New Pyridyl and Dihydroisoquinoline Alkaloids Isolated from the Chevron Nemertean Amphiporus angulatus.

Nemertean worms contain toxins that are used to paralyze their prey and to deter potential predators. Hoplonemerteans often contain pyridyl alkaloids like anabaseine that act through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and crustacean chemoreceptors. The chemical reactivity of anabaseine, the first nemertean alkaloid to be identified, has been exploited to make drug candidates selective for alpha7 subtype nAChRs. GTS-21, a drug candidate based on the anabaseine scaffold, has pro-cognitive and anti-inflammatory actions in animal models. The circumpolar chevron hoplonemertean Amphiporus angulatus contains a multitude of pyridyl compounds with neurotoxic, anti-feeding, and anti-fouling activities. Here, we report the isolation and structural identification of five new compounds, doubling the number of pyridyl alkaloids known to occur in this species. One compound is an isomer of the tobacco alkaloid anatabine, another is a unique dihydroisoquinoline, and three are analogs of the tetrapyridyl nemertelline. The structural characteristics of these ten compounds suggest several possible pathways for their biosynthesis.

Suberitolactams A-D and Suberitopyridines A-B: New γ-lactam and Pyridine Alkaloids Isolated from the South China Sea Sponge Pseudospongosorites suberitoides.

Four new γ-lactam alkaloids, suberitolactams A-D (1-4), two new pyridine alkaloids, suberitopyridines A-B (7-8), and two known compounds (5-6) were isolated from the South China Sea sponge Pseudospongosorites suberitoides. The structures were elucidated by detailed 1D and 2D NMR experiments along with HRESIMS analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1 and 8 showed moderate to weak antiviral activity against H1 N1 virus with IC50 values of 27.6 and 13.3 µM, respectively.

Neopetrosidines A-D, pyridine alkaloids isolated from the marine sponge Neopetrosia chaliniformis and their cell cycle elongation activity.

Natural products that inhibit cell cycle progression show promise as anticancer agents and chemical probes. In our research on biologically active natural products that affect cell cycle progression of HeLa/fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (Fucci)2 cells, the extract of the marine sponge Neopetrosia chaliniformis was revealed to inhibit cell proliferation. Purification of the extract afforded four new pyridine alkaloids, neopetrosidines A-D (1-4). Their structures were elucidated by the interpretation of spectroscopic data and chemical degradation. Compounds 1-4 were found to inhibit cell proliferation of HeLa/Fucci2 cells, and time-lapse imaging showed that 1 exerts its effect by increasing the duration of the cell cycle. Furthermore, we show that 1 perturbs bioenergetics to exhibit a cytostatic effect by reducing the mitochondrial membrane potential.

Anti-tumor compounds identification from gossypol Groebke imidazopyridine product.

Series of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines designed from gossypol modification based on Groebke-Blackburn-Bienaymé reaction were discovered as potent Bcl-2 inhibitors. Compound 4 was found to display good anti-proliferative activities for 7 human cancer cell lines (0.33-1.7 µM) among them, which were better than separate gossypol and imidazopyridine moiety compounds. It was capable of suppressing antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL demonstrated by mechanism studies, and possible binding model was also illustrated by molecular modelling.

Fusaripyridines A and B; Highly Oxygenated Antimicrobial Alkaloid Dimers Featuring an Unprecedented 1,4-Bis(2-hydroxy-1,2-dihydropyridin-2-yl)butane-2,3-dione Core from the Marine Fungus Fusarium sp. LY019.

The fungal strain, Fusarium sp. LY019, was obtained from the Red Sea sponge Suberea mollis. Bioassay-directed partition of the antimicrobial fraction of the extract of the culture of the fungus provided two dimeric alkaloids, fusaripyridines A and B (1 and 2). The compounds possess a previously unreported moiety, 1,4-bis(2-hydroxy-1,2-dihydropyridin-2-yl)butane-2,3-dione. Further, the compounds display a highly oxygenated substitution pattern on the dihydropyridine moieties, representing an additional feature of the fusaripyridines. Fusaripyridines A and B are the first examples of natural products possessing 1,4-bis(2-hydroxy-1,2-dihydropyridin-2-yl)butane-2,3-dione backbone. Careful analyses of the one- and two-dimensional NMR and HRESIMS spectra of the compounds secured their structural mapping, while their absolute stereochemistry was established by analyses of their ECD spectra. The production of such dimeric alkaloids with an unprecedented moiety in the culture of Fusarium sp. LY019 supports further understanding of the biosynthetic competences of the cultured marine-derived fungi. Fusaripyridines A and B selectively inhibited the growth of Candida albicans with MIC values down to 8.0 µM, while they are moderately active against S. aureus, E. coli and HeLa cells.

