N-Benzyl-N-methyl-dodecan-1-amine, a novel compound from garlic, exerts anti-cancer effects on human A549 lung cancer cells overexpressing cancer upregulated gene (CUG)2.

Dietary garlic has been suggested to possess anticancer properties, and several attempts have been made to isolate the anticancer compounds. In this study, we efficiently synthesized N-benzyl-N-methyl-dodecan-1-amine (BMDA) by the reductive amination method. We evaluated the potential anticancer activities of BMDA against A549 lung cancer cells with cancer stem cell-like phenotypes due to the overexpression of cancer upregulated gene (CUG)2. N-Benzyl-N-methyl-dodecan-1-amine treatment sensitized A549 cells overexpressing CUG2 (A549-CUG2) to apoptosis and autophagy compared with those of the control cells. The treatment with BMDA also reduced tumor development in xenografted nude mice. Furthermore, BMDA inhibited cell migration, invasion, and sphere formation in A549-CUG2 cells, in which TGF-ß signaling is involved. Further analysis showed that BMDA hindered TGF-ß promoter activity, protein synthesis, and phosphorylation of Smad2, thus decreasing the expression of TGF-ß-targeted proteins, including Snail and Twist. N-Benzyl-N-methyl-dodecan-1-amine also decreased Twist expression in vivo. In addition, BMDA inhibited Akt-ERK activities, ß-catenin expression, and its transcriptional activity. These results suggest that BMDA can be a promising anticancer agent against cancer cells overexpressing CUG2.

Harnessing the Polarizability of Conjugated Alkynes toward [2 + 2] Cycloaddition, Alkenylation, and Ring Expansion of Indoles.

Reported is the utilization of electronically biased conjugated alkynes in the development of highly diastereo- and regioselective dearomative [2 + 2] cycloadditions, alkenylations, and ring expansions of electron-rich indoles. Regioselective protonations of cross- and linear-conjugated alkynes were found to be crucial for accessing various cyclobutene-fused indoline and alkenylated indole derivatives. Furthermore, the facile ring expansion of [2 + 2] keto adducts, which were successfully synthesized from ynones, provided 1 H-benzo[ b]azepine scaffolds.

Regiodivergent Synthesis of 1,3- and 1,4-Enynes through Kinetically Favored Hydropalladation and Ligand-Enforced Carbopalladation.

Pd-catalyzed hydroalkynylations were developed that involve ligand-enabled regiodivergent addition of an alkyne to an allenamide, giving branched and linear products stereoselectively and facilitated by the neighboring amide group. Regioselectivity was achieved with the use of (o-OMePh)3 P and BrettPhos, which allowed the functionalization of various alkynes, including steroids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, chiral ligands, and vitamins. Based on the experimental results, it was proposed that hydro- and carbopalladation processes operated during the formations of the branched and linear products, respectively.