Design, synthesis, and evaluation of phenylpiperazine-phenylacetate derivatives as rapid recovery hypnotic agents.

In this paper, we designed and synthesized a series of novel phenylpiperazine-phenylacetate derivatives as rapid recovery hypnotic agents. The best compound 10 had relatively high affinity for the GABAA receptor and low affinity for thirteen other off-target receptors. In three animal models (mice, rats, and rabbits), compound 10 exerted potent hypnotic effects (HD50 = 5.2 mg/kg in rabbits), comparable duration of the loss of righting reflex (LORR), and significant shorter recovery time (time to walk) than propanidid. Furthermore, compound 10 (TI = 18.1) showed higher safety profile than propanidid (TI = 14.7) in rabbits. Above results suggested that compound 10 may have predictable and rapid recovery profile in anesthesia.

Discovery and Optimization of Novel SUCNR1 Inhibitors: Design of Zwitterionic Derivatives with a Salt Bridge for the Improvement of Oral Exposure.

G-protein-coupled receptor SUCNR1 (succinate receptor 1 or GPR91) senses the citric cycle intermediate succinate and is implicated in various pathological conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, liver fibrosis, or obesity. Here, we describe a novel SUCNR1 antagonist scaffold discovered by high-throughput screening. The poor permeation and absorption properties of the most potent compounds, which were zwitterionic in nature, could be improved by the formation of an internal salt bridge, which helped in shielding the two opposite charges and thus also the high polarity of zwitterions with separated charges. The designed compounds containing such a salt bridge reached high oral bioavailability and oral exposure. We believe that this principle could find a broad interest in the medicinal chemistry field as it can be useful not only for the modulation of properties in zwitterionic compounds but also in acidic or basic compounds with poor permeation.

Effect of thiazolidinedione phenylacetate derivatives on wound-healing activity.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the synthesis and structure-activity relationship of 4-((2,4-dioxothiazolidin-5-ylidene)methyl)phenyl 2-phenylacetate derivatives as potential wound-healing agents. The IC50 values of the lead compounds ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 µM. These compounds also increased the levels of extracellular prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in A549 cells. Among the synthesized compounds, compounds 66, 67, 69, and 86 increased PGE2 levels 3- to 4-fold of those achieved with the negative control. Introduction of a halogen at the intermediate phenyl ring, compounds 66, 67, 69, and 86 resulted in higher IC50 values, which indicated lower cytotoxicity than that observed upon the introduction of other substituents at the same position. In particular, cells exposed to compound 69 showed significantly improved wound healing, and the wound closure rate achieved was approximately 3.2-fold higher than that of the control. Therefore, compound 69 can be used for tissue regeneration and treatment of diverse diseases caused by PGE2 deficiency. Overall, our findings suggested that compound 69 might be a novel candidate for skin wound therapy.

A Versatile and Convenient Synthesis of 34 S-Labeled Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotides.

A synthetic protocol for 34 S-labeled phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PS ONs) was developed to facilitate MS-based assay analysis. This was enabled by a highly efficient, two-step, one-pot synthesis of 34 S-labeled phenylacetyl disulfide (34 S-PADS), starting from 34 S-enriched elemental sulfur (34 S8 ). 34 S-PADS was subsequently used for stable isotope labeling (SIL) of oligonucleotides containing a phosphorothioate backbone. The 34 S-SIL PS ONs are shown to retain the same melting temperature, antisense activity, and secondary structure as those of the corresponding unlabeled 32 S PS ONs.

Efficient chemoenzymatic synthesis of (S)-α-amino-4-fluorobenzeneacetic acid using immobilized penicillin amidase.

