Synthesis and evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of novel ethyl 4-[4-(4-substitutedpiperidin-1-yl)]benzyl-phenylpyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline-carboxylate derivatives in myeloid and lymphoid leukemia cell lines

Regioselective bromination of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines

In this study, we report a novel and efficient method for the regioselective bromination of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines using tetrabutylammonium tribromide (TBATB). This method exploits the mild nature of TBATB to obtain highly selective C3-brominated or C1, C3-dibrominated products in good yields. Notably, the reaction has a broad substrate applicability, and the C3-brominated product can be synthesized on a gram scale and can be further converted into structurally diverse pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives.

Site-Selective Access to Functionalized Pyrroloquinoxalinones via H-Atom Transfer from N═Csp2-H Bonds of Quinoxalinones

Site-selective hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) from the N═Csp2-H bonds of quinoxaline-2(1H)-ones is a highly attractive but underdeveloped domain. Reported herein is a highly selective, practical, and economically efficient approach for facile assembly of pyrroloquinoxalinones by synergistic photocatalysis and HAT catalysis. The reaction proceeds through bromine radical-mediated HAT of quinoxalinones and imine radical addition to α-cyano-α,β-unsaturated ketones that establishes a cross-coupling/annulation cascade process, resulting in the synthesis of a series of functionalized pyrroloquinoxalinones. This protocol does not require transition metals or excess oxidants and uses easy-to-synthesize starting materials with excellent scalability and broad substrate scope. The establishment of N═Csp2 radical chemistry illustrates great potential for the synthesis of imine-containing molecules that are not possible with some traditional methods.

Pyrrole-containing hybrids as potential anticancer agents: An insight into current developments and structure-activity relationships

Cancer poses a significant threat to human health. Therefore, it is urgent to develop potent anti-cancer drugs with excellent inhibitory activity and no toxic side effects. Pyrrole and its derivatives are privileged heterocyclic compounds with significant diverse pharmacological effects. These compounds can target various aspects of cancer cells and have been applied in clinical settings or are undergoing clinical trials. As a result, pyrrole has emerged as a promising drug scaffold and has been further probed to get novel entities for the treatment of cancer. This article reviews recent research progress on anti-cancer drugs containing pyrrole. It focuses on the mechanism of action, biological activity, and structure-activity relationships of pyrrole derivatives, aiming to assist in designing and synthesizing innovative pyrrole-based anti-cancer compounds.

Copper-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of 2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)aniline and alkylsilyl peroxides: a route to pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines

An efficient method was developed for the one-pot construction of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines via a Cu(II)-catalyzed domino reaction between 2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)anilines and alkylsilyl peroxides. This reaction proceeds through C-C bond cleavage and new C-C and C-N bond formation. A mechanistic study suggests that alkyl radical species participate in the cascade reaction.

A quinoxaline-based derivative exhibited potent and selective anticancer activity with apoptosis induction in PC-3 cells through Topo II inhibition

Quinoxaline constitutes a variety of derivatives that exhibit a range of biological characteristics, including anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects, and their importance in therapeutic chemistry is rising. The cytotoxicity effects of four quinoxaline compounds (I, II, III, and IV) against liver cancer cells (HepG2), prostate cancer cells (PC-3), and normal cells (Vero) were evaluated using the MTT assay. Compounds III and IV had the most anti-proliferative effects and highly selective indices against PC-3 cells with IC50 values of 4.11 and 2.11 µM, respectively. The apoptotic cell death for compounds III and IV in PC-3 cells was investigated using cell cycle, Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining-based flow cytometry, and DNA fragmentation assay. Compounds III or IV arrested the cell cycle at the S phase and caused apoptosis in PC-3 cells. Compounds III and IV showed inhibitory effects against topoisomerase II enzyme with IC50 values 21.98 and 7.529 µM, respectively, when compared to doxorubicin as a reference drug. Western Blot analysis displayed that compound IV treatment has significantly upregulated the pro-apoptotic proteins (p53, caspase-3, caspase-8) and downregulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in PC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner, leading to cell apoptosis. The molecular docking study exhibited that compound IV had a good binding affinity for inhibiting topoisomerase II, consistent with the apoptotic mechanism. In vivo study using Ehrlich solid tumor model demonstrated that compound IV significantly reduced tumor volume and weight in vivo with minimal toxicity. This study reveals significant evidence for the antitumor efficacy of compound IV against prostate cancer cells as a topoisomerase II inhibitor.

