Recent developments in the total synthesis of natural products using the Ugi multicomponent reactions as the key strategy.

The total syntheses of selected natural products using different versions of the Ugi multicomponent reaction is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The revision covers the period 2008-2023 and includes detailed descriptions of the synthetic sequences, the use of state-of-the-art chemical reagents and strategies, as well as the advantages and limitations of the transformation and some remedial solutions. Relevant data on the isolation and bioactivity of the different natural targets are also briefly provided. The examples clearly evidence the strategic importance of this transformation and its key role in the modern natural products synthetic chemistry toolbox. This methodology proved to be a valuable means for easily building molecular complexity and efficiently delivering step-economic syntheses even of intricate structures, with a promising future.

Total Synthesis of Aqabamycin G, a Nitrophenyl Indolylmaleimide Marine Alkaloid from Vibrio sp. WMBA.

The first total synthesis of the marine alkaloid aqabamycin G is disclosed. The synthetic sequence involved the stepwise addition to maleimide of an indole motif and a substituted diazo-benzenoid unit derived from acetaminophen. An alternative strategy using a protected phenol is also reported.

Thermal decomposition of hexamethylenetetramine: mechanistic study and identification of reaction intermediates via a computational and NMR approach.

In a joint DFT and chemometrics study applied to NMR spectra, we disclose the structure of the main decomposition products of hexamethylenetetramine. The combination of these techniques enabled us to propose the structures of near-identical intermediates of the process and to unveil the structure of the main decomposition product of this priviliged structure.

The 6π-azaelectrocyclization of azatrienes. Synthetic applications in natural products, bioactive heterocycles, and related fields.

Covering: 2006 to 2018 The application of the 6π-azaelectrocyclization of azatrienes as a key strategy for the synthesis of natural products, their analogs and related bioactive or biomedically-relevant compounds (from 2006 to date) is comprehensively reviewed. Details about reaction optimization studies, relevant reaction mechanisms and conditions are also discussed.

SeCl2-Mediated Approach Toward Indole-Containing Polysubstituted Selenophenes.

A novel and efficient SeCl2-mediated chalcogenative cyclization strategy toward 3-selenophen-3-yl-1 H-indoles from readily available and conveniently substituted propargyl indoles is described. It entails an unprecedented selenirenium-induced 1,2-indolyl shift prompted by the electrophilic addition of SeCl2 to the triple bond of the propargyl indole, followed by cyclization through the intermediacy of a 1-seleno-1,3-diene. The reaction takes place at room temperature and shows excellent selectivity, broad substrate scope, and wide functional group tolerance.

Total syntheses of gerberinol I and the pterophyllins 2 and 4 using the Casnati-Skattebøl reaction under different conditions.

The concise and efficient total syntheses of the naturally-occurring coumarin derivatives gerberinol I, and the pterophyllins 2 and 4, from 5-methyl-4-hydroxycoumarin as a common precursor employing different Casnati-Skattebøl reaction conditions, are reported. The synthesis of the key intermediate coumarin was achieved by the organocatalytic condensation of acetylacetone and crotonaldehyde followed by a LiCl-assisted cyclization, CuCl2-promoted aromatization and a final Et2CO3-mediated cyclization. A Casnati-Skattebøl formylation under high-temperature conditions afforded gerberinol I, whereas milder conditions resulted in an unstable 3-formyl-4-hydroxycoumarin derivative, which was subjected to a basic alumina-mediated one pot O-alkylation with chloroacetone and intramolecular aldolization to furnish pterophyllin 4. Wittig methylenation of the latter conveniently afforded pterophyllin 2.

The 3,4-dioxygenated 5-hydroxy-4-aryl-quinolin-2(1H)-one alkaloids. Results of 20 years of research, uncovering a new family of natural products.

