Design, synthesis, and antitumor evaluation of novel methylene moiety-tethered tetrahydroquinoline derivatives

Abstract

Novel methylene-tethered tetrahydroquinolines (THQs) and cyclopenta[$b$]pyridines were synthesized by one-pot multicomponent reactions of Mannich bases, enolizable ketones, and NH$_{4}$OAc in water by an environmentally friendly K-10 montmorillonite clay-catalyzed reaction. The cytotoxic activities of 1-(2-methyl-8-methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolin-3-yl)ethanone (9a), ethyl 2-methyl-8-methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline-3 carboxylate (9b), and 1-(2-methyl-7-methylene-6,7-dihydro-5$H$-cyclopenta[$b$]pyridin-3-yl)ethanone (11a) were tested against rat glioblastoma (C6), human breast cancer (MCF-7), prostate cancer (PC3), neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y), and mouse fibroblast (L929) cell lines in a concentration-dependent (50-300 μM) and time-dependent (24-72 h) manner and expressed as IC$_{50\, }$values. The results showed that compound 9a induced the lowest IC$_{50\, }$values in all cell lines ranging from 111 ± 1.1 μM to 128 ± 1.3 μM when compared to 9b and 11a after 72 h. As an evaluation of antibacterial properties, a swarming motility assay was performed with the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 strain and compound 9a showed higher inhibition of swarming motility.