Quinonaphthothiazines, syntheses, structures and anticancer activities

Abstract

Two new types of pentacyclic azaphenothiazines being quinonaphthothiazines were obtaining from the reactions of dichlorodiquinolinyl disulfide with 1- and 2-naphthylamines. As the reactions could proceed in many ways, the proper structure elucidation was crucial. The structure determination was based on the 2D NMR spectra (NOESY, HSQC and HMBC) of the methyl derivatives. The final structure evidences came from X-ray analysis of the monocrystals. The new quinonaphthothiazines represent angularly fused pentacyclic ring systems which is folded along the N–S axis. The parent NH-compounds were transformed into the N-derivatives. Some quinonaphthothiazines exhibited promising anticancer activity against glioblastoma SNB-19, melanoma C-32 and human ductal breast epithelial tumor T47D cell lines. The anticancer activity dependent on the nature of the substituents and the ring fusion between the thiazine and naphthalene moieties. Two compounds were more active than the reference drug, cisplatin.