Multi-conformers caused by conformational change of A-ring in the C18- and C19-N-dealkyl diterpenoid alkaloids.

This paper describes a rare phenomenon of multi-conformers caused by conformational change of A-ring in the C18- and C19- N-dealkyl diterpenoid alkaloids. The possible reasons for the generation of multiple conformational isomers are complex, which could be affected by the substituents at C-1, C-3, C-13, C-14, and C-15, pH, solvents, the intramolecular hydrogen bond between 1α-OCH3/1α-OH and N-H groups, acid-base treatment, preparation methods, and work-up procedures.

New C20-diterpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum vilmorrianum and structural revision of 2-O-acetylorochrine and orochrine.

Three new C20-diterpenoid alkaloids vilmorrianines E (1), F (2), and G (3) were isolated from the whole plants of Aconitum vilmorrianum, along with one artifact N-chloromethyl vilmorrianine E hydrochloride (4), as well as two known alkaloids hemsleyaconitines F (5) and G (6). The structures of 1-4 were established by HR-ESI-MS, 1D-, 2D-NMR (HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, the structures of naturally occurring 2-O-acetylorochrine (7) and orochrine (8) were revised to be the known alkaloids heterophylloidine (9) and deacetyl heterophylloidine (10), respectively, on the basis of consideration of transannular effect and chemical correlations.

Further Studies on Structure-Cardiac Activity Relationships of Diterpenoid Alkaloids.

The cardiac effect of thirty-eight diterpenoid alkaloids was evaluated on the isolated bullfrog heart model. Among them, twelve compounds exhibited appreciable cardiac activity, with compounds 3 and 35 being more active than the reference drug lanatoside. The structure-cardiac activity relationships of the diterpenoid alkaloids were summarized based on our present and previous studies [2]: i) 1α-OMe or 1α-OH, 8-OH, 14-OH, and NH (or NMe) are key structural features important for the cardiac effect of the aconitine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloids without any esters. C18-diterpenoid alkaloids, lycoctonine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, and the veatchine- and denudatine-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloids did not show any cardiac activity; ii) the presence of 3α-OH is beneficial to the cardiac activity; iii) the effect on the cardiac action of 6α-OMe, 13-OH, 15α-OH, and 16-demethoxy or a double bond between C-15 and C-16 depends on the substituent pattern on the nitrogen atom.

Full assignments of the 1H, 13C and 15N magnetic resonance spectra of two porphyrin compounds.

Two chlorin derivatives, rhodochlorin dimethyl ester (7) and chlorin-e6 trimethyl ester (8), were prepared from methyl pheophobide a (6) through base-degradation of the E ring and methylation of the carboxylic acids. Full assignments of the 1H, 13C and 15N magnetic resonance spectra of compounds 7 and 8 were made by 2D NMR techniques (1H-1H COSY, 1H-13C HMQC, 1H-13C HMBC, 1H-15N HMBC).

Structure-cardiac activity relationship of C19-diterpenoid alkaloids.

Thirty three C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, twenty-two prepared from known C19-diterpenoid alkaloids and eleven isolated from Aconitum and Delphinium spp. were evaluated for their cardiac activity in the isolated bullfrog heart assay. Among them, eleven compounds exhibited cardiac activity, with average rate of amplitude increase in the range of 16-118%. Compound 7, mesaconine (17), hypaconine (25), and beiwutinine (26) exhibited strong cardiac activities relative to the reference drug. The structure-activity relationship data acquired indicated that an alpha-hydroxyl group at C-15, a hydroxyl group at C-8, an alpha-methoxyl or hydroxyl group at C-1, and a secondary amine or N-methyl group in ring A are important structure features necessary for the cardiac activities of the aconitine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloids without any ester groups. In addition, an alpha-hydroxyl group at C-3 is also helpful for the cardiac activity of these alkaloids.

Studies on the relative reactivity of three hydroxyl groups in aconitine.

The relative reactivity of three hydroxyl groups in aconitine toward acetylation, chlorination, sulfonylation, and oxidation has been studied in this paper. The reduction of C-3 ketone and C-15 ketone derivatives of aconitine was also investigated. It was found that (1) the relative reactivity of three hydroxyl groups toward acetylation, chlorination, and sulfonylation is 3-OH>13-OH>>15-OH; (2) 3-OH is much more reactive than 15-OH toward oxidation; and (3) reduction of the carbonyl group at C-3 with NaBH(4) generated a pair of C-3 epimers, while the reduction products of the carbonyl group at C-15 depend largely on the specific reducing agent and the absolute configuration of 16-OCH(3). When the substrate has 16ß-OCH(3), its carbonyl group at C-15 can be reduced with NaBH(4) to yield exclusively the 15α-OH-containing product. Upon replacement of reducing agent NaBH(4) with LiAlH(4), the C-15 carbonyl group can be reduced to yield a pair of C-15 epimers. On the other hand, when the substrate has 16α-OCH(3), C-15 carbonyl group can only be reduced to generate 15α-OH-containing product.