Enantioseparation of 5,5'-Dibromo-2,2'-Dichloro-3-Selanyl-4,4'-Bipyridines on Polysaccharide-Based Chiral Stationary Phases: Exploring Chalcogen Bonds in Liquid-Phase Chromatography.

The chalcogen bond (ChB) is a noncovalent interaction based on electrophilic features of regions of electron charge density depletion (σ-holes) located on bound atoms of group VI. The σ-holes of sulfur and heavy chalcogen atoms (Se, Te) (donors) can interact through their positive electrostatic potential (V) with nucleophilic partners such as lone pairs, π-clouds, and anions (acceptors). In the last few years, promising applications of ChBs in catalysis, crystal engineering, molecular biology, and supramolecular chemistry have been reported. Recently, we explored the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enantioseparation of fluorinated 3-arylthio-4,4'-bipyridines containing sulfur atoms as ChB donors. Following this study, herein we describe the comparative enantioseparation of three 5,5'-dibromo-2,2'-dichloro-3-selanyl-4,4'-bipyridines on polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs) aiming to understand function and potentialities of selenium σ-holes in the enantiodiscrimination process. The impact of the chalcogen substituent on enantioseparation was explored by using sulfur and non-chalcogen derivatives as reference substances for comparison. Our investigation also focused on the function of the perfluorinated aromatic ring as a π-hole donor recognition site. Thermodynamic quantities associated with the enantioseparation were derived from van't Hoff plots and local electron charge density of specific molecular regions of the interacting partners were inspected in terms of calculated V. On this basis, by correlating theoretical data and experimental results, the participation of ChBs and π-hole bonds in the enantiodiscrimination process was reasonably confirmed.

Pyridine-2,6-Dithiocarboxylic Acid and Its Metal Complexes: New Inhibitors of New Delhi Metallo ß-Lactamase-1.

Keywords: NDM-1 inhibitors; marine-derived Streptomyces sp.; carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae; metal chelators.

Iakyricidins A-D, Antiproliferative Piericidin Analogues Bearing a Carbonyl Group or Cyclic Skeleton from Streptomyces iakyrus SCSIO NS104.

Iakyricidins A-D (1-4), a carbonyl-containing piericidin derivative and three novel piericidin analogues bearing cyclic skeletons, were isolated from the mangrove sediment derived strain Streptomyces iakyrus SCSIO NS104. These structures were established by spectroscopic techniques, Mosher's method, and ECD calculations. Compounds 2-4 represent a novel skeleton of piericidins with branched chain C-C cyclization, and their biosynthetic pathways are proposed. Compound 1, the first natural carbonyl-containing piericidin derivate, exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against ACHN with an IC50 value of 20 nM.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction of benzoylurea insecticides in tea samples with Fe3 O4 -hyperbranched polyester magnetic composite as sorbent.

In this work, a method for the analysis of benzoylurea insecticides, including hexaflumuron, flufenoxuron, lufenuron and chlorfluazuron, in tea samples by high-performance liquid chromatography with Fe3 O4 -hyperbranched polyester nanocomposite as the adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction was developed. The magnetic nanocomposite was prepared and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The as-prepared nanocomposite was used as a sorbent for the extraction and preconcentration of pesticide residues in tea samples. The extraction and desorption conditions, including mass ratios of raw materials, amount of sorbent, pH value, extraction time, and desorption time, were investigated. Under the final conditions chosen for the analysis, good linearity was obtained for all the tested compounds, with R2 values of at least 0.9979. The limits of detection were determined in the range of 0.15-0.3 µg/L. The recovery obtained from the analysis of tea samples with various spiked concentrations was between 90.7 and 98.4%, with relative standard deviations (n = 4) lower than 4.1%. Furthermore, the present approach was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of residues of benzoylurea insecticides in real samples.

