Synthesis and therapeutic potential of quinoline derivatives

Substitution reactions in the acenaphthene analog of quino[7,8-h]quinoline and an unusual synthesis of the corresponding acenaphthylenes by tele-elimination

The possibility of functionalization of dipyrido[3,2-e:2',3'-h]acenaphthene containing a quino[7,8-h]quinoline fragment and being a highly basic diazine analog of 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene ("proton sponge") has been studied for the first time. In addition to the pronounced tendency of the title compound to form associates with an intramolecular hydrogen bond of the NHN type (new examples with the participation of pyridine rings, including self-associates are shown) and its inertness to amination reactions of the pyridine rings, the naphthalene core at positions 5(8) and the CH2CH2 bridge (dehydrogenation) undergo chemical modifications under mild conditions, giving the corresponding acenaphthylenes. The latter can also be obtained in an unusual way by tele-elimination from 5,8-dibromodipyridoacenaphthene by reaction with neutral or anionic bases.

New Library of Iodo-Quinoline Derivatives Obtained by an Alternative Synthetic Pathway and Their Antimicrobial Activity

6-Iodo-substituted carboxy-quinolines were obtained using a one-pot, three-component method with trifluoroacetic acid as a catalyst under acidic conditions. Iodo-aniline, pyruvic acid and 22 phenyl-substituted aldehydes (we varied the type and number of radicals) or O-heterocycles, resulting in different electronic effects, were the starting components. This approach offers advantages such as rapid response times, cost-effective catalysts, high product yields and efficient purification procedures. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to examine the impact of aldehyde structure on the synthesis pathway. A library of compounds was obtained and characterized by FT-IR, MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy and single-ray crystal diffractometry. Their antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis, K. pneumonie and C. parapsilosis was tested in vitro. The effect of iodo-quinoline derivatives on microbial adhesion, the initial stage of microbial biofilm development, was also investigated. This study suggests that carboxy-quinoline derivatives bearing an iodine atom are interesting scaffolds for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.

Application of Quinoline Ring in Structural Modification of Natural Products

Natural compounds are rich in pharmacological properties that are a hot topic in pharmaceutical research. The quinoline ring plays important roles in many biological processes in heterocycles. Many pharmacological compounds, including saquinavir and chloroquine, have been marketed as quinoline molecules with good anti-viral and anti-parasitic properties. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the medicinal chemistry of quinoline-modified natural product quinoline derivatives that were developed by several research teams in the past 10 years and find that these compounds have inhibitory effects on bacteria, viruses, parasites, inflammation, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and others.

Investigation of the mechanism of action of mefloquine and derivatives against the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by infection with the fox tapeworm E. multilocularis. The disease affects humans, dogs, captive monkeys, and other mammals, and it is caused by the metacestode stage of the parasite growing invasively in the liver. The current drug treatment is based on non-parasiticidal benzimidazoles. Thus, they are only limitedly curative and can cause severe side effects. Therefore, novel and improved treatment options for AE are needed. Mefloquine (MEF), an antimalarial agent, was previously shown to be effective against E. multilocularis in vitro and in experimentally infected mice. However, MEF is not parasiticidal and needs improvement for successful treatment of patients, and it can induce strong neuropsychiatric side-effects. In this study, the structure-activity relationship and mode of action of MEF was investigated by comparative analysis of 14 MEF derivatives. None of them showed higher activity against E. multilocularis metacestodes compared to MEF, but four compounds caused limited damage. In order to identify molecular targets of MEF and effective derivatives, differential affinity chromatography combined with mass spectrometry was performed with two effective compounds (MEF, MEF-3) and two ineffective compounds (MEF-13, MEF-22). 1'681 proteins were identified that bound specifically to MEF or derivatives. 216 proteins were identified as binding only to MEF and MEF-3. GO term enrichment analysis of these proteins and functional grouping of the 25 most abundant MEF and MEF-3 specific binding proteins revealed the key processes energy metabolism and cellular transport and structure, as well as stress responses and nucleic acid binding to be involved. The previously described ferritin was confirmed as an exclusively MEF-binding protein that could be relevant for its efficacy against E. multilocularis. The here identified potential targets of MEF will be further investigated in the future for a clear understanding of the pleiotropic effects of MEF, and improved therapeutic options against AE.

