materials Article Octahydroquinoxalin-2(1H)-One-Based Aminophosphonic Acids and Their Derivatives—Biological Activity towards Cancer Cells Jakub Iwanejko 1 , El˙zbietaWojaczy ´nska 1,* , Eliza Turlej 2 , Magdalena Maciejewska 2 and Joanna Wietrzyk 2 1 Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrze˙zeWyspia´nskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland;
[email protected] 2 Department of Experimental Oncology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Rudolfa Weigla 12, 53-114 Wrocław, Poland;
[email protected] (E.T.);
[email protected] (M.M.);
[email protected] (J.W.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +48-71-320-2410 Received: 19 March 2020; Accepted: 19 May 2020; Published: 22 May 2020 Abstract: In the search for new antitumor agents, aminophosphonic acids and their derivatives based on octahydroquinoxalin-2(1H)-one scaffold were obtained and their cytotoxic properties and a mechanism of action were evaluated. Phosphonic acid and phosphonate moieties increased the antiproliferative activity in comparison to phenolic Mannich bases previously reported. Most of the obtained compounds revealed a strong antiproliferative effect against leukemia cell line (MV-4-11) with simultaneous low cytotoxicity against normal cell line (mouse fibroblasts-BALB/3T3). The most active compound was diphenyl-[(1R,6R)-3-oxo-2,5-diazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-4-yl]phosphonate. Preliminary evaluation of the mechanism of action showed the proapoptotic effect associated with caspase 3/7 induction. Keywords: aminophosphonate; imine; antiproliferative activity; cell cycle; mitochondrial membrane potential 1. Introduction At present, our attention is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and there is a tendency to neglect the civilization diseases which however remain the main reason for mortality worldwide.