Potential Treatment of Breast and Lung Cancer Using Dicoma anomala, an African Medicinal Plant

Globally, cancer has been identified as one of the leading causes of death in public health. Its etiology is based on consistent exposure to carcinogenic. Plant-derived anticancer compounds are known to be less toxic to the normal cells and are classified into acetylenic compounds, phenolics, terpenes, and phytosterols. Dicoma anomala is a perennial herb belonging to the family Asteraceae and is widely distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa and used in the treatment of cancer, malaria, fever, diabetes, ulcers, cold, and cough. This review aimed at highlighting the benefits of D. anomala in various therapeutic applications with special reference to the treatment of cancers and the mechanisms through which the plant-derived agents induce cell death.

Ultrasound-promoted green synthesis of pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives and studies on their antioxidant activity

Aims & Objective: An efficient procedure for the synthesis of pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives in excellent yields was investigated using catalyst-free multicomponent reaction of phthaladehyde, methylamine, activated acetylenic compounds, alkyl bromides and triphenylphosphine in water under ultrasonic irradiation at room temperature. In addition, Diels-Alder reactions of pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives with activated acetylenic compounds under ultrasonic irradiation are investigated in two procedures. The advantages of this procedure compared to report methods are short time of reaction, high yields of product, easy separation of product, clean mixture of reaction and green media for performing reaction. In addition, because of having isoquinoline core in synthesized compounds, in this research antioxidant activity of some synthesized compounds was studied. Materials and Methods: To a stirred mixture of phthalaldehyde 1 (2 mmol) and methylamine 2 (2 mmol) in water (3 mL) under ultrasonic irradiation was added activated acetylenic compounds 4 after 20 min. Alkyl bromide 3 and triphenylphosphine 5 react in another pot in water (3 mL) under ultrasonic irradiation for 15 min. After this time, this mixture added to first pot. After completion the reaction, the solid residue was separated by filtration and washed with Et2O to afforded pure title compound 6. Results: In this work, generation of pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives 6 are performed using phthalaldehyde 1, methylamine 2, α-halo substituted carbonyls 3, activated acetylenic comompouds 4 and triphenylphosphine 5 in water under ultrasonic irradiation condition at room temperature in excellent yield at short time. Conclusion: In summary, multicomponent reaction of phthaladehyde, methylamine, activated acetylenic compounds, alkyl bromides and triphenylphosphine in water under ultrasonic irradiation at room temperature produced pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives in excellent yields. Also, Diels-Alder reaction of pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives with activated acetylenic compounds and triphenylphosphine under ultrasonic irradiation is investigated in two procedures. Also, the antioxidant activities of 6a, 6c, 6g and 6i were evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing power analyzes. The compounds 6a exhibit excellent DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP compared to synthetic antioxidants BHT and TBHQ. The chief benefits of our method are high atom economy, green reaction conditions, higher yield, shorter reaction times, and easy work-up, which are in good agreement with some principles of green chemistry.

Green Synthesis of Pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinolines and Pyrido[1,2-a]quinolines by Using ZnO Nanoparticles

Pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinoline and pyrido[1,2-a]quinoline derivatives have been produced in good yields by the reaction of isoquinoline or quinoline, activated acetylenic compounds, α-halo ketones, and triphenylphosphine in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) as an efficient catalyst under solvent-free conditions at room temperature. The reaction workup is easy, and the products can be readily separated from the reaction mixture. ZnO NPs markedly improved the yield of the product. The catalyst showed significant reusable activity.

Heterocycles Synthesis at Carbonylation of Acetylenic Compounds

The carbonylation of unsaturated hydrocarbons, alcohols, organic halides and other substrates catalyzed by transition metals, salts of transition metals and organometallic complexes is a wide used synthesis method of new carbonyl, carboxyl and alkoxy carbonyl containing compounds including creation or modificationt of heterocycles. The data about synthesis of heterocycles at carbonylation of acetylenic compounds have been appeared at last 20 years and are demonstrated in our review. Introduction of carbon monoxide in the catalytic reactions of acetylenic compounds permits to obtain in oneput process the diverse heterocycles, having carbonyl, carboxyl or alkoxycarbonyl substitutes or containing these fragments inside of heterocycles.