The isothiazole ring as well as the corresponding benzo- and heterocondensed rings are present in many chemically interesting compounds. The isothiazole ring can be a substituent of a bioactive scaffold or the pharmacophore of bioactive molecules. New compounds have been designed, synthesised and tested towards different biological targets and, in many cases, they display interesting pharmaceutical activities. Different SAR studies are reported starting from already known isothiazole derivatives or from new compounds characterised by a particular substitution pattern aiming to improve the biological activity. Agrochemical applications are also reported.

New 3-O-glycosyl-3-demethylthiocolchicines containing natural and unnatural sugar moieties were prepared and tested on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors present in rat brain and spinal cord. Two different synthetic approaches were used with the readily available 3-O-demethylthiocolchicine (1b) and thiocolchicoside (2a). Glycosyl compounds 2a-g were obtained from 1b and 1-fluorosugars 4. 6'-Heterosubstituted glycosyl compounds 6-12 and the 6'-desoxy derivative 2h were prepared from 2a.

A novel class of 3-demethoxy-3-glycosylaminothiocolchicines (7) was prepared and tested for muscle relaxant activity. The syntheses were performed starting from the new 3-amino-3-demethoxythiocolchicine (5) prepared in good yield from 3-O-demethylthiocolchicine (1c) using the Buchwald-Hartwig reaction. The condensation of 5 with a series of pentose and hexose sugars (6) gave a series of 3-demethoxy-3-glycosylaminothiocolchicines (7). Their preparation was accomplished by adapting and improving a previous procedure for the preparation of N-arylglycosylamines. In particular, replacing traditional heating with microwave irradiation represents the key improvement of the process. The biological activity of the 3-demethoxy-3-glycosylaminothiocolchicines (7) was evaluated on GABA and strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors present in rat brain and spinal cord.

Various β-hydroxy-substituted amidines were obtained starting from methyl serinates, aldehydes or ketones, and tosyl azide. These were converted via Mitsunobu intramolecular cyclization into enantiomerically pure methyl 2-alkyl-l-tosyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-4-carboxylates.

Novel 1-aminocyclopentane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acids 11 and 14 containing the glutamic acid skeleton were prepared as two diastereomers characterized by having the carbonyl groups in positions two and four cis to each other and trans with respect to the 1-carboxylic group and as all cis relationship, respectively. The reaction sequences, that is, Diels–Alder reaction to give norbornene cycloadducts, oxidative cleavage of the double bond of the cycloadducts, ensured the proper stereochemistry of both diastereomers. Each diastereomer was prepared in enantiopure form starting from exo- and endo-2-amino-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid derivatives 5 and 6 obtained through a very efficient asymmetric synthesis.

By reacting 4,5-unsubstituted isothiazole dioxides with diazoalkanes and nitrile oxides bicyclic pyrazolo[3,4-d]isothiazole and isothiazolo[5,4-d]isoxazole SS-dioxides were obtained in good yield through a regioselective cycloaddition reaction. Through cycloaddition reaction of 3-benzylamino-4-bromo-isothiazole SS-dioxide labile cycloadducts were formed that underwent in situ dehydrobromination affording the corresponding aromatized compounds.

A single step synthesis of 2,3-dialkyl-6-nitro-quinazolin-4(3H)-imines and 3,5-dialkyl-9-nitro-imidazo-[1,2-c]-quinazolin-2(3H)-ones from simple carbonyl compounds, primary amines or amino acid methyl esters and 2-azido-5-nitro-benzonitrile was developed. Key intermediates were N,N′-disubstituted amidines obtained by rearrangement of 4,5-dihydrotriazoles; the new heterocyclic rings were formed by spontaneous intramolecular reaction of the amino and cyano groups which are present in the intermediates.

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The base induced deprotonation of H-14 of 7-triethylsilyl- (7-TES-) and 7-tert-butoxycarbonyl- (7-BOC-) protected 13-oxo-baccatins gave the corresponding enolates, which were selectively aminated with electrophilic nitrogen donors, such as azodicarboxylates and tosyl azide. In particular, tosyl azide gave the corresponding 7-BOC- and 7-TES-13-oxo-14β-azido-baccatin III. Alternatively, the last compound was prepared via NaN3 induced azidation of the 13-silyl enol ether of 7-TES-13-oxo-baccatin III under oxidative (cerium ammonium nitrate) conditions. The 13-silyl enol ether was obtained in a multistep process by DBU induced silylation of 7-TES-13-oxo-baccatin III. The 7-TES-13-oxo-14β-azido-baccatin III was used as a key intermediate for the synthesis of a new family of antitumour taxanes containing amino based functional groups at the C-14 position, such as: 14β-azido, 14β-amino, 14β-amino 1, 14-carbamate, 14β-amino 1, 14-thiocarbamate, and 14β-amino N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-1,14-carbamate.

New taxanes 15 and 18, containing the unsaturated and saturated baccatin[14,1-d]furan-2-one nucleus, respectively, were prepared starting from the readily available 13-oxo-7-Tes-baccatin III (3). Sequential formation of the enolate of 3 and reaction with ethyl glyoxylate gave the 13-oxo-7-Tes-baccatin[14,1-d]-3,4-dehydrofuran-2-one 4. The reduction of 4 can result in the formation of a mixture of compounds corresponding to 13-hydroxy alcohol 5 and 13-enol derivative 6. Both 5 and 6 were transformed into 13-oxo-7-Tes-baccatin[14,1-d]furan-2-one 8 by treatment with a base. Further reduction of 8 gave 13-hydroxy compound 9. Esterification of 6 and 9 with NO-protected norstatine 12, followed by deprotection, gave the new promising anticancer taxanes 15 and 18, respectively.

3-Alkylamino- and 3-arylamino isothiazole dioxides unsubstituted at C-4 and C-5 were synthesized starting from dithiopropionic amides. Taking advantage of the direct chlorination during the cyclization process or realizing an addition–elimination process with bromine on the final 3-aminoisothiazole dioxide derivatives, the corresponding 5-chloro-, 4,5-dichloro- or the 4-bromoisothiazole dioxides could also be made available.

14beta-Hydroxybaccatin III, a compound with limited availability by natural sources, is the starting material for the synthesis of the second-generation anticancer taxoid ortataxel. The 7-tert-butoxycarbonyl (1a) and 7-triethylsilyl (1b) derivatives of 14beta-hydroxybaccatin III 1,14-carbonate were synthesized from 10-deacetylbaccatin III (3). The crucial steps were (a) the C(14)beta hydroxylation of the corresponding 13-oxobaccatin III derivatives by oxaziridine-mediated electrophilic oxidation and (b) the reduction of the C(13) carbonyl group with sodium or alkylammonium borohydrides. This protocol provides a practical way for the semisynthesis of ortataxel from 10-deacetylbaccatin III, a compound readily available from various yews.

2-Amidinylindol-3-carbaldehydes bearing an α-alkoxycarbonyl substituent on the cyclic-tertiary amine moiety were prepared. Pyrolysis of these amidines in diethylenglycol-monoethyl ether produced mainly a pyrrolo[1′,2′-1,2]-1,4-diazepino[5,6-b]indol-7,11-dione. A similar result was obtained starting from 2-amidinylbenzofuran-3-carbaldehyde.