An efficient chemoenzymatic route was developed for synthesis of (S)-α-amino-4-fluorobenzeneacetic acid, a valuable chiral intermediate of Aprepitant, using immobilized penicillin amidase catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic N-phenylacetyl-4-fluorophenylglycine. The optimum temperature, pH and agitation rate of the reaction were determined to be 40 °C, 9.5 and 300 rpm, respectively. Kinetic resolution of 80 g L-1N-phenylacetyl-4-fluorophenylglycine by immobilized amidase 20 g L-1 resulted in 49.9% conversion and >99.9% e.e. within 3 h. The unreacted N-phenylacetyl-4-fluorophenylglycine can be easily racemized and then recycled as substrate. The production of (S)-α-amino-4-fluorobenzeneacetic acid was further amplified in 1 L reaction system, affording excellent conversion (49.9%) and enantioselectivity (99.9%). This chemoenzymatic approach was demonstrated to be promising for industrial production of (S)-α-amino-4-fluorobenzeneacetic acid.

Lichen Acids May Be Used as A Potential Drug For Cancer Therapy; by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Thioredoxin Reductase Purified From Rat Lung.

BACKGROUND: Thioredoxin reductase (E.C 1.6.4.5.; TrxR) is a widely distributed flavoprotein that catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of thioredoxin (Trx) in many cellular events such as DNA synthesis, DNA repair, angiogenesis, antioxidative defense, and regulating apoptosis. Although TrxR is indispensible in protecting cells against oxidative stress, the overexpression of TrxR is seen in many aggressive tumors. Therefore, targeted inhibition of TrxR has been accepted as a new approach for chemotherapy. OBJECTIVE: In this study, in vitro inhibition effect of the lichen acids (diffractaic, evernic, lobaric, lecanoric, and vulpinic acid) on mitochondrial TrxR purified from rat lung was investigated. METHOD: It was the first time the enzyme was purified from rat lungs by using 2', 5'-ADP Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. The purity of the enzyme was checked with SDS-PAGE. In vitro inhibition effect of the lichen acids was investigated spectrophotometrically. To emphasize the importance of the obtained data, the commercial anticancer drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin were used as positive controls. RESULTS: Molecular mass of the enzyme was calculated as approximately 52.4 kDa. The enzyme was purified with a 63.6% yield, 208.3 fold, and 0.5 EU/mg proteins specific activity. The IC50 values of five lichen acids were significantly lower than IC50 values of anticancer drugs. CONCLUSION: All of the lichen acids, especially lecanoric and vulpinic acid, exhibited much stronger inhibitory effect on TrxR than the anticancer drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin. These lichen acids have pharmacological potential as effective natural antioxidants, antimicrobials, and anticancer agents.

Novel naftopidil derivatives containing methyl phenylacetate and their blocking effects on α1D/1A-adrenoreceptor subtypes.

α1-Adrenoceptor (α1-AR) antagonists are considered to be the most effective monotherapy agents for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). In this study, we synthesized compounds 2-17, which are novel piperazine derivatives that contain methyl phenylacetate. We then evaluated the vasodilatory activities of these compounds. Among them, we found that compounds 2, 7, 12, which contain 2-OCH3, 2-CH3 or 2, 5-CH3, respectively, exhibited potent α1-blocking activity similar to protype drug naftopidil (1). The antagonistic effects of 2, 7, and 12 on the (-)-noradrenaline-induced contractile response of isolated rat prostatic vas deferens (α1A), spleen (α1B) and thoracic aorta (α1D) were further characterized to assess the sub receptor selectivity. Compared with naftopidil (1) and terazosin, compound 12 showed the most desirable α1D/1A subtype selectivity, especially improved α1A subtype selectivity, and the ratios pA2 (α1D)/pA2 (α1B) and pA2 (α1A)/pA2 (α1B) were 17.0- and 19.5-fold, respectively, indicating less cardiovascular side effects when used to treat LUTS/BPH. Finally, we investigated the chiral pharmacology of 12. We found, however, that the activity of enantiomers (R)-12 and (S)-12 are not significantly different from that of rac-12.

Kresoxim-methyl Derivatives: Synthesis and Herbicidal Activities of (Pyridinylphenoxymethylene)phenyl Methoxyiminoacetates.