A Facile Ugi/Ullmann Cascade Reaction to Access Fused Indazolo-Quinoxaline Derivatives with Potent Anticancer Activity

A facile methodology for the construction of a complex heterocycle indazolo-fused quinoxalinone has been developed via an Ugi four-component reaction (U-4CR) followed by an intramolecular Ullmann reaction. The expeditious process features an operationally simple approach, time efficiency, and a broad substrate scope. Biological activity was evaluated and demonstrated that compound 6e inhibits human colon cancer cell HCT116 proliferation with an IC50 of 2.1 μM, suggesting potential applications for developing a drug lead in medicinal chemistry.

New 2,4-bis[(substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl]phenylquinazoline and 2,4-bis[(substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl]phenylquinoline Derivatives: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation as Novel Anticancer Agents by Targeting G-Quadruplex

The syntheses of novel 2,4-bis[(substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl]phenylquinazolines 12 and 2,4-bis[(substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl]phenylquinolines 13 are reported here in six steps starting from various halogeno-quinazoline-2,4-(1H,3H)-diones or substituted anilines. The antiproliferative activities of the products were determined in vitro against a panel of breast (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), human adherent cervical (HeLa and SiHa), and ovarian (A2780) cell lines. Disubstituted 6- and 7-phenyl-bis(3-dimethylaminopropyl)aminomethylphenyl-quinazolines 12b, 12f, and 12i displayed the most interesting antiproliferative activities against six human cancer cell lines. In the series of quinoline derivatives, 6-phenyl-bis(3-dimethylaminopropyl)aminomethylphenylquinoline 13a proved to be the most active. G-quadruplexes (G4) stacked non-canonical nucleic acid structures found in specific G-rich DNA, or RNA sequences in the human genome are considered as potential targets for the development of anticancer agents. Then, as small aza-organic heterocyclic derivatives are well known to target and stabilize G4 structures, their ability to bind G4 structures have been determined through FRET melting, circular dichroism, and native mass spectrometry assays. Finally, telomerase inhibition ability has been also assessed using the MCF-7 cell line.

Nitrogen Containing Heterocycles as Anticancer Agents: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective

Cancer is one of the major healthcare challenges across the globe. Several anticancer drugs are available on the market but they either lack specificity or have poor safety, severe side effects, and suffer from resistance. So, there is a dire need to develop safer and target-specific anticancer drugs. More than 85% of all physiologically active pharmaceuticals are heterocycles or contain at least one heteroatom. Nitrogen heterocycles constituting the most common heterocyclic framework. In this study, we have compiled the FDA approved heterocyclic drugs with nitrogen atoms and their pharmacological properties. Moreover, we have reported nitrogen containing heterocycles, including pyrimidine, quinolone, carbazole, pyridine, imidazole, benzimidazole, triazole, β-lactam, indole, pyrazole, quinazoline, quinoxaline, isatin, pyrrolo-benzodiazepines, and pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines, which are used in the treatment of different types of cancer, concurrently covering the biochemical mechanisms of action and cellular targets.

Discovery of JAK2/3 Inhibitors from Quinoxalinone-Containing Compounds

Janus kinases (JAKs) are involved in a wide variety of cell signaling associated with T-cell and B-cell mediated diseases. The pathogenesis of common lymphoid-derived diseases and leukemia cancer has been implicated in JAK2 and JAK3. Therefore, to decrease the risk of these diseases, targeting this pathway using JAK2/3 inhibitors could serve as a valuable research tool. Herein, we used a combination of the computational and biological approaches to identify the quinoxalinone-based dual inhibitors of JAK2/3. First, an in-house library of 49 quinoxalinones was screened by molecular docking. Then, the inhibitory activities of 17 screened compounds against both JAKs as well as against two human erythroleukemia cell lines, TF1 and HEL were examined. The obtained results revealed that several quinoxalinones could potentially inhibit JAK2/3, and among them, ST4j showed strong inhibition against JAKs with the IC₅₀ values of 13.00 ± 1.31 nM for JAK2 and 14.86 ± 1.29 nM for JAK3, which are better than ruxolitinib and tofacitinib. In addition, ST4j potentially inhibited TF1 cells (IC₅₀ of 15.53 ± 0.82 μM) and HEL cells (IC₅₀ of 17.90 ± 1.36 μM), similar to both tofacitinib ruxolitinib. Mechanistically, ST4j inhibited JAK2 autophosphorylation and induced cell apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manners. From molecular dynamics simulations, ST4j was mainly stabilized by van der Waals interactions, and its hydroxyl group could form hydrogen bonds in the hinge region at residues S936 and R938 of JAK2. This research highlights the potential of ST4j to be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of lymphoid-derived diseases and leukemia cancer.

Crystal structure, DFT studies, Hirshfeld surface and energy framework analysis of 4-(5-nitro-thiophen-2-yl)-pyrrolo [1, 2-a] quinoxaline: A potential SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor

The title compound 4-(5-nitro-thiophen-2-yl)-pyrrolo[1,2-a] quinoxaline (5NO2TAAPP) was obtained by a straightforward catalyst-free reaction of 5-nitro-2- thiophene carboxaldehyde and 1-(2-aminophenyl) pyrrole in methanol and was structurally characterized by FT IR, UV-Vis, NMR spectroscopic techniques and elemental analysis. The structure of the compound has been confirmed by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The compound crystallizes in a monoclinic crystal system with space group P21/c. Unit cell dimensions: a = 12.2009(17) A0, b = 8.3544(9) A0, c = 13.9179(17) A0 and β = 104.980(5) A0. Hirshfeld surface analysis was carried out to understand the different intermolecular interactions. The two-dimensional fingerprint plot revealed the most prominent interactions in the compound. Theoretical calculations were executed using Density functional theory (DFT) by Gaussian09 software to develop optimized geometry and frontier molecular orbital analysis. Molecular docking studies revealed that the title compound is a potent inhibitor of Main protease 3CLpro with PDB ID: 6LU7, the viral protease which is responsible for the new Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19).

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Anti-Leukemic Activity of 1,3-Dihydro-1-{1-[4-(4-phenylpyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-3-yl)benzyl]piperidin-4-yl}-2H-benzimidazol-2-one

1,3-Dihydro-1-{1-[4-(4-phenylpyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-3-yl)benzyl]piperidin-4-yl}-2H-benzimidazol-2-one has been synthesized through a multi-step pathway starting from commercially available 2-nitroaniline. A structure characterization of this new substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline compound was achieved by using FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, X-Ray and HRMS spectral analysis. This new pyrroloquinoxaline derivative shows an interesting cytotoxic potential against several human leukemia cell lines (HL60, K562 and U937 cells).

Pd-Catalyzed direct C-H arylation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines

An efficient Pd-catalyzed direct C-H arylation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines with aryl iodides is described, providing a selective route toward a series of 1-arylated and 1,3-diarylated pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines in good yields. This method features a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance and gram-scale synthesis. Furthermore, the C3-thiocyanation of the arylated product is also achieved. We believe that these novel aryl-substituted pyrrolo [1,2-a]quinoxalines will have a variety of applications in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

N,N-Dimethylformamide as Carbon Synthons for the Synthesis of N-Heterocycles: Pyrrolo/Indolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and Quinazolin-4-ones

N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as synthetic precursors contributing especially the methyl, acyl, and amino groups has played a significant role in heterocycle syntheses and functionalization. In this protocol, a wide range of pyrrolo/indolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and quinazolin-4-ones were obtained in moderate to good yields by using elemental iodine without any metal or peroxides. We considered that N-methyl and N-acyl of DMF participate and complete the reaction separately through different mechanisms, which displayed potential still to be explored of DMF.