An O-to-N intramolecular acyl migration in C19-diterpenoid alkaloids.

The O-acyl group at C-1 of two C19-diterpenoid alkaloids 2 and 5 was transferred to the secondary amine nitrogen to form amides 3 and 6 in the basic condition. This kind of O-to-N intramolecular acyl migration could be caused by the near distance between the nucleophilic nitrogen atom and the carbonyl group of the ester at C-1 in the C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, which is consistent with the conformation of rings A and E in the C19-diterpenoid alkaloids.

Partial synthesis and biological evaluation of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids derivatives: potential modulators of multidrug resistance in cancer.

A series of new bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids was partially synthesized from tetrandrine and fangchinoline and evaluated for their ability to reverse P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells. All the test compounds increased the intracellular accumulation rate of rhodamine 123 in MDR cells (Bel7402 and HCT8), and most exhibited more potent MDR-reversing activity relative to the reference compound verapamil. Compounds 8, 10, 13, and 14 enhanced intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin in Bel7402 and HCT8 cells.

Cardioactive C19-diterpenoid alkaloids from the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaeli "Fu Zi".

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an n-BuOH extract of the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaeli. led to the isolation of 5 cardioactive C(19)-diterpenoid alkaloids: N-deethylaconine (1), beiwutinine (2), hypaconine (3), mesaconine (4), and 15α-hydroxyneoline (5). N-Deethylaconine and beiwutinine are new aconitine-type C(19)-diterpenoid alkaloids. Hypaconine was isolated from this species for the first time. Among them, mesaconine, hypaconine, and beiwutinine showed the strongest cardiac actions on the isolated perfused bullfrog heart. Furthermore, mesaconine has protective effects, including improved inotropic effect and left ventricular diastolic function, on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat at a dose of 10(-9) mol/L. However, mesaconine has almost no effect on heart rate.

Diterpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum longzhoushanense.

A new aconitine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloid, longzhoushansine (1), along with fourteen known alkaloids, were isolated from the roots of Aconitum longzhoushanense. Their structures were established by spectral analysis and chemical methods.

New diterpenoid alkaloids from the roots of Delphinium tiantaishanense.

Four new diterpenoid alkaloids: tiantaishansine (1), tiantaishannine (2), tiantaishanmine (3), and tiantaishandine (4) have been isolated from the roots of Delphinium tiantaishan. Their structures were elucidated by chemical evidence and spectral analyses, including ESI-MS, HR-EI-MS, 1D- and 2D-NMR.

Three new diterpenoid alkaloids from roots of Aconitum ouvrardianum HAND.-MAZZ.

A new C(19)-diterpenoid alkaloid, ouvrardiantine (1) and two new C(20)-diterpenoid alkaloids, ouvrardiandines A (2) and B (3) were isolated from the root of Aconitum ouvrardianum HAND.-MAZZ. The structure of the new alkaloids was established on the basis of spectral data (1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-MS).

New C18-diterpenoid alkaloids from Delphinium anthriscifolium var. savatieri.

Five new C18-diterpenoid alkaloids, anthriscifolcines A (1), B (2), C (3), D (4), and E (5), together with a known C19-diterpenoid alkaloid delcorine (6), were isolated from the whole herb of Delphinium anthriscifolium var. savatieri. The structures of these new alkaloids were established on the basis of spectral data (1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS).

Two new C19-diterpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum kongboense.

Two new C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, kongboentine A (1) and kongboentine B (3), were isolated from the roots of Aconitum kongboense Lauener and their structures were elucidated by spectral data.

New C19-diterpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum hemsleyanum var leueanthus and Delphinium potaninii.

A new franchetine-type (leueandine 1) and two new lycoctonine-type [potanisines F (3) and G (5)] C19-diterpenoid alkaloids have been isolated from the roots of Aconitum hemsleyanum var. leueanthus and Delphinium potaninii, respectively, and their structures were established on the basis of spectral data.