Methylene C(sp3 )-H Arylation Enables the Stereoselective Synthesis and Structure Revision of Indidene Natural Products.

The divergent synthesis of two indane polyketides of the indidene family, namely (±)-indidene A (11 steps, 1.7 %) and (+)-indidene C (13 steps, 1.3 %), is reported. The synthesis of the trans-configured common indane intermediate was enabled by palladium(0)-catalyzed methylene C(sp3 )-H arylation, which was performed in both racemic and enantioselective (e.r. 99 : 1) modes. Further elaboration of this common intermediate by nickel-catalyzed dehydrogenative coupling allowed the rapid installation of the aroyl moiety of (±)-indidene A. In parallel, the biphenyl system of (±)- and (+)-indidene C was constructed by Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. These investigations led us to revise the structures of indidenes B and C.

Absolute Configuration Assignment to Chiral Natural Products by Biphenyl Chiroptical Probes: The Case of the Phytotoxins Colletochlorin A and Agropyrenol.

The application of flexible biphenyls as chiroptical probes for the absolute configuration assignment to chiral natural products is described. The method is straightforward and reliable and can be applied to conformationally mobile and ECD silent compounds, not treatable by computational analysis of chiroptical data. By this approach, the (6'R) absolute configuration of the phytotoxin colletochlorin A (1) was confirmed, while the absolute configuration of the phytotoxin agropyrenol (2), previously assigned by the NMR Mosher method, was revised and assigned as (3'S,4'S). Moreover, with the biphenyl method the configurational assignment can be obtained simply by the sign of a diagnostic Cotton effect at 250 nm in the ECD spectrum, thus allowing application without the need of advanced knowledge of chiroptical spectroscopy and computational protocols.

Recent advances in cobalt-catalysed C-H functionalizations.

Ready availability, low cost and low toxicity of cobalt salts have redirected the attention of researchers away from noble metals, such as Pd, Rh, and Ir, towards Co in the field of C-H functionalization. In this context, the examples of Co-catalysed functionalization have exponentially grown over the last few decades. This present review focuses on the most recent developments on Co-catalysed C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H functionalizations. Included is also a comprehensive overview of enantioselective transformations.

Cobalt-Catalyzed C(sp2)-H Allylation of Biphenyl Amines with Unbiased Terminal Olefins.

Unactivated olefins usually react poorly in conventional alkenylation reactions. Their introduction via C-H activation is limited to aromatic acids. Herein, we disclose a C-H functionalization protocol of aromatic amines with unactivated olefins, which shows exclusive allylic selectivity for the distal ring of the biphenyl system by exploiting a readily available cobalt(II) catalyst. The allylation proceeds smoothly involving a broad set of unbiased olefins and biaryls, giving access to the functionalization of the biphenyl scaffold.

Absolute Configuration Assignment from Optical Rotation Data by Means of Biphenyl Chiroptical Probes.

A non-empirical approach for the assignment of the absolute configuration of chiral 2-alkyl-substituted carboxylic acids and primary amines by [α]D measurements has been developed. The method requires the conversion of the chiral acids or amines into the corresponding 4,4'-disubstituted biphenylamides or biphenylazepines, respectively. In these derivatives a central-to-axial chirality transfer induces a preferred torsion in the biphenyl moiety revealed by the sign of the biphenyl A band in the ECD spectrum. By 4,4'-substitution on the biphenyl moiety a redshift of the A band is obtained, leading to an increase of its relative contribution to optical rotation. This allows to reliably establish a direct correlation between the [α]D sign, the biphenyl twist and, then, the substrate absolute configuration. This approach thus constitutes a really practical and reliable method to assign the absolute configuration of chiral carboxylic acids and primary amines by simple and straightforward [α]D measurement, readily obtainable by a routine instrumentation like the polarimeter.

Absolute configuration assignment to anticancer Amaryllidaceae alkaloid jonquailine.

Jonquailine, a new alkaloid recently isolated from Narcissus jonquilla quail, an Amaryllidaceae species cultivated for its flowers fragrance in Europe and USA, shows very significant anti-proliferative activity against several malignant cancer cell types. Although it was reported that this activity is related to the functionalities and to its stereochemistry at C-8 of B ring, the absolute configuration at this stereocenter was not known. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of chiroptical properties, namely electronic circular dichroism (ECD), vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) are employed here to complete assignment of absolute configuration of jonquailine, and then, by extension, to its analogues pretazettine and 8-O-methylpretazettine. While ECD is not discriminating and ORD is of limited use, VCD reveals decisive in the task of absolute configuration assignment.

