolinone (10a,b), 2-(oxo or thioxo)-pyrimidine-furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazolinone (11a⁻d), 1-(methylthio)-furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazolinone (12a,b), 1-(methyl-sulfonyl)-furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazolinone (13a,b) and 6-methyl-1-((piperazine) or morpholino)-3H-furo[3,2-g]pyrimido[1,6-a]quinazolin-3-one (14a⁻d). The structures of the prepared compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectral data (IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, MS) and elemental analysis. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated for the synthesized compounds against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The new compounds, furothiazolo pyrimido quinazolines 8a⁻f and 11a⁻d displayed results excellent for growth inhibition of bacteria and fungi.

Stereoselective annulation between an allene, an alkene, and two nitrosoarenes to access bis(isoxazoliodine) derivatives

This work reports metal-free annulations between one allene, two nitrosoarenes and one electron-deficient alkene to afford bis(isoxazolidine) derivatives stereoselectively. This process involves an initial formation of isoxazolidin-4-imine oxides, followed by their dipolar [3 + 2]-cycloaddition with electron-deficient alkenes. To highlight the utility, the annulations of 5-alleneyl-1-enes with nitrosoarenes were also feasible to afford the desired bis(isoxazolidine) products with excellent stereocontrol. The resulting bis(isoxazolidine) products produced from two systems were reduced with Zn/MeOH to induce reductive N-O cleavages, yielding branched polyaminols stereoselectively.

Isoxazolidine: A Privileged Scaffold for Organic and Medicinal Chemistry

The isoxazolidine ring represents one of the privileged structures in medicinal chemistry, and there have been an increasing number of studies on isoxazolidine and isoxazolidine-containing compounds. Optimization of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC), original methods including electrophilic or palladium-mediated cyclization of unsaturated hydroxylamine, has been developed to obtain isoxazolidines. Novel reactions involving the isoxazolidine ring have been highlighted to accomplish total synthesis or to obtain bioactive compounds, one of the most significant examples being probably the thermic ring contraction applied to the total synthesis of (±)-Gelsemoxonine. The unique isoxazolidine scaffold also exhibits an impressive potential as a mimic of nucleosides, carbohydrates, PNA, amino acids, and steroid analogs. This review aims to be a comprehensive and general summary of the different isoxazolidine syntheses, their use as starting building blocks for the preparation of natural compounds, and their main biological activities.

Comparative evaluation of 11 in silico models for the prediction of small molecule mutagenicity: role of steric hindrance and electron-withdrawing groups

The goal of this investigation was to perform a comparative analysis on how accurately 11 routinely-used in silico programs correctly predicted the mutagenicity of test compounds that contained either bulky or electron-withdrawing substituents. To our knowledge this is the first study of its kind in the literature. Such substituents are common in many pharmaceutical agents so there is a significant need for reliable in silico programs to predict precisely whether they truly pose a risk for mutagenicity. The predictions from each program were compared to experimental data derived from the Ames II test, a rapid reverse mutagenicity assay with a high degree of agreement with the traditional Ames assay. Eleven in silico programs were evaluated and compared: Derek for Windows, Derek Nexus, Leadscope Model Applier (LSMA), LSMA featuring the in vitro microbial Escherichia coli-Salmonella typhimurium TA102 A-T Suite (LSMA+), TOPKAT, CAESAR, TEST, ChemSilico (±S9 suites), MC4PC and a novel DNA docking model. The presence of bulky or electron-withdrawing functional groups in the vicinity of a mutagenic toxicophore in the test compounds clearly affected the ability of each in silico model to predict non-mutagenicity correctly. This was because of an over reliance on the part of the programs to provide mutagenicity alerts when a particular toxicophore is present irrespective of the structural environment surrounding the toxicophore. From this investigation it can be concluded that these models provide a high degree of specificity (ranging from 71% to 100%) and are generally conservative in their predictions in terms of sensitivity (ranging from 5% t o 78%). These values are in general agreement with most other comparative studies in the literature. Interestingly, the DNA docking model was the most sensitive model evaluated, suggesting a potentially useful new mode of screening for mutagens. Another important finding was that the combination of a quantitative structure-activity relationship and an expert rules system appeared to offer little advantage in terms of sensitivity, despite of the requirement for such a screening paradigm under the ICH M7 regulatory guideline.

Design, antiviral and cytostatic properties of isoxazolidine-containing amonafide analogues

A novel series of 5-arylcarbamoyl- and 5-arylmethyl-2-methylisoxazolidin-3-yl-3-phosphonates have been synthesized via cycloaddition of N-methyl-C-(diethoxyphosphoryl)nitrone with N-substituted naphthalimide acrylamides and N-allylnaphthalimides. All cis- and trans-isoxazolidine phosphonates obtained herein were assessed for antiviral activity against a broad range of DNA and RNA viruses. Isoxazolidines trans-9d and trans-9f exhibited the highest activity (EC₅₀ = 8.9 μM) toward cytomegalovirus. Compounds cis- and trans-9d as well as cis- and trans-9f were found potent against HSV and Vaccinia viruses (EC₅₀ in the 45–58 μM range), whereas isoxazolidines 10a and 10d suppressed replication of Coxsackie B4 and Punta Toro viruses (EC₅₀ in the 45–73 μM range). Antiproliferative evaluation of all obtained isoxazolidines revealed the promising activity of cis-9b, cis-9d, trans-9d, cis-9e, trans-9e, cis-9f and trans-9f toward tested cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ in the 1.1–19 μM range.

