Diastereoselective synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of new isoxazoles and pyrazoles with monoterpenic skeleton

Abstract : New series of chiral isoxazoles and pyrazoles with monoterpenic skeleton, have been efficiently synthesized from naturally occurring (R)-Carvone, using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with arylonitrile oxides and diarylnitrilimines. The reaction showed high peri-, and regioselectivity. In the case of diarylnitrilimines, the reaction revealed to be highly diastereoselective. The structure of the newly synthesized adducts were fully established via spectroscopic analysis and X-ray crystallography. A succinct theoretical study was used to explain the diastereoselectivity experimentally observed. All the newly synthesized monoterpenic isoxazole and pyrazole derivatives were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against human HT1080, MCF-7 and A-549 cancer cells.