Benzyl Alcohol/Salicylaldehyde-Type Polyketide Metabolites of Fungi: Sources, Biosynthesis, Biological Activities, and Synthesis.

Marine microorganisms are an important source of natural polyketides, which have become a significant reservoir of lead structures for drug design due to their diverse biological activities. In this review, we provide a summary of the resources, structures, biological activities, and proposed biosynthetic pathways of the benzyl alcohol/salicylaldehyde-type polyketides. In addition, the total syntheses of these secondary metabolites from their discoveries to the present day are presented. This review could be helpful for researchers in the total synthesis of complex natural products and the use of polyketide bioactive molecules for pharmacological purposes and applications in medicinal chemistry.

Aerobic Copper-Catalyzed Salicylaldehydic Cformyl -H Arylations with Arylboronic Acids.

We report a challenging copper-catalyzed Cformyl -H arylation of salicylaldehydes with arylboronic acids that involves unique salicylaldehydic copper species that differ from reported salicylaldehydic rhodacycles and palladacycles. This protocol has high chemoselectivity for the Cformyl -H bond compared to the phenolic O-H bond involving copper catalysis under high reaction temperatures. This approach is compatible with a wide range of salicylaldehyde and arylboronic acid substrates, including estrone and carbazole derivatives, which leads to the corresponding arylation products. Mechanistic studies show that the 2-hydroxy group of the salicylaldehyde substrate triggers the formation of salicylaldehydic copper complexes through a CuI /CuII /CuIII catalytic cycle.

Pot, atom and step economic (PASE) assembly of salicylaldehydes, malononitrile dimer and 4-hydroxypyridine-2(1H)-ones into medicinally relevant 5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine scaffold.

The new multicomponent reaction (MCR) has been found: one-pot selective and efficient formation of the new 5-(4-hydroxy-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)-substituted 5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridines in 61-97% yields directly from simple and easily available salicylaldehydes, malononitrile dimer and 4-hydroxypyridine-2(1H)-ones in small amount of pyridine-ethanol catalyst/solvent system. This complex "domino" transformation includes Knoevenagel condensation of salicylaldehyde with malononitrile dimer, Michael addition of 4-hydroxypyridine-2(1H)-one, double Pinner-type reaction cyclization and isomerization with following protonation. This facile multicomponent process opens a new way to 5-(4-hydroxy-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)-substituted 5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine systems, which are promising compounds for the treatment for human inflammatory TNFα-mediated diseases and different biomedical applications.

Synthesis of substituted 2H-chromenes by a three-component reaction as potential antioxidants.

A series of alkoxy-substituted 2H-chromenes were synthesized by a one-pot three-component reaction using salicylaldehydes, acetyl acetone and alcohol as reactant and medium with tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride (TBAF) as catalyst. Simple reaction conditions, short reaction time and overall good yield of products make this synthetic strategy an efficient one to synthesize 2H-chromene molecules. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for antioxidant activities. Among all the new compounds, 5j and 5k showed good inhibition [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) at 100 [Formula: see text] concentrations.

Synthesis of 2H-Chromenones from Salicylaldehydes and Arylacetonitriles.

An efficient and convenient protocol for the synthesis of 2H-chromenones has been developed. In the presence of tBuOK in DMF, good to excellent yields of various chromenones were obtained from the corresponding salicylaldehydes and arylacetonitriles. No protection of inert gas atmosphere is required here.

(Z)-Selective Takai olefination of salicylaldehydes.

The Takai olefination (or Takai reaction) is a method for the conversion of aldehydes to vinyl iodides, and has seen widespread implementation in organic synthesis. The reaction is usually noted for its high (E)-selectivity; however, herein we report the highly (Z)-selective Takai olefination of salicylaldehyde derivatives. Systematic screening of related substrates led to the identification of key factors responsible for this surprising inversion of selectivity, and enabled the development of a modified mechanistic model to rationalise these observations.

Neutral and cationic nickel(II) complexes with substituted salicylaldehydes: Characterization, antibacterial activity, and interaction with biomacromolecules.