Demystifying the potential of inhibitors targeting DNA topoisomerases in unicellular protozoan parasites

DNA topoisomerases are a group of enzymes omnipresent in all organisms. They maintain the DNA topology during replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. However, the structure of topoisomerase in protozoan parasites differs significantly from that of human topoisomerases; thus, this enzyme acts as a crucial target in drug development against parasitic diseases. Although the therapeutic potential of drugs targeting the parasitic topoisomerase is well known, to manage the shortcomings of currently available therapeutics and the emergence of drug resistance, the discovery of novel antiparasitic molecules is an urgent need. In this review, we describe various investigational and repurposed topoisomerase inhibitors developed against protozoan parasites over the past few years. Teaser: Fatal parasitic diseases are an increasing cause for concern; here, we provide a compilation of different inhibitors targeting DNA topoisomerases, enzymes that are essential for, and unique to, protozoan parasites; therefore, inhibitors are efficient and have few adverse effects.

Synthesis of Quinoline-2-thiones by Selective Deoxygenative C-H/C-S Functionalization of Quinoline N-Oxides with Thiourea

Quinoline-2-thiones valuable for synthetic and medicinal chemistry applications were obtained with excellent regioselectivity employing a deoxygenative C-H functionalization of readily available quinoline-N-oxides with thiourea upon activation with triflic anhydride. Unlike the current methods, this approach provides general access to diverse quinoline-2-thiones functionalized with groups of different electronic natures. Experimental simplicity and good to high yields are advantages of this protocol. Given the high reactivity of quinoline-2-thiones, this method provides an entry point for the synthesis of diverse organosulfur quinoline scaffolds.

Seeking heterocyclic scaffolds as antivirals against dengue virus

Dengue is one of the most typical viral infection categorized in the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). It is transmitted via the female Aedes aegypti mosquito to humans and majorly puts risk to the lives of more than half of the world. Recent advancements in medicinal chemistry have led to the design and development of numerous potential heterocyclic scaffolds as antiviral drug candidates for the inhibition of the dengue virus (DENV). Thus, in this review, we have discussed the significance of inhibitory and antiviral activities of nitrogen, oxygen, and mixed (nitrogen-sulfur and nitrogen-oxygen) heterocyclic scaffolds that are published in the last seven years (2016–2022). Furthermore, we have also discussed the probable mechanisms of action and the diverse structure-activity relationships (SARs) of the heterocyclic scaffolds. In addition, this review has elaborately outlined the mechanism of viral infection and the life cycle of DENV in the host cells. The wide set of heterocycles and their SARs will aid in the development of pharmaceuticals that will allow the researchers to synthesize the promising anti-dengue drug candidate in the future.

3-Arylsulfonylquinolines from N-Propargylamines via Cascaded Oxidative Sulfonylation Using DABSO

We report a cascaded oxidative sulfonylation of N-propargylamine via a three-component coupling reaction using DABCO·(SO₂)₂ (DABSO). 3-Arylsulfonylquinolines were obtained by mixing diazonium tetrafluoroborate, N-propargylamine, and DABSO under argon atmosphere in dichloroethane (DCE) for 1 h. In a radical pathway, DABSO was utilized as the sulfone source and an oxidant in this radical-mediated cascaded reaction.

Synthesis, in silico molecular docking analysis, pharmacokinetic properties and evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of fluoroquinolines

BACKGROUND

Quinolines have demonstrated various biological activities such as antimalarial, antibacterial and anticancer. Hence, compounds with such scaffold have been used as lead in drug development. This project is, therefore, aimed to synthesis and evaluates some biological activities of quinoline analogs.

METHODS

2-Chloro-7-fluoroquinoline-3-carbaldehydes were synthesized by the application of Vilsmeier-Haack reaction. The chlorine in the fluoroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde was replaced with various nucleophiles. The aldehyde functional group was also converted to carboxylic acid and imine groups using oxidizing agent and various amines, respectively. The structures of the compounds synthesized were characterized by spectroscopic methods. Disc diffusion and DPPH assays were used to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities, respectively. The in silico molecular docking analysis of the synthesized compounds were done using AutoDock Vina against E. coli DNA Gyrase B and human topoisomerase IIα. The drug likeness properties were assessed using SwissADME and PreADMET.

