Synthesis and antioxidant activity of new pyridines containing gallate moieties

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/ardp.200900222

Pyridines containing the galloyl moiety have been prepared utilizing 4-acetyl pyrogallol. In addition, fused pyridines were synthesized from the obtained pyridines via further chemical transformations. The results indicated that compound 4a showed stronge

Full text of DOI:10.1002/ardp.200900222

528
Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2010, 9, 528–534
Full Paper
Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of New Pyridines
Containing Gallate Moieties
Nora M. A. El-Ebiary, Randa H. Swellem, Abdel-Tawab H. Mossa, and Galal A. M. Nawwar
National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
Pyridines containing the galloyl moiety have been prepared utilizing 4-acetyl pyrogallol. In addition,
fused pyridines were synthesized from the obtained pyridines via further chemical transformations.
The results indicated that compound 4a showed stronger DPPH scavenging activity than the other
compounds, and the scavenging effect decreased in the following order 4a > t-BHQ > 2a
> 2b > 3a > 3b > 4b. Accordingly, other antioxidant assays were conducted for 4a. The results
suggested that compound 4a could be a good antioxidant candidate. The absence of mortality of
rats receiving 5000 mg/kg body weight of 4a as single oral dose may indicate that it could be a safe
antioxidant and may be used for further studies.
Keywords: Acetylation / Antioxidant activity / Pyridines / Pyrogallol
Received: September 16, 2009; Accepted: February 22, 2010
DOI 10.1002/ardp.200900222
Introduction
Results and discussion
Chemistry
Although almost all organisms possess antioxidant defense
and repair systems that have evolved to protect them against
oxidative damage, these systems are insufficient to entirely
prevent the damage [1]. Against this background, the evalu-
ation of the antioxidant properties of specific chemical scav-
engers is of particular value for their potential use in
preventing or limiting the damage induced by free radicals
[1]. Accordingly, various naturally occurring substances are
receiving continuous attention from the viewpoint of anti-
oxidation [2, 3]. Antioxidants can interfere with the oxidation
process by reacting with free radicals, chelating catalytic
metals, and also by acting as oxygen scavengers. Phenolic
antioxidants function as free radical terminators and some-
times also metal chelators [4]. Meantime, several pyridines
have been subject of many chemical and biological studies
[5, 6]. Therefore, the objectives of this study were conducted
to synthesize pyridine derivatives linked to a pyrogallol res-
idue, and evaluate the potential antioxidant activity.
The starting materials 2,3,4-trihydroxyacetophenone 1a and
2,3,4-trimethoxyacetophenone 1b were prepared according
to the literature [7, 8]. 1a, b were allowed to react with p-
chlorobenzaldehyde and malononitrile in the presence of
ammonium acetate to give the corresponding pyridine
derivatives 2a, b (Scheme 1). The IR spectra of compounds
2a, b exemplified by 2a showed NH2 and CN groups in their
expected locations at 3304, 3210, 2212 cmꢀ1, respectively.
Moreover, the 1H-NMR of compounds 2a, b exemplified by 2a
showed a singlet (1H) at d ¼ 8.1 ppm attributable to pyridine
H-5, these along with the expected D2O exchangeable pro-
tons. In a similar manner, 1a, b were condensed with p-
chlorobenzaldehyde and ethylcyanoacetate to afford the cor-
responding pyridine-2-one derivatives 3a, b based on their
elemental and spectral data (Scheme 1).
In continuation of our program aimed to synthesize hetero-
cyclics with anticipated biological activity starting from precur-
sors derived from waste [9], The acetophenone derivatives 1a, b
have been condensed with 2-cyanoacetohydrazide in ethanol in
the presence of sulfuric acid to afford the corresponding hydra-
zone derivatives 4a, b in good yield. The IR spectra of 4a, b
Correspondence: Galal A.M. Nawwar, National Research Centre, Tahrir
Str., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
E-mail: g.nawwar@link.net
showed CN-absorption bands at n ¼ 2260 and 2264 cmꢀ1
,
Fax: 20-2-333-70931.
respectively and their 1H-NMR spectra exemplified by 4a revealed
the methyl and the methylene groups as singlets at d ¼ 2.1 and
4.1 ppm, respectively.
