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The synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of fourteen new chalcones containing 5-fluorouracil were introduced in which nine chalcones as Mannich bases 8a-i were synthesized from 2'-hydroxyacetophenone (1) in three steps including chloromethylation, N-alkylation and Claisen-Schmidt reactions. Other chalcones 14a-e were obtained from Click reaction between 1,3-dipropargyl-5-fluorouracil and azide derivatives of 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone. The bio-assay results showed that 11 chalcones (excluding 8d, 8f and 8h) exhibited cytotoxicity against four human cancer cell lines including Hep-G2, RD, LU-1 and FL in which compound 14e exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity against Hep-G2, RD, LU-1 and FL with IC50 values of 1.48, 10.59, 3.64 and 7.02 μg/mL, respectively.

Twenty-one new chalcones 9a-m (excluding 9e, 9j and 9l) and 10a-m (excluding 10j and 10l), containing nucleobases were synthesized from 2-hydroxyacetophenone (1) by the reactions including chloromethylation, nucleophilic substitution with thymine and uracil, and Claisen-Schmidt reactions. These new chalcones were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines: SK-LU-1, Hep-G2, MCF7, SW480 and P388. The results showed that most of the tested chalcones exhibited inhibitory activity against five cancer cell lines except 10h, and 10i. Among the synthesized chalcones, compound 10c exhibited most potent cytotoxicity against MCF-7, SK-LU-1, SW480, HepG2 and P388 with IC50 values of 4.42, 4.81, 5.27, 3.67 and 4.11μg/mL, respectively.

The paper presents a novel synthesis of AZT modified derivatives via click chemistry. Firstly, the reaction of 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone (1) with propargyl bromide in acetone gave intermediates 2 in 75% yield. Next, new chalcones 3a-g were obtained in 55-65% yields through the Claisen-Schmidt reaction of 2 with different aromatic aldehydes. These chalcones were then oxidatively cyclized in DMSO in the presence of I2 to furnish new flavones 4a-g in 45-59% yields. Finally, title compounds 5a-g and 6a-g were obtained via click reaction of 3a-h and 4a-h with 3’-Azido-2’- deoxythymidine (AZT). Novel AZT derivatives 5a-g, 6a-g were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxic activity against five cell lines: MCF-7, SK-LU-1, SW480, HepG2 and P388. The result showed that most of AZT derivatives are active to five cell lines, in which compounds 5g and 5e are found to be the most potent cytotoxic activity against SK-LU-1 and P388 cell lines with IC50 value of 8.63 and 9.05 μg/mL, respectively.

The protein kinase Pkc1 of Candida albicans (CaPkc1), one of the key proteins involved in MAPK pathway, is described as a regulator of cell wall integrity during growth, morphogenesis, and response to cell wall stress. The (–)-cercosporamide is an antifungal natural product isolated from the phytopathogen fungus Cercosporidium henningsii. This phytoxin was found to inhibit selectively CaPkc1 and constitutes an interesting model for the design of novel antifungal molecules. In this research, 4,7,9-trihydroxy[1]benzofuro[3,2-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxamide (13) derived from (–)-cercosporamide was synthesized via a seven-step procedure by well-known reactions and evaluation of cytotoxicity and inhibition of CaPkc1. The bioassay showed CaPkc1 inhibitory activity 87% higher and cytotoxicity 100 times less than the reference, (–)-cercosporamide.

A series of 14 new (-)-gossypol Schiff bases and hydrazones have been synthesized via an in situ procedure in high yields. Structural data showed that all target compounds exist as the enamine tautomer. Bioassays showed that several compounds exhibited cytotoxic effects against three human cancer cell lines. Compound 8a showed the greatest cytotoxic effect against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), lung carcinoma (LU-1), and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines with IC50 values of 20.93, 13.58, and 9.40 μM, respectively. However, in an antibacterial test, compounds 8a and 8b inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus and compound 8e inhibited only Staphylococcus aureus at the same MIC values of 1024 μg/ml.