RESULTS

Nine novel quinoline derivatives were synthesized in good yields. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the synthesized compounds was beyond 9.3 mm inhibition zone (IZ). Compounds 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 15, and 16 exhibited activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and S. pyogenes with IZ ranging from 7.3 ± 0.67 to 15.3 ± 0.33 mm at 200 μg/mL. Compound 9 displayed IZ against three of the bacterial strains except S. aureus. The IC50 for the radical scavenging activity of the synthesized compounds were from 5.31 to 16.71 μg/mL. The binding affinities of the synthesized compounds were from - 6.1 to - 7.2 kcal/mol against E. coli DNA gyrase B and - 6.8 to - 7.4 kcal/mol against human topoisomerase IIα. All of the synthesized compounds obeyed Lipinski's rule of five without violation.

CONCLUSION

Compounds 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 15, and 16 displayed activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains indicating that these compounds might be used as broad spectrum bactericidal activity. Compound 8 (13.6 ± 0.22 mm) showed better IZ against P. aeruginosa compared with ciprofloxacin (10.0 ± 0.45 mm) demonstrating the potential of this compound as antibacterial agent against this strain. Compounds 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 showed comparable binding affinities in their in silico molecular docking analysis against E. coli DNA gyrase B. All of the synthesized compounds also obeyed Lipinski's rule of five without violation which suggests these compounds as antibacterial agents for further study. Compounds 7 and 8 were proved to be a very potent radical scavenger with IC50 values of 5.31 and 5.41 μg/mL, respectively. Compound 5, 6, 8, 10 and 16 had comparable binding affinity against human topoisomerase IIα suggesting these compounds as a possible candidate for anticancer drugs.

Iodine-imine Synergistic Promoted Povarov-Type Multicomponent Reaction for the Synthesis of 2,2'-Biquinolines and Their Application to a Copper/Ligand Catalytic System

An efficient iodine-imine synergistic promoted Povarov-type multicomponent reaction was reported for the synthesis of a practical 2,2'-biquinoline scaffold. The tandem annulation has reconciled iodination, Kornblum oxidation, and Povarov aromatization, where the methyl group of the methyl azaarenes represents uniquely reactive input in the Povarov reaction. This method has broad substrate scope and mild conditions. Furthermore, these 2,2'-biquinoline derivatives had been directly used as bidentate ligands in metal-catalyzed reactions.

Synthesis, antitubercular, antimicrobial activities and molecular docking study of quinoline bearing dihydropyrimidines

In order to develop the antimicrobial and antitubercular agents, we have derived quinoline bearing dihydropyrimidine analogues 5a-o and structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic techniques. Further, we have calculated the molecular properties prediction and drug-likeness by Molinspiration property calculation toolkit and MolSoft software, respectively. The most active compound against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (5m, MIC = 0.20 µg/mL) also possessed a maximum drug-likeness model score (0.42). Compounds 5m, 5g and 5k were possessed promising antibacterial activity against tested bacterial species. Compound 5k was the only compound to have eye-catcher antifungal activity. Furthermore, the MTT cytotoxicity results on HeLa cells suggested lower cytotoxicity of biologically active compounds. Supramolecular interactions of the synthesized compounds has been assessed my means of molecular docking studies. Although all the synthesized compounds are showing preferably good interactions with their respective proteins, their binding free energies values suggest that these molecules are preferred for antitubercular activity rather than antimicrobial activity.

