Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Some Novel Quinoxaline Derivatives as Antiviral Agents.

Ethyl (6,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-3-yl)acetate and ethyl (6-methyl-2-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-3-yl)acetate (1a,b), 3-methylquinoxalin-2(1H)-one (4) and 1,4-dihydroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (11) were the starting precursors for nine novel quinoxaline compounds, 3a, 6, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 20, via adopting different nucleophilic reactions. The synthesized compounds were tested for their antiviral activity against HCV, HBV, HSV-1, and HCMV. Concomitantly, their safety profile was investigated as well as their selectivity against the viral strains. The Virology Unit at the University of Alabama recorded that two compounds, i.e., 1a and 20, exhibited highly potent activity against HCMV with lower IC values (<0.05 μM) compared to ganciclovir (IC  = 0.59 μM). Compounds 1a and 20 also exhibited low cytotoxicity together with a high selectivity index.