Preparation and antibacterial activity of coronarin E derivatives

Coronarin E is a main diterpene ever isolated from Hedychium yunnanense. With the aim to enlarge its potential application, four butenolide derivatives (compounds 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b) were obtained from coronarin E via synthetic method, and their antibacterial effects were also evaluated. It is noteworthy that compounds 5a and 5b exhibited stronger antibacterial activities against most of the tested bacterial strains than ampicillin and kanamycin, two first- and second-line antimicrobials in clinical. For example, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5a, 5b, ampicillin and kanamycin against Acinetobacter baumanii were 2, 1, 8 and 4 μg/mL, respectively, and MIC of the four compounds mentioned above against Klebsiella pneumonia were 1, 0.5, 16 and 4 μg/mL, respectively. The current studies not only enrich the structural diversity of diterpenes derived from Hedychium genus, but also provide potent candidates for the development of antibacterial medicines.

A Construction of α-Alkenyl Lactones via Reduction Radical Cascade Reaction of Allyl Alcohols and Acetylenic Acids

An iron-catalyzed cascade reaction of radical reduction of allyl alcohols and acetylenic acids to construct polysubstituted α-alkenyl lactones has been developed. In this paper, various allyl alcohols can form allyl ester intermediates and are further transformed into alkyl radicals, which form products through intramolecular reflex-Michael addition. In addition, this method can be used to prepare spirocycloalkenyl lactones. Interestingly, this protocol can be used to synthesize the skeleton structure of natural products. Moreover, the product can be further transformed into a β-methylene tetrahydrofuran and tetrahydrofuran diene.

Tandem Bond-Forming Reactions of 1-Alkynyl Ethers

Electron-rich alkynes, such as ynamines, ynamides, and ynol ethers, are functional groups that possess significant potential in organic chemistry for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. While the synthetic utility of ynamides has recently been expanded considerably, 1-alkynyl ethers, which possess many of the reactivity features of ynamides, have traditionally been far less investigated because of concerns about their stability. Like ynamides, ynol ethers are relatively unhindered to approach by functional groups present in the same or different molecules because of their linear geometry, and they can potentially form up to four new bonds in a single transformation. Ynol ethers also possess unique reactivity features that make them complementary to ynamides. Research over the past decade has shown that ynol ethers formed in situ from stable precursors engage in a variety of useful carbon-carbon bond-forming processes. Upon formation at -78 °C, allyl alkynyl ethers undergo a rapid [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to form allyl ketene intermediates, which may be trapped with alcohol or amine nucleophiles to form γ,δ-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives. The process is stereospecific, takes place in minutes at cryogenic temperatures, and affords products containing (quaternary) stereogenic carbon atoms. Trapping of the intermediate allyl ketene with carbonyl compounds, epoxides, or oxetanes instead leads to complex α-functionalized β-, γ-, or δ-lactones, respectively. [3,3]-Sigmatropic rearrangement of benzyl alkynyl ethers also takes place at temperatures ranging from -78 to 60 °C to afford substituted 2-indanones via intramolecular carbocyclization of the ketene intermediate. tert-Butyl alkynyl ethers containing pendant di- and trisubstituted alkenes and enol ethers are stable to chromatographic isolation and undergo a retro-ene/[2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction upon mild thermolysis (90 °C) to afford cis-fused cyclobutanones and donor-acceptor cyclobutanones in good to excellent yields and diastereoselectivities. This process, which takes place under neutral conditions and proceeds through an aldoketene intermediate, obviates the need to employ moisture-sensitive and/or unstable acid chlorides under basic conditions for intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. Furthermore, Lewis acid-catalyzed intramolecular condensations of both ethyl and tert-butyl ynol ethers with tethered acetals efficiently provide protected five-, six-, and seven-membered cyclic Baylis-Hilman adducts. Metalated ethoxyacetylene can also participate in multiple bond-forming reactions that avoid isolation of the alkynyl ether intermediate. Lewis acid-promoted tandem additions employing epoxides/oxetanes and carbonyl compounds give rise to (Z)-α-alkylidene and α-benzylidene lactones stereoselectively in high overall yields. Three new carbon-carbon bonds and a ring are formed in this atom-economical single-flask transformation, resulting in a significant increase in molecular complexity. This Account provides a detailed overview of these useful transformations with the intention of stimulating further interest in and research on ynol ethers and their application in organic synthesis.

