Additional α-glucosidase inhibitors from Malbranchea flavorosea (Leotiomycetes, Ascomycota)

New prenylated indole-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones with α-glucosidase inhibitory activities from the mangrove-derived Aspergillus spinosus

Mangrove-derived fungi have been demonstrated to be promising source of structurally diverse and widely active secondary metabolites. During our search for new bioactive compounds, eight new indole-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione derivatives asperdinones A-H (1-8) and two known congeners (9 and 10) were isolated from the culture extracts of the mangrove-derived fungus Aspergillus spinosus WHUF0344 guided by one strain many compounds (OSMAC) and the heteronuclear 1H, 13C single-quantum coherence (HSQC) based small molecule accurate recognition technology (SMART) strategies. The structures and absolute configurations of the new compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyze and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. The putative biosynthetic pathway of these compounds was proposed. Compounds 1-10 were evaluated for their antibacterial and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. None of compounds showed antibacterial activity. Compounds 2-6 and 8 exhibited moderate inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase with IC50 values in the range of 24.65-312.25 μM. Besides, both 3 and 4 inhibited α-glucosidase variedly. Furthermore, the molecular docking study showed that compounds 2-4 were perfectly docking into the active sites of α-glucosidase. This study not only enriched the chemical diversity of secondary metabolites from the mangrove-derived fungi, but also provided potential hit compounds for further development of α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Antidiabetic Potential of a Trimeric Anthranilic Acid Peptide Isolated from Malbranchea flocciformis

Compound 3, a trimeric anthranilic acid peptide, and another three metabolites were isolated from an organic extract from the culture medium of Malbranchea flocciformis ATCC 34530. The chemical structure proposed previously for 3 was unequivocally assigned via synthesis and X-ray diffraction analysis. Tripeptide 3 showed insulinotropic properties by decreasing the postprandial peak in healthy and hyperglycemic mice. It also increased glucose-induced insulin secretion in INS-1E at 5 μM, specifically at higher glucose concentrations. These results revealed that 3 might act as an insulin sensitizer and a non-classical insulin secretagogue. Altogether, these findings are in harmony with the in vivo oral glucose tolerance test and acute oral hypoglycemic assay. Finally, the chemical composition of the extract was established by the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Network platform. Phylogenetic analysis using the internal transcribed spacer region revealed that M. flocciformis ATCC 34530 is related to the Malbrancheaceae.

Pseudo-Enantiomeric Paraphaeolactones and Their Biosynthetic Derivatives from Paraphaeosphaeria sp. KT4192: A Proposition of a Favorskii Rearrangement for Their Biosynthesis

Paraphaeolactones A1, A2, B1, and B2 (1-4, respectively), known arthropsadiol D (5), massariphenone (6) and its positional isomer 7, and massarilactones E (8) and G (9) were isolated from the culture broth of Paraphaeosphaeria sp. KT4192. Although the structural resemblance between 1 and 2 implies that these comprised a diastereomeric pair at the C-2 stereogenic center, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectral analyses revealed that they were pseudo-enantiomers possessing the common (2R)-configuration. Paraphaeolactones B1 and B2 (3 and 4) were the derivatives of 2, which equipped the 3-(1-hydroxy-2-oxopropyl)-4-methylcatechol moiety via an acetal bond at C-10. The relative configurations of their acetal carbons were elucidated by NOE experiments, and those of C-8' were deduced independently by ECD spectral analysis. The present study disclosed that 1-5, 8, and 9 contain a methylcyclohexene substructure with the same absolute configuration. This prompted us to reinvestigate the absolute configurations of known structurally related fungal metabolites, allowing us to conclude that the methylcyclohexene moieties of these natural products have the same absolute configuration despite the variety of configurations of other stereogenic centers. The plausible biosynthetic routes for 1-9 are discussed on the basis of the above conclusion. We propose a Favorskii rearrangement as the key transformation for biosyntheses of 1-4.

Sesquiterpene and Sorbicillinoid Glycosides from the Endophytic Fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum EN-586 Derived from the Marine Red Alga Laurencia obtusa

An unusual sesquiterpene glycoside trichoacorside A (1) and two novel sorbicillinoid glycosides sorbicillisides A (2) and B (3), together with a known compound sorbicillin (4), were isolated and identified from the culture extract of an endophytic fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum EN-586, obtained from the marine red alga Laurencia obtusa. Trichoacorside A (1) is the first representative of a glucosamine-coupled acorane-type sesquiterpenoid. Their structures were elucidated based on detailed interpretation of NMR and mass spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis, chemical derivatization, and DP4+ probability analysis. The antimicrobial activities of compounds 1–4 against several human, aquatic, and plant pathogens were evaluated.

