Ancistrocyclinones A and B, unprecedented pentacyclic N,C-coupled naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids, from the Chinese liana Ancistrocladus tectorius.

Two unique pentacyclic N,C-coupled naphthylisoquinolines, the ancistrocyclinones A (5) and B (6), were discovered in the Chinese liana Ancistrocladus tectorius. Furthermore, six known, likewise N,C-coupled alkaloids, viz., ancistrocladinium A (7a) and its mono- and bisphenolic analogs 8a and 9a were isolated, along with their atropo-diastereomers 7b, 8b, and 9b. The stereostructures of 5 and 6 were determined by HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, oxidative degradation, and ECD calculations. The pentacyclic ancistrocyclinones A (5) and B (6) are structurally similar to berberine alkaloids - yet arising from a most different biosynthetic pathway: they are apparently formed by N,C-coupling of their polyketide-derived molecular halves, followed by oxidative cyclo-condensation. Biomimetic conversion of the co-occurring 4'-O-demethylancistrocladinium A (8a) to ancistrocyclinone A (5) via a quinoid intermediate supported the postulated pathway. Ancistrocyclinone A (5) was found to significantly inhibit the viability of drug-sensitive human leukemia (CCRF-CEM) and multidrug-resistant tumor cells (CEM/ADR5000) with comparable efficacies.

Rotationally Hindered Biphenyls and Terphenyls: Synthesis, Molecular Dynamics, and Configurational Assignment.

Sterically hindered naphthalene-substituted biphenyls and terphenyls were synthesized in good yields, by Michael addition of a conjugate base of core-substituted phenylacetones to substituted 2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles at room temperature under alkaline conditions. These diversely functionalized benzenes (1,2-teraryls or 1,3-teraryls), bearing naphthyl and substituted aryl rings, show the phenomenon of atropisomerism, with one or two stereogenic biaryl axes. The resolution of the respective four atropisomers of the naphthalene-substituted biphenyls and terphenyls bearing 1,2-type or 1,3-type chiral biaryl axes was achieved by HPLC on a chiral phase. The absolute stereostructures of 6a and 9a were determined by the combination of experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) investigations and quantum-chemical circular dichroism (QC-CD) calculations. For the atropisomerization of (1M,6M)-6a and (1M,5M)-9a to their (M,P)- and (P,M)-diastereomer, respectively, the possible transition states were investigated and the interconversion barriers (ΔG‡) were theoretically predicted. This study provides a general protocol for the synthesis, resolution, and stereochemical characterization of rotationally hindered naphthalene-substituted biphenyls and terphenyls. The strategy may be applied to investigate other, similarly hindered biaryl or teraryl systems either derived from natural sources or prepared through synthetic approaches.

Highly antiplasmodial non-natural oxidative products of dioncophylline†A: synthesis, absolute configuration, and conformational stability.

Four new compounds, the monomeric dioncotetralones A (6 a) and B (6 b) and the dimeric compounds jozimine A3 (7) and jozimine A4 (9), were semi-synthesized from the natural product dioncophylline A (4) and its 5'-O-demethylated derivative (5), respectively, under phenol oxidative reaction conditions. Dioncotetralones A (6 a) and B (6 b) possess an unprecedented Z-configured double bond, in contrast to the classic biaryl axis that is present in the precursor dioncophylline A (4), and an additional stereogenic center at the C2' atom was generated due to the dearomatization. The resulting steric repulsion forced the expected planar double bond into a helical distorted conformation. The homocoupling of 5 yielded compounds 7 and 9, the latter of which is the first sp(3) -sp(2) coupled product of a monomeric naphthylisoquinoline with a reduced one and, thus, contains a newly generated stereogenic center. The full stereostructures of 6 a, 6 b, 7, and 9 were successfully elucidated by the interplay of spectroscopic methods (1D/2D NMR and electronic circular-dichroism spectroscopy) in combination with quantum-chemical calculations. In addition, compounds 6 a and 7 exhibited high antiplasmodial activities with excellent half-maximal inhibitory concentration values.

Pestalotiopens A and B: stereochemically challenging flexible sesquiterpene-cyclopaldic acid hybrids from Pestalotiopsis sp.

From the endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis sp. isolated from the leaves of the Chinese mangrove, Rhizophora mucronata, two novel hybrid sesquiterpene-cyclopaldic acid metabolites with an unusual carbon skeleton, named pestalotiopens A and B, were obtained, together with the already known phytotoxin altiloxin B. Pestalotiopen B even contains a third, triketide-derived module. The constitutions and the absolute configurations of the new metabolites and of altiloxin B were unambiguously determined by a combination of spectroscopic methods and quantum-chemical optical-rotatory dispersion (ORD) and circular dichroism (CD) calculations. A biosynthetic pathway to pestalotiopens A and B is proposed with altiloxin B as one of the suggested precursors. Pestalotiopen A shows moderate antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis.

Siamese-twin porphyrin: a pyrazole-based expanded porphyrin of persistent helical conformation.

