Malaria is considered as one of the most prevalent and debilitating diseases affecting humans. Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent form of the parasite which developed resistance to several antimalarial drugs. Chloroquine is one of the most successful antimalarials developed that is safe, effective, and cheap. However, its use has been limited due to the emergence of drug resistance. Click chemistry, particularly, the copper(I)-catalyzed reaction between azides and alkynes has shown to have a cutting-edge advantage in medicinal chemistry by its reliability, selectivity and biocompatibility. Triazole-based antimalarials were synthesized via copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction by modifying the aliphatic chains terminal of chloroquine. The compounds synthesized contain triazole ring directly connected to an aromatic ring or via a piperazine linker. When tested for their in vitro antimalarial activity against D6, Dd2 and 7G8 strains of P. falciparum, 12 out of 28 compounds showed better activity against chloroquine resistant strains. Particularly, PL403 and PL448 exhibited potent activity than chloroquine against CQ-resistant strains Dd2 and 7G8, with IC50 values of 12.8 & 14.5 nM, and 15.2 & 11 nM respectively. The efficiency of synthesizing several triazole-based antimalarials have proven click chemistry to be fast and efficient reaction. Generally, para-substitutions and di-substitutions with electron-withdrawing groups were found to be beneficial for having better antimalarial activity for these group of click compounds. Moreover, the incorporation of piperazine linker has brought an enhanced antimalarial activity.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Organic Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Malaria, the most prevalent parasitic disease, is considered a neglected disease owing to insufficient research and development in synthesis and therapy worldwide. Therapy failures are frequent and are due to a variety of factors such as the intrinsic characteristics of the disease, conditions of transmission, and the difficult control of spreading through tropical areas. Primary factors are the complexity of the parasite life cycle and the development of drug resistance. Another critical factor is the increasing number of immune-compromised patients that suffer from malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infections. Most of the drugs currently available to treat malaria are quinoline derivatives modelled on the quinine molecule, found in the bark of Cinchona trees. Over the last 50 years the use of quinine has declined owing to the development of synthetic 4-aminoquinolines such as chloroquine. However, the malaria parasite is rapidly becoming resistant to the drugs currently available. Recently bisquinoline compounds were found more potent than chloroquine against both chloroquine-sensitive and resistant strains of malaria; this improved efficacy and prompted an increased interest in the design of these anti-malarial drugs. Although several synthetic methods are available to synthesise bisquinolines, we report the synthesis of bisquinolines from simple, readily available and cost- effective starting compounds. The synthesis was accomplished in four reaction steps using the Claisen condensation, Vilsmeir-Haack reaction, formation of a Schiff base and thermal cyclization, sequentially. We used a conventional energy source and microwave irradiation for the synthesis, wherever possible, of 2, 4-dichloro-3, 4'-biquinoline and 2, 4-dichloro-7'-methoxy-3, 4'-biquinoline. In the first step, 3-acyl-2, 4-dihydroxyquinoline is synthesised from an equimolar mixture of methyl-2-aminobenzoate and ethyl acetoacetate by microwave irradiation for 3 minutes; the yield is 90 % whereas by 6 hours refluxing the yield is 75 %. This is followed by the synthesis of 3-chloro-3-(2,4-dichloroquinolin-3yl) acrylaldehyde, by combining DMF and POCl3 at 00C to form the electrophile which reacts with 3-acyl-2,4-dihydroxyquinoline under microwave irradiation for 5 minutes; the yield is 65 % whereas by 6 hours refluxing the yield is 50 %. In the next step, several protocols to prepare a Schiff base 3-chloro-3-(2, 4-dichloroquinolin-3-yl) allylidene aniline are investigated with the best yield of 75% obtained by microwave irradiation for 5 minutes. Subsequently three aniline derivatives viz, 4-methoxyaniline, 4-chloroaniline and 4-methylaniline, are used as substrate to prepare 3-chloro-3-(2,4-dichloroquinolin-3-yl) allylidene-4-methoxyaniline, 3-chloro-3-(2 ,4-dichloroquinolin-3-yl) allylidene-4-methylaniline and 3-chloro-3-(2, 4-dichloroquinolin-3-yl) allylidene-4-chloro aniline at 68, 78 and 64 % yield, respectively. In the final step, 2, 4-dichloro-3, 4'-biquinoline is prepared; several methods were investigated, however, the best yield is 24 % which is obtained under alkaline conditions in the presence of K2CO3 and DMF by microwave irradiation for 10 minutes. The 2, 4-dichloro-7'-methoxy-3, 4'-biquinoline derivative is also prepared in 18 % yield under the same alkaline conditions. The outline of the total synthesis of bisquinoline is presented graphically below. / National Research Fund.

