Utility of Activated Nitriles in the Synthesis of Novel Heterocyclic Compounds with Antitumor Activity

Reaction of cyanoacetic acid hydrazide (1) with 4-methoxyacetophenone and 4-chlorobenzaldehyde (2a,b) afforded the corresponding 2-cyanoacetohydrazide derivatives (3a,b) respectively. The latter compounds were utilized as a key intermediate for the synthesis of new heterocyclic compounds. Newly synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analyses and spectral data. The antitumor evaluation of some newly synthesized compounds was screened in vitro against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7).