A FACILE AND CONVENIENT SYNTHESIS OF AURONES: AN INTRAMOLECULAR OXIDATIVE CYCLISATION CATALYSED BY MERCURY (II) IONS AND THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES

Naqui Jahan Siddiqui* P. Nandardhane and Mohammad Idrees

ABSTRACT

Some novel biologically active Aurones (3a-d) were synthesized by oxidative cyclization of α-β unsaturated ketones (chalcones) with mercuric acetate in presence of DMSO. Chalcones (2a-d) were prepared by treatment of benzyloxy benzaldehyde (1) with different substituted acetophenones (1a-d) by Claisen-Schmidt condensation. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were established on the basis of elemental analysis and spectral methods such as IR, 1H NMR and mass spectra. Antioxidant activities and zone of inhibition for these Aurones was determined. E. coli, S. aureus, B. thurengienesis and E. aerogenes were used as bacterial strains compared with Chloramphenicol as a reference drug. Synthesized Aurones showed moderate to good antibacterial and antioxidant activity.

Keywords: Aurones, chalcones, mercuric acetate, antioxidant activity.