A emergência e a disseminação de cepas resistentes aos fármacos antimaláricos disponíveis na quimioterapia têm conduzido à busca por novos agentes potencialmente ativos. Neste sentido, derivados 4-hidroxiquinolínicos e 4-cloroquinolínicos foram sintetizados e submetidos à avaliação biológica frente à cepa AJ de Plasmodium chabaudi e à avaliação toxicológica frente a macrófagos peritoneais de camundongos BALB/c. O planejamento sintético consistiu na preparação de β-cetoésteres-α-alquenilados através de reação de acetoacetato de etila e brometo de alila ou brometo de cinamila. Posteriormente, β-enaminoésteres-α-alquenilados foram obtidos através de reações de -β-cetoésteres-α-alquenilados com amina aromática (anilina). Os derivados 2-metil-3-alil- ou 2-metil-3-cinamil-4-hidroxiquinolínicos foram obtidos através de termociclização de Conrad-Limpach, utilizando-se difeniléter como solvente reacional. Por fim, a cloração dos agentes hidroxilados com oxicloreto de fósforo rendeu 2-metil-3-alil- ou 2-metil-3-cinamil-4-cloroquinolinas. Dos quatro derivados quinolínicos avaliados, 2-metil-3-[(2E)-3-fenilprop-2-enil]quinolin-4-ol (11) mostrou-se 1,13 vezes mais efetivo que sulfato de cloroquina contra as formas intraeritrocíticas do parasita, 1,69 vezes menos tóxico para os macrófagos peritoneais em relação ao fármaco padrão e valor de índice de seletividade igual a 280, enquanto sulfato de cloro quina apresentou valor de 146,84. / The emergence and spread of resistance to antimalarial drugs have highlighted the need for the discovery and development of novel antimalarial molecules. To achieve this goal, 4-hydroxyquinoline and 4-chloroquinoline derivatives were prepared. Their biological activity was tested against the AJ Plasmodium chabaudi strain and their toxicity was evaluated toward BALB/c mouse peritoneal macrophages. The synthetic design was started by reacting ethyl-acetoacetate with allyl bromide or cinamyl bromide to obtain -α-alkenyl-β-ketoesters. The -α-alkenyl-β-enaminoesters were prepared by condensation of -α-alkenyl-β-ketoesters with aromatic amine (aniline). The derivatives 2-methyl-3-allyl- or 2-methyl-3-cinamyl-4-hydroxyquinolines were obtained by Conrad-Limpach ciclization in reacional solvent diphenyl ether. The 2-methyl-3-allyl- or 2-methyl-3-cinamyl-4-chloroquinoline derivatives had been prepared by chloration of hydroxyl group with phosphorous oxycloride. Among the quinoline compounds evaluated, 2-methyl-3-[(2E)-3-phenylpro-2-enyl]quinolin-4-ol (11) has shown more active than chloroquine sulphate (1, 13-fold) against the parasite intraerytrocytic stage. The compound 11 has presented less toxic than this drug (l,69-fold) to peritoneal macrophages. The selectivity index value has been 280, while the value to chloroquine sulphate has been 146,84.

A emergência e a disseminação de cepas resistentes aos fármacos antimaláricos disponíveis na quimioterapia têm conduzido à busca por novos agentes potencialmente ativos. Neste sentido, derivados 4-hidroxiquinolínicos e 4-cloroquinolínicos foram sintetizados e submetidos à avaliação biológica frente à cepa AJ de Plasmodium chabaudi e à avaliação toxicológica frente a macrófagos peritoneais de camundongos BALB/c. O planejamento sintético consistiu na preparação de β-cetoésteres-α-alquenilados através de reação de acetoacetato de etila e brometo de alila ou brometo de cinamila. Posteriormente, β-enaminoésteres-α-alquenilados foram obtidos através de reações de -β-cetoésteres-α-alquenilados com amina aromática (anilina). Os derivados 2-metil-3-alil- ou 2-metil-3-cinamil-4-hidroxiquinolínicos foram obtidos através de termociclização de Conrad-Limpach, utilizando-se difeniléter como solvente reacional. Por fim, a cloração dos agentes hidroxilados com oxicloreto de fósforo rendeu 2-metil-3-alil- ou 2-metil-3-cinamil-4-cloroquinolinas. Dos quatro derivados quinolínicos avaliados, 2-metil-3-[(2E)-3-fenilprop-2-enil]quinolin-4-ol (11) mostrou-se 1,13 vezes mais efetivo que sulfato de cloroquina contra as formas intraeritrocíticas do parasita, 1,69 vezes menos tóxico para os macrófagos peritoneais em relação ao fármaco padrão e valor de índice de seletividade igual a 280, enquanto sulfato de cloro quina apresentou valor de 146,84. / The emergence and spread of resistance to antimalarial drugs have highlighted the need for the discovery and development of novel antimalarial molecules. To achieve this goal, 4-hydroxyquinoline and 4-chloroquinoline derivatives were prepared. Their biological activity was tested against the AJ Plasmodium chabaudi strain and their toxicity was evaluated toward BALB/c mouse peritoneal macrophages. The synthetic design was started by reacting ethyl-acetoacetate with allyl bromide or cinamyl bromide to obtain -α-alkenyl-β-ketoesters. The -α-alkenyl-β-enaminoesters were prepared by condensation of -α-alkenyl-β-ketoesters with aromatic amine (aniline). The derivatives 2-methyl-3-allyl- or 2-methyl-3-cinamyl-4-hydroxyquinolines were obtained by Conrad-Limpach ciclization in reacional solvent diphenyl ether. The 2-methyl-3-allyl- or 2-methyl-3-cinamyl-4-chloroquinoline derivatives had been prepared by chloration of hydroxyl group with phosphorous oxycloride. Among the quinoline compounds evaluated, 2-methyl-3-[(2E)-3-phenylpro-2-enyl]quinolin-4-ol (11) has shown more active than chloroquine sulphate (1, 13-fold) against the parasite intraerytrocytic stage. The compound 11 has presented less toxic than this drug (l,69-fold) to peritoneal macrophages. The selectivity index value has been 280, while the value to chloroquine sulphate has been 146,84.