A series of new kresoxim-methyl derivatives, (pyridinylphenoxymethylene)phenyl methoxyiminoacetates, were synthesized and their structures were confirmed by NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Although derived from a fungicide, the bioassays indicated that several new compounds had good herbicidal activities. At 37.5 g a.i./ha, compound 5c showed 100% inhibition against Abutilon theophrasti, Amaranthus retroflexus, and Eclipta prostrata, which was better than mesotrione. Compound 5e had a broad herbicidal spectrum against broadleaf weeds. The present work indicates that 5c and 5e may serve as new candidates for potential herbicides.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of kresoxim-methyl analogues as novel inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 accumulation in cancer cells.

We designed and synthesized strobilurin analogues as hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) inhibitors based on the molecular structure of kresoxim-methyl. Biological evaluation in human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells showed that most of the synthesized kresoxim-methyl analogues possessed moderate to potent inhibitory activity against hypoxia-induced HIF-1 transcriptional activation. Three candidates, compounds 11b, 11c, and 11d were identified as potent inhibitors against HIF-1 activation with IC50 values of 0.60-0.94µM. Under hypoxic condition, compounds 11b, 11c, and 11d increased the intracellular oxygen contents, thereby attenuating the hypoxia-induced accumulation of HIF-1α protein.

Cardioprotective effect of KR-33889, a novel PARP inhibitor, against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells and isolated rat hearts.

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in cardiac injury during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Despite a potent cardioprotective activity of KR-33889, a novel poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, its underlying mechanism remains unresolved. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of KR-33889 against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 cells and isolated rat hearts. H2O2 caused severe injury to H9c2 cells, mainly due to apoptosis, as revealed by TUNEL assay. However, KR-33889 pretreatment significantly attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis of H9c2 cells, which was accompanied by decrease in expression of both cleaved caspase-3 and Bax and increase in Bcl-2 expression and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. KR-33889 also significantly enhanced the expression of anti-oxidant enzymes including heme oxygenase-1, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), Mn-SOD, and catalase, thereby inhibiting production of intracellular ROS. Furthermore, KR-33889 reversed H2O2-induced decrease in phosphorylation of Akt, GSK-3ß, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and SAPK/JNK during most H2O2 exposure time. In globally ischemic rat hearts, KR-33889 inhibited both I/R-induced decrease in cardiac contractility and apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2, decreasing both cleaved caspase-3 and Bax expression, and enhancing expression of anti-oxidant enzymes. Taken together, these results suggest that KR-33889 may have therapeutic potential to prevent I/R-induced heart injury in ischemic heart diseases mainly by reducing oxidative stress-mediated myocardial apoptosis.

Isolation and characterization of a newly identified impurity in methamphetamine synthesized via reductive amination of 1-phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) made from phenylacetic acid/lead (II) acetate.

A trace processing impurity found in certain methamphetamine exhibits was isolated and identified as trans-N-methyl-4-methyl-5-phenyl-4-penten-2-amine hydrochloride (1). It was determined that this impurity was produced via reductive amination of trans-4-methyl-5-phenyl-4-penten-2-one (4), which was one of a cluster of related ketones generated during the synthesis of 1-phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) from phenylacetic acid and lead (II) acetate. This two-step sequence resulted in methamphetamine containing elevated levels of 1. In contrast, methamphetamine produced from P2P made by other methods produced insignificant (ultra-trace or undetectable) amounts of 1. These results confirm that 1 is a synthetic marker compound for the phenylacetic acid and lead (II) acetate method. Analytical data for 1 and 4, and a postulated mechanism for the production of 4, are presented. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis and antileukemic activity of novel C9- and C14-functionalized parthenolide analogs.