Abbreviations: tert-butylhydroquinone (t-BQH); 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-
hydrazyl (DPPH); lipid peroxidation (LPO); malondialdehyde (MDA);
thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS)
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Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2010, 9, 528–534
Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of New Pyridines
529
Scheme 1. Synthesis of compounds 2–9.
respectively, while the 1H-NMR spectrum showed a broad
singlet at d ¼ 8.17 ppm corresponding to the D2O-exchange-
able protons of the NH2 group. Moreover, its mass spectrum
revealed a molecular ion peak at m/z ¼ 477 corresponding to
the molecular formula C24H20ClN5O4.
Compound 4b was allowed to react with 4-chlorobenzyli-
dene malononitrile in the presence of a catalytic amount of
piperidine, leading to the formation of the amino pyridine
derivative 5. Both, elemental and spectral data and a previous
report [10] are consistent with the assigned structures.
Thus, the IR spectrum revealed absorption bands at 3339,
3231, 2210, 1657 cmꢀ1 corresponding to NH2, CN, and CO,
Compound 3b underwent reaction with phosphorous oxy-
chloride in the presence of a catalytic amount of dry pyridine
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530
N. M. A. El-Ebiary et al.
Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2010, 9, 528–534
to give the chloropyridine derivative 6 in a fairly good yield.
The IR spectrum of 6 revealed the absence of the CO and NH
peaks which appeared in the parent compound 3b, moreover,
the mass spectrum of 6 showed a molecular ion peak at
m/z ¼ 414 which was in accordance with its molecular
formula C21H16Cl2N2O3.
In continuation of our investigation, compound 6 reacted
with hydrazine hydrate to give the fused pyrazolopyridine
derivative 7. Structure 7 was established on the basis of
its elemental and spectral data. Whereas the IR spectrum
revealed absorption bands at n ¼ 3465, 3285, and 3133 cmꢀ1
attributed to NH and NH2 groups and the absence of the CN
absorption band of the parent compound 6, its 1H-NMR
showed a singlet (1H) at d ¼ 7.3 ppm attributable to the
pyrazole pyridine H-5. The mass spectrum was also in accord-
ance with its molecular formula (m/z ¼ 410 [Mþ]). It is
assumed that the formations of 7 began via the N-nucleo-
philic substitution with subsequent self-cyclization involving
the hydrazino amine and the pyridine cyano group.
In addition, 6 reacted with ethylthioglycolate in the pres-
ence of anhydrous potassium carbonate, affording the thie-
nopyridine derivative 8 in moderate yield. The IR spectrum
showed new peaks at n ¼ 3493, 3352, and 1670 cmꢀ1 attrib-
uted to NH2 and CO (ester). Moreover, the 1H-NMR showed
signals at d ¼ 1.29 and 4.27 ppm attributed to the ester
group, and the mass spectrum was in accordance with its
molecular formula C25H23ClN2O5S. The chemical behavior of
8 added further proofs to its structure: thus, when 8 was
treated with formamide, the expected tricyclic product 9 was
obtained in good yield [11].
Figure 1. Scavenging effect of the compounds 2a, b, 3a, b and 4a,
b on DPPHꢁ radicals.
with 100, 84.9, 77, 58.6, 52.84, 48, and 40% of inhibition,
respectively (Fig. 1). In this respect, the structure of com-
pound 4a is similar to the hydroquinoide structure of t-
BHQ, and the imino group present in 4a increases the acidity
of the three hydroxyl groups at the benzene ring, which
seems to enhance the antioxidant activity [14].
Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity
Hydrogen peroxide is a weak oxidizing agent and can inacti-
vate a few enzymes directly, usually by oxidation of essential
thiol (-SH) groups [15]. H2O2 can cross cell membranes rapidly,
and, once inside the cell, it can probably react with Fe2þ and
possibly Cu2þ to form hydroxyl radicals, the latter may be
the origin of many of its toxic effects [16]. Therefore,
removing H2O2 is very important for the protection of bio-
logical systems. The scavenging ability of 4a on hydrogen
peroxide is shown in Fig. 2. Our results revealed that 4a is
capable of scavenging hydrogen peroxide in a concentration-
dependent manner and 4a had stronger hydrogen peroxide
In-vitro antioxidant activity
Free-radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl
(DPPH) scavenging activity
The model of scavenging the stable DPPH radical is a widely
used method to evaluate antioxidant activities in a relatively
short time compared with other methods. The effect of
antioxidants on DPPH radical scavenging was thought to be
due to their hydrogen-donating ability. DPPHꢁ is a stable free
radical and accepts an electron or hydrogen radical to become
a stable diamagnetic molecule [12]. ESR results for the DPPHꢁ
radical are illustrated in Fig. 1, where it is documented that
0.28 mM of the compounds under study scavenged between
40.0 and 100.0% of the DPPH radicals. This increase in the %
DPPH inhibition is caused by antioxidants – the reaction
between the compounds under study (2a, b, 3a, b, and 4a,
b) with DPPH radicals. Hence, DPPHꢁ is an important substrate
to evaluate antioxidant activity [13]. The results suggest that
compound 4a shows a stronger DPPHꢁ scavenging activity than
the other compounds and the scavenging effect decreases
in the following order 4a > t-BHQ > 2a > 2b > 3a > 3b > 4b
120
t-BHQ
4a
100
80
60
40
20
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
Concentration (µg/ml)
Data are presented as mean SD ( n = 6).
Figure 2. Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of 4a and
t-BHQ.
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Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2010, 9, 528–534
Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of New Pyridines
531
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
scavenging activity than t-BHQ; this difference was found to be
statistically significant (p < 0.05). The percentage H2O2 scav-
enging effect by 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mg/mL of 4a and t-BHQ
was found to be 35, 56, 78, 85, and 100% and 15, 32, 54, 66, and
74%, respectively. IC50 values (concentration of 4a and t-BHQ
required to scavenge 50% of H2O2) of 4a and t-BHQ were
36.95 mg/mL and 58.17 mg/mL, respectively. A lower IC50 value
indicates a greater antioxidant activity.
t-BHQ
4a
Reduction power
0
5
20
40
80
100
The reducing power of 4a was increased with increasing
concentration (Fig. 3). At all the concentrations, 4a showed
higher activity than t-BHQ and this difference between 4a and
t-BHQ was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05).
It seems that the increase in the conversion of Fe3þ to
Fe2þ in the presence of 4a could be attributed to the avail-
ability of the nitrogen lone pair of electrons in 4a. The
antioxidant activity of putative antioxidants has been attrib-
uted to various mechanisms, among which are the binding
of transition metal ion, and, in this respect it seems that the
tri-hydroxyl system in galloyl moiety plays a decisive role.
Concentration (µg/ml)
Data are presented as mean SD (n = 6).
Figure 4. Inhibition effect on lipid peroxidation of 4a and t-BHQ.
compared to t-BHQ. It has been reported that the damage
to lipids (by lipid peroxidation) occurs in three stages:
initiation, propagation, and termination reactions. LPO
may be induced by radical species, which are sufficiently
reactive to abstract a hydrogen atom from the unsaturated
fatty acids. This is the starting point for the lipid radical
chain propagation reaction. The propagation cycle is broken
by termination reactions (two radical species combine to
form non-radical final products) which result in the destruc-
tion of free radicals. Results in the present study indicated
that 4a caused a significant inhibition of MDA. The presence
of carbonyl, active methylen, and nitrile groups in 4a afford a
wide range of chemical activities, which could extend its
reaction with free radicals and terminate lipid peroxidation.
Inhibition effect on lipid peroxidation
Lipid peroxidation (LPO) mediated by free radicals is con-
sidered to be a primary mechanism of cell membrane
destruction and cell damage [17]. The methods, known as
thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay, concerns
the spectrophotometric measurement of the pink color pro-
duced through the reaction of thiobarbituric acid (TBA) with
malondialdehyde (MDA) and other secondary lipid peroxi-
dation products. The evaluation of the absorbance at 532 nm
gives a measure of the extent of lipid degradation. In the first
two concentrations of compound 4a, there was no significant
different in the LPO inhibition compared to t-BHQ (Fig. 4).
In contrast, as the concentration of 4a increased, there was a
significant (p < 0.05) increase in the % inhibition of LPO,
Acute oral toxicity
In the present study, our results show no mortality in rats
treated with 4a at 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 mg/kg b. wt.
