Chiral zwitterionic stationary phases based on Cinchona alkaloids and dipeptides: Application in chiral separation of dipeptides under reversed phase conditions

Chromatographic behavior of novel chiral stationary phases with bonded selectors based on Cinchona alkaloids modified with dipeptides was studied using dipeptides as probe molecules. Buffer-free and salt containing hydro-organic solutions were used as the mobile phases. The selectors exhibit pseudoenantiomeric behavior with respect to the L/D or LL/DD enantiomers and do not behave so with respect to the LD/DL enantiomers. The alkaloid part of the selectors is the driver of enantioselectivity, while the dipeptide substituent plays a modulating role. The quinidine-based selectors demonstrate stronger adsorption affinity and higher enantioselectivity as compared to the quinine-based selectors. The dipeptide analytes containing a glycyl fragment are weaker retained and their enantiomers are worse separated comparing to dipeptides with both units being larger amino acids. Moreover, a phenyl group in the structure of a dipeptide analyte facilitates enantioseparation. The effect of the mobile phase composition on retention depends on the hydrophobicity of an analyte. Hydrophobic dipeptides are better eluted by methanol-rich solvents, hydrophilic dipeptides are better eluted with water-rich solvents, and dipeptides with an intermediate hydrophobicity demonstrate a U-shaped or more complicated dependence of the retention factor on the percentage of methanol. Even a small buffer addition to the mobile phase decreases retention, but the ion-exchange mechanism was not confirmed. The effect of an electrolyte is rather due to the shielding of the charged groups of the selector reducing thereby electrostatic interaction between the selector and analyte. Efficiency of the novel columns is comparable to that of other brush-type chiral columns, the highest achieved number of the theoretical plates per 1 m varying between 30,000 and 40,000.

Chiral recognition without π-π-interactions: Highly efficient chiral strong cation exchangers lacking an aromatic unit in the molecular structure

Current state-of-the-art chiral stationary phases (CSPs) enable chiral resolution of almost any racemic mixture of choice. The exceptions represent ionizable and ionized substances that fail at any attempts to resolve on commercially available CSPs. These compounds, however, can be efficiently separated on chiral ion exchangers. Commercially available Cinchona alkaloids-based chiral weak ion-exchangers are typically used for chiral resolution of organic acids, while zwitterion ion-exchangers are efficient in the resolution of acids, bases, and zwitterions. The latter possess in their structure a cation exchange unit, which alone can serve as a cornerstone of chiral strong cation exchangers facilitating chiral separation of various basic racemic mixtures. Although chiral strong cation exchangers (cSCX) are efficient CSPs, their structural variations have not been thoroughly studied so far. It was assumed that the mechanism of chiral recognition of basic compounds by cSCX is based predominantly on π-π-interactions, hydrogen bonding and steric interactions (CSP I). To verify this assumption, we aimed in our study on the design and synthesis of cSCX first lacking lateral polar substituents on the aromatic unit in the selector's structure (CSP II), and second, to replace the aromatic unit by a cyclohexane ring (CSP III and IV), thereby to omit completely the π-π-interactions. We hypothesized that this structural change should lead to a partial or complete loss of enantiorecognition power of the selectors. Surprisingly, the non-aromatic cSCXs have shown chiral recognition capability comparable to that of previously described chiral cation exchange-type CSPs: from 16 analytes screened, 11 analytes were baseline resolved and 5 partially resolved on CSP I, while non-aromatic CSP III resolved 10 analytes baseline and 6 partially. We discuss the structural motifs of the known cSCX and the novel non-aromatic selectors in a relationship with their chromatographic performance using a set of basic analytes. Moreover, we present a theory of an effective chiral recognition mechanism by two novel non-aromatic cSCXs based on the chromatographic results and quantum mechanical calculations.

Enantioselective Sulfonimidamide Acylation via a Cinchona Alkaloid-Catalyzed Desymmetrization: Scope, Data Science, and Mechanistic Investigation

Methods to access chiral sulfur(VI) pharmacophores are of interest in medicinal and synthetic chemistry. We report the desymmetrization of unprotected sulfonimidamides via asymmetric acylation with a cinchona-phosphinate catalyst. The desired products are formed in excellent yield and enantioselectivity with no observed bis-acylation. A data-science-driven approach to substrate scope evaluation was coupled to high throughput experimentation (HTE) to facilitate statistical modeling in order to inform mechanistic studies. Reaction kinetics, catalyst structural studies, and density functional theory (DFT) transition state analysis elucidated the turnover-limiting step to be the collapse of the tetrahedral intermediate and provided key insights into the catalyst-substrate structure-activity relationships responsible for the origin of the enantioselectivity. This study offers a reliable method for accessing enantioenriched sulfonimidamides to propel their application as pharmacophores and serves as an example of the mechanistic insight that can be gleaned from integrating data science and traditional physical organic techniques.