Parthenolide is a naturally occurring terpene with promising anticancer properties, particularly in the context of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Optimization of this natural product has been challenged by limited opportunities for the late-stage functionalization of this molecule without affecting the pharmacologically important α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety. Here, we report the further development and application of a chemoenzymatic strategy to afford a series of new analogs of parthenolide functionalized at the aliphatic positions C9 and C14. Several of these compounds were determined to be able to kill leukemia cells and patient-derived primary AML specimens with improved activity compared to parthenolide, exhibiting LC50 values in the low micromolar range. These studies demonstrate that different O-H functionalization chemistries can be applied to elaborate the parthenolide scaffold and that modifications at the C9 or C14 position can effectively enhance the antileukemic properties of this natural product. The C9-functionalized analogs 22a and 25b were identified as the most interesting compounds in terms of antileukemic potency and selectivity toward AML versus healthy blood cells.

Significant Improvement of Metabolic Characteristics and Bioactivities of Clopidogrel and Analogs by Selective Deuteration.

In the search for prodrug analogs of clopidogrel with improved metabolic characteristics and antiplatelet bioactivity, a group of clopidogrel and vicagrel analogs selectively deuterated at the benzylic methyl ester group were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated. The compounds included clopidogrel-d3 (8), 2-oxoclopidogrel-d3 (9), vicagrel-d3 (10a), and 12 vicagrel-d3 analogs (10b-10m) with different alkyl groups in the thiophene ester moiety. The D3C-O bond length in 10a was shown by X-ray single crystal diffraction to be shorter than the H3C-O bond length in clopidogrel, consistent with the slower rate of hydrolysis of 8 than of clopidogrel in rat whole blood in vitro. A study of the ability of the compounds to inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation in fresh rat whole blood collected 2 h after oral dosing of rats with the compounds (7.8 µmol/kg) showed that deuteration increased the activity of clopidogrel and that increasing the size of the alkyl group in the thiophene ester moiety reduced activity. A preliminary pharmacokinetic study comparing 10a with vicagrel administered simultaneously as single oral doses (72 µmol/kg of each drug) to male Wistar rats showed 10a generated more of its active metabolite than vicagrel. These results suggest that 10a is a potentially superior antiplatelet agent with improved metabolic characteristics and bioactivity, and less dose-related toxicity.

Sulfated phenolic acids from Dasycladales siphonous green algae.

Sulfated aromatic acids play a central role as mediators of chemical interactions and physiological processes in marine algae and seagrass. Among others, Dasycladus vermicularis (Scopoli) Krasser 1898 uses a sulfated hydroxylated coumarin derivative as storage metabolite for a protein cross linker that can be activated upon mechanical disruption of the alga. We introduce a comprehensive monitoring technique for sulfated metabolites based on fragmentation patterns in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and applied it to Dasycladales. This allowed the identification of two new aromatic sulfate esters 4-(sulfooxy)phenylacetic acid and 4-(sulfooxy)benzoic acid. The two metabolites were synthesized to prove the mass spectrometry-based structure elucidation in co-injections. We show that both metabolites are transformed to the corresponding desulfated phenols by sulfatases of bacteria. In biofouling experiments with Escherichia coli and Vibrio natriegens the desulfated forms were more active than the sulfated ones. Sulfatation might thus represent a measure of detoxification that enables the algae to store inactive forms of metabolites that are activated by settling organisms and then act as defense.

Aminocarbonylation of aryl tosylates to carboxamides.

The palladium - catalyzed aminocarbonylation of aryl tosylates with amines is reported. Suitable conditions were identified by high throughput reaction screening and then further optimized. The substrate scope of the reaction with respect to the aryl tosylate component and the amine component are reported. Competitive aminolysis of the aryl tosylates to afford the amine toluenesulfonamides and the phenol was not observed.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and structural investigation of a new charge transfer complex of 2,6-diaminopyridine with 4-nitrophenylacetic acid: Antimicrobial, DNA binding/cleavage and antioxidant studies.