(body weight) in single oral dose. These data suggest that
further studies should be continues with compound 4a to
consider it as an important antioxidant candidate.
120
t-BHQ
4a
Experimental
100
80
60
40
20
0
Chemistry
2-Thiobarbituric acid (2,6-dihydroxypyrimidine-2-thiol; TBA) was
purchased from Merck (Germany) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhy-
drazyl radical (DPPHꢁ) from Sigma. All reagents and solvents used
were of reagent grades and obtained from the local scientific
distributors in Egypt.
Melting points are uncorrected and were determined using
an Electrothermal 9100 apparatus (Electrothermal, Essex, UK).
Elemental microanalyses were performed at the Microanalytical
Laboratory, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. IR
spectra were recorded on a Beckman infrared spectrophotometer
PU 7712 (Beckman Instruments, USA) using KBr. NMR spectra were
recorded on Jeol EX-270 MHz and Jeol ECA 500 MHz spectrometer
(Jeol, Tokyo, Japan) Varian Mercury VX 300 MHz and Varian
0
10
20
40
80
Concentration (µg/ml)
Data are presented as mean SD (n = 6).
Figure 3. Reducing power of 4a and t-BHQ.
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532
N. M. A. El-Ebiary et al.
Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2010, 9, 528–534
Gemini 200 MHz (Varian Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA) in a suitable
deuterated solvent using TMS as an internal standard. The mass
spectra were recorded on GCMS-QP 1000Ex, Shimadzu spec-
trometer (Shimadzu, Japan) E.I. 70 eV at the Central Services
Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Cairo University and National
Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. Samples were centrifuged using a
Heraeus Labofuge 400R (Kendro Laboratory Products GmbH,
Germany) and the spectrophotometric measurements were
recorded using Shimadzu UV-VIS Recording 2401 PC spectropho-
tometer (Shimadzu).
d6) d: 3.43–3.47 (br s, 5H, 3 OH þ H2O), 6.06 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.7 Hz, H-6
trihydroxyphenyl), 6.56 (s, 1H, H-5 pyridine), 7.05 (d, 1H,
J ¼ 8.7 Hz, H-5 trihydroxyphenyl), 7.55–7.65 (m, 4H, chloro-
phenyl); MS m/z: 354 [Mþ] (100), 356 [Mþ þ 2] (30). Anal. calcd.
for C18H11ClN2O4: C, 60.94; H, 3.13; Cl, 9.99; N, 7.90. Found: C,
60.70; H, 3.30; Cl, 10.20; N, 8.10.
3-Cyano-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-6-(20,30,40-trimethoxyphenyl)-
2(1H)-pyridone 3b
Yield: 75%. M. p.: 259–2608C (ethanol); IR (film) n: 3310 (NH), 2211
(CN) cmꢀ1; 1H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d: 3.79, 3.86 (2s, 9H, 3 OCH3), 6.54
(s, 1H, H-5 pyridine), 6.93 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.4 Hz, H-6 trimethoxy-
phenyl), 7.29 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.8 Hz, H-5 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.60–
7.75 (m, 4H, chlorophenyl), 12.45 (s, 1H, NH); MS m/z: 398
General procedure for the synthesis of compounds 2a, b
To a solution of p-chlorobenzaldehyde (1.44 g, 0.01 mol), malo-
nonitrile (0.66 g, 0.01 mol), and ammonium acetate (6.16 g,
0.08 mol) in 25 ml ethanol (95%), compound 1a and/or 1b
(0.01 mol) was added. The reaction mixture was refluxed for
4–5 h. A solid product precipitated after cooling it was filtered
off, washed, and finally crystallized to afford 2a, b.
[Mþ ꢀ H] (100), 396 [Mþ þ 2
–
H], (30). Anal. calcd.
for C21H17ClN2O4: C, 63.56; H, 4.32; Cl, 8.93; N, 7.06. Found: C,
63.80; H, 4.50; Cl, 8.70; N, 7.30.
