The natural product curcumin has long been recognized for its medicinal properties and is utilized for the treatment of many diseases. However, it remains unknown whether this activity is based on its presumably promiscuous scaffold, or if it results from the Michael acceptor properties of the α, β-unsaturated 1, 3-diketone moiety central to its structure. To probe this issue, electron-rich pyrazole and isoxazole analogues were prepared and ...