Chiral zwitterionic stationary phases based on Cinchona alkaloids and dipeptides - design, synthesis and application in chiral separation

Chiral resolution of polar organic compounds such as amino acids and peptides represents an important chromatographic task due to increasing significance of natural species, which play important signaling and regulatory roles in the living organisms. Despite the number of available chiral stationary phases, this task remains challenging, since not many of the commercially available systems are capable to resolve non-derivatized zwitterionic species. In this study, we present a target-oriented design of a new class of chiral selectors. Pursuing the goal to separate amino acids, and especially short peptides, we have combined Cinchona alkaloids - quinine and quinidine - with three different biogenic dipeptides. We have synthesized six different chiral stationary phases, with selector loading of ∼200 μmol g-1, and tested their chiral recognition capabilities for acidic, basic and zwitterionic analytes using various mobile phases. We have observed that all chiral stationary phases retain the chiral anion exchange capability known for commercially available Cinchona-based columns leading to baseline or partial resolution of six out of ten analytes. The performance in chiral resolution of basic analytes is not optimum due to the weak cation exchange character of the peptidic residue. However, we report on encouraging results in the chiral resolution of short peptides, for which, depending on their structure, we see the chiral resolution of up to three stereoisomers (from four possible) in a preliminary screening.

Cinchona Alkaloid Polymers Demonstrate Highly Efficient Gene Delivery Dependent on Stereochemistry, Methoxy Substitution, and Length

Nucleic acid delivery with cationic polymers is a promising alternative to expensive viral-based methods; however, it often suffers from a lower performance. Herein, we present a highly efficient delivery system based on cinchona alkaloid natural products copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate. Cinchona alkaloids are an attractive monomer class for gene delivery applications, given their ability to bind to DNA via both electrostatics and intercalation. To uncover the structure-activity profile of the system, four structurally similar cinchona alkaloids were incorporated into polymers: quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, and cinchonidine. These polymers differed in the chain length, the presence or absence of a pendant methoxy group, and stereochemistry, all of which were found to alter gene delivery performance and the ways in which the polymers overcome biological barriers to transfection. Longer polymers that contained the methoxy-bearing cinchona alkaloids (i.e., quinine and quinidine) were found to have the best performance. These polymers exhibited the tightest DNA binding, largest and most abundant DNA-polymer complexes, and best endosomal escape thanks to their increased buffering capacity and closest nuclear proximity of the payload. Overall, this work highlights the remarkable efficiency of polymer systems that incorporate cinchona alkaloid natural products while demonstrating the profound impact that small structural changes can have on overcoming biological hurdles associated with gene delivery.

Cinchonine: A Versatile Pharmacological Agent Derived from Natural Cinchona Alkaloids

BACKGROUND

Cinchonine is one of the Cinchona alkaloids that is commercially extracted from the Peruvian bark of Cinchona officinalis L. (Family: Rubiaceae). It is also obtained in much lower quantities from other species of Cinchona, such as Cinchona calisaya, Cinchona succirubra, and Cinchona pubescens, and in some other plants, such as Remijia peruviana. Cinchonine has been historically used as an anti-malarial agent. It also has a wide range of other biological properties, including anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antimicrobial, anti-platelet aggregation, and anti-osteoclast differentiation.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

This review discusses the pharmacological activity of cinchonine under different experimental conditions, including in silico, in vitro, and in vivo. It also covers the compound's physicochemical properties, toxicological aspects, and pharmacokinetics.

METHODOLOGY

A comprehensive literature search was conducted on multiple online databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The aim was to retrieve a wide range of review/research papers and bibliographic sources. The process involved applying exclusion and inclusion criteria to ensure the selection of relevant and high-quality papers.

RESULTS

Cinchonine has numerous pharmacological properties, making it a promising compound for various therapeutic applications. It induces anti-cancer activity by activating caspase-3 and PARP-1, and triggers the endoplasmic reticulum stress response. It up-regulates GRP78 and promotes the phosphorylation of PERK and ETIF-2α. Cinchonine also inhibits osteoclastogenesis, inhibiting TAK1 activation and suppressing NFATc1 expression by regulating AP-1 and NF-κB. Its potential anti-inflammatory effects reduce the impact of high-fat diets, making it suitable for targeting obesity-related diseases. However, research on cinchonine is limited, and further studies are needed to fully understand its therapeutic potential. Further investigation is needed to ensure its safety and efficacy in clinical applications.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this review article explains the pharmacological activity of cinchonine, its synthesis, and physicochemical properties, toxicological aspects, and pharmacokinetics.

