One-Pot Multicomponent Synthesis of Uracil Derivatives and Their Antiviral Activity

Objective: The development of effective antiviral agents targeting whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses using a one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) approach. Methods: The synthesis was performed via a one-pot multicomponent reaction of aryl aldehydes, thiourea, and ethyl cyanoacetate in an ethanolic solution of potassium carbonate. The compounds were characterized using 1H, 13C NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. In vivo antiviral studies of the resulting compounds were conducted against whitefly-transmitted begomovirus using simultaneous, protective, and curative approaches. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that the synthesized derivative 6-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-oxo-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile IVa exhibited the best antiviral activity at 125 µg/mL in the protective approach. Conclusions: The synthesized compound IVa shows promising antiviral activity and could be considered for further development.