General procedure for the synthesis of 2-cyano-N0-[1-
ethylidene] acetohydrazide 4a, b
A mixture of compound 1a and/or 1b (.0.01 mol) and 2-cyano-
acetohydrazide (0.99 g, 0.01 mol) in absolute ethanol (50 mL) con-
taining few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid was stirred for 12 h
at room temperature. The solid that formed was filtered off,
washed with water several times, air dried, and crystallized from
the proper solvent to give the title compounds 11a, b, respectively.
2-Amino-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-6-(20,30,40-trihydroxyphenyl)
pyridine-3-carbonitrile 2a
Yield: 55%. M. p.: 2708C (decomposition) (ethanol); IR (film) n:
3381(OH), 3304, 3210 (NH2), 2212 (CN) cmꢀ1; 1H-NMR (DMSO-d6)
d: 3.1–3.7 (br s, 5H, 3 OH þ H2O), 6.9 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.55 Hz, H-6
trihydroxyphenyl), 7.36 (s, 2H, NH2), 7.62–7.86 (m, 2H, p-chloro-
phenyl), 7.87 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.6 Hz, H-5 trihydroxyphenyl), 8.1 (s, 1H,
H-5 pyridine), 8.4 (m, 2H, p-chlorophenyl) ppm; MS m/z: 353 [Mþ]
(3), 355 [Mþ þ 2] (1). Anal. calcd. for C18H12ClN3O3 (353.75): C,
61.11; H, 3.42; Cl, 10.02; N, 11.88. Found: C, 60.90; H, 3.70; Cl,
9.93; N, 12.10.
2-Cyano-N0-[1-(20,30,40-trimethoxyphenyl)ethylidene]aceto-
hydrazide 4a
Yield: 86%. M. p.: 239–2408C (methanol); IR (film) n: 3755, 3451,
3395(OH), 3254 (NH), 2260 (CN) and 1684 (CO) cmꢀ1 1H-NMR
;
(DMSO-d6) d: 2.26 (s, 3H, CH3), 3.92 (s, 2H, CH2), 6.32 (d, 1H,
J ¼ 7.5 Hz, H-6 phenyl), 6.93 (d, 1H, J ¼ 7.5 Hz, H-5 phenyl),
8.40, 9.27, 13.27 (3s, 3H, 3 OH), 11.15 (s, 1H, NH); MS m/z: 249
[Mþ] (25). Anal. calcd. for C11H11N3O4: C, 53.02; H, 4.44; N, 16.86.
Found: C, 52.88; H, 4.70; N, 16.36.
2-Amino-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-6-(20,30,40-trimethoxyphenyl)
pyridine-3-carbonitrile 2b
Yield: 65%. M. p.: 186–1888C (ethanol); IR (film) n: 3304, 3167
1
(NH2); 2198 (CN) cmꢀ1; H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d: 3.74, 3.77, 3.85 (3s,
9H, 3 OCH3), 6.93 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.55 Hz, H-6 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.1
(s, 2H, NH2), 7.53 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.85 Hz, H-5 trimethoxyphenyl),
7.59–7.66 (m, 5H, Ar-H and H-5 in pyridine); 13C-NMR (DMSO-
d6) d: 55.96, 60.52, 61.24 (3 OMe), 85.60 (CN), 107.98, 112.50,
116.96, 124.95, 125.36, 128.93, 130.12, 134.46, 135.94, 141.96,
152.17, 152.64, 154.76, 157.87, and 160.68 ppm (aromatic car-
bons). MS m/z: 395 [Mþ] (100), 397 [Mþ þ 2] (44.9). Anal. calcd.
for C21H18ClN3O3: C, 63.72; H, 4.58; Cl, 8.96; N, 10.62. Found: C,
64.10; H, 4.80; Cl, 9.10; N, 10.80.
2-Cyano-N0-[1-(20,30,40-trimethoxyphenyl)ethylidene]aceto-
hydrazide 4b
Yield: 87%. M. p.: 109–1118C (ethylacetate/n-hexane, 1:1); IR (film)
n: 3199 (NH), 2264 (CN), 1701 (CO) cmꢀ1 1H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d:
.