Application of 2D correlation analysis in FT - Raman investigations of quinidine aqueous solutions with varying pH

An analysis of FT-Raman spectra of quinidine (C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₂) aqueous solutions with varying pH (which was regarded as an external perturbation) was performed using the 2D correlation method. The main course of changes in the quinidine solution appears to be: protonation changes of the quinuclidine nitrogen N1, followed by protonation changes of nitrogen N13 in the quinoline, leading to the appearance of cross-peaks in the synchronous and asynchronous correlation maps. The intensity changes of peaks at 1369 cm^-1 for the unprotonated quinidine molecule, and characteristic peaks at 1387 cm^-1 and 1389 cm^-1 for protonated quinuclidine and double protonated quinidine, respectively, along with the decrease in pH, confirmed that the change in the pH of the quinidine solution has an influence on the protonation process of the Cinchona alkaloid. The negative synchronous and asynchronous cross-peaks at (1385, 823) cm^-1 and (1387, 822) cm^-1, respectively, indicate the importance of remodeling the quinoline fragment, during the process of a double protonation of the quinidine molecule. Bands correlating with 2809 cm^-1 confirmed the importance of the methoxy group in the process of quinidine protonation. The creation of hydrogen bonds after double protonation of the Cinchona alkaloids, assisted by the CH₃-O group, give an interesting insight into the changes in the studied compound occurring along with a decrease in pH.

New Members of the Cinchona Alkaloids Family: Assembly of the Triazole Heterocycle at the 6' Position

The substance class of the well-known Cinchona alkaloids is widened by 6′-Amino-cinchonine and 6′-Amino-cinchonidine, novel compounds which incorporate a primary amino function in the quinolinic ring system. These key intermediates open the field for a range of fruitful chemistry. Here is described a short and direct pathway for the synthesis of triazole containing derivatives of the above-mentioned substances using the [3 + 2] Huisgen cycloaddition. For this purpose, the amines were first converted into the corresponding azides. Based on this, non-substituted and silyl-protected triazoles were synthesized as examples. Furthermore, didehydrated derivatives of quincorine and quincoridine were used as addition partners, resulting in compounds that carry the quinuclidine ring of the cinchona alkaloids at both ends. Some of these compounds were examined radiographically to investigate the position of the quinuclidine ring to the triazole. The solid-state structures of compounds 10, 11 and 28 were determined by X-ray diffraction analyses.

Cinchonine inhibits osteoclast differentiation by regulating TAK1 and AKT, and promotes osteogenesis

Cinchonine (CN) has been known to exert antimalarial, antiplatelet, and antiobesity effects. It was also recently reported to inhibit transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and protein kinase B (AKT) through binding to tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6). However, its role in bone metabolism remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that CN inhibits osteoclast differentiation with decreased expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), a key determinant of osteoclastogenesis. Immunoblot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis as well as the reporter assay revealed that CN inhibits nuclear factor-κB and activator protein-1 by regulating TAK1. CN also attenuated the activation of AKT, cyclic AMP response element-binding protein, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1β (PGC1β), an essential regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. Collectively, these results suggested that CN may inhibit TRAF6-mediated TAK1 and AKT activation, which leads to downregulation of NFATc1 and PGC1β resulting in the suppression of osteoclast differentiation. Interestingly, CN not only inhibited the maturation and resorption function of differentiated osteoclasts but also promoted osteoblast differentiation. Furthermore, CN protected lipopolysaccharide- and ovariectomy-induced bone destruction in mouse models, suggesting its therapeutic potential for treating inflammation-induced bone diseases and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Pseudo-natural products and natural product-inspired methods in chemical biology and drug discovery

Through evolution, nature has provided natural products (NPs) as a rich source of diverse bioactive material. Many drug discovery programs have used nature as an inspiration for the design of NP-like compound classes. These concepts are guided by the prevalidated biological relevance of NPs while going beyond the limitations of nature to produce chemical matter that could have unexpected or novel bioactivities. Herein, we discuss, compare, and highlight recent examples of NP-inspired methods with a focus on the pseudo-NP concept.