An α1-adrenergic receptor ligand repurposed as a potent antiproliferative agent for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

In this study we report the anticancer properties of RN5-Me, an α₁-adrenergic receptor ligand.

G, Malik A, Kumar V, Chatterjee A, Roy BG, Banerjee M. In situ mechanochemical synthesis of nitrones followed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition: a catalyst-free, “green” route to cis-fused chromano[4,3-c]isoxazoles

An efficient, catalyst free mechanochemical route to cis-fused chromano[4,3-c]isoxazoles has been developed via a simple mortar-pestle grinding method.

Polycyclic aromatic compounds as anticancer agents: synthesis and biological evaluation of methoxy dibenzofluorene derivatives

Synthesis of a new methoxy dibenzofluorene through alkylation, cyclodehydration and aromatization in a one-pot operation is achieved for the first time. Using this hydrocarbon, a few derivatives are prepared through aromatic nitration, catalytic hydrogenation, coupling reaction with a side chain and reduction. The benzylic position of this hydrocarbon with the side chain is oxidized and reduced. Some of these derivatives have demonstrated excellent antitumor activities in vitro. This study confirms antitumor activity depends on the structures of the molecules.

Recent advances in small organic molecules as DNA intercalating agents: synthesis, activity, and modeling

The interaction of small molecules with DNA plays an essential role in many biological processes. As DNA is often the target for majority of anticancer and antibiotic drugs, study about the interaction of drug and DNA has a key role in pharmacology. Moreover, understanding the interactions of small molecules with DNA is of prime significance in the rational design of more powerful and selective anticancer agents. Two of the most important and promising targets in cancer chemotherapy include DNA alkylating agents and DNA intercalators. For these last the DNA recognition is a critical step in their anti-tumor action and the intercalation is not only one kind of the interactions in DNA recognition but also a pivotal step of several clinically used anti-tumor drugs such as anthracyclines, acridines and anthraquinones. To push clinical cancer therapy, the discovery of new DNA intercalators has been considered a practical approach and a number of intercalators have been recently reported. The intercalative binding properties of such molecules can also be harnessed as diagnostic probes for DNA structure in addition to DNA-directed therapeutics. Moreover, the problem of intercalation site formation in the undistorted B-DNA of different length and sequence is matter of tremendous importance in molecular modeling studies and, nowadays, three models of DNA intercalation targets have been proposed that account for the binding features of intercalators. Finally, despite DNA being an important target for several drugs, most of the docking programs are validated only for proteins and their ligands. Therefore, a default protocol to identify DNA binding modes which uses a modified canonical DNA as receptor is needed.

Self-catalyzed Mannich-type reaction of enolizable cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls to acyclic nitrones: an entry to functionalized β-enamino diones

A new method for the preparation of highly functionalized β-enamino diones has been developed. The protocol involves an initial self-catalyzed Mannich-type reaction of enolizable cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls to nitrones, followed by a spontaneous intramolecular reorganization of the resulting nonisolated hydroxylamine to enamino derivatives. These compounds retain the features of unnatural α-amino acids. The ease of preparation makes them attractive intermediates for the synthesis of peptidomimetics, polyheterocycles, and other multifunctional compounds. All experimental results have been efficiently rationalized by in silico studies at the M06-2X level of theory, and a valid mechanistic pathway has been proposed.

DNA binding, antiviral activities and cytotoxicity of new furochromone and benzofuran derivatives

Bromination of visnagin (1) afforded 9-bromovisnagin (2) which on its alkaline hydrolysis afforded the 3-acetyl benzofuran derivative (3). The condensation of (3) with hydrazine hydrate, phenylhydrazine and/or hydroxylamine hydrochloride afforded the corresponding pyrazole derivatives (4a, b) and isoxazole derivative (4c). On the other hand, when compound 3 was condensed with some aromatic aldehydes, this yielded corresponding α, β-unsaturated keto derivatives (5a-e). Furthermore, when 1 was subjected to chlorosulfonation, the visnaginsulfonylchloride derivative 6 was afforded, which on amidation using morpholine, a sulonamido derivative (7) was obtained. Alkaline hydrolysis of the latter compound yielded 7-N-morpholinosulsamidobenzofuran (8) which was condensed with some aromatic aldehydes to yield the corresponding chalcone compounds (9a-e). Demethylation of visnagin afforded norvisnagin (10). The reaction of 10 with ethylbromoacetate in dry acetone yielded the ester benzopyran derivative (11) which reacted with hydrazine hydrate to afford the corresponding hydrazide derivative (12) and this was condensed with 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde to give the corresponding hydrazone (13). A thaizolidinone derivative (14) was obtained by condensation of (13) with thioglycolic acid. Chloromethylation of norvisnagin afforded a 4-chloromethyl derivative (15) which reacted with different primary and secondary amines to yield the corresponding ethylamino derivative (16a, b). Moreover, mannich bases (16a, b) and (17a-c) were obtained by reacting norvisnagin with different primary and secondary amines in the presence of formalin but benzoylation of (16a, b) and (17a-c) afforded 4-oxybenzoyl derivative (18a-e). The prepared compounds were tested for their interaction with DNA; bromovisnagin 2 showed the highest affinity and compounds 6, 15, 8a, > 14, > 16b, 17a, and 16a showed moderate activity in decreasing potency. Moreover, compound 2 also was the most active as antiviral agent toward HS-I virus and compounds 6, 7, 15, 14, 16a, and 18a were found to be moderately active. CD(50) of the active compounds were also measured.