Challenge N- versus O-six-membered annulation: FeCl3-catalyzed synthesis of heterocyclic N,O-aminals.

A new class of heterocyclic N,O-aminal and hemiaminal scaffolds was successfully obtained by means of a three-component reaction (3-CR) of 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes (DDs), α-aminoacetals and iso(thio)cyanates. These stable imine surrogates are generated from key-substituted (thio)hydantoin intermediates through selective FeCl3-catalyzed intramolecular N-annulation.

Easy one-pot synthesis of multifunctionalized indole-pyrrole hybrids as a new class of antileishmanial agents.

A chemoselective one-pot synthesis of pharmaceutically prospective indole-pyrrole hybrids by the formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of 3-cyanoacetyl indoles (CAIs) with 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes (DDs) has been developed. The new indole-pyrrole hybrids were phenotypically screened for efficacy against Leishmania infantum promastigotes. The most active compounds 3c, 3d, and 3j showed IC50 < 20 µM and moderate cytotoxicity, lower than miltefosine. Compound 3d was the most active with IC50 = 9.6 µM and a selectivity index of 5. Consequently, 3d could be a new lead compound for the generation of a new class of antileishmanial hybrids.

Useful Access to Uncommon Thiazolo[3,2-a]indoles.

A practical and environmentally benign protocol for the assembly of poly substituted-thiazolo[3,2-a]indoles from 3-alkylated indoline-2-thiones and 2-halo-ketones has been developed. This metal-free approach consists in a complete chemo/regioselective formal [3 + 2] annulation that occurs in air, at 60 °C, and in water as the sole reaction medium. The opportunity to vary the substitution pattern up to six different positions, odorless manipulation of sulfurylated compounds, very easy product isolation, and mild reaction conditions are the main synthetic features of this method. The scaled-up experiment and the successive transformations of the products further demonstrate the utility of this chemistry.

A facile protocol for the preparation of 2-carboxylated thieno [2,3-b] indoles: a de novo access to alkaloid thienodolin.

A metal-free strategy, alternative to the known complex cycloaddition reactions, towards 2-carboxylated thieno [2,3-b] indole derivatives has been successfully developed. The novel approach involves as starting materials easy accessible 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes and indoline 2-thione and requires mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, the easy work-up required makes this method amenable for a one-pot approach as demonstrated in the preparation of thienodolin, a natural product isolated from Streptomyces albogriseolus that exhibits valuable biological properties.

Synthesis of Azacarbolines via PhIO2-Promoted Intramolecular Oxidative Cyclization of α-Indolylhydrazones.

An unprecedented synthesis of polysubstituted indole-fused pyridazines (azacarbolines) from α-indolylhydrazones under oxidative conditions using a combination of iodylbenzene (PhIO2) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) has been developed. This transformation is conducted without the need for transition metals, harsh conditions, or an inert atmosphere.

Experimental and Theoretical DFT Investigations in the [2,3]-Wittig-Type Rearrangement of Propargyl/Allyl-Oxy-Pyrazolones.

Here we report the synthesis of interesting 3-alkyl-4-hydroxy-1-aryl-4-(propa-1,2-dienyl)1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-ones and 9-alkyl-7-aryl-1-oxa-7,8-diazaspiro[4.4]nona-3,8-dien-6-ones, starting from 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes (DDs) and propargyl alcohol. The reaction proceeds through a sequence Michael-type nucleophilic attack/cyclization/[2,3]-Wittig rearrangement. In the same way, the reaction between the aforementioned DDs and allyl alcohol furnished 4-allyl-4-hydroxy-3-alkyl-1-aryl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-ones. A DFT study was also carried out, in order to have decisive clarifications about the mechanism.

Construction of Unusual Indole-Based Heterocycles from Tetrahydro-1H-pyridazino[3,4-b]indoles.

Herein, we report the successful syntheses of scarcely represented indole-based heterocycles which have a structural connection with biologically active natural-like molecules. The selective oxidation of indoline nucleus to indole, hydrolysis of ester and carbamoyl residues followed by decarboxylation with concomitant aromatization of the pyridazine ring starting from tetrahydro-1H-pyridazino[3,4-b]indole derivatives lead to fused indole-pyridazine compounds. On the other hand, non-fused indole-pyrazol-5-one scaffolds are easily prepared by subjecting the same C2,C3-fused indoline tetrahydropyridazines to treatment with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). These methods feature mild conditions, easy operation, high yields in most cases avoiding the chromatographic purification, and broad substrate scope. Interestingly, the formation of indole linked pyrazol-5-one system serves as a good example of the application of the umpolung strategy in the synthesis of C3-alkylated indoles.

Synthesis of Polycyclic Fused Indoline Scaffolds through a Substrate-Guided Reactivity Switch.