Ecological Insights to Track Cytotoxic Compounds among Maytenus ilicifolia Living Individuals and Clones of an Ex Situ Collection.

Biodiversity is key for maintenance of life and source of richness. Nevertheless, concepts such as phenotype expression are also pivotal to understand how chemical diversity varies in a living organism. Sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids (SPAs) and quinonemethide triterpenes (QMTs) accumulate in root bark of Celastraceae plants. However, despite their known bioactive traits, there is still a lack of evidence regarding their ecological functions. Our present contribution combines analytical tools to study clones and individuals of Maytenus ilicifolia (Celastraceae) kept alive in an ex situ collection and determine whether or not these two major biosynthetic pathways could be switched on simultaneously. The relative concentration of the QMTs maytenin (1) and pristimerin (2), and the SPA aquifoliunin E1 (3) were tracked in raw extracts by HPLC-DAD and ¹H-NMR. Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) was used to group individuals according their ability to accumulate these metabolites. Semi-quantitative analysis showed an extensive occurrence of QMT in most individuals, whereas SPA was only detected in minor abundance in five samples. Contrary to QMTs, SPAs did not accumulate extensively, contradicting the hypothesis of two different biosynthetic pathways operating simultaneously. Moreover, the production of QMT varied significantly among samples of the same ex situ collection, suggesting that the terpene contents in root bark extracts were not dependent on abiotic effects. HCA results showed that QMT occurrence was high regardless of the plant age. This data disproves the hypothesis that QMT biosynthesis was age-dependent. Furthermore, clustering analysis did not group clones nor same-age samples together, which might reinforce the hypothesis over gene regulation of the biosynthesis pathways. Indeed, plants from the ex situ collection produced bioactive compounds in a singular manner, which postulates that rhizosphere environment could offer ecological triggers for phenotypical plasticity.

Bioactive 2-(Methyldithio)Pyridine-3-Carbonitrile from Persian Shallot (Allium stipitatum Regel.) Exerts Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Activity.

Antibiotic resistance is a problem that continues to challenge the healthcare sector, especially in clinically significant pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Herein is described the isolation and structure elucidation of a bioactive compound from Allium stipitatum with antimicrobial activity. Crude Allium stipitatum dichloromethane extract (ASDE) was subjected to systematic purification by chromatographic procedures to afford various bioactive fractions. A fraction that exhibited anti-MRSA activity (4 µg·mL-1) was further characterized to determine the structure. The structure of the compound was elucidated as 2-(methyldithio)pyridine-3-carbonitrile (2-Medpy-3-CN). The 2-Medpy-3-CN compound, which was screened for antimicrobial activity, exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the range of 0.5 to >64 µg·mL-1 for tested bacterial species and 0.25 to 2 µg·mL-1 for Candida spp. Further studies are important to confirm the drug target and mechanism of action.

Residue determination of triclopyr and aminopyralid in pastures and soil by gas chromatography-electron capture detector: Dissipation pattern under open field conditions.

In this study, a new method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of triclopyr and aminopyralid in forage grass, hay, and soil was developed and validated using gas chromatography coupled with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). In this method, a simple and maneuverable esterification reaction was applied to convert the two acidic herbicides into their ester form with methanol. The target compounds were extracted with 1% hydrochloric acid-acetonitrile, esterified, purified by florisil solid-phase extraction cartridge, and detected in a single run by the GC-ECD. The average recoveries using this method, at different fortified levels, ranged from 80% to 104% with intra-day and inter-day RSDs in the range of 1.2-10.8% and 3.3-10.3% for both the herbicides, respectively. The LODs were below 0.02 mg/kg while the LOQs were below 0.05 mg/kg, both of which were much lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of 25-700 mg/kg in pastures, as established by the USA (the code of federal regulations). The open field dissipation and residual analysis in pastures and soil were conducted with the commercial formulation at two locations. With time, both triclopyr and aminopyralid dissipated via first-order kinetics. In forage grass, both compounds degraded rapidly over the first 14- or 21-d period and at a slow rate over the remainder of experimental days. In soil, they degraded at a relatively slow rate, and dissipated steadily to below or close to the LOQ by 60-d post application. The half-lives of triclopyr were 1.4-1.8 d and 6.2-9.0 d and aminopyralid were 1.7-2.1 d and 8.2-10.6 d in terms of forage grass and soil, respectively. The terminal residue results indicated that on 7 d after the treatment, the residues of aminopyralid and triclopyr in forage grass and hay were lower than the MRLs set by the USA. This work can provide guidance on the reasonable use of these herbicides and also provide an analytical method for the determination of triclopyr and aminopyralid in pasture and soil.