Four neutral and six cationic nickel(II) complexes of the substituted salicylaldehydes (X-diCl-saloH), namely 3,5-dichloro-salicylaldehyde (3,5-diCl-saloH) and 5-fluoro-salicylaldehyde (5-F-saloH), were synthesized in the absence or presence of the N,N'-donors 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (neoc), or 2,2'-bipyridylamine (bipyam) as co-ligands and were characterized by various techniques. The obtained complexes bear the general formulas [Ni(X-salo)2(H2O)2], [Ni(3,5-diCl-salo)2(neoc/phen)] and [Ni(X-salo)(N,N'-donor)2](PF6). The crystal structures of three complexes were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography revealing a bidentate coordination of the salicylaldehydes. The interaction of the compounds with calf-thymus DNA was studied by diverse techniques which revealed an intercalative interaction for the neutral complexes [Ni(X-salo)2(H2O)2] and [Ni(3,5-diCl-salo)2(neoc/phen)]and the co-existence of electrostatic interactions for the cationic complexes [Ni(X-salo)(N,N'-donor)2](PF6). The compounds bind tightly and reversibly to serum albumins. The antibacterial activity of the compounds was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli NCTC 29,212 and Xanthomonas campestris ATCC 1395 and the complexes bearing neoc as co-ligand proved the most potent.

Erbium(III) coordination compounds with substituted salicylaldehydes: Characterization and biological profile.

Five erbium(III) complexes with salicylaldehyde (saloH for 1), and mono- (5-X-saloH; X = NO2 and Me for 2 and 3, respectively) or di-substituted salicylaldehydes (3,5-diX-saloH; X = Cl and Br for 4 and 5, respectively) were synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. All five complexes have the general formula [Er(deprotonated salicylaldehyde)3(MeOH)(H2O)]. The structure of complexes [Er(3,5-diCl-salo)3(MeOH)(H2O)]·1.5MeOH (complex 4) and [Er(3,5-diBr-salo)3(MeOH)(H2O)]·1.75MeOH (complex 5) were verified by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The evaluation of antioxidant activity of the complexes was focused on their ability to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) free radicals and to reduce H2O2. The interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, viscosity measurements and via competitive studies with ethidium bromide in order to evaluate the possible DNA-binding mode and to determine the corresponding DNA-binding constants. The affinity of the complexes for bovine and human serum albumins was explored by fluorescence emission spectroscopy and the corresponding binding constants were determined.

Manganese(II) complexes of substituted salicylaldehydes and α-diimines: Synthesis, characterization and biological activity.

The interaction of Mn+2 with substituted salicylaldehydes (X-saloH) led to the formation of five manganese(II) complexes formulated as [Μn(X-salo)2(MeOH)2]. When the reactions took place in the presence of an α-diimine such as 2,2'-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2'-bipyridylamine, five manganese(II) complexes of the formula [Mn(X-salo)2(α-diimine)] were isolated. The characterization of the complexes was accomplished by various spectroscopic techniques and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The antioxidant activity of the compounds was evaluated via the scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and hydroxyl free radicals. The antibacterial activity of the complexes was tested in vitro against Staphylococcus aureus and Xanthomonas campestris bacterial strains and was found moderate. Diverse techniques were employed to examine the interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA which showed intercalation as the most possible interaction mode. The affinity of the complexes for bovine serum albumin was investigated by fluorescence emission spectroscopy and the binding constants were determined.

Palladium(II) Complexes of Substituted Salicylaldehydes: Synthesis, Characterization and Investigation of Their Biological Profile.

Five palladium(II) complexes of substituted salicylaldehydes (X-saloH, X = 4-Et2N (for 1), 3,5-diBr (for 2), 3,5-diCl (for 3), 5-F (for 4) or 4-OMe (for 5)) bearing the general formula [Pd(X-salo)2] were synthesized and structurally characterized. The crystal structure of complex [Pd(4-Et2N-salo)2] was determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The complexes can scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals and reduce H2O2. They are active against two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Xanthomonas campestris) bacterial strains. The complexes interact strongly with calf-thymus DNA via intercalation, as deduced by diverse techniques and via the determination of their binding constants. Complexes interact reversibly with bovine and human serum albumin. Complementary insights into their possible mechanisms of bioactivity at the molecular level were provided by molecular docking calculations, exploring in silico their ability to bind to calf-thymus DNA, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus DNA-gyrase, 5-lipoxygenase, and membrane transport lipid protein 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein, contributing to the understanding of the role complexes 1-5 can play both as antioxidant and antibacterial agents. Furthermore, in silico predictive tools have been employed to study the chemical reactivity, molecular properties and drug-likeness of the complexes, and also the drug-induced changes of gene expression profile (as protein- and mRNA-based prediction results), the sites of metabolism, the substrate/metabolite specificity, the cytotoxicity for cancer and non-cancer cell lines, the acute rat toxicity, the rodent organ-specific carcinogenicity, the anti-target interaction profiles, the environmental ecotoxicity, and finally the activity spectra profile of the compounds.