Zn(II)-catalyzed divergent synthesis of functionalized polycyclic indolines through formal [3 + 2] and [4 + 2] cycloadditions of indoles with 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes (DDs) is reported. The nature and type of substituents of substrates are found to act as a chemical switch to trigger two distinct reaction pathways and to obtain two different types of products upon the influence of the same catalyst. The mechanism of both [4 + 2] and [3 + 2] cycloadditions was investigated and fully rationalized by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Synthesis of new dihydroberberine and tetrahydroberberine analogues and evaluation of their antiproliferative activity on NCI-H1975 cells.

Dihydroberberine (DHBER), the partially reduced form of the alkaloid berberine (BER), is known to exhibit important biological activities. Despite this fact, there have been only few studies that concern the biological properties of functionalized DHBER. Attracted by the potentiality of this latter compound, we have realized the preparation of new arylhydrazono-functionalized DHBERs, starting from BER and some α-bromohydrazones. On the other hand, also the fully reduced form of BER, namely tetrahydroberberine (THBER), and its derivatives have proven to present different biological activities. Therefore, the obtained arylhydrazono-functionalized DHBERs were reduced to the corresponding arylhydrazono-THBERs. The antiproliferative activity of both arylhydrazono-DHBERs and -THBERs has been evaluated on NCI-H1975 lung cancer cells.

Sequential MCR via Staudinger/Aza-Wittig versus Cycloaddition Reaction to Access Diversely Functionalized 1-Amino-1H-Imidazole-2(3H)-Thiones.

A multicomponent reaction (MCR) strategy, alternative to the known cycloaddition reaction, towards variously substituted 1-amino-1H-imidazole-2(3H)-thione derivatives has been successfully developed. The novel approach involves α-halohydrazones whose azidation process followed by tandem Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction with CS2 in a sequential MCR regioselectively leads to the target compounds avoiding the formation of the regioisomer iminothiazoline heterocycle. The approach can be applied to a range of differently substituted α-halohydrazones bearing also electron-withdrawing groups confirming the wide scope and the substituent tolerance of the process for the synthesis of the target compounds. Interestingly, the concurrent presence of reactive functionalities in the scaffolds so obtained ensures post-modifications in view of N-bridgeheaded heterobicyclic structures.

Metal and Oxidant-Free Brønsted Acid-Mediated Cascade Reaction to Substituted Benzofurans.

Substituted hydroxy-benzofurans are easily accessible by treatment of resorcinols and 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes (DDs) under acidic conditions. The reaction happens through an uncommon Michael reaction between aromatic derivatives as aromatic C(sp2)-H nucleophiles and DDs as acceptors. Also, the behavior of different phenols and 2-naphthol was investigated.

Targeted Nanoswitchable Inhibitors of Protein-Protein Interactions Involved in Apoptosis.

Progress in drug delivery is hampered by a lack of efficient strategies to target drugs with high specificity and precise spatiotemporal regulation. The remote control of nanoparticles and drugs with light allows regulation of their action site and dosage. Peptide-based drugs are highly specific, non-immunogenic, and can be designed to cross the plasma membrane. In order to combine target specificity and remote control of drug action, here we describe a versatile strategy based on a generalized template to design nanoswitchable peptides that modulate protein-protein interactions upon light activation. This approach is demonstrated to promote photomodulation of two important targets involved in apoptosis (the interactions Bcl-xL-Bak and MDM2-p53), but can be also applied to a large pool of therapeutically relevant protein-protein interactions mediated by α-helical motifs. The template can be adjusted using readily available information about hot spots (residues contributing most to the binding energy) at the protein-protein interface of interest.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel heteroring-annulated pyrrolino-tetrahydroberberine analogues as antioxidant agents.

Tetrahydroberberine (THB), otherwise known as canadine, is a natural alkaloid showing significant pharmacological properties and antioxidant protection against oxidative damage. Herein, we synthetized structurally complex THB analogues, namely pyrrolino-tetrahydroberberines (PTHBs) 4a-g, containing the pyrrolino[2,3-b]pyridine system, by means of the reactions of 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes and 7,8-dihydroberberine. Aim of the study was to explore the in vitro antioxidant properties of PTHBs in comparison to THB thus to identify the most effective against free radical-induced oxidative injury, by using three different antioxidant tests: the ORAC method, the DNA nicking assay, and the DCFH-DA cellular assay. As a result, PTHB 4d emerged among the other THB analogues by exhibiting the best antioxidant properties. First, it was the only compound having an ORAC value completely comparable to that of THB, indicating the same ability to neutralize peroxyl radicals. Secondly, 4d showed an even better antioxidant capacity than THB in protecting DNA against ferrous ion-induced strand breaks. These observations were also confirmed in NCTC-2544 human keratinocytes exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Indeed, 4d protected cells against oxidation more efficiently than THB both in the short (1 and 3 h) and long (24 h) period of incubation, possibly suggesting increased cell membrane permeability and/or intracellular stability of 4d as compared to THB.