Optimization and validation of RP-HPLC method for simultaneous estimation of palbociclib and letrozole.

A simple, rapid, and robust RP-HPLC method have been developed and validated to measure palbociclib (PB) and letrozole (LT) at single wavelength (254 nm). A isocratic elution of samples performed on Intersil C8 (4.6 mm × 250 mm particle size 5 µm) column with mobile phase consisting 0.02 M sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 5.5): acetonitrile: methanol (80:10:10 v/v/v) delivered at flow rate 1.0 mL min-1. A good linear response was achieved over the range of 5-50 µg mL-1. The LODs for PB and LT were found to be 0.098 and 0.0821 µg mL-1, while the LOQs for PB and LT were 0.381-0.315 µg mL-1, respectively. The method was quantitatively evaluated in terms of system suitability test, linearity, precision, accuracy (recovery) and robustness as per standard guidelines. The method is simple, convenient and suitable for the analysis of PB and LT in bulk drug.

Decalin-Containing Tetramic Acids and 4-Hydroxy-2-pyridones with Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity from the Fungus Coniochaeta cephalothecoides Collected in Tibetan Plateau (Medog).

New tetramic acid derivatives, (±)-conipyridoins A-D (1-4), conipyridoins E (5) and F (6), and new 4-hydroxy-2-pyridone alkaloids (±)-didymellamide E (7), (+)-didymellamide B (8), (+)-N-hydroxyapiosporamide (9), and didymellamides F-H (10-12) were isolated and identified from the solid culture of the fungus Coniochaeta cephalothecoides. Chiral resolution of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 gave five pairs of enantiomers: 1a/1b, 2a/2b, 3a/3b, 4a/4b, and 7a/7b, respectively. Stereochemistry of 1a and 1b, and 2a and 2b was established and confirmed by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) methods. Absolute configuration in 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 7a, and 7b was assigned by ECD calculations. Compounds 1-6 possess an unprecedented chemical skeleton featuring a decalin ring and a tetramic acid moiety. Compound 11 significantly inhibited the growth of Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.13 and 1.56 µM, respectively, and was further confirmed to be a new chitin synthesis inhibitor. Compound 5 exhibited the strongest activity against the growth of both Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA with MIC value of 0.97 µM. In the light of a co-occurrence of 3-acyl tetramic acids and biogenetically related pyridine alkaloids, the biosynthetic pathway for 1-12 was postulated.

Geranylpyrrol A and Piericidin F from Streptomyces sp. CHQ-64 ΔrdmF.

Two new compounds, geranylpyrrol A (1) and piericidin F (2), were isolated from a reedsmycins nonproducing mutant strain of Streptomyces sp. CHQ-64. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were elucidated by extensive NMR, MS, NOESY, and ECD analyses. Geranylpyrrol A (1) is an unusual naturally occurring 2,3,4-trisubstituted pyrrole, and piericidin F (2) showed cytotoxicity against HeLa, NB4, A549, and H1975 cell lines with IC50 values of 0.003, 0.037, 0.56, and 0.49 µM, respectively.

Dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction of benzoylurea insecticides in honey samples with a ß-cyclodextrin-modified attapulgite composite as sorbent.

A ß-cyclodextrin-modified attapulgite composite was prepared and used as a dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction sorbent for the determination of benzoylurea insecticides in honey samples. Parameters that may influence the extraction efficiency, such as the type and volume of the eluent, the amount of the sorbent, the extraction time and the ionic strength were investigated and optimized using batch and column procedures. Under optimized conditions, good linearity was obtained for all of the tested compounds, with R(2) values of at least 0.9834. The limits of detection were determined in the range of 0.2-1.0 µg/L. The recoveries of the four benzoylurea insecticides in vitex honey and acacia honey increased from 15.2 to 81.4% and from 14.2 to 82.0%, respectively. Although the ß-cyclodextrin-modified attapulgite composite did not show a brilliant adsorption capacity for the selected benzoylurea insecticides, it exhibited a higher adsorption capacity toward relatively hydrophobic compounds, such as chlorfluazuron and hexaflumuron (recoveries in vitex honey samples ranged from 70.0 to 81.4% with a precision of 1.0-3.7%). It seemed that the logPow of the benzoylurea insecticides is related to their recoveries. The results confirmed the possibility of using cyclodextrin-modified palygorskite in the determination of relatively hydrophobic trace pharmaceutical residues.