New Isoflavonoids from the extract of Rhynchosia precatoria (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) DC. and their antimycobacterial activity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: The evaluation of the antimycobacterial activity of extracts of medicinal plants used by Mayos against tuberculosis and respiratory problems, allowed the identification of Rhynchosia precatoria (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) DC (Fabaceae) as the best candidate to find new antimycobacterial compounds. AIM OF THE STUDY: To isolate and characterize the compounds of R. precatoria responsible for the inhibitory and bactericidal activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 700084. To determine antimycobacterial synergistic effect of pure compounds and their selectivity index towards Vero cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of six flavonoids were purified by silica gel column chromatography. Structural elucidation of the isolated compounds was achieved by using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy techniques. The configuration at the C-3 chiral center was established by quantum mechanical calculation of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum. In vitro inhibitory and bactericidal activity against M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis were determined with the redox indicator Alamar Blue (resazurin). Synergy was determined by X/Y quotient. Cytotoxicity was measured by MTT assay. RESULTS: The isolated compounds were identified as precatorin A (1), precatorin B (2), precatorin C (3), lupinifolin (4), cajanone (5) and lupinifolinol (6). Compounds 1-3 are new. Compounds 1 to 5 inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis (MIC ≥31.25µg/mL); compounds 1, 2, 4 and 5 killed the bacteria (MBC ≥31.25µg/mL) and also inhibited M. smegmatis (MIC ≥125µg/mL), while 1 and 4 also resulted bactericidal (MBC ≥125µg/mL). Compounds 4 and 5 presented synergistic effect (X/Y quotient value <0.5) at a concentration of 1/2 MIC of each compound in the combination. Cytotoxicity in murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) gave IC50 values of 13.3-46.98µM, for compounds 1-5. CONCLUSIONS: In this work we isolated two new isoflavanones (1 and 2), and one new isoflavone (3) with a weak antimycobacterial activity. The (3R) absolute configuration was assigned to 1 by computational analysis of its ECD spectrum and to 2 and 5 by similarity of their ECD spectra with that of 1. We are also reporting by first time, activity against virulent strain of M. tuberculosis for compounds 4 and 5 and their antimycobacterial synergistic effect.

Controlling Asymmetric Remote and Cascade 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions by Organocatalysis.

The regio- and stereoselective control of cycloaddition reactions to polyconjugated systems has been demonstrated by applying asymmetric organocatalysis. Reaction of 2,4-dienals with nitrones allows for a highly regio- and stereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition in the presence of an aminocatalyst. The first cycloaddition on the remote olefin can be followed either by a cascade reaction or by other selective reactions of the remaining olefin. The chiral products are obtained in good to high yields and excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The remote selective concept has been extended to 2,4,6-trienals by means of a novel enantioselective triple cascade 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. The formation of chiral poly 1,3-amino alcohols is also demonstrated.

Organocatalytic Strategy for the Enantioselective Cycloaddition to Trisubstituted Nitroolefins to Create Spirocyclohexene-Oxetane Scaffolds.

The first catalytic enantioselective cycloaddition reaction to α,ß,ß-trisubstituted nitroolefins is reported. For this purpose, nitroolefin oxetanes were employed in the reaction with 2,4-dienals promoted by trienamine catalysis. This methodology provides a facile and efficient strategy for the synthesis of highly functionalized chiral spirocyclohexene-oxetanes with two adjacent tetrasubstituted carbon atoms in high yields and excellent selectivities. This strategy also enabled access to chiral spirocyclohexene-cyclobutanes and -azetidines. Additionally, the obtained scaffolds can undergo diverse transformations leading to complex structures with up to four stereocenters, and we demonstrate that the nitro group, under nucleophilic conditions, can be applied for ring-opening of the oxetane.

Structure and Absolute Configuration of Kongiidiazadione, a New Phytotoxic 3-Substituted-5-Diazenylcyclopentendione Produced by Diaporthe Kongii.

A new 3-substituted-5-diazenylcyclopentendione named kongiidiazadione was isolated from culture filtrates of Diaporthe kongii, associated with stem cankers on sunflower in Australia. Kongiidiazadione was characterized by spectroscopic (essentially nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] and high-resolution, electrospray ionization, mass spectrometry [HRESIMS]) methods as (-)-5-diazenyl-3-hydroxymethyl-cyclopent-3-en-1,2-dione. The stereochemistry of the diazenyl group was determined by IR spectroscopy, while the (R) absolute configuration at C(5) was assigned by computational analysis of its electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum. When assayed on leaf disks of different plant species at 5 mM, the kongiidiazadione had a differential impact, causing clear necrosis, in particular to Helianthus annuus. Moreover, kongiidiazadione proved to have a weak antibacterial activity against gram-positive Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.