The 3+3-type synthesis of a pyrazole-based expanded porphyrin 22 H4, a hexaphyrin analogue named Siamese-twin porphyrin, and its homobimetallic diamagnetic nickel(II) and paramagnetic copper(II) complexes, 22 Ni2 and 22 Cu2, are described. The structure of the macrocycle composed of four pyrroles and two pyrazoles all linked by single carbon atoms, can be interpreted as two conjoined porphyrin-like subunits, with the two opposing pyrazoles acting as the fusion points. Variable-temperature 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses suggested a conformationally flexible structure for 22 H4. NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopic evidence as well as structural parameters proved the macrocycle to be non-aromatic, though each half of the molecule is fully conjugated. UV/Vis and NMR spectroscopic titrations of the free base macrocycle with acid showed it to be dibasic. In the complexes, each metal ion is coordinated in a square-planar fashion by a dianionic, porphyrin-like {N4} binding pocket. The solid-state structures of the dication and both metal complexes were elucidated by single-crystal diffractometry. The conformations of the three structures are all similar to each other and strongly twisted, rendering the molecules chiral. The persistent helical twist in the protonated form of the free base and in both metal complexes permitted resolution of these enantiomeric helimers by HPLC on a chiral phase. The absolute stereostructures of 22 H6(2+), 22 Ni2, and 22 Cu2 were assigned by a combination of experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) investigations and quantum-chemical ECD calculations. The synthesis of the first member of this long-sought class of expanded porphyrin-like macrocycles lays the foundation for the study of the interactions of the metal centers within their bimetallic complexes.

SpecDis: quantifying the comparison of calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism spectra.

This article outlines theory and practice of the comparison of calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) curves to determine the absolute configuration of chiral molecules. The focus is on the evaluation of excited-state calculations giving hints at the identification of the correct bandwidth and the application of the so-called "UV shift" as a correction factor. A similarity factor is introduced, which helps to quantify the degree of matching of curves. In addition, a few common errors are described that can be made during the measurements of ECD and UV spectra-and advice is given of how to avoid these mistakes. All equations mentioned in the article are implemented in our SpecDis software, which has been developed to rapidly compare calculated ECD and UV curves with experimental ones, and to produce graphics in publication quality.

Marilines A-C: novel phthalimidines from the sponge-derived fungus Stachylidium sp.

A marine-derived fungus of the genus Stachylidium was isolated from the sponge Callyspongia cf. C. flammea. Chemical investigation of the bioactive fungal extract led to the isolation of the novel phthalimidine derivatives marilines A(1) (1a), A(2) (1b), B (2), and C (3). The absolute configurations of the enantiomeric compounds 1a and 1b were assigned by a combination of experimental circular dichroism (CD) investigations and quantum chemical CD calculations. The skeleton of marilines is most unusual, and its biosynthesis is suggested to require uncommon biochemical reactions in fungal secondary metabolism. Both enantiomers, marilines A(1) (1a) and A(2) (1b), inhibited human leukocyte elastase (HLE) with an IC(50) value of 0.86 µM.

Synthesis, optical resolution, absolute configuration, and osteogenic activity of cis-pterocarpans.

A convenient synthesis of natural and synthetic pterocarpans was achieved in three steps. Optical resolution of the respective enantiomers was accomplished by analytical and semi-preparative HPLC on a chiral stationary phase. For medicarpin and its synthetic derivative 9-demethoxymedicarpin, the absolute configuration was confirmed by a combination of experimental LC-ECD coupling and quantum-chemical ECD calculations. (-)-Medicarpin and (-)-9-demethoxymedicarpin are both 6aR,11aR-configured, and consequently the corresponding enantiomers, (+)-medicarpin and (+)-9-demethoxymedicarpin, possess the 6aS,11aS-configuration. A comparative mechanism study for osteogenic (bone forming) activity of medicarpin (racemic versus enantiomerically pure material) revealed that (+)-(6aS,11aS)-medicarpin (6a) significantly increased the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) expression and the level of the bone-specific transcription factor Runx-2 mRNA, while the effect was opposite for the other enantiomer, (-)-(6aR,11aR)-medicarpin (6a), and for the racemate, (±)-medicarpin, the combined effect of both the enantiomers on transcription levels was observed.

Total synthesis of the N,C-coupled naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids ancistrocladinium A and B and related analogues.

The N,C-coupled naphthyldihydroisoquinoline alkaloids ancistrocladinium A (3) and B (4), which possess an unprecedented iminium-aryl axis and show high in vitro antileishmanial activities, have been synthesized via a short sequence of eight linear steps, without the need of protecting groups. Key steps were a Buchwald-Hartwig amination and a Bischler-Napieralski cyclization, preferentially leading to the naturally predominant M-atropo-diastereomer in the case of 3, while the N,C-axis is configurationally semistable in 4. The highly convergent first access to this type of alkaloids will now facilitate the preparation of structural analogues for structure-activity relationship studies. Its general applicability was shown by the preparation of the sterically even more congested, as yet unnatural N,3'- and N,1'-coupled analogues, ancistrocladinium C (5) and D (6).

New cis-configured aziridine-2-carboxylates as aspartic acid protease inhibitors.

A series of 52 cis-configured 1-alkyl-3-phenylaziridine-2-carboxylates were synthesized as new pseudo-irreversible inhibitors of Candida albicans secreted aspartic acid protease 1 (SAP1), SAP2, SAP3, and SAP8. Some of the compounds, which were obtained as diastereomers with S,S- and R,R-configured aziridine rings by Cromwell synthesis of racemic (2R,3S+2S,3R)-dibromophenylpropionic acid ester with amines, followed by ester hydrolysis and coupling to hydrophobic amino acid esters, were separated by preparative HPLC. The absolute configuration of the aziridine ring was assigned by a combination of experimental circular dichroism (CD) investigations and quantum chemical CD calculations. In agreement with previous docking studies, the diastereomers all exhibit similar activity. The compounds were found to be more active against the related mammalian enzyme cathepsin D, presumably due to productive interactions of the N-alkyl substituent with the highly lipophilic S2 pocket. The most active inhibitors (5, 9, 10, 21, and 28), characterized by benzyl, cyclohexylmethyl, tert-butyl, or 1,4-dimethylpentyl moieties at the aziridine nitrogen atom, exhibit k(2nd) values between 500 and 900×10³ M⁻¹ min⁻¹ and K(i) values near or below 1 µM for cathepsin D.