10.1080/15257770903169999
The study investigates the synthesis and antiviral properties of a new family of nucleoside analogues derived from pyrazinone, aiming to explore their potential as anti-HIV agents. The researchers synthesized compounds 5a, 5b, and 5c, which are analogues of the nucleoside 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (d4T). The synthesis process involved several steps, including selective deprotection of hydroxyl groups, formation of bisxanthate intermediates, and radical reactions to introduce double bonds. The compounds were characterized using techniques like 1H NMR and infrared spectroscopy. The study found that these compounds did not exhibit antiviral activity against HIV-1 or cytotoxic effects in tested cell lines. The chemicals involved include pyrazinone nucleosides, methanolic ammonia for deprotection, carbon disulfide, sodium hydride, and methyl iodide for bisxanthate formation, and tributylphosphine-borane for the radical reaction. The roles of these chemicals are crucial in the structural modification of the nucleoside analogues to enhance their lipophilicity and potential membrane permeability, although the final compounds did not show the desired antiviral activity.