2.16 (s, 3H, CH3), 3.73, 3.74, 3.77 (3s, 9H, 3 OCH3), 4.07 (s, 2H, CH2),
6.78 (d, H, J ¼ 8.6 Hz, H-6 phenyl), 7.11 (d, J ¼ 8.6 Hz, 1H, H-5
phenyl), 10.86 (s, 1H, NH); MS m/z: 291 [Mþ] (39). Anal. calcd.
for C14H17N3O4: C, 57.73; H, 5.88; N, 14.43. Found: C, 57.64; H,
6.18; N, 14.80.
General procedure for the synthesis of compounds 3a, b
To a solution of a mixture of p-chlorobenzaldehyde (1.44 g,
0.01 mol), ethylcyanoacetate (1.13 g, 0.01 mol), and ammonium
acetate (6.16 g, 0.08 mol) in ethanol (25 mL, 95%), compound 1a
and/or 1b (0.01 mol) was added. The reaction mixture was
refluxed for 2–6 h. The solid product which formed while hot
was filtered off and crystallized to afford 3a, b.
6-Amino-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-3,5-dicyano-1-{[1-
(20,30,40- trimethoxyphenyl)ethylidene]-amino}-2(1H)-
pyridone 5
A mixture of compound 4b (2.91 g, 0.01 mol) and p-chloroben-
zylidine malononitrile (1.9 g, 0.01 mol) in ethanol (30 mL, 95%)
containing few drops of piperidine was refluxed for 15 min. The
solid that formed while hot was filtered off and recrystallized to
give 5 as colorless crystals (90% yield). M. p.: 278–2808C (meth-
3-Cyano-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-6-(20,30,40-trihydroxyphenyl)-
2(1H)-pyridone 3a
anol); IR (film) n: 3339, 3231 (NH2), 2210 (CN), 1657 (CO) cmꢀ1
;
Yield: 70%. M. p.: 2808C (decomposition) (ethanol); IR (film) n:
1H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d: 2.22 (s, 3H, CH3), 3.87, 3.88, 3.89 (3s, 9H, 3
OCH3), 6.92 (d, 1H, J ¼ 10.3 Hz, H-6 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.57–7.63
3445 (OH), 3132 (NH), 2215 (CN), 1662 (CO) cmꢀ1; 1H-NMR (DMSO-
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Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2010, 9, 528–534
Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of New Pyridines
533
(m, 5H, p-chlorophenyl þ H-5 trimethoxyphenyl), 8.17 (s, 2H,
NH2); MS m/z: 477 [Mþ] (7), 479 [Mþ þ 2] (3). Anal. calcd.
for C24H20ClN5O4: C, 60.32; H, 4.22; Cl, 7.42; N, 14.65. Found:
C, 60.45; H, 4.50; Cl, 7.70; N, 14.82.
yellow solid (60% yield). M. p.: 2808C (decomposition) (petroleum
ether (40-60)/tetrahydrofuran, 5:1); IR (film) n: 3165 (NH), 1666
(CO) cmꢀ1; 1H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d: 3.82, 3.87, 3.88 (3s, 9H, 3 OCH3),
7.00 (d, 1H, J ¼ 8.9 Hz, H-6 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.55 (d, 1H,
J ¼ 8.25 Hz, H-5 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.66–7.69 (m, 4H, p-chloro-
phenyl), 7.85 (s, 1H, H-8), 8.1 (s, 1H, H-2); 13C-NMR (DMSO-d6) d:
56.54, 61.09, and 61.79 (3 OMe), 108.92, 123.35, 123.35, 125.16,
126.14, 128.30, 132.23, 134.11, 136.21, 142.58, 147.21, 147.49,
151.85, 152.59, 155.46, 156.31, and 158.03 ppm (aromatic car-
bons) and 162.95 (CO); MS m/z: 479 [Mþ] (62), 481 [Mþ þ 2] 23%).
Anal. calcd. for C24H18ClN3O4S: C, 60.06; H, 3.78; Cl, 7.39; N, 8.76,
S, 6.68. Found: C, 59.80; H, 3.90; Cl, 7.60; N, 8.50; S, 6.90.
