New Investigations with Lupane Type A-Ring Azepane Triterpenoids for Antimycobacterial Drug Candidate Design

Twenty lupane type A-ring azepano-triterpenoids were synthesized from betulin and its related derivatives and their antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mono-resistant MTB strains, and nontuberculous strains Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium avium were investigated in the framework of AToMIc (Anti-mycobacterial Target or Mechanism Identification Contract) realized by the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, National Institute of Health. Of all the tested triterpenoids, 17 compounds showed antitubercular activity and 6 compounds were highly active on the H37Rv wild strain (with MIC 0.5 µM for compound 7), out of which 4 derivatives also emerged as highly active compounds on the three mono-resistant MTB strains. Molecular docking corroborated with a machine learning drug-drug similarity algorithm revealed that azepano-triterpenoids have a rifampicin-like antitubercular activity, with compound 7 scoring the highest as a potential M. tuberculosis RNAP potential inhibitor. FIC testing demonstrated an additive effect of compound 7 when combined with rifampin, isoniazid and ethambutol. Most compounds were highly active against M. avium with compound 14 recording the same MIC value as the control rifampicin (0.0625 µM). The antitubercular ex vivo effectiveness of the tested compounds on THP-1 infected macrophages is correlated with their increased cell permeability. The tested triterpenoids also exhibit low cytotoxicity and do not induce antibacterial resistance in MTB strains.

The Reactions of 6-(Hydroxymethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-1-azaspiro[4.4]nonanes with Methanesulfonyl Chloride or PPh3-CBr4

Activation of a hydroxyl group towards nucleophilic substitution via reaction with methanesulfonyl chloride or PPh₃-CBr₄ system is a commonly used pathway to various functional derivatives. The reactions of (5R(S),6R(S))-1-X-6-(hydroxymethyl)-2,2-dimethyl- 1-azaspiro[4.4]nonanes 1a–d (X = O·; H; OBn, OBz) with MsCl/NR₃ or PPh₃-CBr₄ were studied. Depending on substituent X, the reaction afforded hexahydro-1H,6H-cyclopenta[c]pyrrolo[1,2-b]isoxazole (2) (for X = O), a mixture of 2 and octahydrocyclopenta[c]azepines (4–6) (for X = OBn, OBz), or perhydro-cyclopenta[2,3]azeto[1,2-a]pyrrol (3) (for X = H) derivatives. Alkylation of the latter with MeI with subsequent Hofmann elimination afforded 2,3,3-trimethyl-1,2,3,4,5,7,8,8a-octahydrocyclopenta[c]azepine with 56% yield.

tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Triterpenoids exhibit a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to synthesize a series of nitrogen derivatives based on lupane, oleanane, and ursane triterpenoids with high antitubercular activity.

METHODS

Isonicotinoylhydrazones were prepared via the reaction of 3-oxotriterpenic acids or betulonic aldehyde with isoniazid (INH) in yields of 54-72%. N-Acylation of betulonic or azepanobetulinic acids led to lupane C28 hydrazides and dihydrazides. The derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antimycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37RV and single-drug resistance (SDR)-TB in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, USA. Molecular docking was performed to evaluate the possible binding modes of investigated compounds in the active site of Diterpene synthase (Rv3378c).

RESULTS

The obtained compounds are represented by C3 or C28 conjugates with hydrazine hydrate or INH. Some compounds demonstrated from high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC ≤ 10 μg/mL) to excellent (MICs from 0.19 to 1.25 μg/mL) activity against MTB H37RV. Two lupane conjugates with INH were the leading compounds against MTB H37RV and some SDR-strains with MICs ranged from 0.19 to 1.70 μg/mL. Molecular docking of active compounds to diterpene synthase showed that these moieties accommodate the active site of the enzyme.

CONCLUSION

It was revealed that the conjugation of lupanes with INH at C3 is more effective than at C28 and the lupane skeleton is preferable among oleanane and ursane types. The replacement of native hexacarbocyclic A ring to seven-member azepane ring is favorably for inhibition of both MTB H37RV and SDR-strains. These data could possibly mean that the antitubercular activity against INH-resistant strains (INH-R) came from both triterpenoid and isoniazid parts of the hybrid molecules. Azepanobetulin showed the highest activity against both INH-R strains in comparison with other triterpenoids and INH. Thus, the introduction of hydrazone, hydrazide (dihydrazide), or azepane moieties into the triterpenoid core is a promising way for the development of new anti-tubercular agents.

