Abstract:
Direct one-pot base-promoted conjugate addition–elimination of 6,8-dibromo-4-
chloroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde with methyl mercaptoacetate and subsequent cyclization
afforded methyl [(6,8-dibromothieno[3,2-c]quinoline)]-2-carboxylate. The latter undergoes
Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with arylboronic acids to yield exclusively the
corresponding alkyl [(6,8-diarylthieno[3,2-c]quinoline)]-2-carboxylates,. The cytotoxicity of
the prepared compounds was evaluated against the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7
using the MTT assay. The effects of compounds 2, 3c and 4d on cell kinetics were further
determined using the xCELLigence Real Time Cell Analysis (RTCA) system. In both the
MTT assay and Real Time Cell Analysis, the compounds inhibited cancer cell growth in a
dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, on the basis of the calculated LC50 values, the
compounds compared favourably with nocodazole, a well-established anticancer drug.
