In Vitro Activity Against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania chagasi Parasites of 2,4-Diaryl 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroquinoline Derivatives

Diverse polyfunctionalized tetrahydroquinolines, easily prepared using BF3 .OEt2-catalyzed three component imino Diels-Alder reaction, were tested in vitro against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania chagasi parasites and also for cytotoxicity using Vero and THP-1 mammalian cell lines. These studies showed that the most active compound was 7h (IC50 5.77 ± 0.21; IC90 40.43 ± 1.58 μM for T. cruzi and IC50 0.27 ± 0.03; IC90 2.16± 0.37 μM for L. chagasi) has selective index (SI) values greater than the reference drugs (SI > 46 and SI > 1000 in epimastigotes form of T. cruzi and promastigotes form of L. chagasi parasites, respectively). Moreover, the comp. 7h did not show cytotoxicity against Vero or THP-1 cells (IC50 > 270 μM).