In spite of their various pharmacological properties the anti-inflammatory potential of benzo[c]phenanthridines remained underexplored. Thus, for the first time PDE4 inhibitory potential of 11,12-dihydro benzo[c]phenanthridine/benzo[c]phenanthridine was assessed in vitro. Elegant synthesis of these compounds was performed via a multi-step sequence consisting of a Pd-catalyzed unusual construction of 4-allyl isocoumarin ring and FeCl3-mediated intramolecular regio- as well as site-selective arene-allyl cyclization as key steps. The overall strategy involved Sonogashira coupling followed by isocoumarin and isoquinolone synthesis, then chlorination and subsequent cyclization to afford a range of 11,12-dihydro derivatives. One of these dihydro compounds was converted to the corresponding benzo[c]phenanthridine that showed concentration dependent inhibition of PDE4B affording an initial hit molecule. The SAR study suggested that 11,12-dihydro analogs were less potent than the compound having unsaturation at the same part of the ring.
Keywords: Benzo[c]phenanthridine; FeCl(3); Isocoumarin; PDE4; Pd-catalyst.
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