2-Chloro-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-6-(20,30,40-trimethoxyphenyl)
pyridine-3-carbonitrile 6
Compound 3b (1 g, 0.0025 mol) was refluxed with phosphorous
oxychloride (5 mL) in the presence of dry pyridine (three drops)
for 45 h. The reaction was allowed to cool to room temperature
and then the reaction mixture was added dropwise to ice water
with stirring. The solid formed was filtered off, air dried, and
crystallized to afford 6 as colorless crystals (70% yield). M. p.: 167–
1688C (ethanol); IR (film) n: 2224 (CN) cmꢀ1; 1H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d:
3.80, 3.81, 3.88 (3s, 9H, 3 OCH3), 7.01 (d, 1H, J ¼ 9 Hz, H-6
trimethoxyphenyl), 7.65 (d, 1H, J ¼ 9 Hz, H-5 trimethoxyphenyl),
7.67–7.79 (m, 4H, chlorophenyl), 8.02 (s, 1H, H-5 pyridine); MS
m/z: 414 [Mþ] (100), 416 [Mþ þ 2] (86), 418 [Mþ þ 4] (20). Anal.
calcd. for C21H16Cl2N2O3: C, 60.74; H, 3.88; Cl, 17.07; N, 6.75.
Found: C, 60.50; H, 4.10; Cl, 17.10; N, 6.50.
In-vitro antioxidant activities
Free radical scavenging activity using ESR-DPPH
technique
The radical DPPHꢁ scavenging activity of individual compounds
and the standard antioxidant (tert-butylhydroquinone, t-BHQ)
were determined by an electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrom-
etry method, using the stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl
radical (DPPHꢁ) according to the method described by Ohtani
et al. [18]. A DMF solution of 0.5 mL (0.28 mM/mL) of the individ-
ual compounds (or DMF itself as control) was added to 1 mL of
DPPHꢁ (1.3 mM/mL) in DMF solution to initiate the antioxidant-
radical reaction. After mixing vigorously for 10 s, the solutions
were transferred into a flat cell and fitted into the cavity of the
electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer. ESR signals were
recorded after 50 s following the start of the reaction. ESR
analysis was conducted using ESR spectrometer Bruker-Flexsys
5000, operated at X-band (Bruker, USA). Frequency samples were
measured in a pure silica liquid tube at room temperature in the
Central Laboratory of the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
The scavenging activity of each compound was estimated by
comparing the DPPHꢁ signals in the antioxidant-radical reaction
mixture and the control reaction at the same reaction time, and
expressed as percentage DPPHꢁ inhibition. Percentage of DPPHꢁ
inhibition was calculated using the following formula:
3-Amino-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-6-(20,30,40-trimethoxyphenyl)-
1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine 7
Compound 4 (1 g, 0.0024 mol) was heated under reflux in hydra-
zine hydrate (80%, 5 mL) for 30 h. After cooling, the reaction
mixture was poured into water (50 mL). The solid that formed
was filtered off, washed with water, air dried, and crystallized to
give compound 9 as colorless crystals (65% yield). M. p.: 219–
2208C (petroleum ether (40-60)/ethylaceꢀta1te, 2:1); IR n: 3465 (NH),
1H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d:
–
;
3285 and 3133 (NH ), 1638 (C N) cm
–
2
3.72, 3.80, 3.86 (3s, 9H, 3 OCH3), 4.59 (s, 2H, NH2), 6.95 (d, 1H,
J ¼ 8.8 Hz, H-6 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.33 (s, 1H, H-5 pyridine), 7.5
(d, 1H, J ¼ 8.6 Hz, H-5 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.54–7.64 (m, 4H,
chlorophenyl), 12.34 (s, 1H, NH); MS m/z: 410 [Mþ] (100), 412
[Mþ þ 2] (49.3). Anal. calcd. for C21H19ClN4O3: C, 61.39; H,
4.66; Cl, 8.62; N, 13.63. Found: C, 61.60; H, 4.70; Cl, 8.90; N, 13.70.
Ethyl 3-amino-4-(p-chlorophenyl)-6-(20,30,40-trime-
thoxyphenyl)-thieno[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxylate 8
% DPPH inhibition
¼ ½ðAcontrol ꢀ AsampleÞ=Acontrolꢂ ꢃ 100 (1)
where: Acontrol and Asample are the peak height of the first line
signals of the DPPHꢁ of control and sample, respectively.