Covering: up to April 2016Aspergillus and Penicillium are fungal species known to produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites, many of them endowed with interesting bioactivity. The small but steadily growing family of the naturally occurring 5-hydroxy-4-aryl-quinolin-2(1H)-one alkaloids and closely related compounds, which represent the results of various research projects that spanned over 20 years and involved scientists from different continents, are covered here. Emphasis is placed on the isolation and chemical structures of the different compounds, together with their source microorganisms, environmental conditions, country or region of origin, and relevant biological activities. In addition, stereochemical aspects, as well as the proposed biosynthetic pathways for the different members, and the incipient synthetic efforts towards some of the compounds or their key intermediates, are discussed in detail.

A convenient approach to an advanced intermediate toward the naturally occurring, bioactive 6-substituted 5-hydroxy-4-aryl-1H-quinolin-2-ones.

5-Hydroxy-4-aryl-3,4-dihydro-1H-quinolin-2-ones are a small family of natural products isolated from fungal strains of Penicillium and Aspergillus. Most of its members, which are insecticides and anthelmintics, carry an isoprenoid C-6 side chain. The synthesis of a 6-propenyl-substituted advanced intermediate for the total synthesis of these natural products is presented in this paper. This was achieved through the stereoselective construction of a ß,ß-diarylacrylate derivative from 6-nitrosalicylaldehyde, using a Wittig olefination and a Heck-Matsuda arylation, followed by a selective Fe(0)-mediated reductive cyclization. Installation of the 6-propenyl side chain was performed by 5-O-allylation of the heterocycle, followed by Claisen rearrangement and conjugative migration of the allyl double bond, as the key steps. The Grubbs II-catalyzed olefin cross metathesis of the 6-allyl moiety with 2-methylbut-2-ene to afford a precursor of peniprequinolone is also reported.

A theoretical study of the Duff reaction: insights into its selectivity.

The Duff reaction is one of the most employed methods for the ortho-formylation of phenols; however, not much is truly known about its mechanism. Using DFT calculations, we disclose the first theoretical study regarding the selectivity-determining step of the reaction. We have found that this stage is governed by a hydrogen bond, that gives rise to a cyclohexa-2,4-dienone intermediate and establishes the position where the formylation will take place. These findings were evaluated by analysis of the reaction outcome of several non-symmetrically substituted phenols.

A facile and convenient sequential homobimetallic catalytic approach towards ß-methylstyrenes. A one-pot Stille cross-coupling/isomerization strategy.

An efficient one-pot synthetic approach towards ß-methylstyrenes is reported. The transformation, based on sequential homobimetallic catalysis, involves a Stille cross-coupling reaction between aryl halides and allyltributylstannane, followed by an in situ palladium-catalyzed conjugative isomerization. The reaction was optimized, and the best results were obtained with 10 mol% Pd(PPh3)2Cl2, 8.0 equiv. LiCl, and 0.5 equiv. PPh3 in diglyme at 130 °C for 12 h. It was demonstrated that the reaction tolerates a wide variety of functional groups.

Relevant Developments in the Use of Three-Component Reactions for the Total Synthesis of Natural Products. The last 15 Years.

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) offer a highly useful and valuable strategy that can fulfill an important role in synthesizing complex polysubstituted compounds, by simplifying otherwise long sequences and increasing their efficiency. The total synthesis of selected natural products employing three-component reactions as their common strategic MCR approach, is reviewed on a case-by-case basis with selected targets conquered during the last 15 years. The revision includes detailed descriptions of the selected successful sequences; relevant information on the isolation, and bioactivity of the different natural targets is also briefly provided.

Preparation and characterization of new salts of tioconazole. Comparison of their dissolution performance.

Tioconazole is an effective antifungal agent with very low solubility in aqueous media, which limits its bioavailability and efficacy. Aiming to overcome the drug limitations by improving the solubility of this active pharmaceutical ingredient, solution precipitation techniques were employed to prepare four new crystalline salts, namely the mesylate, tosylate, maleate (1:1), and fumarate (1:1) hemihydrate. The thermal stabilities, dissolution properties, and structural characteristics of the solids were determined, and the study was extended to compare their properties with the already-known oxalate salt. The structural characterization of the new phases was carried out using a multi-method approach, which included thermal (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry), diffractometric (powder X-ray diffraction), and spectroscopic (near-infrared and mid-infrared) methodologies. The determination of the melting point of the salts confirmed the findings made by thermal methods. Functional characteristics of the salts, involving their intrinsic dissolution rates were also determined. It was found that the salts exhibited improved thermal stability and that the nature of the counterion modulated their dissolution characteristics. The salts displayed better intrinsic dissolution rates than the free base, to the point of being "highly soluble" according to the Biopharmaceutical Classification System. At pH 4.3, the sulfonic acid derivatives exhibited better dissolution rates than their carboxylic acid-derived counterparts, greatly improved regarding bare tioconazole. The results suggest that the salts have great potential to be used as replacements for the free base; in principle, careful salt selection may help to fulfill each solubility need for the different scenarios where the drug may be used.

