Synthesis, cytotoxic, anti-lipoxygenase and anti-acetylcholinesterase capacities of novel derivatives from harmine.

We synthesized two series of new hydrazide harmine derivatives. The reaction of harmine 1 with ethyl acetate chloride afforded the corresponding ethyl ester 2. The treatment of 2 with hydrazine hydrate gave the hydrazide 3 which further converted into hydrazones 4a-j and dihydrazides 5a-c. A series of new triazoles 7a-f has also been prepared from the suitable propargyl harmine 6. The synthesized derivatives were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HRMS and evaluated for their activities against MCF7, HCT116 OVCAR-3, acetylcholinesterase and 5-lipoxygenase. The most hydrazones derivatives 4a-j have a good cytotoxic activity against all cell lines, when 4a, 4d, 4f and 4 g are more active than 1 (against OVCAR-3 IC50 16.7-2.5 μM). The compound 6 was the most active (IC50 = 1.9 μM) against acetylcholinesterase. Some compounds exhibited significant activity against 5-lipoxygenase (IC50 = 30.9-63.1 μM).