Nature-inspired indolyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene derivatives as promising agents for the attenuation of withdrawal symptoms: synthesis of 20-desethyl-20-hydroxymethyl-11-demethoxyibogaine

Microwave assisted Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 5-Br-N-benzylpyridinone (2) with methyl acrylate is described to gain an easy access to 7-bromo-2-benzyl-3-oxo-2-aza-5 or 6-carbomethoxy bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-enes (3)-(6). The preparation of the ibogaine analogue 20-desethyl-(20-endo)-hydroxymethyl-11-demethoxyibogaine (17) is described by stereoselective hydrogenation of the C(7)-C(8) double bond. Biological evaluation showed an interesting in vitro binding profile toward dopamine transporter, serotonin transporter and opioid receptor systems accompanied by an antiwithdrawal effect in mice for hydroxymethyl 7-indolyl-2-aza-bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (14). The simplification of the ibogaine structure appears as a promising approach toward the design of compounds that could reduce the withdrawal symptoms.

Regioselective enzymatic glycosylation of natural polyhydroxylated compounds: galactosylation and glucosylation of protopanaxatriol ginsenosides

Ginsenoside Rg1 (1), the most representative Ginsenoside from Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer belonging to the protopanaxatriol family, has been galactosylated by action of the beta-(1,4)-galactosyltransferase (GalT) from bovine colostrum, using UDP-galactose as an activated sugar donor. The enzyme showed the well-known specificity for the formation of a beta-linkage with the C-4 OH of the glucose acceptor, but it was not able to discriminate between the two glucose moieties of 1, giving a mixture of mono- and digalactosylated derivatives. Other natural Rg1-analogues such as F1, Rh1, Re, as well as the synthetic derivative 6'-O-acetyl-Rg1 have been also galactosylated, giving monolactosyl derivatives. GalT was also able to accept UDP-glucose as an activated sugar donor, giving rise to cellobiosyl derivatives of Rg1.

Biological evaluation on different human cancer cell lines of novel colchicine analogs

Three new 7-0-substituted deacetamidothiocolchicine derivatives have been evaluated for their antitumor activity against various human tumor cell lines, some of which express the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, for their impact on the cell cycle and their binding to tubulin. Colchicine and thiocolchicine were used as reference compounds. Thiocolchicine was the most active agent on MDR-negative cells in terms of growth inhibition, whereas for multidrug-resistant cells, thiocolchicone was the most active compound (IC50 = 14 nM). As indicated by statistical analysis, a perfect agreement for the potency order (IC50 values) of the compounds between all the MDR-negative cancer cells (k = 1.00), a poor agreement between MDR-positive and MDR-negative cancer lines, and a moderate agreement (k = 0.50) between the two resistant cancer cells MCF-7 ADRr and CEM VBL were observed. To gain further insight into the mechanism of the antitumor activity of colchicinoids, the most active compounds, colchicone and thiocolchicone, were selected to evaluate their effect on cell cycle, apoptosis, and tubulin interaction. The highest recruitment activity into the G21/M phase of the cell cycle was detected in thiocolchicone-treated breast cancer cells. Interestingly, after 72 h of culture, when the cell cycle block subsided, a consistent amount of DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, was evident. Morphological analysis of MCF-7 ADRr cells confirmed this hypothesis and revealed that thiocolchicone was able to induce apoptosis in this MDR-bearing model. We also demonstrated, using flow cytometry, that thiocolchicone interacts with alpha- and beta-tubulin, thereby affecting the expression of both subunits.

Application of lipase-catalyzed regioselective esterification in the preparation of digitonin derivatives

The oligosaccharide chain of the monodesmosidic haemolytic saponin digitonin (1) undergoes an efficient and regioselective acylation in organic solvent by use of Novozym 435 (lipase B from Candida antarctica supported on acrylic resin) in the presence of an activated ester. With vinyl acetate, acetylation occurs at C-6 OH of glucose(II) and C-4 OH of xylose to afford the previously unreported diacetyl derivative 2 and the monoacetyl derivatives 3 and 4. With vinyl laurate only the monolauryl derivative 5 is formed. The structures of these acylated digitonins have been established using modern 2D NMR techniques, which allowed complete assignments of all proton resonances. The hemolytic activity of derivatives 2-5 is significantly reduced compared to that of digitonin.

Subtilisin-catalyzed esterification of di- and oligosaccharides containing a D-fructose moiety

Several di- and oligosaccharides containing a D-fructose moiety have been acylated by protease subtilisin in anhydrous dimethylformamide in the presence of the activated ester trifluoroethyl butanoate. Under the reaction conditions used, all the substrates were converted into the corresponding monobutanoates in ca. 50% isolated yields. Structural determination of the products by 13C NMR indicated a strong preference of subtilisin towards the regioselective esterification of the primary hydroxyls of the fructose moiety and, specifically, of the C-1 OH, as already observed with sucrose.

Enzymatic modification of natural compounds with pharmacological properties

Glycosides of various classes of natural products are widely distributed in nature, where they are often present esterified with aliphatic and aromatic acids at specific OH's of their sugar moieties. Many of these compounds are pharmacologically important molecules or possess other interesting properties. For instance, ginsenosides (e.g., 3) are therapeutic dammarane-type oligoglycosides isolated from the water-soluble portion of the dried roots and leaves of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Aralianceae), a plant widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years, we have exploited the regioselectivity of lipases and proteases in organic solvents for the synthesis of specific esters of ginsenosides as well as the selectivity of the beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase from bovine colostrum to obtain new glycosyl derivatives of these compounds. The application of these two enzymatic methodologies has also been exemplified with other natural compounds with pharmacological properties: digitonin (5), colchicoside (6), and flavonoid glycosides.

