Isatoic Anhydride: A Fascinating and Basic Molecule for the Synthesis of Substituted Quinazolinones and Benzo di/triazepines

Synthesis, antitumor activity, 3D-QSAR and molecular docking studies of new iodinated 4-(3H)-quinazolinones 3N-substituted

A novel series of 6-iodo-2-methylquinazolin-4-(3H)-one derivatives, 3a–n, were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activity. Compounds 3a, 3b, 3d, 3e, and 3h showed remarkable cytotoxic activity on specific human cancer cell lines when compared to the anti-cancer drug, paclitaxel. Compound 3a was found to be particularly effective on promyelocytic leukaemia HL60 and non-Hodgkin lymphoma U937, with IC₅₀ values of 21 and 30 μM, respectively. Compound 3d showed significant activity against cervical cancer HeLa (IC₅₀ = 10 μM). The compounds 3e and 3h were strongly active against glioblastoma multiform tumour T98G, with IC₅₀ values of 12 and 22 μM, respectively. These five compounds showed an interesting cytotoxic activity on four human cancer cell types of high incidence. The molecular docking results reveal a good correlation between experimental activity and calculated binding affinity on dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Docking studies proved 3d as the most potent compound. In addition, the three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analysis exhibited activities that may indicate the existence of electron-withdrawing and lipophilic groups at the para-position of the phenyl ring and hydrophobic interactions of the quinazolinic ring in the DHFR active site.

New iodinated 4-(3H)-quinazolinones 3N-substituted with antitumor activity and 3D-QSAR and molecular docking studies as dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors.

Efficient Construction of 5H-1,4-Benzodiazepine Derivatives by a Catalyst-Free Direct Aerobic Oxidative Annulation Strategy

A catalyst-free direct aerobic oxidative annulation reaction of 2-aminobenzylic amines and α-hydroxy ketones efficiently afforded versatile 5H-1,4-benzodiazepine derivatives by employing air as economic and green oxidant under mild conditions. Interestingly, solvent was found to be crucial to the reaction, so that by using acetic acid as the best solvent an efficient and practical method could be achieved, requiring no catalysts or additives at all. This method tolerates a wide range of 2-aminobenzylic amines and α-hydroxy ketones and could be scaled up to multigram synthesis and directly applied in one-step synthesis of the pharmaceutically active N-desmethylmedazepam derivatives, revealing the potential of this new method in the synthesis of 5H-1,4-benzodiazepine skeleton-based pharmaceuticals and chemicals.