Synthesis of d-(+)-camphor-based: N -acylhydrazones and their antiviral activity

The design and synthesis of a series of novel d-(+)-camphor N-acylhydrazones exhibiting inhibitory activity against vaccinia and influenza viruses are presented. An easy pathway to camphor-based N-acylhydrazones containing in their structure aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic pharmacophore scaffolds has been developed. The conformation and configuration of the synthesized hydrazones were thoroughly characterized by a complete set of spectral characterization techniques, including 2D NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction analysis. In vitro screening for activity against vaccinia virus (VV) and influenza H1N1 virus was carried out for the obtained compounds. It was revealed that the derived N-acylhydrazones exhibited significant antiviral activity with a selectivity index >280 against VV for the most promising compound. © 2018 The Royal Society of Chemistry.