Synthesis ofPseudo-Peptides Containing a Quinazolinone Skeletonvia UgiFour-Component Reaction

Two decades of recent advances of Ugi reactions: synthetic and pharmaceutical applications

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) are powerful synthetic tools in which more than two starting materials couple with each other to form multi-functionalized compounds in a one-pot process, the so-called “tandem”, “domino” or “cascade” reaction, or utilizing an additional step without changing the solvent, the so-called a sequential-addition procedure, to limit the number of synthetic steps, while increasing the complexity and the molecular diversity, which are highly step-economical reactions. The Ugi reaction, one of the most common multicomponent reactions, has recently fascinated chemists with the high diversity brought by its four- or three-component-based isonitrile. The Ugi reaction has been introduced in organic synthesis as a novel, efficient and useful tool for the preparation of libraries of multifunctional peptides, natural products, and heterocyclic compounds with stereochemistry control. In this review, we highlight the recent advances of the Ugi reaction in the last two decades from 2000–2019, mainly in the synthesis of linear or cyclic peptides, heterocyclic compounds with versatile ring sizes, and natural products, as well as the enantioselective Ugi reactions. Meanwhile, the applications of these compounds in pharmaceutical trials are also discussed.

We highlight the recent advances of the Ugi reaction in the last two decades from 2000–2019, mainly in the synthesis of linear or cyclic peptides, heterocyclic compounds with versatile ring sizes, and natural products, as well as the enantioselective Ugi reactions.

Doebner-type pyrazolopyridine carboxylic acids in an Ugi four-component reaction

Substituted 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-4- and 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-6-carboxamides have been synthetized through a Doebner-Ugi multicomponent reaction sequence in a convergent and versatile manner using diversity generation strategies: combination of two multicomponent reactions and conditions-based divergence strategy. The target products contain as pharmacophores pyrazolopyridine and peptidomimetic moieties with four points of diversity introduced from readily available starting materials including scaffold diversity. A small focused compound library of 23 Ugi products was created and screened for antibacterial activity.

Efficient synthesis of novel RGD based peptides and the conjugation of the pyrazine moiety to their N-terminus

Novel RGD based peptides (RGDFAKLF and RGDNGRG) were designed and synthesized and were later coupled to the pyrazine moiety at the N-terminus. The IC₅₀ values from the in vitro study of the target peptides using a cell adhesion assay indicated the essential impact of the existence of the pyrazine moiety. Meanwhile, peptide 4 exhibited the best IC₅₀ value.

Efficient synthesis of novel conjugated 1,3,4-oxadiazole–peptides

In this study, we developed an efficient approach for the synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazoles that are bioisosteres of the amide functional group. The synthesized oxadiazoles were conjugated to octa- and nonapeptides through the C- or N-terminus as precursors of leuprolide acetate. The synthesized compounds are peptidomimetics of leuprolide acetate.