Recent Progress in the Synthesis of Drugs and Bioactive Molecules Incorporating Nitro(het)arene Core

Abstract

Aromatic nitro compounds play a unique role in the synthesis of drugs and pharmaceutically oriented molecules. This field of organic chemistry continues to be in demand and relevant. A significant number of papers are published annually on new general methods for the synthesis of nitrodrugs and related biomolecules. This review is an analysis of the literature on methods for the synthesis of both new and already-known aromatic and heteroaromatic nitrodrugs covering the period from 2010 to the present.

Potential of Tryptamine Derivatives as Multi-Target Directed Ligands for Alzheimer’s Disease: AChE, MAO-B, and COX-2 as Molecular Targets

“…However, this is not true, as a number of drugs that are actively used as antihypertensive, antianginal, antiarrhythmic, anti-Alzheimer, and anti-Parkinson’s agents contain a nitro group. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in nitro drugs, exemplified by the approval of fexinidazole for treating human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), a neglected tropical disease [ 36 , 37 , 38 ].…”

“…However, this is not true, as a number of drugs that are actively used as antihypertensive, antianginal, antiarrhythmic, anti-Alzheimer, and anti-Parkinson's agents contain a nitro group. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in nitro drugs, exemplified by the approval of fexinidazole for treating human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), a neglected tropical disease [36][37][38]. SR10 (para-fluoro phenacyl tryptamine derivative) showed good performance, with two-fold better inhibition (IC 50 = 1.0 ± 0.080 µM) than donepezil, whereas the addition of one more fluoro group at the ortho position in SR13 remarkably reduced the inhibitory potential (IC 50 = 9.68 ± 0.16 µM) of the molecule.…”

Nitrostilbenes: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation as Potential Anti-Influenza Virus Agents

“…Nitro-containing compounds represent a useful and privileged moiety in medicinal chemistry, showing a wide range of biological activities, such as antihypertensive, antineoplastic, antiparasitic, antibiotic, and tranquilizer activities [41]. Nitro-drugs have been studied for their antiviral properties, and some of them are employed as medication [42][43][44]. For this reason, two new analogues, compounds 6 and 7, were synthesized and added to the study to evaluate the role of the position of the nitro group (3 -NO 2 in 13 vs. 4-NO 2 in 6 and 7) and the type of halogen (3 -Cl in 6 vs. 3 -Br in 12) on their activity.…”