A new hydrogen-bonded charge-transfer complex (CT) formed by the reaction between donor, 2,6-diaminopyridine and acceptor, 4-nitrophenylacetic acid in methanol at room temperature. The crystal was characterized by elemental analysis, IR, NMR spectroscopic studies and thermal studies. The elemental analysis of CT complex, obtained data revealed that the formation of 1:1 ratio CT complex was proposed. Infrared and NMR studies confirm the chemical constituents and molecular structure of the synthesized complex crystal. The high thermal stability is due to the molecular frame work through H-bonding interactions. Structural investigation indicates that cation and anion are linked through strong N(+)-H⋯O(-) type of hydrogen bond. The hydrogen bonded charge transfer crystal was screened for its pharmacology, such as antimicrobial, DNA binding/cleavage and antioxidant studies. The CT complex was screened for its antibacterial and antifungal activity against various bacterial and fungal species, which shows good antimicrobial activity. The DNA binding results indicated that the compound could interact with DNA through intercalation. It should have weak to moderate capacity of scavenging with DPPH.

Design and Synthesis of a Screening Library Using the Natural Product Scaffold 3-Chloro-4-hydroxyphenylacetic Acid.

The fungal metabolite 3-chloro-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (1) was utilized in the generation of a unique drug-like screening library using parallel solution-phase synthesis. A 20-membered amide library (3-22) was generated by first converting 1 to methyl (3-chloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)acetate (2), then reacting this scaffold with a diverse series of primary amines via a solvent-free aminolysis procedure. The structures of the synthetic analogues (3-22) were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis. The structures of compounds 8, 12, and 22 were confirmed by single X-ray crystallographic analysis. All compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity against a human prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP) and for antiparasitic activity toward Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Plasmodium falciparum and showed no significant activity at 10 µM. The library was also tested for effects on the lipid content of LNCaP and PC-3 prostate cancer cells, and it was demonstrated that the fluorobenzyl analogues (12-14) significantly reduced cellular phospholipid and neutral lipid levels.

Total synthesis of clavatadine A.

The first total synthesis of the potent and selective human blood coagulation factor XIa inhibitor clavatadine A (1) is described. Direct, early-stage guanidinylation enabled rapid, convergent access to an immediate clavatadine A precursor. Concomitant lactone hydrolysis and guanidine deprotection with aqueous acid cleanly provided clavatadine A (1) in only four steps (longest linear sequence, 41-43% overall yield).

Cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diones: a new class of herbicides acting as potent photosynthesis inhibitors.

In a recent paper, we reported the synthesis and photosynthesis-inhibitory activity of a series of analogues of rubrolides. From quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies, we found that the most efficient compounds are those having higher ability to accept electrons. On the basis of those findings, we directed our effort to synthesize new analogues bearing a strong electron-withdrawing group (nitro) in the benzylidene ring and evaluate their effects on photosynthesis. However, the employed synthetic approach led to novel cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diones as major products. Here, we report the synthesis and mechanism of action of such cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diones as a new class of photosynthesis inhibitors. These compounds block the electron transport at the QB level by interacting at the D1 protein at the reducing side of Photosystem II and act as Hill reaction inhibitors, with higher activity than the corresponding rubrolides. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the photosynthesis inhibitory activity of cyclopentenediones.

Chemoenzymatic epoxidation of alkenes and reusability study of the phenylacetic acid.

Here, we focused on a simple enzymatic epoxidation of alkenes using lipase and phenylacetic acid. The immobilised Candida antarctica lipase B, Novozym 435 was used to catalyse the formation of peroxy acid instantly from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and phenylacetic acid. The peroxy phenylacetic acid generated was then utilised directly for in situ oxidation of alkenes. A variety of alkenes were oxidised with this system, resulting in 75-99% yield of the respective epoxides. On the other hand, the phenylacetic acid was recovered from the reaction media and reused for more epoxidation. Interestingly, the waste phenylacetic acid had the ability to be reused for epoxidation of the 1-nonene to 1-nonene oxide, giving an excellent yield of 90%.