A novel and facile synthesis of 3-(2-benzofuroyl)- and 3,6-bis(2-benzofuroyl)carbazole derivatives.

A facile synthesis of hitherto unreported 3-(2-benzofuroyl)carbazoles 3a-k, 3,6-bis(2-benzofuroyl)carbazoles 5a-k, and naphtho[2,1-b]furoylcarbazoles 3l and 5l is described. The synthesis mainly relies on the ultrasound-assisted Rap-Stoermer reaction of 3-chloroacetyl- (1) or 3,6-dichloroacetyl-9-ethyl-9H-carbazole (4) with various salicylaldehydes 2a-k as well as 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde (2l) in CH(3)CN with the presence of PEG-400 as catalyst. The procedure offers easy access to benzofuroylcarbazoles in short reaction times and the products are obtained in moderate to good yields.

Novel Aminoguanidine Hydrazone Analogues: From Potential Antimicrobial Agents to Potent Cholinesterase Inhibitors.

A series of thirty-one hydrazones of aminoguanidine, nitroaminoguanidine, 1,3-diaminoguanidine, and (thio)semicarbazide were prepared from various aldehydes, mainly chlorobenzaldehydes, halogenated salicylaldehydes, 5-nitrofurfural, and isatin (yields of 50-99%). They were characterized by spectral methods. Primarily, they were designed and evaluated as potential broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. The compounds were effective against Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) from 7.8 µM, as well as Gram-negative strains with higher MIC. Antifungal evaluation against yeasts and Trichophyton mentagrophytes found MIC from 62.5 µM. We also evaluated inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). The compounds inhibited both enzymes with IC50 values of 17.95-54.93 µM for AChE and ≥1.69 µM for BuChE. Based on the substitution, it is possible to modify selectivity for a particular cholinesterase as we obtained selective inhibitors of either AChE or BuChE, as well as balanced inhibitors. The compounds act via mixed-type inhibition. Their interactions with enzymes were studied by molecular docking. Cytotoxicity was assessed in HepG2 cells. The hydrazones differ in their toxicity (IC50 from 5.27 to >500 µM). Some of the derivatives represent promising hits for further development. Based on the substitution pattern, it is possible to modulate bioactivity to the desired one.

Palladium(II) complexes with salicylaldehyde ligands: Synthesis, characterization, structure, in vitro and in silico study of the interaction with calf-thymus DNA and albumins.

The synthesis and characterization of four palladium(II) complexes with substituted salicylaldehydes (X-saloH) having the general formula [Pd(X-salo)2] was undertaken. The complexes are formulated as [Pd(3-OCH3-salo)2] 1, [Pd(5-NO2-salo)2] 2, [Pd(5-Cl-salo)2] 3, and [Pd(5-Br-salo)2] 4. The structure of complex 1 was verified by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Spectroscopic (UV-vis), and physicochemical (viscosity measurements) techniques were employed in order to study the binding of the complexes with calf-thymus (CT) DNA, while ethidium bromide (EB) displacement studies, performed by fluorescence emission spectroscopy, revealed the ability of the complexes to displace the DNA-bound EB. Intercalation is the most possible mode of interaction of the complexes with CT DNA. The interaction of the complexes with bovine (BSA) and human (HSA) serum albumin proteins was studied by fluorescence emission spectroscopy and the relatively high binding constants revealed the reversible binding of the complexes to the albumins. Molecular docking simulations on the crystal structure of HSA, BSA and CT DNA were employed in order to study in silico the ability of the studied complexes 1-4 to bind to these target macromolecules.

