Sustainable development of anticancer and antidiabetic derivatives by solvent-free heterocyclization 

Abstract Herein we have developed a heterogeneous catalyst for synthesizing various anticancer and antidiabetic derivatives via heterocyclic synthesis under solvent-free conditions at mild temperatures. This approach eliminates the need for complex cleanup or column chromatography, thus minimizing waste production. Moreover, the catalyst can be recovered and reused up to multiple times without compromising product yields, demonstrating its sustainability and environmental friendliness. Additionally, we evaluated each synthetic derivative for anticancer and antidiabetic activities. Initial assays revealed that certain derivatives exhibit promising inhibition against human breast cancer cells (MCF7), suggesting their potential as lead structures for future anticancer agents. Furthermore, the synthesized derivatives were assessed for antidiabetic activity, showing superior efficacy. Notably, derivatives containing –H, –CH3, and –OCH3 substituents demonstrated excellent anticancer activity compared to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), while derivatives containing –H and –Br substituents showed notable antidiabetic activities over acarbose, highlighting their therapeutic potential. Thus, our study presents a highly effective and sustainable approach for synthesizing polyhydroquinoline derivatives, emphasizing the catalyst's dual benefits in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry applications.