Search Results (6)

Green chemistry implementation has led to promising results in waste reduction in the pharmaceutical industry. However, the early sustainable development of pharmaceutically active compounds and ingredients remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we wish to report a green synthesis of new pharmaceutically active peptide triazoles as potent factor Xa inhibitors, an important drug target associated with the treatment of diverse cardiovascular diseases. The new inhibitors were synthesized in three steps, featuring cycloaddition reactions (high atom economy), microwave-assisted organic synthesis (energy efficiency), and copper nanoparticle catalysis, thus featuring Earth-abundant metals. The molecules obtained showed FXa inhibition, with IC₅₀-values as low as 17.2 μM and no associated cytotoxicity in HEK293 and HeLa cells. These results showcase the environmental potential and chemical implications of the applied methodologies for the development of new molecules with pharmacological potential. Full article

Currently, mitochondria are considered as an attractive universal target in the development of new anticancer drugs. These organelles are essential in energy production, the regulation of cell death pathways, the generation of reactive oxygen species, as well as in the maintenance of calcium homeostasis. Various approaches are being developed to deliver biologically active compounds into the mitochondria of tumour cells, including the conjugation of cytotoxic substances with mitochondria-targeted lipophilic cations. Among the currently known low molecular weight lipophilic cationic molecules, (E)-4(1H-indol-3-ylvinyl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide (F16) is of great interest. This mitochondria-toxic cationic compound with luminescent properties is selectively accumulated in mitochondria and can selectively trigger the apoptosis and necrosis of tumour cells, making it an attractive targeted agent for theranostic use. Meanwhile, betulinic acid, an available natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been considered as a promising scaffold for the development of new anticancer agents in recent years. The antitumour effect of this natural product arises from it affecting the mitochondria of tumour cells through the formation of reactive oxygen species. The present article details of an efficient synthesis of a novel multifunctional hybrid agent in which a cytotoxic triterpenoid, betulinic acid, is carbon-carbon bonded to the cationic F16 fragment at the C-2 position of ring A through a phenylethynyl spacer. The starting substrates in the synthesis were the C-2 propynyl derivative of betulinic acid and N-aryl-substituted 4-(1H-indol-3-ylvinyl)-pyridine. The derivative of betulinic acid with a terminal acetylenic group was prepared by the reaction of C-alkylation with propargyl bromide of potassium enoxytriethylborate generated from betulonic acid. To obtain the N-aryl-substituted analogue of F16, a CuI-catalyzed Ullmann-Goldberg reaction was applied. The synthesis of the target conjugate was successfully completed by the cross-coupling of the terpene and heterocyclic components according to Sonogashira in the presence of the CuI/Pd(PPh₃)₂ catalyst. Full article

Cross-coupling reactions furnishing carbon–carbon (C–C) and carbon–heteroatom (C–X) bond is one of the most challenging tasks in organic syntheses. The early developed reaction protocols by Ullmann, Ullman–Goldberg, Cadiot–Chodkiewicz, Castro–Stephens, and Corey–House, utilizing elemental copper or its salts as catalyst have, for decades, attracted and inspired scientists. However, these reactions were suffering from the range of functional groups tolerated as well as severely restricted by the harsh reaction conditions often required high temperatures (150–200 °C) for extended reaction time. Enormous efforts have been paid to develop and achieve more sustainable reaction conditions by applying the microwave irradiation. The use of controlled microwave heating dramatically reduces the time required and therefore resulting in increase in the yield as well as the efficiency of the reaction. This review is mainly focuses on the recent advances and applications of copper catalyzed cross-coupling generation of carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bond under microwave technology. Full article

The coagulation cascade is the process of the conversion of soluble fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin that terminates in production of a clot. Factor Xa (FXa) is a serine protease involved in the blood coagulation cascade. Moreover, FXa plays a vital role in the enzymatic sequence which ends with the thrombus production. Thrombosis is a common causal pathology for three widespread cardiovascular syndromes: acute coronary syndrome (ACS), venous thromboembolism (VTE), and strokes. In this research a series of N-propargyltetrahydroquinoline and 1,2,3-triazole derivatives as a potential factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their FXa inhibitor activity, cytotoxicity activity and coagulation parameters. Rational design for the desired novel molecules was performed through protein-ligand complexes selection and ligand clustering. The microwave-assisted synthetic strategy of selected compounds was carried out by using Ullmann-Goldberg, N-propargylation, Mannich addition, Friedel-Crafts, and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition type reactions under microwave irradiation. The microwave methodology proved to be an efficient way to obtain all novel compounds in high yields (73–93%). Furthermore, a thermochemical analysis, optimization and reactivity indexes such as electronic chemical potential (µ), chemical hardness (η), and electrophilicity (ω) were performed to understand the relationship between the structure and the energetic behavior of all the series. Then, in vitro analysis showed that compounds 27, 29–31, and 34 exhibited inhibitory activity against FXa and the corresponding half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values were calculated. Next, a cell viability assay in HEK293 and HepG2 cell lines, and coagulation parameters (anti FXa, Prothrombin time (PT), activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT)) of the most active novel molecules were performed to determine the corresponding cytotoxicity and possible action on clotting pathways. The obtained results suggest that compounds 27 and 29 inhibited FXa targeting through coagulation factors in the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. However, compound 34 may target coagulation FXa mainly by the extrinsic and common pathway. Interestingly, the most active compounds in relation to the inhibition activity against FXa and coagulation parameters did not show toxicity at the performed coagulation assay concentrations. Finally, docking studies confirmed the preferential binding mode of N-propargyltetrahydroquinoline and 1,2,3-triazole derivatives inside the active site of FXa. Full article

Isoquinoline derivatives have attracted great interest for their wide biological and fluorescent properties. In the current study, we focused on the synthesis of a series of novel isoquinoline derivatives substituted at position 3 of the heteroaromatic ring. Compounds were obtained in a Goldberg–Ullmann-type coupling reaction with appropriate amides in the presence of copper(I) iodide, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (DMEDA), and potassium carbonate. The structures of novel isoquinolines were confirmed by IR, NMR, and elemental analysis, as well as X-ray crystallography. In the course of our research work, the visible fluorescence of this class of compounds was observed. The above findings prompted us to investigate the optical properties of the selected compounds. Full article

A highly porous metal-organic framework (Cu-TDPAT), constructed from a paddle-wheel type dinuclear copper cluster and 2,4,6-tris(3,5-dicarboxylphenylamino)-1,3,5-triazine (H₆TDPAT), has been tested in Ullmann and Goldberg type C–N coupling reactions of a wide range of primary and secondary amines with halobenzenes, affording the corresponding N-arylation compounds in moderate to excellent yields. The Cu-TDPAT catalyst could be easily separated from the reaction mixtures by simple filtration, and could be reused at least five times without any significant degradation in catalytic activity. Full article