Microbial transformations and 13C-NMR analysis of colchicine

Novel Antineoplastic Inducers of Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cells

I propose a new strategy to suppress human cancer completely with two entirely new drug compounds exploiting cancer's Warburg effect characterized by a defective mitochondrial aerobic respiration, substituted by cytosolic aerobic fermentation/glycolysis of D-(+)-glucose into L-(+)-lactic acid. The two essentially new drugs, compound 1 [P(op)T(est)162] and compound 3 (PT167), represent new highly symmetric, four-bladed propeller-shaped polyammonium cations. The in vitro antineoplastic highly efficacious drug compound 3 represents a covalent combination of compound 1 and compound 2 (PT166). The intermediate drug compound 2 is an entirely new colchic(in)oid derivative synthesized from colchicine. Compound 2's structure was determined using X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 and compound 3 were active in vitro versus 60 human cancer cell lines of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP) 60-cancer cell testing. Compound 1 and compound 3 not only stop the growth of cancer cells to ±0% (cancerostatic effect) but completely kill nearly all 60 cancer cells to a level of almost -100% (tumoricidal effect). Compound 1 and compound 3 induce mitochondrial apoptosis (under cytochrome c release) in all cancer cells tested by (re)activating (in most cancers impaired) p53 function, which results in a decrease in cancer's dysregulated cyclin D1 and an induction of the cell cycle-halting cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21Waf1/p21Cip1.

Phenethyisoquinoline alkaloids from the leaves of Androcymbium palaestinum

Thirteen compounds were isolated from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Androcymbium palaestinum Baker (Colchicaceae). Of these, three were new, two were new natural products, and eight were known. The new isolated compounds were (+)-1-demethylandrocine (5), (-)-andropalaestine (8), and (+)-2-demethyl-β-lumicolchicone (10), while the new natural products were (+)-O-methylkreysigine-N-oxide (3) and (+)-O,O-dimethylautumnaline (9). Moreover, two known compounds are reported for the first time from this species, specifically (-)-colchicine (11) and (-)-3-demethyldemecolcine (13). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using a series of spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques, principally HRESIMS, 1D-NMR (1H and 13C NMR) and 2D-NMR (COSY, edited-HSQC, and HMBC). ECD spectroscopy was used for assigning the absolute configurations of compounds 3, 5, and 10. The cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated using the MDA-MB-435 (melanoma), MDA-MB-231 (breast), and OVCAR3 (ovary) cancer cell lines. Compound 11 was the most potent against all tested cell lines, with IC50 values of 12, 95 and 23 nM, respectively.

Microbial Catalyzed Regio-Selective Demethylation of Colchicine by Streptomyces griseus ATCC 13273

Colchicinoids and their derivatives are of great importance in pharmaceutical applications, and colchicine is usually used as the first choice for the treatment of gout. To expand the structural diversities and clinical application of colchicinoids, many attempts have been established for the derivatives with better activity or less toxicity. Herein, in this paper, we report a direct microbial transformation of colchicine into 2-O-demethyl-colchicine (M1) and 3-O-demethl-colchicine (M2) by Streptomyces griseus ATCC 13273. It is noteworthy that when DMF was used as co-solvent, the yield of M1 and M2 could reach up to 51 and 31%, respectively. All the structures of the metabolites were elucidated unambiguously by ESI-MS, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and 2D-NMR spectroscopy.

Microbial models for drug metabolism

This review describes microbial transformation studies of drugs, comparing them with the corresponding metabolism in animal systems, and providing technical methods for developing microbial models. Emphasis is laid on the potential for selected microorganisms to mimic all patterns of mammalian biotransformations and to provide preparative methods for structural identification and toxicological and pharmacological studies of drug metabolites.

Chemistry of colchicine

Chemical structures of colchicine and related analogs, including allo-compounds with a six-membered ring, are presented here with correct absolute configurations, showing the natural representatives as a S-atropisomers. Spectral data, synthesis, biosynthesis, and metabolism of colchicine are discussed. Structural requirements required for these compounds to inhibit polymerization of tubulin and binding of radiolabeled colchicine in vitro are presented.