Cytotoxic Potential of a-Azepano- and 3-Amino-3,4-SeCo-Triterpenoids

Semi-synthetic triterpenoids, holding an amino substituted seven-membered A-ring (azepano-ring), which could be synthesized from triterpenic oximes through a Beckmann type rearrangement followed by a reduction of lactame fragment, are considered to be novel promising agents exhibiting anti-microbial, alpha-glucosidase, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. In this study, in an attempt to develop new antitumor candidates, a series of A-ring azepano- and 3-amino-3,4-seco-derivatives of betulin, oleanolic, ursolic, and glycyrrhetinic acids were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against five human cancer cell lines and non-malignant mouse fibroblasts by means of a colorimetric sulforhodamine assay. Azepanoallobetulinic acid amide derivative 11 was the most cytotoxic compound of this series but showed little selectivity between the different human tumor cell lines. Flow cytometry experiments showed compound 11 to act mainly by apoptosis (44.3%) and late apoptosis (21.4%). The compounds were further screened at the National Cancer Institute towards a panel of 60 cancer cell lines. It was found that compounds 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 19, and 20 showed growth inhibitory (GI₅₀) against the most sensitive cell lines at submicromolar concentrations (0.20–0.94 μM), and their cytotoxic activity (LC₅₀) was also high (1–6 μM). Derivatives 3, 8, 11, 15, and 16 demonstrated a certain selectivity profile at GI₅₀ level from 5.16 to 9.56 towards K-562, CCRF-CEM, HL-60(TB), and RPMI-8226 (Leukemia), HT29 (Colon cancer), and OVCAR-4 (Ovarian cancer) cell lines. Selectivity indexes of azepanoerythrodiol 3 at TGI level ranged from 5.93 (CNS cancer cell lines SF-539, SNB-19 and SNB-75) to 14.89 for HCT-116 (colon cancer) with SI 9.56 at GI₅₀ level for the leukemia cell line K-562. The present study highlighted the importance of A-azepano-ring in the triterpenic core for the development of novel antitumor agents, and a future aim to increase the selectivity profile will thus lie in the area of modifications of azepano-triterpenic acids at their carboxyl group.

A Photochemical Two-Step Formal [5+2] Cycloaddition: A Condensation/Ring-Expansion Approach to Substituted Azepanes

Seven-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles are considerably underrepresented in the literature compared to their five- and six-membered analogues. Herein, we report a relatively understudied photochemical rearrangement of N-vinylpyrrolidinones to azepin-4-ones in good yields. This transformation allows for the conversion of readily available pyrrolidinones and aldehydes to densely functionalized azepane derivatives in a facile two step procedure.

Crystal structure of (-)-(5R,7R,8S,9R,10S)-8-methyl-7-[(5R)-3-methyl-2-oxooxolan-3-en-5-yl]-1-aza-6-oxatri-cyclo-[8.3.0.05,9]tridecan-13-one monohydrate

The title compound, C17H23NO4·H2O, is an epimer of the natural tetra-cyclic alkaloid isosaxorumamide which consists of a fused 5-7-5 tricyclic core and a di-hydro-furan-one substituent. The terminal di-hydro-furan ring is essentially planar with a maximum deviation of 0.0273 (14) Å from the mean plane and oxolane, azepane and pyrrolidine rings in the tricyclic ring system adopt twist, twist-chair and envelope forms, respectively. In the crystal, the amide and water mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a tape structure running along the b-axis direction. The tapes are further connected by C-H⋯O inter-actions into a three-dimensional architecture.

Crystal structure of methyl (3RS,4SR,4aRS,11aRS,11bSR)-5-oxo-3,4,4a,5,7,8,9,10,11,11a-deca-hydro-3,11b-ep-oxy-azepino[2,1-a]iso-indole-4-carboxyl-ate

The title compound, C₁₅H₁₉NO₄, is the a product of the esterification of the corresponding carbonic acid with methanol. The mol­ecule comprises a fused tetra­cyclic system containing three five-membered rings (2-pyrrolidinone, tetra­hydro­furan and di­hydro­furan) and one seven-membered ring (azepane). The five-membered rings have the usual envelope conformations, with the quaternary C atom being the flap atom for the 2-pyrrolidinone ring, and the ether O atom being the common flap atom for the remaining rings. The seven-membered azepane ring adopts a chair conformation with the methine and middle methyl­ene C atoms lying above and below the mean plane defined by the remaining five atoms. The carboxyl­ate substituent is rotated by 77.56 (5)° with respect to the base plane of the tetra­hydro­furan ring. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are bound by weak C—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions into puckered layers parallel to (001).

A unified approach to the important protein kinase inhibitor balanol and a proposed analogue

A common approach to the important protein kinase inhibitor (−)-balanol and an azepine-ring-modified balanol derivative has been developed using an efficient fragment coupling protocol which proceeded in good overall yield.