In a continuing search for “curcuminoid (CUR) inspired” compounds with potential antitumor activity, a series of 21 new CUR-BF₂ adducts and CURs bearing fluorine, trifluoromethylthio, trifluoromethoxy, and trifluoromethyl substitutents were synthesized in an effort to improve physicochemical properties such as lipophilicity and metabolic stability. Bulky activating groups namely methoxy, acetoxy, and benzyloxy groups were introduced as a way to tune steric/electronic effects. Multinuclear NMR, X-ray analysis and DFT optimizations confirmed that despite significant differences in their substitution patterns these curcuminoids all exist as enolic tautomers, and their CUR-BF₂ adducts are symmetrical with equal B-O bond distances. To gauge the potential role of the enolic moiety in interaction with proteins, a library consisting of 22 aryl-pyrazole and isoxazole derivatives were synthesized. ¹⁹F NMR provided a rapid and convenient assay to monitor these transformations. Computational/docking studies were performed to compare binding efficiency to target proteins involved in specific cancers versus known inhibitor drugs. Several CUR pyrazoles and isoxazoles presented very favorable binding affinities, particularly those bearing CF₃ groups. Highly favorable docking affinities were observed for the benzyloxy-substituted CURs. Selected compounds were tested by in-vitro bioassay against a panel of 60 cancer cell lines, and more specifically against leukemia cell lines by cell viability assay.

在继续寻找具有潜在抗肿瘤活性的“姜黄素（CUR）激发”化合物时，合成了一系列21种新的CUR-BF ₂加合物和带有氟，三氟甲硫基，三氟甲氧基和三氟甲基取代基的CUR ，以改善其理化性质，例如如亲脂性和代谢稳定性。引入大量的活化基团，即甲氧基，乙酰氧基和苄氧基，以调节空间/电子效应。多核NMR，X射线分析和DFT优化证实，尽管它们的取代方式存在显着差异，但这些姜黄素均以烯醇互变异构体及其CUR-BF _{2的形式存在。}加合物是对称的，具有相等的BO键距。为了评估烯醇部分在与蛋白质相互作用中的潜在作用，合成了由22个芳基-吡唑和异恶唑衍生物组成的文库。¹⁹ F NMR提供了一种快速方便的测定方法来监测这些转化。进行了计算/对接研究以比较与特定癌症相关的靶蛋白与已知抑制剂药物的结合效率。几种CUR吡唑和异恶唑表现出非常良好的结合亲和力，尤其是那些带有CF ₃基团的结合亲和力。对于苄氧基取代的CUR，观察到高度有利的对接亲和力。所选化合物通过体外测试 通过60种癌细胞系的生物测定，尤其是通过细胞活力测定的白血病细胞系的生物测定。