Highly selective C3-H iodination of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines

We report a C3-H direct iodination of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines with TBAI or I2; a series of novel 3-iodopyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives were obtained with excellent regioselectivity and broad substrate scope. Mechanism studies show that a catalytic amount of p-toluenesulfonic acid significantly promotes the selectivity and conversion of the reaction. Notably, the reaction can be performed on a gram scale, and the iodinated products can be further transformed into potentially biologically active pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives by palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions.

Design, synthesis, and antiproliferative effect of 2,9-bis[4-(pyridinylalkylaminomethyl)phenyl]-1,10-phenanthroline derivatives on human leukemic cells by targeting G-quadruplex

Current multiagent chemotherapy regimens have improved the cure rate in acute leukemia patients, but they are highly toxic and poorly efficient in relapsed patients. To improve the treatment approaches, new specific molecules are needed. The G-quadruplexes (G4s), which are noncanonical nucleic acid structures found in specific guanine-rich DNA or RNA, are involved in many cellular events, including control of gene expression. G4s are considered as targets for the development of anticancer agents. Heterocyclic molecules are well known to target and stabilize G4 structures. Thus, a new series of 2,9-bis[(substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl]-1,10-phenanthroline derivatives (1a-i) was designed, synthesized, and evaluated against five human myeloid leukemia cell lines (K562, KU812, MV4-11, HL60, and U937). Their ability to stabilize various oncogene promoter G4 structures (c-MYC, BCL-2, and K-RAS) as well as the telomeric G4 was also determined through the fluorescence resonance energy transfer melting assay and native mass spectrometry. In addition, the more bioactive ligands 1g-i were tested for telomerase activity in HuT78 and MV4-11 protein extracts.

1-Phenyl-8-[[4-(pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-4-yl)phenyl]methyl]-1,3,8-triazaspiro[4.5]decan-4-one: Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Anti-Leukemic Activity

1-Phenyl-8-[[4-(pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-4-yl)phenyl]methyl]-1,3,8-triazaspiro[4.5]decan-4-one has been successfully synthesized via a multi-step pathway starting from 2-nitroaniline. Structure characterization of this original pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivative was achieved by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, X-Ray and HRMS spectral analysis. This title compound shows interesting cytotoxic potential against several human leukemia cell lines (K562, HL60, and U937 cells).

Synthesis of new piperazinyl-pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives as inhibitors of Candida albicans multidrug transporters by a Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reaction

Two series of piperazinyl-pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives were prepared via a Buchwald–Hartwig cross-coupling reaction and then evaluated for their ability to inhibit the drug efflux activity of CaCdr1p and CaMdr1p transporters of Candida albicans overexpressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. In the initial screening of twenty-nine piperazinyl-pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives, twenty-three compounds behaved as dual inhibitors of CaCdr1p and CaMdr1p. Only four compounds showed exclusive inhibition of CaCdr1p or CaMdr1p. Further biological investigations were developed and for example, their antifungal potential was evaluated by measuring the growth of control yeast cells (AD1-8u⁻) and efflux pump-overexpressing cells (AD-CDR1 and AD-MDR1) after exposition to variable concentrations of the tested compounds. The MIC₈₀ values of nineteen compounds ranging from 100 to 901 μM for AD-CDR1 demonstrated that relative resistance index (RI) values were between 8 and 274. In comparison, only seven compounds had RI values superior to 4 in cells overexpressing Mdr1p. These results indicated substrate behavior for nineteen compounds for CaCdr1p and seven compounds for CaMdr1p, as these compounds were transported via MDR transporter overexpressing cells and not by the AD1-8u⁻ cells. Finally, in a combination assay with fluconazole, two compounds (1d and 1f) have shown a synergistic effect (fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) values ≤ 0.5) at micromolar concentrations in the AD-MDR1 yeast strain overexpressing CaMdr1p-protein, indicating an excellent potency toward chemosensitization.

