Synthesis, Anti-Influenza H1N1 and Anti-Dengue Activity of A-Ring Modified Oleanonic Acid Polyamine Derivatives.

A series of sixteen A-ring modified (2,3-indolo-, 2-benzylidene) oleanonic acid derivatives, holding some cyclic amines, linear polyamines and benzylaminocarboxamides at C28, has been synthesized and screened for antiviral activity against influenza A/PuertoRico/8/34 (H1N1) and Dengue virus serotypes of DENV-1, -2, -3, -4. It was found that 28-homopiperazine 2 and 3-N-phthalyl 22 amides of oleanonic acid demonstrated high potency with selectivity index SI 27 (IC50 21 µM) and 42 (IC50 12 µM). Oleanonic acid aminoethylpiperazine amide 6 and C-azepano-erythrodiol 23 appeared to be the most effective compounds against DENV-1 (IC50's 67 and 107 µM) and -2 (IC50's 86 and 68 µM correspondingly) serotypes.

From Marine Metabolites to the Drugs of the Future: Squalamine, Trodusquemine, Their Steroid and Triterpene Analogues.

This review comprehensively describes the recent advances in the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of steroid polyamines squalamine, trodusquemine, ceragenins, claramine, and their diverse analogs and derivatives, with a special focus on their complete synthesis from cholic acids, as well as an antibacterial and antiviral, neuroprotective, antiangiogenic, antitumor, antiobesity and weight-loss activity, antiatherogenic, regenerative, and anxiolytic properties. Trodusquemine is the most-studied small-molecule allosteric PTP1B inhibitor. The discovery of squalamine as the first representative of a previously unknown class of natural antibiotics of animal origin stimulated extensive research of terpenoids (especially triterpenoids) comprising polyamine fragments. During the last decade, this new class of biologically active semisynthetic natural product derivatives demonstrated the possibility to form supramolecular networks, which opens up many possibilities for the use of such structures for drug delivery systems in serum or other body fluids.

Evaluation of Cytotoxicity and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity of Amide and Polyamino-Derivatives of Lupane Triterpenoids.

A series of two new and twenty earlier synthesized branched extra-amino-triterpenoids obtained by the direct coupling of betulinic/betulonic acids with polymethylenpolyamines, or by the cyanoethylation of lupane type alcohols, oximes, amines, and amides with the following reduction were evaluated for cytotoxicity toward the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel, α-glucosidase inhibitory, and antimicrobial activities. Lupane carboxamides, conjugates with diaminopropane, triethylenetetramine, and branched C3-cyanoethylated polyamine methyl betulonate showed high cytotoxic activity against most of the tested cancer cell lines with GI50 that ranged from 1.09 to 54.40 µM. Betulonic acid C28-conjugate with triethylenetetramine and C3,C28-bis-aminopropoxy-betulin were found to be potent micromolar inhibitors of yeast α-glucosidase and to simultaneously inhibit the endosomal reticulum α-glucosidase, rendering them as potentially capable to suppress tumor invasiveness and neovascularization, in addition to the direct cytotoxicity. Plausible mechanisms of cytotoxic action and underlying disrupted molecular pathways were elucidated with CellMinner pattern analysis and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, according to which the lead compounds exert multi-target antiproliferative activity associated with oxidative stress induction and chromatin structure alteration. The betulonic acid diethylentriamine conjugate showed partial activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus and the fungi C. neoformans. These results show that triterpenic polyamines, being analogs of steroidal squalamine and trodusquemine, are important substances for the search of new drugs with anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities.

Antimycobacterial activity of azepanobetulin and its derivative: In vitro, in vivo, ADMET and docking studies.

The antimycobacterial investigation of azepanobetulin and its amide derivative was performed. Both compounds showed increased in vitro antibacterial activity on the H37Rv MTB strain in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Basing on differences between MIC and IC50 values a predominant bactericidal effect for amide in contrast to azepanobetulin with a bacteriostatic antibacterial mechanism is defined. Both compounds showed a strong antibacterial effect against resistant MTB strains with amide derivative being slightly more active. Amide derivative also showed a higher antibacterial potency against non-tuberculous mycobacterial strains (M. avium, M. abscessus). Molecular docking studies showed that the inhibition of tuberculosinyl adenosine transferase (Rv3378c) could constitute an antimycobacterial mechanism of action for these triterpenic azepane derivatives. The pharmacokinetic profile was evaluated by ADMET studies and azepanobetulin showing the better results was evaluated by in vivo experiments. This compound has demonstrated a statistically significant antimycobacterial activity compared to control, but inferior to isoniazid. Our findings show that pentacyclic triterpene derivatives holding a seven-membered azepane A-ring are the promising template for the development of new agents with high antibacterial potential against M. tuberculosis H37Rv, non-tuberculous mycobacterial and drug- resistant strains.

Synthesis and cholinesterase inhibiting potential of A-ring azepano- and 3-amino-3,4-seco-triterpenoids.

In this study, a series of A-ring azepano- and 3-amino-3,4-seco-derivatives were synthesized from betulin, oleanolic, ursolic and glycyrrhetinic acids aiming to develop new cholinesterase inhibitors. Azepanobetulin, azepanoerythrodiol and azepanouvaol were modified to give amide and tosyl derivatives, while azepano-anhydrobetulines and azepano-glycyrrhetols were obtained for the first time. Oleanane and ursane type 3-amino-3,4-seco-4(23)-en triterpenic alcohols were synthesized by reducing the corresponding 2-cyano-derivatives accessible from Beckmann type 2 rearrangements. The compounds were screened in colorimetric Ellman's assays to determine their ability to act as inhibitors for the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE, from electric eel) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE, from equine serum). While most of these compounds were only moderate inhibitors for AChE, several of them were shown to be inhibitors for BChE acting as mixed-type inhibitors. Azepanobetulin 1, its C28-amide derivatives 7 and 8, azepano-11-deoxo-glycyrrhetol 12 and azepanouvaol 18 held inhibition constants Ki ranging between 0.21 ± 0.06 to 0.68 ± 0.19 µM. Thus, they were approximately 4 to 10 times more active than standard galantamine hydrobromide. For all of the compounds reasonably high docking scores for BChE were obtained being in good agreement with the experimental results from the enzymatic studies. As a result, A-ring azepano-triterpenoids were found to be new scaffolds for the development of BChE inhibitors.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of triterpeni≿ A-ring azepanes.

A series of A-ring azepanones and azepanes derived from betulonic, oleanonic and ursonic acids was synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antimycobacterial activities against M. tuberculosis (MTB) H37Rv and SDR-TB in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Triterpenic A-azepano-28-hydroxy-derivatives were synthesized by the reduction with LiAlH4 of triterpenic azepanones available from the Beckmann rearrangement of the corresponding C3-oximes. Modification of azepanes at NH-group and atoms С12, C20, C28 and C29 of triterpenic core led to the derivatives with oxo, epoxy, aminopropyl, oximino and acyl substituents. The primary assay of tested triterpenoids against MTB H37Rv demonstrated their MIC values ranged from 3.125 to >200 µM. Ursane type A-azepano-28-cinnamoates were the most active being 2 and 4 times more efficient than the initial 28-hydroxy-derivative. The follow-up testing revealed A-azepano-28-cinnamoyloxybetulin as a leader compound with MIC 2 and MBC 4 µM against MTB H37Rv and MICs 4, 1 and 1 µM against INH, RIF and OFX resistant strains, respectively. Five oleanane and ursane azepanes pronounced better activity than isoniazid against INH-R1 and rifampicin against INH-R2 strains. This work opens a new direction in the design and synthesis of new antitubercular agents basing on azepanotriterpenoids.

Inhibition of Alpha-Glucosidase by Synthetic Derivatives of Lupane, Oleanane, Ursane and Dammarane Triterpenoids.

A variety of new and earlier synthesized lupane, oleanane, ursane and dammarane triterpenoids have been investigated for their inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. 2,3-Indole-21 ß-acetyl-20ß,28-epoxy-18α,19ßH-ursane and 3-oxo-3A-homo-3a-aza-20(S)-hydroxydammar-24(25)-ene were synthesized for the first time. The compounds 3, 4, 8-11 and 14 demonstrated strong in vitro inhibitory activity towards α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 37.5-115.1 µM. 3-Deoxy-3a-homo-3a-aza-28-cinnamoyloxy-20(29)-lupene, with an IC50 of 6.67 µM was 60-fold more active than the market drug acarbose.

Betulin and ursolic acid synthetic derivatives as inhibitors of Papilloma virus.

The synthesis of new betulin and ursolic acid derivatives and evaluation of their antiviral activity in vitro is reported. Betulin was modified at positions C-3, C-20 and C-28 to afford the derivatives with nicotinoyl-, methoxycynnamoyl-, alkyne and aminopropoxy-2-cyanoethyl-moieties. The two stage conversion of betulin to the new ursane-type triterpenoid by treatment of allobetulin with Ac(2)O-HClO(4) is suggested. Cyanoethylation of ursonic acid oxime led to cyanoethyloximinoderivative. According to the results of antiviral screening against human papillomavirus type 11 the selectivity index for tested triterpenoids has a range from 10 to 35 with no cellular cytotoxicity, the most remarkable activity was found for 3beta,28-di-O-nicotinoylbetulin. 3Beta,28-dihydroxy-29-norlup-20(30)-yne was also active against HCV replicon (EC(50) 1.32; EC(90) 16.82; IC(50) 12.41; IC(90) >20; SI(50) 9.4; SI(90) >1.19). 28-O-methoxycynnamoylbetulin was active against influenza type A virus (H1N1) (EC(50) 2; IC(50) >200; SI >100).