RESUMO
The transformation of glycals into 2,3-unsaturated glycosyl derivatives, reported by Ferrier in 1962, is supposed to involve an α,ß unsaturated glycosyl cation, an elusive ionic species that has still to be observed experimentally. Herein, while combination of TfOH and flow conditions failed to observe this ionic species, its extended lifetime in superacid solutions allowed its characterization by NMR-based structural analysis supported by DFT calculations. This allyloxycarbenium ion was further exploited in the Ferrier rearrangement to afford unsaturated nitrogen-containing C-aryl glycosides and C-alkyl glycosides under superacid and flow conditions, respectively.
RESUMO
Importance of heme in African trypanosomes, Leishmania sp. and Plasmodium sp. metabolisms justifies considering the potential of porphyrins and their precursors and derivatives as potential antiparasitic agents by interfering with heme metabolism. Consequently, twenty-four porphyrin precursors and derivatives were evaluated against Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma brucei and Plasmodium sp. The best active compound against Trypanosoma brucei brucei was a new porphyrin derivative; compound 4i, with a MEC value of 6.25 µM justifying further in vivo evaluation. Whereas these compounds were not active against intramacrophage amastigotes of L. donovani, another new porphyrin derivative, compound 4f was active in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum at 20 nM and a slight delay of mice survival was observed on the Plasmodium berghei/Swiss mice model at 50 µmol/kg/day × 4. Pharmacomodulations should be further developed relying on a better knowledge on the porphyrin behaviour into the parasites comparatively to host cells.