Amino acids derived benzoxazepines: design, synthesis and antitumor activity.

Two series of new benzoxazepines substituted with different alkyl amino ethyl chains were synthesized comprising synthetic steps of inter and intramolecular Mitsunobu reaction, lithium aluminium hydride (LAH) reduction, debenzylation, bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reaction. The present study investigates the effect of a tyrosine-based benzoxazepine derivative in human breast cancer cells MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 and in breast cancer animal model. The anti-proliferative effect of 15a on MCF-7 cells was associated with G1 cell-cycle arrest. This G1 growth arrest was followed by apoptosis as 15a dose dependently increased phosphatidylserine exposure, PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation that are hallmarks of apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, 15a activated components of both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis characterized by activation of caspase-8 and -9, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and increase in Bax/Bcl2 ratio. However, use of selective caspase inhibitors revealed that the caspase-8-dependent pathway is the major contributor to 15a-induced apoptosis. Compound 15a also significantly reduced the growth of MCF-7 xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice. Together, 15a could serve as a base for the development of a new group of effective breast cancer therapeutics.

Benzannulation for the regiodefined synthesis of 2-alkyl/aryl-1-naphthols: total synthesis of arnottin I.

The annulation of phthalides with α-alkyl/arylacrylates in the presence of LDA/LHMDS is shown to directly give alkyl/aryl-1-naphthols. The method involving a novel dealkoxycarbonylation obviates the regiochemical issues in the synthesis of polysubstituted naphthalenes, and it forms the key step in a three-step total synthesis of arnottin I, a naphthobenzopyranone natural product.

Tyrosine-Derived Novel Benzoxazine Active in a Rat Syngenic Mammary Tumor Model of Breast Cancer.

In continuing efforts of improving benzoxazepine derivatives as an anti-breast cancer agent, a new chemical entity, benzoxazine, was designed from scaffold morphing. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that H, -OMe, -CF3, and -F were well tolerated on R1 and R2 positions of ring A, and R2 as -CH2CH2N(CH2)4 (N-ethyl pyrrolidine) and -CH2CH2N(CH2)5 (N-ethyl piperidine) chains on ring D increased activities (Series B, Figure 3). 13d selected as a lead compound (IC50: 0.20 to 0.65 µM) induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in breast cancer cells. Compound 13d was formulated into 13d-f using cyclodextrin to improve its solubility for a pharmacokinetic, in vivo efficacy study. Both 13d and 13d-f regressed tumor growth at concentrations of 5 and 20 mg/kg better than tamoxifen without any mortality in a rat syngenic mammary tumor model. Collectively, our data suggest that tyrosine-derived novel benzoxazine 13d could be a potential lead for the treatment of breast cancer and hence deserve further in-depth studies.

Thiophene containing trisubstituted methanes [TRSMs] as identified lead against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Triarylmethanes (TRAMs) and thiophene containing trisubstituted methanes (TRSMs) have been reported by us, having potential against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium fortuitum strains, respectively. Further, extension through synthesis and biological evaluation of novel TRSMs resulted into an identified lead 36 (S006-830) [(diisopropyl-(2-{4-[(4-methoxy-phenyl)- thiophen-2-yl-methyl]-phenoxy}-ethyl)-amine)] with MIC: 1.33 mg/L, non-toxic against Vero C-1008 cell line with selectivity index >10, ex vivo efficacy equivalent to first line TB drugs-isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFM) and pyrazinamide (PZA) in the mouse and human macrophages, and lung CFU count of 2.2 × 10(7) (approximately 15 fold lesser than untreated mice, 31 × 10(7)) with efficacies comparable to ethambutol (EMB) (1.27 × 10(7)) and PZA (1.9 × 10(7)). Further, S006-830 also showed potent bactericidal activity against multi-drug resistant and single-drug resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis.

Anionic [4+3] heteroannulation of 2-azidoacrylates: a modular synthesis of 2-benzazepin-1-ones.

2-Azidoacrylates undergo [4+3] annulation with phthalides under anionic conditions at low temperatures to furnish 5-hydroxy-2-benzazepinones, the formation of which represents a new concept for the construction of azepines as well as a new reactivity of 2-azidoacrylates.

A rapid entry to C-prenylcarbazoles: total synthesis of clausamine C-D, clausevatine D and clausine F.

The key prenylcarbazole precursor 33 was readily assembled from diester 30 by an ester-driven para-Claisen rearrangement followed by selective removal of the ester function. Unusual oxidative cyclization of 33 by m-CPBA resulted in the total synthesis of tetracyclic carbazole natural products 3 and 11.