2-Isocyano glucose used in Ugi four-component reaction: An approach to enhance inhibitory effect against DNA oxidation.

The Ugi four-component-reaction (Ugi 4CR) allowed synthesizing bisamide from carboxylic acid, aldehyde, amine, and isocyanide in one-pot operation. However, introducing 2-isocyano glucose into the Ugi 4CR and investigating the inhibitory effects of Ugi adducts against radical-induced oxidation of DNA remained technical challenges. We herein applied 2-isocyano glucose (acetylation of hydroxy groups) to perform a catalyst-free Ugi 4CR at room temperature. The gallic, ferulic, caffeic, or p-hydroxybenzoic acids, aniline (or benzylamine and p-aminophenol), and formaldehyde acted as reagents. In the case of inhibiting DNA oxidations induced by 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane hydrochloride) (AAPH), hydroxy radical, and Cu(2+)/glutathione, the Ugi adduct containing glucose moiety exhibited higher antioxidative activities than the structural analog without glucose moiety involved. It was also proved that high antioxidative property was owing to hydroxy groups in glucose moiety. Therefore, sugar-appended Ugi adducts might hold promising inhibitors for DNA oxidation.