Zero-order absorption and linear disposition of oral colchicine in healthy volunteers

The pharmacokinetics of colchicine has been studied in nine healthy male volunteers after oral doses of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg as tablets. Plasma and urine samples were collected over 48 h and analysed for colchicine by radioimmunoassay. Individual colchicine concentration profiles in plasma and urine were well described by a two-compartment open model with zero-order input. Considering the absorption variables as specific to each experiment, the lag time (0-0.35 h) and duration (0.39-2.38 h) of absorption were found to be independent of dose, while the zero-order rate constant of absorption (k0) increased linearly with dose. Disposition variables were taken as common to the three experiments, except in six subjects in whom renal excretion varied significantly across experiments in a dose-independent manner. For seven subjects the terminal half-life was 19.4 h, the oral apparent volume of distribution at steady-state (Vss/f) was 691 l, and the oral systemic clearance (CL/f) was 33.1 l.h-1. In the two other subjects, the values were unreliable, but the estimated terminal half-life was greater than 48 h, Vss/f ranged from 1690 to 3480 l, and CL/f was in the range of the other subjects in 1 subject, and it was about 15 l.h-1 in the other. In the latter subject, these estimates, together with the observation that plasma concentration reached a plateau at 2 to 5 h after ingestion, suggest enterohepatic cycling of colchicine. Overall, the disposition of colchicine was linear in the dose range 0.5-1.5 mg, with a long terminal half-life, and absorption obeyed zero-order kinetics, with k0 proportional to dose.

Microbial transformation of N-methylcolchiceinamide

Seventy-seven microorganisms were examined for their ability to metabolize the antineoplastic agent N-methylcolchiceinamide, an analog of colchicine. Five streptomycetes exhibited significant metabolism, and Streptomyces griseus NRRL B-599 completely converted the substrate to three metabolites. In preparative-scale studies, N-dealkylation resulted in the production of colchiceinamide, the major metabolite (65%), which was characterized by chemical, spectroscopic, and chromatographic comparisons with the standard compound. Two phenolic metabolites resulting from )-dealkylation were also isolated and identified as 2 and 3-O-demethyl-N-methylcolchiceinamide.

Metabolism of phencyclidine by microorganisms

A number of microorganisms were screened for their ability to metabolize phencyclidine. Two microorganisms, Beauveria sulfurescens and Cunninghamella echinulata, produced hydroxylated metabolites, which were identified as 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)-4-hydroxypiperidine and 4-phenyl-4-piperidinocyclohexanol by high-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis.

Primaquine: metabolism by microorganisms and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance assignments

Primaquine (I), a 6-methoxy-8-aminoquinoline derivatives used for the treatment of malaria, has been subjected to metabolic studies using microorganisms. A total of 77 microorganisms (fungi and Streptomyces spp.) were evaluated for their ability to metabolize primaquine. Of these, 23 were found to convert primaquine to one or more metabolites (thin-layer chromatography analysis). Preparative scale fermentation of primaquine with four different microorganisms resulted in the isolation of two metabolites, identified as 8-(4-acetamido-1-methylbutylamino)-6-methoxyquinoline (II) and 8-(3-carboxyl-1-methylpropylamino)-6-methoxyquinoline (III). The structures of the metabolites were proposed based primarily on a comparison of the 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of II and the methyl ester of III (IV) with that of primaquine. The structures of both metabolites II and III were confirmed by direct comparison with authentic samples.

Metabolism of imipramine by microorganisms

The microbial metabolism of imipramine was studied using selected fungal organisms. The major microbial metabolites were isolated, and their structures were established by spectroscopic analyses (particularly 13C-NMR) and by comparison with authentic samples. The microbial metabolites identified included 2-hydroxyimipramine, 10-hydroxyimipramine, iminodibenzyl, imipramine-N-oxide, and desipramine; these metabolites also have been found in mammalian metabolism studies.

Radioimmunoassay for colchicine: synthesis and properties of three haptens

For the development of radioimmunoassay procedures for colchicine, three haptens, N-ethylamino-colchiceinamide, 4-formylchochicine - (O-carboxymethyl) oxime and 4-hydroxymethylcolchicine O-hemisuccinic acid were synthetized and characterized by mass and proton magnetic resonance spectrometries. The conjugates obtained by coupling the haptens to bovine serum albumin were employed to immunize rabbits and goats.