A mixture of compound 4 (4.15 g, 0.01 mol), ethyl thioglycolate
(1.2 g, 0.01 mol), and anhydrous potassium carbonate (1.38 g,
0.01 mol) was heated under reflux and constant stirring for 6 h
in absolute ethanol (50 mL). The solvent was evaporated under
vacuum and the residue was solubilized with water, filtered off,
air dried, and crystallized to give compound 8 as yellow solid
(77% yield). M. p.: 199–2008C (ethylacetate); IR (film) n: 3493
Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity
The hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay was carried out follow-
ing the procedure of Ruch et al. [19]. The principle of this method
depended on the decrease in absorbance of H2O2 upon its oxi-
dation. A solution of H2O2 (40 mM) was prepared in 0.1 M phos-
phate buffer (pH ¼ 7.4). Then, 20–100 mg/mL of 4a in 3.4 mL
phosphate buffer were added to 0.6 mL H2O2 solution
(40 mM). Absorbance of H2O2 at 230 nm was determined after
10 min against a blank solution containing phosphate buffer
without H2O2, and t-BHQ was used as standard.
and 3352 (NH2), 1670 (CO) cmꢀ1 1H-NMR (DMSO-d6) d: 1.29
.
(t, 3H, J ¼ 7.05 Hz, CH3), 3.73, 3.78, 3.86 (3s, 9H, 3 OCH3), 4.27
(q, 2H, J1 ¼ 7.05, J2 ¼ 12.8 Hz, CH2), 5.86 (s, 2H, NH2), 6.97 (d, 1H,
J ¼ 9 Hz, H-6 trimethoxyphenyl), 7.58–7.66 (m, 6H, Ar-H). MS m/z:
498 [Mþ] (100), 500 [Mþ þ 2] (47.6). Anal. calcd. for
C25H23ClN2O5S: C, 60.18; H, 4.65; Cl, 7.11; N, 5.61; S, 6.43.
Found: C, 60.30; H, 4.81; Cl, 7.30; N, 5.90; S, 6.20.
The percentage of scavenged [H2O2]:
7-(20,30,40-Trimethoxyphenyl)-9-(p-chlorophenyl)-
pyrido[30,20:4,5]-thieno-[3,2-d]pyrimidine-4(3H)-one 9
Compound 7 (4.98 g, 0.01 mol) was refluxed in formamide
(50 mL) in the presence of acetic anhydride (3–4 drops) for
7 h. After cooling, the solid that formed was filtered off, washed
with water, air dried, and crystallized to give compound 9 as pale
½H2O2ꢂ ¼ ½ðAc ꢀ AtÞ=Acꢂ ꢃ 100
where Ac was the absorbance of the control and At was the
absorbance in the presence of the standard sample or 4a.
The t-BHQ and 4a concentrations providing 50% inhibition
(2)
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www.archpharm.com

534
N. M. A. El-Ebiary et al.
Arch. Pharm. Chem. Life Sci. 2010, 9, 528–534
(IC50) were calculated from a graph plotting percentage inhi-
bition against t-BHQ and 4a concentrations.
compound (500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 mg/kg b. wt.), and one
served as control (0.5 mL DMSO/rat). The mortality of the treated
rats was recorded after 24 h.
Reduction power
The reduction power of 4a was determined according to the
method of Oyaizu [20]. The different concentrations of 4a
(10, 20, 40, 80 mg/mL) in 1 mL were mixed with phosphate buffer
(2.5 mL, 0.2 M, pH ¼ 6.6) and potassium ferricyanide (K3Fe(CN)6,
2.5 mL, 1%). The mixture was incubated at 508C for 20 min. A
portion (2.5 mL) of TCA (10%) was added to the mixture, which
was then centrifuged for 10 min at 1000 ꢃ g. The upper layer of
the solution (2.5 mL) was mixed with distilled water (2.5 mL)
and FeCl3 (0.5 mL, 0.1%), and the absorbance was measured at
700 nm. A higher absorbance of the reaction mixture indicated a
greater reduction power.
Statistical analysis
The data were analyzed by using SPSS (version 14.0) for Windows
and expressed as means ꢄ S.D. Paired samples t-test was used
to compare between the data of compound 4a and those of
t-BHQ.
The authors have declared no conflict of interest.
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ß 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
www.archpharm.com