Benzophenone Derivatives Showed Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antiproliferative Activities by Inhibiting COX Enzymes and Promote Cyclin E Downregulation

Considering the promising antitumor effects of compounds with dual anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities, thus benzophenones analogs (2-7) were evaluated on in vivo antiinflammatory assay and molecular docking analysis. Those with the best molecular docking results were in vitro evaluated on cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes and tested regarding antiproliferative activity. All derivatives displayed in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. Among them, the substances 2’-hydroxy-4’-benzoylphenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), 4-hydroxy-4’-methoxybenzophenone (5) and 4’-(4’’-methoxybenzoyl)phenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (7) showed the best values of Glide Score in COX-2 docking evaluation and 4 and 5 selectively inhibited COX-2 and COX-1 in vitro enzymatic assay, respectively. Thus, 4 and 5 were tested against breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA‑MB-231, Hs578T) and non-small-cell-lung cancer (A549) cell lines. The estrogen-positive MCF-7 cell line was more responsive compared to other tested cell lines. They induced cell cycle arrest at G1/S transition in MCF-7 cell line once there was an increase in G0/G1 population with concomitant reduction of S population. The antiproliferative activity of these substances on MCF-7 was associated with their ability to inhibit cyclin E expression, a critical regulator of G1/S transition. Taken together, the data indicate that 4 and 5 have dual anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities and support further studies to evaluate their antitumor potential.

Design and Synthesis of Novel Podophyllotoxins Hybrids and the Effects of Different Functional Groups on Cytotoxicity

Development of novel anticancer therapeutic candidates is one of the key challenges in medicinal chemistry. Podophyllotoxin and its derivatives, as a potent cytotoxic agent, have been at the center of extensive chemical amendment and pharmacological investigation. Herein, a new series of podophyllotoxin-N-sulfonyl amidine hybrids (4a–4v, 5a–5f) were synthesized by a CuAAC/ring-opening procedure. All the synthesized podophyllotoxins derivatives were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxic activity against a panel of human lung (A-549) cancer cell lines. Different substituents’, or functional groups’ antiproliferative activities were discussed. The –CF3 group performed best (IC50: 1.65 μM) and exhibited more potent activity than etoposide. Furthermore, molecular docking and dynamics studies were also conducted for active compounds and the results were in good agreement with the observed IC50 values.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Prodrugs For Nitroreductase Based 4-β-Amino-4'-Demethylepipodophyllotoxin As Potential Anticancer Agents

A series of prodrugs for nitroreductase based 4-β-amino-4'- Demethylepipodophyllotoxin as potential anticancer agents were synthesized, and their antiproliferative activities in vitro showed compounds 2b (IC50=0.77, 0.83 and 1.19 μM) and 2d (IC50=0.98, 0.91 and 1.58 μM) were greatly selectively toxic to tumor cells A-549, HeLa and HepG2, respectively, and lower damage to normal WI-38 cells in comparison with positive agent Etoposide and Demethylepipodophyllotoxin, and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase with a concomitant decrease in the population of G1 phase in HeLa cells, which were accompanied by apoptosis. Furthermore, Molecular docking model showed that compounds 2b and 2d appeared to form stable bonds with NTR 1DS7. Taken together, these conjugates have the potential to be developed as anti-tumor drugs.

Dihydrophenanthrenes from a Sicilian Accession of Himantoglossum robertianum (Loisel.) P. Delforge Showed Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Antiproliferative Activities

The peculiar aspect that emerges from the study of Orchidaceae is the presence of various molecules, which are particularly interesting for pharmaceutical chemistry due to their wide range of biological resources. The aim of our study was to investigate the properties of two dihydrophenanthrenes, isolated, for the first time, from Himantoglossum robertianum (Loisel.) P. Delforge (Orchidaceae) bulbs and roots. Chemical and spectroscopic study of the bulbs and roots of Himantoglossum robertianum (Loisel.) P. Delforge resulted in the isolation of two known dihydrophenanthrenes—loroglossol and hircinol—never isolated from this plant species. The structures were evaluated based on 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and two-dimensional spectra, and by comparison with the literature. These two molecules have been tested for their possible antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and proapoptotic activities. In particular, it has been shown that these molecules cause an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN); show antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and have anti-proliferative effects on gastric cancer cell lines, inducing apoptosis effects. Therefore, these two molecules could be considered promising candidates for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical preparations.

Synthesis of Alicyclic 2-Methylenethiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolinone Derivatives via Base-Promoted Cascade Reactions

The synthesis of alicyclic 2-methylenethiazolo[2,3-b]quinazo­l­inones is performed via base-promoted cascade reactions, starting from either alicyclic β-amino propargylamides using carbon disulfide, or from alicyclic ethyl 2-isothiocyanatocarboxylates by addition of propargylamine. In both cases the cascade reaction proceeds by way of a favoured 5-exo-dig process during the second ring closure, as confirmed by full NMR spectroscopic assignments. Moreover, a high-yielding retro­-Diels–Alder (RDA) reaction is performed on the norbornene derivatives leading to 2-methylene-2H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5(3H)-ones. The obtained compounds exert modest antiproliferative activities against a panel of human gynaecological cancer cell lines.