Anti-tubercular activity of novel class of spiropyrrolidine tethered indenoquinoxaline heterocyclic hybrids

A series of structurally intriguing novel class of spiropyrrolidine tethered quinoxaline heterocyclic hybrids has been achieved in excellent yields employing ionic liquid accelerated multicomponent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction strategy. β-Nitrostyrenes were used as dipolarophiles, while the 1,3-dipole component was the azomemthine ylide, generated in situ from indenoquinoxaline and l-phenylalanine. The reaction provided three new bonds and four contiguous stereocenter with full distereomeric control. In vitro activity of these spiroheterocyclic hybrids against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv using MABA assay revealed that the compound with nitro group on the phenyl ring is the most active candidate (1.56 µg/mL) among the other analogues of the series and has an activity similar to that of the standard drug, Ethambutol.