Angular tricyclic benzofurans and related natural products of fungal origin. Isolation, biological activity and synthesis.

Naturally-occurring angular tricyclic benzofuran/isobenzofuran derivatives of fungal origin and related compounds, in which two heterocyclic rings are fused to a central benzenoid moiety, are covered. Emphasis is placed on the structure of the compounds, together with their relevant biological activities, source microorganisms, country or region of origin and environmental conditions. In addition, proposed biosynthetic pathways, as well as the total syntheses of some of the compounds, including those that lead to structural revision or to correct stereochemical assignments, and related synthetic efforts, are discussed in detail.

Selected Aspects of the Analytical and Pharmaceutical Profiles of Nifurtimox.

Nifurtimox is a nitroheterocyclic drug employed for treatment of trypanosomiases (Chagas disease and West African sleeping sickness); its use for certain cancers has also been assessed. Despite having been in the market for over 50 years, knowledge of nifurtimox is still fragmentary and incomplete. Relevant aspects of the chemistry and biology of nifurtimox are reviewed to summarize the current knowledge of this drug. These comprise its chemical synthesis and the preparation of some analogues, as well as its chemical degradation. Selected physical data and physicochemical properties are also listed, along with different approaches toward the analytical characterization of the drug, including electrochemical (polarography, cyclic voltammetry), spectroscopic (ultraviolet-visible, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance), and single crystal X-ray diffractometry. The array of polarographic, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic, and chromatographic methods available for the analytical determination of nifurtimox (in bulk drug, pharmaceutical formulations, and biological samples), are also presented and discussed, along with chiral chromatographic and electrophoretic alternatives for the separation of the enantiomers of the drug. Aspects of the drug likeliness of nifurtimox, its classification in the Biopharmaceutical Classification System, and available pharmaceutical formulations are detailed, whereas pharmacological, chemical, and biological aspects of its metabolism and disposition are discussed.

Step-Economic Total Synthesis of Melosatin A from Eugenol.

An efficient and straightforward route toward the isatin-type natural product melosatin A is reported, employing a trisubstituted aniline as a key intermediate. The latter was synthesized in 4 steps and 60% overall yield from eugenol, through its regioselective nitration, sequentially followed by a Williamson methylation, an olefin cross-metathesis with 4-phenyl-1-butene and the simultaneous reduction of olefin and nitro groups. The final step, a Martinet cyclocondensation of the key aniline with diethyl 2-ketomalonate, provided the natural product with 68% yield.

Efficient Buchwald-Hartwig and nitrene-mediated five-membered ring closure approaches to the total synthesis of quindoline. Unexpected direct conversion of a nitro group into a phosphazene.

Two total syntheses of quindoline, which take place through the intermediacy of 3-nitroquinoline derivatives, are reported. The general synthetic sequence involves construction of the latter by mechanochemical condensation of benzaldehydes with 2-amino-nitrostyrene, followed either by reduction of the nitro group of the heterocycle and Buchwald-Hartwig cyclization or by a nitrene-mediated cyclization under solventless conditions. Use of PPh3 to generate the nitrene resulted in the unprecedented formation of a phosphazene in place of quindoline. This unexpected transformation was explained by means of DFT computations.

Characterization of the hydrochloride salt hemihydrate as a new salt of the antifungal agent tioconazole.