N-Methylniphatyne A, a New 3-Alkylpyridine Alkaloid as an Inhibitor of the Cancer Cells Adapted to Nutrient Starvation, from an Indonesian Marine Sponge of Xestospongia sp.

In the course of searching for selective growth inhibitors of the cancer cells adapted to nutrient starvation, a new 3-alkylpyridine alkaloid named N-methylniphatyne A (1) was isolated from an Indonesian marine sponge of Xestospongia sp. The chemical structure of 1 was determined on the basis of the spectroscopic analysis and comparison with the synthesized 1 and its analogues. Compound 1 showed the cytotoxic activity against PANC-1 cells under the condition of glucose starvation with IC50 value of 16 µM, whereas no growth-inhibition was observed up to 100 µM under the general culture conditions.

Dimacrolide Sesquiterpene Pyridine Alkaloids from the Stems of Tripterygium regelii.

Two new dimacrolide sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids (DMSPAs), dimacroregelines A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the stems of Tripterygium regelii. The structures of both compounds were characterized by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses, as well as HRESIMS data. Compounds 1 and 2 are two rare DMSPAs possessing unique 2-(3'-carboxybutyl)-3-furanoic acid units forming the second macrocyclic ring, representing the first example of DMSPAs bearing an extra furan ring in their second macrocyclic ring system. Compound 2 showed inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblast cell (MH7A) at a concentration of 20 µM.

Pyridine Nucleosides Neopetrosides A and B from a Marine Neopetrosia sp. Sponge. Synthesis of Neopetroside A and Its ß-Riboside Analogue.

Neopetrosides A (1) and B (2), new naturally occurring ribosides of nicotinic acid with extremely rare α-N-glycoside linkages and residues of p-hydroxybenzoic and pyrrole-2-carboxylic acids attached to C-5', were isolated from a marine Neopetrosia sp. sponge. Structures 1 and 2 were determined by NMR and MS methods and confirmed by the synthesis of 1 and its ß-riboside analogue (3). Neopetroside A (1) upregulates mitochondrial functions in cardiomyocytes.

An NF-κB-based high-throughput screen identifies piericidins as inhibitors of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis type III secretion system.

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a bacterial appendage used by dozens of Gram-negative pathogens to subvert host defenses and cause disease, making it an ideal target for pathogen-specific antimicrobials. Here, we report the discovery and initial characterization of two related natural products with T3SS-inhibitory activity that were derived from a marine actinobacterium. Bacterial extracts containing piericidin A1 and the piericidin derivative Mer-A 2026B inhibited Yersinia pseudotuberculosis from triggering T3SS-dependent activation of the host transcription factor NF-κB in HEK293T cells but were not toxic to mammalian cells. As the Yersinia T3SS must be functional in order to trigger NF-κB activation, these data indicate that piericidin A1 and Mer-A 2026B block T3SS function. Consistent with this, purified piericidin A1 and Mer-A 2026B dose-dependently inhibited translocation of the Y. pseudotuberculosis T3SS effector protein YopM inside CHO cells. In contrast, neither compound perturbed bacterial growth in vitro, indicating that piericidin A1 and Mer-A 2026B do not function as general antibiotics in Yersinia. In addition, when Yersinia was incubated under T3SS-inducing culture conditions in the absence of host cells, Mer-A 2026B and piericidin A1 inhibited secretion of T3SS cargo as effectively as or better than several previously described T3SS inhibitors, such as MBX-1641 and aurodox. This suggests that Mer-A 2026B and piericidin A1 do not block type III secretion by blocking the bacterium-host cell interaction, but rather inhibit an earlier stage, such as T3SS needle assembly. In summary, the marine-derived natural products Mer-A 2026B and piericidin A1 possess previously uncharacterized activity against the bacterial T3SS.