α-Glucosidase and PTP-1B Inhibitors from Malbranchea dendritica

An extract from a PDB static culture of Malbranchea dendritica exhibited α-glucosidase and PTP-1B inhibitory activities. Fractionation of the active extract led to the isolation of gymnoascolide A (1), a γ-butenolide, and xanthones sydowinin A (2), sydowinin B (3), and AGI-B4 (4), as well as orcinol (5). Compound 1 exhibited important inhibitory activity against yeast α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 0.556 ± 0.009 mM) in comparison to acarbose (IC₅₀ = 0.403 ± 0.010 mM). Kinetic analysis revealed that 1 is a mixed-type inhibitor. Furthermore, compound 1 significantly reduced the postprandial peak in mice during a sucrose tolerance test at the doses of 5.16 and 10 mg/kg. Compound 1 was reduced with Pd/C to yield a mixture of enantiomers 1a and 1b; the mixture showed similar activity against α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 0.396 ± 0.003 mM) and kinetic behavior as the parent compound but might possess better drug-likeness properties according to SwissADME and Osiris Property Explorer tools. Docking analysis with yeast α-glucosidase (pdb: 3A4A) and the C-terminal subunit of human maltase-glucoamylase (pdb: 3TOP) predicted that 1, 1a, and 1b bind to an allosteric site of the enzymes. Compounds 1-5 were evaluated against PTP-1B, but only xanthone 3 moderately inhibited in a noncompetitive fashion the enzyme with an IC₅₀ of 0.081 ± 0.004 mM. This result was consistent with that of docking analysis, which revealed that 3 might bind to an allosteric site of the enzyme. From the inactive barley-based semisolid culture of M. dendritica, the natural pigment erythroglaucin (6) and the nucleosides deoxyadenosine (7), adenosine (8), thymidine (9), and uridine (10) were also isolated and identified.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors from the fungus Malbranchea albolutea

From solid rice-based cultures of Malbranchea albolutea, three undescribed ardeemins and sartoryglabrins analogs were discovered and named alboluteins A-C. 1H-Indole-3-carbaldehyde, and anthranilic acid were also isolated. 1D and 2D-NMR techniques, as well as DFT-calculated chemical shifts, allowed characterizing alboluteins A-C. Testing these compounds against PTP1B indicated their inhibitory activity with IC₅₀'s ranging from 19 to 129 μM (ursolic acid IC₅₀ = 29.8 μM, positive control). Kinetic analysis revealed that albolutein C behaved as a non-competitive inhibitor. Docking studies of alboluteins A-C into the crystal structure of PTP1B (PDB ID: 1T49) predicted that all compounds prefer to bind at the allosteric site of the enzyme, with Ki values of 2.02 × 10^-4, 1.31 × 10^-4, and 2.67 × 10^-4 mM, respectively. Molecular dynamic studies indicated that the active compounds remained tied to the enzyme with good binding energy.

Total Synthesis and Bioactivity Studies of Fungal Metabolite (-)-TAN-2483B

The first total synthesis of (-)-TAN-2483B, a fungal metabolite possessing a densely functionalized furo[3,4-b]pyran-5-one framework, is achieved in 14 steps from d-mannose. Generation of the 2,6-trans-pyran is by cyclopropane ring expansion followed by α-selective alkynylation. Julia-Kocienski olefination introduces the E-propenyl side chain. Alkyne functionalization and carbonylation stereoselectively establish the bicyclic core of (-)-TAN-2483B. Inhibition of kinases Btk and Bmx, bacterial priority pathogens, and cytokine production in splenocytes indicates promising therapeutic potential.

α-Glucosidase and Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibitors from Malbranchea circinata

During a search for new α-glucosidase and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors from fungal sources, eight new secondary metabolites, including two anthranilic acid-derived peptides (1 and 2), four glycosylated anthraquinones (3-6), 4-isoprenylravenelin (7), and a dimer of 5,8-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-α-tetralone (8), along with four known compounds (9-12), were isolated from solid rice-based cultures of Malbranchea circinata. The structural elucidation of these metabolites was performed using 1D and 2D NMR techniques and DFT-calculated chemical shifts. Compounds 1-3, 9, and 10 showed inhibitory activity to yeast α-glucosidase (αGHY), with IC₅₀ values ranging from 57.4 to 261.3 μM (IC₅₀ acarbose = 585.8 μM). The effect of 10 (10.0 mg/kg) was corroborated in vivo using a sucrose tolerance test in normoglucemic mice. The most active compounds against PTP-1B were 8-10, with IC₅₀ values from 10.9 to 15.3 μM (IC₅₀ ursolic acid = 27.8 μM). Docking analysis of the active compounds into the crystal structures of αGHY and PTP-1B predicted that all compounds bind to the catalytic domains of the enzymes. Together, these results showed that M. circinata is a potential source of antidiabetic drug leads.

New Bioactive Metabolites from the Thermophilic FungusPenicilliumsp. Isolated from Ghamiqa Hot Spring in Saudi Arabia

The thermophilic fungusPenicilliumspecies was isolated from Ghamiqa hot spring sediments in Saudi Arabia. Extract ofPenicilliumspecies cultured on solid rice medium yielded two new compounds 3-(furan 12-carboxylic acid)-6-(methoxycarbonyl)-4-hydroxy-4-methyl-4 and 5-dihydro-2H-pyran13α-methyl-7-hydroxy-5-carboxylic acid methyl ester-1-indanone2. In addition, three known compounds, austinol3, emodin4, and 2-methyl-penicinoline5, were isolated. The structures of the new compounds were unambiguously determined by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data, one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. All isolated metabolites were studied for their antibiotic effect against several pathogenic bacteria and for their cytotoxicity against the lymphoma human cancer cell line HTB-176. Austinol3exhibited strong antibacterial activity againstP. aeruginosabacterial strain with an MIC value of 0.13 ± 0.4 µg·mL−1, whereas emodin4demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against the tested HTB-176 cell line with an IC50value of 2 ± 7.6 µM, while the other compounds were moderate to inactive with IC50ranging from 4.3 ± 0.25–22 ± 2.94 µM in this assay.