Tioconazole is an effective antifungal agent, which has a very low solubility in aqueous media, that limits its bioavailability and efficacy. In an effort to overcome the drug limitations by improving its solubility, the hydrochloride salt was prepared in methanolic 1 M HCl and obtained as the hemihydrate, as demonstrated by elemental analysis. Single crystals were grown by slow evaporation from an aqueous 1 M HCl solution and their structure was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 302 K. The structures resulting from dehydration and further rehydration were also assessed, at 333 and 283 K, respectively. The morphology of the crystal, which exhibited birefringence under polarized light, was verified by hot stage microscopy. The solid was characterized by additional means, including thermal analysis (melting point, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry), spectroscopic methods (mid infrared, near infrared, 1H, 13C and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance in solution, as well as 13C and 15N solid state with spinning at the magic angle) and X-ray diffraction techniques. Functional evaluation tests, including the intrinsic dissolution rate and the dissolution of powders were also performed. In the intrinsic dissolution rate test, the salt proved to dissolve over 2000 times faster than tioconazole. The results suggest that the new salt has physicochemical and performance properties which may support its use as a replacement of the free base in certain applications, especially where improved dissolution rate, solubility or bioavailability of the drug would be desired.

Solid-state properties of Nifurtimox. Preparation, analytical characterization, and stability of an amorphous phase.

Nifurtimox (NFX) is a nitrofuran derivative used to treat Chagas disease, a neglected disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The drug is very sparingly soluble in aqueous media and no other solid phases of NFX have been reported to date. The preparation of the amorphous mode of NFX is reported, as well as its characterization by hot stage microscopy, thermal (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis), spectroscopic (solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, mid-infrared, and near-infrared), diffractometric and functional (powder dissolution rate) means. The stability of the new phase was investigated. This was characterized using thermal, spectroscopic, and diffractometric methods, finding out its spontaneous reversion to the crystalline state, as sign of instability. In addition, the amorphous material proved to be sensitive to temperature, pressure, and mechanical stress, all of which accelerated phase conversion. However, it was able to remain stable in a model polymeric amorphous solid dispersion with PEG 4000 for more than one month. An approach for monitoring the conversion of the amorphous phase to its crystalline counterpart under thermal stress by chemometric analysis of mid-infrared spectra at different temperatures is also disclosed.

Synthesis of the unique angular tricyclic chromone structure proposed for aspergillitine, and its relationship with alkaloid TMC-120B.

The synthesis of the tricyclic angular chromone structure originally assigned to aspergillitine is reported. The synthesis was achieved in 11 steps and 15% overall yield from 2,4-dihydroxypropiophenone, through the intermediacy of 2,3-dimethyl-7-hydroxychromen-4-one. Construction of the nitrogen-bearing heterocyclic ring entailed a Stille cross-coupling reaction with n-Bu(3)SnCH(2)CH=CH(2), followed by double bond isomerization, oximation of the chromone carbonyl, and a final microwave-assisted electrocyclization of the thus formed 6π-electron aza-triene system.

A study of the heat-mediated phase transformations of praziquantel hydrates. Evaluation of their impact on the dissolution rate.

Comprehensive knowledge of the critical properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredients is a requirement within the modern concept of quality. Praziquantel hemihydrate (HH) and monohydrate (MH) are new solid forms of this antihelmintic agent, which have better solubility properties than the commercial anhydrous solid form (polymorph A). The thermal stability of the hydrates was evaluated, aiming to understand any possible transformation (amorphization, change to a less soluble form). Therefore, HH and MH were prepared along with the related anhydrous solid forms A and B, and characterized employing solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, powder X-ray diffraction, mid and near infrared spectroscopy, thermal methods and the intrinsic dissolution rate. The transformations of HH and MH under thermal stress conditions were monitored through a variable temperature infrared spectroscopy approach, assisted by multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR-ALS), finding that HH undergoes a two-step transformation (HH→B→A) to form A, whereas MH dehydrates directly into form A. This was further confirmed by conventional calorimetric methods (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry) and powder X-ray diffractometry. The impact of changes in the stressed solid forms and their dissolution rates was also assessed. Significant differences in dissolution performance were found regarding the solid forms produced as a consequence of thermally-induced dehydration.