An efficient one-pot synthesis and biological evaluation of novel (E)-2-aroyl-4-arylidene-5-oxotetrahydrofuran derivatives

Abstract

An efficient one-pot base-mediated approach to ( E)-2-aroyl-4-arylidene-5-oxotetrahydro-furans is developed. Nine ( E)-2-aroyl-4-arylidene-5-oxotetrahydrofurans are synthesized in good yields via tandem Passerini and cyclization reactions, starting from Baylis–Hillman acids, aryl glyoxals, and isocyanides at room temperature in the presence of Cs2CO3. In addition, the MTT assay is used to evaluate their cytotoxicities toward the cervical cancer cell lines C-33A, CaSki, and SiHa and the hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2. The results show that some of the compounds inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells significantly.