A Single-Flask Synthesis of α-Alkylidene and α-Benzylidene Lactones from Ethoxyacetylene, Epoxides/Oxetanes, and Carbonyl Compounds

Low temperature treatment of (ethoxyethynyl)lithium with epoxides or oxetanes in the presence of BF3•OEt2, followed by addition of aldehydes or ketones and warming to room temperature, affords structurally diverse five- and six-membered α-alkylidene and α-benzylidene lactones (5) in good to excellent yields. This one-pot process, in which three new carbon-carbon bonds and a ring are formed, affords substituted α,β-unsaturated lactones of predominantly Z-configuration. The reaction likely occurs via alkyne-carbonyl metathesis of a hydroxy-ynol ether intermediate, acid-promoted alkene E- to Z-isomerization, and lactonization.

Semisynthetic neoclerodanes as kappa opioid receptor probes

Modification of the furan ring of salvinorin A (1), the main active component of Salvia divinorum, has resulted in novel neoclerodane diterpenes with opioid receptor affinity and activity. Conversion of the furan ring to an aldehyde at the C-12 position (5) has allowed for the synthesis of analogues with new carbon-carbon bonds at that position. Previous methods for forming these bonds, such as Grignard and Stille conditions, have met with limited success. We report a palladium catalyzed Liebeskind-Srogl cross-coupling reaction of a thioester and a boronic acid that occurs at neutral pH and ambient temperature to produce ketone analogs at C-12. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported usage of the Liebeskind-Srogl reaction to diversify a natural product scaffold. We also describe a one-step protocol for the conversion of 1 to 12-epi-1 (3) through microwave irradiation. Previously, this synthetically challenging process has required multiple steps. Additionally, we report in this study that alkene 9 and aromatic analogues 12, 19, 23, 25, and 26 were discovered to retain affinity and selectivity at kappa opioid receptors (KOP). Finally, we report that the furan-2-yl analog of 1 (31) has similar affinity to 1. Collectively, these findings suggest that different aromatic groups appended directly to the decalin core may be well tolerated by KOP receptors, and may generate further ligands with affinity and activity at KOP receptors.

[Natural products syntheses based on the biotransformation using biocatalyst]

This review summarizes the chemoenzymatic synthesis of the biologically active natural products based on a combination of chemical diastereoselectivity and enzymatic enantioselectivity using biocatalyst. Asymmetric reduction of 2-methyl-3-keto ester with yeast gave the optically active syn-2-methyl-3-hydroxy ester, which was converted to natural product such as (-)-oudemansin B. Asymmetric hydrolysis of 3-acetoxy-2-methy esters possessing syn- or anti-structure afforded the optically active 3-hydroxy-2-methyl esters and 3-acetoxy-2-methy esters corresponding to the starting material. One of these optically active 3-hydroxy-2-methyl esters was converted to aglycone of macrolide, venturicidins A and B possessing 10 chiral centers. Both primary alcohols possessing a chiral center at β-position of hydroxyl group and secondary alcohols were subjected to the lipase-assisted acylation in the presence of acyl donor to afford the optically active esters and the optically active alcohols corresponding to the starting material. These optically active compounds were converted to the biologically active natural products such as bisabolane type sesquiterpenes, decaline type diterpenes or triterpenes, nikkomycin B, (+)-asperlin, (-)-chuangxinmycin, (-)-indolmycin, cystothiazoles melithiazols, myxothiazols and piericidins possessing antifungal and cytotoxicic activities, inhibition of NADH oxidation, etc. Reaction of primary alcohol and glucose using immobilized β-glucosidase gave alkyl β-glucosides in high yield. Pentaacetate of allyl β-glucoside was subjected to Mizoroki-Heck type reaction with phenylboronic acid derivatives to give phenylpropenoid β-D-glucopyranosid congeners.

The renaissance of alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactones: new synthetic approaches

The amount of research activity concerning alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactones and alpha-alkylidene-gamma-butyrolactones has increased dramatically in recent years. This Review summarizes the structural types, biological activities, and biosynthesis of these compounds, concentrating on publications from the past 10 years. Traditional approaches to alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactones and alpha-alkylidene-gamma-butyrolactones are then reviewed together with novel approaches, including those from our own research group, reported more recently.