An Overview on Pyranocoumarins: Synthesis and Biological Activities

An Overview of the Synthesis of 3,4-Fused Pyrrolocoumarins of Biological Interest

3,4-Fused pyrrolocoumarins, synthetically prepared or naturally occurring, possess interesting biological properties. In this review, the synthetic strategies for the synthesis of the title compounds are presented along with their biological activities. Two routes are followed for that synthesis. In one, the pyrrole ring is formed from coumarin derivatives, such as aminocoumarins or other coumarins. In the other approach, the pyranone moiety is built from an existing pyrrole derivative or through the simultaneous formation of coumarin and pyrrole frameworks. The above syntheses are achieved via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, Michael reaction, aza-Claisen rearrangement reactions, multi-component reactions (MCR), as well as metal-catalyzed reactions. Pyrrolocoumarins present cytotoxic, antifungal, antibacterial, α-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant, lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition, and fluorescent activities, as well as benzodiazepine receptor ability.

5-Oxo-dihydropyranopyran derivatives as anti-proliferative agents; synthesis, biological evaluation, molecular docking, MD simulation, DFT, and in-silico pharmacokinetic studies

A series of ethyl 2-amino-7-methyl-5-oxo-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydropyrano[4,3-b]pyran-3-carboxylate derivatives (4a-j) bearing different substitutions on the C4-phenyl ring was synthesized. The anti-proliferative activity of all the synthesized compounds was assessed against two human cancer-cell lines, including SW-480 and MCF-7, by using MTT method. Derivatives 4g, 4i, and 4j, possessing 4-NO2, 4-Cl, and 3,4,5-(OCH3)3 substitutions, were found to be the most potent compounds against both cell lines. The obtained IC50 values for 4g, 4i, and 4j were 34.6, 35.9, and 38.6 μM against SW-480 cells and 42.6, 34.2, and 26.6 μM against MCF-7 cells, respectively. Evaluation of the free radical scavenging potential of the compounds against DPPH radicals showed the highest result for compound 4j with an EC50 value of 580 μM. Molecular docking studies revealed the compounds were well accommodated within the binding site of cyclin-dependent kinase-2 (CDK2) with binding energies comparable to those of DTQ (the co-crystallized inhibitor) and BMS-265246 (a well-known CDK2 inhibitor). Molecular dynamics simulation studies confirmed the interactions and stability of the 4g-CDK2 complex. All derivatives, except 4g, were predicted to comply with the drug-likeness rules. Compound 4j may be proposed as an anti-cancer lead candidate for further studies due to the promising findings from in-silico pharmacokinetic studies, such as high GI absorption, not being a P-gp substrate, and being a P-gp inhibitor. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis was performed at the B3LYP/6-311++G (d,p) level of theory to examine the reactivity or stability descriptors of 4d, 4g, 4i, and 4j derivatives. The highest value of energy gap between HOMO and LUMO and thermochemical parameters were obtained for 4i and 4j.

Three-Component Reaction of 3-Formyl-6-Methylchromone, Primary Amines, and Secondary Phosphine Oxides: A Synthetic and Mechanistic Study

A fast, mild, and efficient catalyst-free approach has been developed for the synthesis of chromonyl-substituted α-aminophosphine oxides by the three-component reaction of 3-formyl-6-methylchromone, primary amines, and secondary phosphine oxides at ambient temperature. Carrying out the reaction with aliphatic amines or aminoalcohols at a higher temperature (80 °C), phosphinoyl-functionalized 3-aminomethylene chromanones were formed instead of the corresponding chromonyl-substituted α-aminophosphine oxides. No reaction occurred when 3-formyl-6-methylchromone and secondary phosphine oxides were reacted with aromatic amines in the absence of any catalyst. Applying a basic catalyst, the formation of the phosphinoyl-functionalized 3-aminomethylene chromanones was observed; however, the reaction was not complete. Detailed experimental and quantum chemical studies were performed to study the transformation. Moreover, the in vitro cytotoxicity of phosphinoyl-functionalized 3-aminomethylene chromanones was also investigated in three different cell lines, such as human lung adenocarcinoma (A549), mouse fibroblast (NIH/3T3), and human promyelocytic leukemia (HL60) cells. Several derivatives showed modest activity against the human promyelocytic leukemia (HL60) cell line.