Synthesis, Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and Molecular Modeling Studies of Novel [2,3′-Biquinoline]-4-Carboxylic Acid and Quinoline-3-Carbaldehyde Analogs

Currently, it has been common to see people being affected and dying from untreatable infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) germs. To tackle this problem, developing new effective chemotropic agents is urgently needed. Hence, this project aims to design, synthesize, and evaluate their antibacterial and antioxidant activities of new series of [2,3′-biquinoline]-4-carboxylic acid and quinoline-3-carbaldehyde analogs. The molecular docking analysis of the compounds against E. coli DNA gyrase was computed to investigate the binding mode of the compounds within the active site of the enzyme. In this regard, a new series of [2,3′-biquinoline]-4-carboxylic acid and quinoline-3-carbaldehyde analogs were synthesized by utilization of Vilsmeier–Haack, Doebner, nucleophilic substitution, and hydrolysis reactions. The structures of the synthesized compounds were determined using UV-Vis, FT-IR, and NMR. The synthesized compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains using disc diffusion methods. The findings of the study revealed that seven of synthetic compounds possess good antibacterial activity compared to ciprofloxacin which was used as a positive control in the experiment. Among them, compounds 4, 9, and 10 displayed the highest mean inhibition zone of 13.7 ± 0.58, 16.0 ± 1.7, and 20.7 ± 1.5 mm, respectively, at 0.1 μg/μL. The radical scavenging property of these compounds was evaluated using DPPH radical assay where compounds 9 and 20 showed the strongest activity with IC50 values of 1.25 and 1.75 μg/mL, respectively. At the same concentration, the IC50 value of ascorbic acid was 4.5 μg/mL. The synthesized compounds were also assessed for their in silico molecular docking analysis. Compounds 4 (−6.9 kcal/mol), 9 (−6.9 kcal/mol), and 10 (−7.9 kcal/mol) showed the maximum binding affinity close to ciprofloxacin (−7.2 kcal/mol) used as a positive control. Thus, compounds 4, 9, and 10 showed the best antibacterial activities in both in vitro and molecular docking analyses among the synthetic compounds. The results of in silico molecular docking evaluation of the synthetic compounds against E. coli DNA gyrase B were in good agreement with the in vitro antibacterial analysis. Therefore, the antibacterial activity displayed by these compounds is encouraging for further investigation to improve the activities of [2,3′-biquinoline]-4-carboxylic acid by incorporating various bioisosteric groups in either of the quinoline rings.

Computational evidence for nitro derivatives of quinoline and quinoline N-oxide as low-cost alternative for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new and more aggressive strain of coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, which is highly contagious, has rapidly spread across the planet within a short period of time. Due to its high transmission rate and the significant time–space between infection and manifestation of symptoms, the WHO recently declared this a pandemic. Because of the exponentially growing number of new cases of both infections and deaths, development of new therapeutic options to help fight this pandemic is urgently needed. The target molecules of this study were the nitro derivatives of quinoline and quinoline N-oxide. Computational design at the DFT level, docking studies, and molecular dynamics methods as a well-reasoned strategy will aid in elucidating the fundamental physicochemical properties and molecular functions of a diversity of compounds, directly accelerating the process of discovering new drugs. In this study, we discovered isomers based on the nitro derivatives of quinoline and quinoline N-oxide, which are biologically active compounds and may be low-cost alternatives for the treatment of infections induced by SARS-CoV-2.

Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities of Depside Compound Isolated from the Mycobiont Culture of Parmotrema austrosinense (Zahlbr.) Hale

Substances which are normally secondary metabolites in a lichen are known to possess various medicinal properties but little is known about the biological activities of compounds present in these mycobiont culture extract. The objectives of the present study were isolation and optimization of growth conditions of the mycelia from Parmotrema austrosinense and assess the antiproliferative and antimicrobial activities of acetone extracts. The extraction of bioactive compound from mycobiont culture was achieved by using acetone and standard Soxhlet extraction procedures. The culture extract was subjected to silica gel column chromatography and detection of compound in thin layer chromatography. HPLC, UV vis, IR spectra, microcrystallization and NMR were done for the purified compound. The antimicrobial activity in the extracts were assayed using the standard disc diffusion and broth microdilution protocol against microbial strains. The lecanoric acid in the extracts was purified and MTT method was applied to assess antiproliferative activity against DLA cancer cells. The culture extract containing lecanoric acid exhibited antimicrobial activity against the test strains with the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations varied between 0.83±0.28 and 2.3±1.5 mg mL−1. The lecanoric acid inhibited the growth of DLA cancer cells with inhibitory concentration (IC50) of about 42±1.5 µg mL−1. Conclusion: The result of the present study suggests that this compound might possess potent antitumor property and should be further analysed using appropriate animal model and clinical trials.