TiO2 NPs-Coated Carbone Nanotubes as a Green and Efficient Catalyst for the Synthesis of [1]Benzopyrano[b][1]benzopyranones and Xanthenols in Water.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: Results of pharmacological studies have revealed that chromenes (2H-1-benzopyran derivatives) and xanthenes (dibenzopyrans) constitute major classes of heterocyclic compounds, due to their useful biological activities. Moreover, during the last decade, the use of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) as heterogeneous catalysts has been extensively studied due to their high physical and chemical abilities. The aim of the ongoing research was to prove the catalytic efficiency of the synthesized TiO2 NPs supported by carbon nanotubes (TiO2-CNTs) for the preparation of these heterocyclic scaffolds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present work is focused on a green and efficient synthesis of [1]benzopyrano[b][1]benzopyran-6-ones and xanthenols via a pseudo three-component reaction of salicylaldehydes with active methylene compounds including 4-hydroxycoumarin (4-hydroxy-2H-1- benzopyran-2-one) or 3,4-methylenedioxyphenol, in a molar ratio of 1:2. The reaction was carried out in the presence of the synthesized TiO2-CNTs as a catalyst in aqueous media at room temperature. The synthesized catalyst was fully characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX) techniques. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, as well as elemental analyses. RESULTS: Sixteen target compounds containing [1]benzopyrano[b][1]benzopyran-6-ones and xanthenols were successfully synthesized in high yields (92-98%) within short reaction times (1.5-3 h). CONCLUSION: In this research, TiO2-CNTs were used as an efficient recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of [1]benzopyrano[b][1]benzopyran-6-ones and xanthenols by the pseudo three-component reaction of salicylaldehydes with active methylene compounds including 4-hydroxycoumarin (4- hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one) or 3,4-methylenedioxyphenol. The introduced method is mild, environmentally benign and effective to give the products in high yields and in short reaction times.

A Domino Oxidation/Arylation/Protodecarboxylation Reaction of Salicylaldehydes: Expanded Access to meta-Arylphenols.

A method that allows salicylaldehydes to be efficiently transformed into meta-arylated phenol derivatives through a cascade oxidation/arylation/protodecarboxylation sequence is presented. We demonstrate that the aldehyde functional group can be used as a convenient removable directing group to control site selectivity in C-H activation. Aldehydes are easily introduced into the starting materials and the group is readily cleaved after the C-H functionalization event.

Ni(II) complexes with 2,2-dipyridylamine and salicylaldehydes: Synthesis, crystal structure and interaction with calf-thymus DNA and albumins.

The synthesis of four cationic mixed-ligand Ni(II) complexes with 2,2'-dipyridylamine (dpamH) and substituted salicylaldehydes (X-saloH) was undertaken in an effort to discover new biologically active compounds. The complexes with the general formula [Ni(dpamH)2(X-salo)]Cl, 3-6, namely [Ni(dpamH)2(5-Cl-salo)]Cl, 3, [Ni(dpamH)2(5-Br-salo)]Cl, 4, [Ni(dpamH)2(5-CH3-salo)]Cl, 5, and [Ni(dpamH)2(3-OCH3-salo)]Cl·CH3OH, 6, were characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR and UV-vis spectroscopy, magnetic and conductivity measurements. In addition, two analogous nickel-salicylaldehydato complexes in the absence of dpamH were prepared and characterized as [Ni(5-Cl-salo)2(CH3OH)2], 1 and [Ni(5-Br-salo)2(CH3OH)2], 2. The structures of complexes 1-6 were determined by X-ray crystallography revealing octahedral coordination of nickel (II) and monomeric nature of the compounds. Spectroscopic (UV-vis), electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry) and physicochemical (viscosity measurements) techniques were employed in order to study the binding mode and strength of the complexes to calf-thymus (CT) DNA, while competitive studies with ethidium bromide (EB), performed by fluorescence spectroscopy, revealed the ability of the complexes to displace the DNA-bound EB. The complexes bind to DNA probably via intercalation exhibiting high DNA-binding constants. For the cationic complexes 3-6, the coexistence of an electrostatic interaction with CT DNA may be also suggested. The interaction of the complexes with serum albumins was studied by fluorescence emission spectroscopy and the determined binding constants exhibit relative high values.

Iron(III) and aluminium(III) complexes with substituted salicyl-aldehydes and salicylic acids.

The chelating properties toward iron(III) and aluminium(III) of variously substituted salicyl-aldehydes and salicylic acids have been evaluated, together with the effect of methoxy and nitro substituents in ortho and para position with respect to the phenolic group. The protonation and iron and aluminium complex formation equilibria have been studied by potentiometry, UV-visible spectrophotometry and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The overall results highlight that salicyl-aldehydes present good chelating properties toward iron(III), with pFe ranging from 14.2 with nitro to 15.7 with methoxy substituent, being ineffective toward aluminium; the pFe values for salicylic acids are generally lower than those for salicyl-aldehydes, and about 4 units higher than the corresponding pAl values. The effect of the two substituents on the chelating properties of the ligands can be rationalized in terms of the Swain-Lupton treatment which accounts for the field and resonance effects. The structural characterization of the 1:2 iron complex with p-nitro salicylic acid shows that iron(III) ion exhibits an octahedral surrounding where two salicylate chelating ligands supply two O-phenolate and two O-carboxylate donor atoms in a roughly equatorial plane. The trans-apical sites are occupied by two aqua ligands.