Two series of piperazinyl-pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives were prepared via a Buchwald–Hartwig cross-coupling reaction and then evaluated for their ability to inhibit the drug efflux activity of two Candida albicans transporters.

NCS-promoted thiocyanation and selenocyanation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines

An efficient NCS-promoted thiocyanation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines with NH₄SCN or KSCN was developed. Moreover, in the presence of KSeCN, the selenocyanation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines was also achieved.

KI/TBHP-promoted [3 + 2] cycloaddition of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and N-arylsulfonylhydrazones

A series of diverse fused [1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-c]quinoxalines was obtained by an efficient KI/TBHP-promoted [3 + 2] cycloaddition of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and N-arylsulfonylhydrazones.

Functionalization of gold nanoparticles with two aminoalcohol-based quinoxaline derivatives for targeting phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Kα)

Quinoxaline derivatives have attracted considerable attention due to their vast range of applications that includes electroluminescence and biomedicine.

1-Methyl-3-{4-[(4-(2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)piperidin-1-yl)benzyl]}-2-phenylindole

The 1-methyl-3-{4-[(4-(2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)piperidin-1-yl)benzyl]}-2-phenylindole compound has been successfully synthesized via a multistep pathway starting from 2-phenylindole. Structure characterization of this new indole derivative was done by FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HRMS spectral analysis. The title compound showed high cytotoxic potential against five leukemia cell lines (K562, HL60, U937, U266, and Jurkat cell lines).

Identification of a diverse synthetic abietane diterpenoid library and insight into the structure-activity relationships for antibacterial activity

A diverse natural product-like (NPL) synthetic abietane diterpenoid library containing 86 compounds were obtained and the SARs were studied based on their antibacterial potential. Further in vitro cytotoxic and in silico drug-like properties evaluation showed that the potent antibacterial compound 84 had good drug-like properties and displayed low cytotoxicity toward noncancerous mammalian cells, indicating the study of AA and DHAA might be a good starting point for the search of novel antimicrobial molecules. Future work should be focused on the optimization of their potency and selectivity.

Metal-Involving Synthesis and Reactions of Oximes

This review classifies and summarizes the past 10-15 years of advancements in the field of metal-involving (i.e., metal-mediated and metal-catalyzed) reactions of oximes. These reactions are diverse in nature and have been employed for syntheses of oxime-based metal complexes and cage-compounds, oxime functionalizations, and the preparation of new classes of organic species, in particular, a wide variety of heterocyclic systems spanning small 3-membered ring systems to macroheterocycles. This consideration gives a general outlook of reaction routes, mechanisms, and driving forces and underlines the potential of metal-involving conversions of oxime species for application in various fields of chemistry and draws attention to the emerging putative targets.

Design, synthesis and antimalarial activity of novel bis{N-[(pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-4-yl)benzyl]-3-aminopropyl}amine derivatives

Novel series of bis- and tris-pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives 1 were synthesized and tested for in vitro activity upon the intraerythrocytic stage of W2 and 3D7 Plasmodium falciparum strains. Biological results showed good antimalarial activity with IC₅₀ in the μM range. In attempting to investigate the large broad-spectrum antiprotozoal activities of these new derivatives, their properties toward Leishmania donovani were also investigated and revealed their selective antiplasmodial profile. In parallel, the in vitro cytotoxicity of these molecules was assessed on the human HepG2 cell line. Structure–activity relationships of these new synthetic compounds are discussed here. The bis-pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines 1n and 1p were identified as the most potent antimalarial candidates with selectivity index (SI) of 40.6 on W2 strain, and 39.25 on 3D7 strain, respectively. As the telomeres of the parasite could constitute an attractive target, we investigated the possibility of targeting Plasmodium telomeres by stabilizing the Plasmodium telomeric G-quadruplexes through a FRET melting assay by our new compounds.