Synthesis, antitumor and antibacterial activities of some novel tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives

•Two series of fused thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines were synthesized.•They were tested for their antitumor and antibacterial activities.•3-Acridinyl derivatives had potent antitumor and antibacterial activities.

Two series of new tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines namely 2,3-disubstituted derivatives 3a–z and 2,4-disubstituted ones 6a–c were prepared and tested for their antitumor and antibacterial activities. The structures of the prepared compounds were confirmed by spectral and elemental analyses. Compound 3z exhibited the highest antitumor activity against breast MCF-7 with IC50 = 0.19 μM compared to Doxorubicin (IC50 = 5.46 μM), while 3r was the most active one against liver HEPG-2 cancer cell line with IC50 = 1.29 μM as regard to Doxorubicin (IC50 = 7.36 μM). Concerning the antibacterial activity, compounds 3m and 3z exerted remarkable activity against the tested bacterial species compared to Ampicillin, whereas compound 6c showed good activity against only Gram positive species.

Graphical abstractThe target compounds 3a–z and 6a–c were prepared and tested for their antitumor and antibacterial activities. Compounds 3z and 3r exerted the highest activity against MCF-7 and HEPG-2 cell lines, respectively.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide