Synthesis of novel quinolinomatrine derivatives and their insecticidal/acaricidal activities.

In continuation of our program to discover natural product-based pesticidal agents, a series of new quinolinomatrine derivatives were prepared. Especially three-dimensional structures of five compounds were unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Among them, 21-chloroquinolinomatrine exhibited good insecticidal and acaricidal activities against two crop-threatening insect pests, Mythimna separata and Tetranychus cinnabarinus. Their structure-activity relationships were also discussed.

14-Formyl-15-aryloxy/methoxymatrine and 14-Aryloxymethylidenyl-matrine Derivatives as Anti-HIV-1 Agents.

BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has always been a global health threat and leading cause of deaths. However, due to the emergence of drug-resistant HIV, an inevitable consequence of increasing use of antiretroviral drugs posed a major threat to antiretroviral therapy success. OBJECTIVE: The discovery of anti-HIV-1 agents will be used for the effective treatment of HIV/AIDS. METHOD: In continuation of our program aimed to discover anti-HIV-1 agents, twelve matrine derivatives, such as 14-formyl-15-aryloxy/methoxymatrines (3a-j) and 14-aryloxymethylidenylmatrines (3k,l), were semi-prepared from matrine, and evaluated against HIV-1 IIIB replication in acutely infected C8166 cells in vitro. RESULTS: Among them, compound 3j showed the most potent anti-HIV-1 activity with EC50 and therapeutic index (TI) values of 1.79 µg/mL, and 98.2, respectively. CONCLUSION: It has been demonstrated that the positions of methyl on the phenyl ring and 14- formylmatrine-15-oxy on the naphthyl ring were very important for the activity. It will lay the foundation for further structural modification and application of matrines as HIV-1 inhibitors.

Seven-Membered Lactam Derivatives of Podophyllotoxins as New Pesticidal Agents.

As a continuation of our efforts to discover and develop natural-product-based insecticidal agents, three novel and unusual 7-membered lactam derivatives of podophyllotoxin were prepared by thionyl chloride-mediated ring-expanded Beckmann rearrangement. The steric configurations of 3a-c were unambiguously identified by X-ray crystallography. It demonstrated that the configuration of the picropodophyllotoxin C4-oximes could also be confirmed by the corresponding C-ring expansion products via Beckmann rearrangement. Moreover, it was obviously further testified that when picropodophyllones reacted with hydroxylamine hydrochloride, only E configuration of picropodophyllotoxin C4-oximes was selectively produced. Compounds 3b and 3c showed more potent pesticidal activity than toosendanin against oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker).

Synthesis of some ester derivatives of 4'-demethoxyepipodophyllotoxin/2'-chloro-4'-demethoxyepipodophyllotoxin as insecticidal agents against oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata Walker.

Podophyllotoxin is a naturally occurring non-alkaloid toxin isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Podophyllum peltatum and P. hexandrum. In continuation of our program aimed at the discovery and development of natural product-based insecticides, two series of ester derivatives of 4'-demethoxyepipodophyllotoxin/2'-chloro-4'-demethoxyepipodophyllotoxin were prepared. The structures of the target compounds were well characterized by 1H NMR, IR, optical rotation and mp. The precise three-dimensional structural information of 8j was further determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Their insecticidal activity was tested against Mythimna separata Walker. These compounds showed delayed insecticidal activity. Among all derivatives, some compounds showed more potent insecticidal activity than toosendanin against M. separata; especially compounds 8k and 9k exhibited the most potent activity with the final mortality rates of 71.4%. Their structure-activity relationships were discussed.

Matrine: Bioactivities and Structural Modifications.

Matrine is a quinolizidine alkaloid isolated from the roots of Sophora flavescens (Kushen), Sophora tonkinensis, and Sophora alopecuroides (Kudouzi). Matrine and its derivatives have displayed a broad scope of biological properties such as anticancer activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antiviral activity, analgesic effect, anti-fibrotic activity, insecticidal activity, antimicrobial activity, etc. The present review has summarized the biological activities and structural modifications of matrine and its derivatives focused on their N-1 position and lactam ring from 2010 to 2015. In addition, the mechanism of action and structure-activity relationships of matrine and its derivatives are discussed.