Cytoprotective effects of antioxidant supplementation on mesenchymal stem cell therapy

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are earmarked as perfect candidates for cell therapy and tissue engineering due to their capacity to differentiate into different cell types. However, their potential for application in regenerative medicine declines when the levels of the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) increase from the physiological levels, a phenomenon which is at least inevitable in ex vivo cultures and air-exposed damaged tissues. Increased levels of RONS can alter the patterns of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation and inhibit proliferation, as well. Besides, oxidative stress enhances senescence and cell death, thus lowering the success rates of the MSC engraftment. Hence, in this review, we have selected some representatives of antioxidants and newly emerged nano antioxidants in three main categories, including chemical compounds, biometabolites, and protein precursors/proteins, which are proved to be effective in the treatment of MSCs. We will focus on how antioxidants can be applied to optimize the clinical usage of the MSCs and their associated signaling pathways. We have also reviewed several paralleled properties of some antioxidants and nano antioxidants which can be simultaneously used in real-time imaging, scaffolding techniques, and other applications in addition to their primary antioxidative function.

Superacid-promoted synthesis of quinoline derivatives

A series of vinylogous imines have been prepared from anilines and cinnamaldehydes. These substrates react in superacidic media to provide quinolines and related compounds. A mechanism for the conversion is proposed which involves the cyclization of dicationic superelectrophilic intermediates. Aromatization of the quinoline ring is thought to occur by superacid-promoted elimination of benzene.

Copper-catalyzed cross-coupling and sequential allene-mediated cyclization for the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazolo[1,5-a]quinolines

In this paper, a tandem reaction involving copper-catalyzed cross-coupling and allene-mediated cyclization of 1-(2-ethynylaryl)-1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole with N-tosylhydrazone has been developed. This method features operational simplicity, excellent functional group compatibility, broad substrate scope, and easily available feedstock, providing an efficient and practical strategy for the synthesis of highly functionalized 1,2,3-triazolo[1,5-a]quinolines.

Antileishmanial activity of new hybrid tetrahydroquinoline and quinoline derivatives with phosphorus substituents

Heterocyclic compounds, such as hybrid tetrahydroquinoline and quinoline derivatives with phosphorated groups, have been prepared by multicomponent cycloaddition reaction between phosphorus-substituted anilines, aldehydes and styrenes. The antileishmanial activity of these compounds has been evaluated on both promastigotes and intramacrophagic amastigotes of Leishmania infantum. Good antileishmanial activity of functionalized tetrahydroquinolines 4a, 5a, 6b and quinoline 8b has been observed with similar activity than the standard drug amphotericin B and close selective index (SI between 43 and 57) towards L. infantum amastigotes to amphotericin B. Special interest shows tetrahydroquinolylphosphine sulfide 5a with an EC₅₀ value (0.61 ± 0.18 μM) similar to the standard drug amphotericin B (0.32 ± 0.05 μM) and selective index (SI = 56.87). In addition, compound 4c shows remarkable inhibition on Leishmania topoisomerase IB. Parallel theoretical study of stereoelectronic properties, application of docking-based virtual screening methods, along with molecular electrostatic potential and predictive druggability analyses are also reported.

Transition metal/Brønsted acid cooperative catalysis enabled facile synthesis of 8-hydroxyquinolines through one-pot reactions of ortho-aminophenol, aldehydes and alkynes

A convenient and straightforward three-component one-pot strategy has been developed for the synthesis of 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives. Under the cooperative catalysis of silver(i) triflate and trifluoroacetic acid, ortho-aminophenol reacted with a range of aldehydes and alkynes under mild reactions, affording the corresponding 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives with good to excellent yields. These transformations exhibited exceptional substrate generality and functional group compatibility.

An efficient and cooperative catalytic one-pot synthetic methodology for 8-hydroxyquinoline compounds has been developed.

Solvent controlled radical cyclization of propargylamines for multi-iodinated quinoline formation

A solvent controlled regioselective metal-free synthesis of iodosubstituted quinolines from propargylamines has been developed.