Effect of organic cosolvents on the stability and activity of the beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase from bovine colostrum

The influence of various organic cosolvents on the stability and activity of the beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase from bovine colostrum (GalT) and of its ancillary enzyme UDP-galactose-4'-epimerase has been investigated using the glucosylated alkaloid colchicoside (1) as a model substrate. It has been found that some cosolvents, such as Me2SO and MeOH, can be used up to 20% v/v without any influence on the performance of these enzymes, while others, such as tetrahydrofuran, rapidly inactivated GalT at concentrations as low as 5% v/v. These results have been exploited for the galactosylation of the poorly water soluble coumarinic glucoside fraxin (2).

A two-step efficient chemoenzymatic synthesis of flavonoid glycoside malonates

A simple and high-yielding protocol for the malonylation of some flavonoid glycosides is described. The two-step synthesis is based on the regioselective enzymatic introduction of a benzylmalonyl group by catalysis with the lipase from Candida antarctica, followed by Pd/C hydrogenolysis of the benzyl moiety.

A structural study on elcatonin, a novel synthetic analogue of eel calcitonin, by fast atom bombardment and tandem mass spectrometry

Elcatonin (ELC), a synthetic analogue of eel calcitonin, successfully used in the treatment of diseases characterized by an increase of osteoclastic activity, has been fully sequenced by combined enzymatic hydrolysis and fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometric methodology. The FAB mass spectrometric analysis on the entire molecule gave only the cluster corresponding to the molecular ion. Digestion with trypsin afforded four oligopeptides corresponding to fragments 1-11, 12-18, 19-24 and 25-32. B/E daughter ion analysis performed in turn on each protonated molecule ion in the tryptic mixture allowed complete sequencing of fragments 1-11 and 12-18, while in fragments 19-24 and 25-32 the portions 23-24 and 25-26 remained respectively unclarified. Investigation on the single oligopeptide isolated by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and chymotryptic digestion of the molecule failed to provide any new information. One step of Edman degradation on tryptic digest permitted attribution of the 25-26 sequence to Thr-Asp. The connectivity between tryptic ELC fragments and the 23-24 sequence were proved by cleavage with V8 protease, which gave the oligopeptides 1-15 and 16-32. These were exhaustively analysed by FAB mass spectrometry.

Enzymatic synthesis of [4R-2H]NAD (P)H and [4S-2H]NAD(P)H and determination of the stereospecificity of 7 alpha- and 12 alpha hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase

The stereospecifically labeled coenzymes [4R-2H]NADH, [4R-2H]NADPH and [4S-2H]NAD(P)H were synthesized enzymatically in high yield and high isotopic purity (greater than or equal to 95%) with 2HCOO2H/formate dehydrogenase, (CH3)2C2HOH/alchol dehydrogenase from Thermoanaerobium brockii and [1-2H]glucose/glucose dehydrogenase, respectively. This set of deuterated coenzymes was used to determine the stereospecificity of the previously unstudied 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli (NAD-dependent) and 12 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Clostridium group P (NADP-dependent). H-NMR and EI-MS of the nicotinamide moiety after enzymatic oxidation of deuterated NAD(P)H with dehydrocholic acid as substrate showed that both dehydrogenases are B-sterospecific.

FD and FAB mass spectra of some oligopeptides of the tryptophyllin family

Mass spectra of some natural thryptophyllins and synthetic analogues have been obtained by using field desorption and fast atom bombardment as soft ionization techniques to overcome the low volatility of these oligopeptides. Field desorption spectra generally show the molecular ion as base peak; some fragments of thermal origin are present at higher emitter heating current, thus providing additional structural information. Fast atom bombardment mass spectra show a more regular fragmentation of the peptide backbone, which allow the complete amino acid sequence to be checked. The presence of two consecutive proline residues in some of the examined molecules affects their fragmentation pattern in both field desorption and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry giving rise to spectral features which are useful from the diagnostic point of view. The two ionization methods are compared and the advantage of the combined use of both techniques is pointed out.

Epchrosine - a new indole alkaloid isolated from plant cell cultures of Ochrosia elliptica Labill

From plant cell suspension cultures of Ochrosia elliptica Labill. an indole alkaloid of the apparicine type has been isolated, which is not known to occur in differentiated plants. The structure of the new compound, named epchrosine, was established by UV, MS and high resolution two-dimensional (1)H NMR (COSY and NOESY) as (19R,20R)-epoxyapparicine.

Evidence about the catecholoxidase activity of the enzyme ascorbate oxidase extracted from Cucurbita pepo medullosa

Pure ascorbate oxidase (L-ascorbate:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.10.3.3) isolated from Cucurbita pepo medullosa, which is known to be specific for ascorbic acid, shows a secondary catecholoxidase activity at approx. pH 6.7. This activity was tested against natural and synthetic compounds possessing a catechol-like structure. Among natural compounds (+)-catechin furnishes the same complex oxidation mixture obtained with other oxidases. Among synthetic compounds, 3,5-di-t-butylcatechol and 4-t-butylcatechol give the corresponding o-quinones. The significance of this secondary activity in the darkening process of fruits and vegetables which contain ascorbate oxidase is also discussed.