Historical chemical annotations of Cinchona bark collections are comparable to results from current day high-pressure liquid chromatography technologies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Species of the genus Cinchona (Rubiaceae) have been used in traditional medicine, and as a source for quinine since its discovery as an effective medicine against malaria in the 17th century. Despite being the sole cure of malaria for almost 350 years, little is known about the chemical diversity between and within species of the antimalarial alkaloids found in the bark. Extensive historical Cinchona bark collections housed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, and in other museums may shed new light on the alkaloid chemistry of the Cinchona genus and the history of the quest for the most effective Cinchona barks.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We used High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with fluorescence detection (FLD) to reanalyze a set of Cinchona barks originally annotated for the four major quinine alkaloids by John Eliot Howard and others more than 150 years ago.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed an archival search on the Cinchona bark collections in the Economic Botany Collection housed in Kew, focusing on those with historical alkaloid content information. Then, we performed HPLC analysis of the bark samples to separate and quantify the four major quinine alkaloids and the total alkaloid content using fluorescence detection. Correlations between historic and current annotations were calculated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, before paired comparisons were performed using Wilcox rank sum tests. The effects of source were explored using generalized linear modelling (GLM), before the significance of each parameter in predicting alkaloid concentrations were assessed using chi-square tests as likelihood ratio testing (LRT) models.

RESULTS

The total alkaloid content estimation obtained by our HPLC analysis was comparatively similar to the historical chemical annotations made by Howard. Additionally, the quantity of two of the major alkaloids, quinine and cinchonine, and the total content of the four alkaloids obtained were significantly similar between the historical and current day analysis using linear regression.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the historical chemical analysis by Howard and current day HPLC alkaloid content estimations are comparable. Current day HPLC analysis thus provide a realistic estimate of the alkaloid contents in the historical bark samples at the time of sampling more than 150 years ago. Museum collections provide a powerful but underused source of material for understanding early use and collecting history as well as for comparative analyses with current day samples.

Amine-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Aldol Reaction of β-Ketocarboxylic Acids with Trifluoropyruvates

Decarboxylative aldol reaction of aliphatic carboxylic acids is a useful method for C-C bond formation because carboxylic acids are an easily available class of compounds. In this study, we found that the decarboxylative aldol reaction of tertiary β-ketocarboxylic acids and trifluoropyruvates proceeded smoothly to yield the corresponding aldol products in high yields and with high diastereoselectivity in the presence of a tertiary amine catalyst. In this reaction, we efficiently constructed a quaternary carbon center and an adjacent trifluoromethylated carbon center. This protocol was also extended to an enantioselective reaction with a chiral amine catalyst, and the desired product was obtained with up to 73% enantioselectivity.

Enantioselective Benzylation and Allylation of α-Trifluoromethoxy Indanones under Phase-Transfer Catalysis

The organo-catalyzed enantioselective benzylation reaction of α-trifluoromethoxy indanones afforded α-benzyl-α-trifluoromethoxy indanones with a tetrasubstituted stereogenic carbon center in excellent yield with moderate enantioselectivity (up to 57% ee). Cinchona alkaloid-based chiral phase transfer catalysts were found to be effective for this transformation, and both enantiomers of α-benzyl-α-trifluoromethoxy indanones were accessed, depended on the use of cinchonidine and cinchonine-derived catalyst. The method was extended to the enantioselective allylation reaction of α-trifluoromethoxy indanones to give the allylation products in moderate yield with good enantioselectivity (up to 76% ee).

Stereoselective synthesis of chromane derivatives via a domino reaction catalyzed by modularly designed organocatalysts

A highly enantio- and diastereoselective method for the synthesis of functionalized chroman-2-ones and chromanes was achieved by using an organocatalytic domino Michael/hemiacetalization reaction of aliphatic aldehydes and (E)-2-(2-nitrovinyl)phenols followed by a PCC oxidation and dehydroxylation, respectively. Using the modularly designed organocatalysts (MDOs) self-assembled from cinchona alkaloid derivatives and amino acids in the reaction media, the title products were obtained in good to high yields (up to 97%) and excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 99 : 1 dr) and enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee).

Design and evaluation of selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors based on Cinchona alkaloid scaffold

This paper describes the synthesis and anticholinesterase potency of Cinchona-based alkaloids; ten quaternary derivatives of cinchonines and their corresponding pseudo-enantiomeric cinchonidines. The quaternization of quinuclidine moiety of each compound was carried out with groups diverse in their size: methyl, benzyl and differently meta- and para-substituted benzyl groups. All of the prepared compounds reversibly inhibited human butyrylcholinesterase and acetylcholinesterase with Ki constants within nanomolar to micromolar range. Five cinchonidine derivatives displayed 95-510 times higher inhibition selectivity to butyrylcholinesterase over acetylcholinesterase and four were potent butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors with Ki constants up to 100 nM, of which N-para-bromobenzyl cinchonidinium bromide can be considered a lead for further modifications and optimizations for possible use in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Synthesis of Both Enantiomers of Chiral Phenylalanine Derivatives Catalyzed by Cinchona Alkaloid Quaternary Ammonium Salts as Asymmetric Phase Transfer Catalysts

A practical synthesis of both enantiomers of unnatural phenylalanine derivatives by using two pseudoenantiomeric phase transfer catalysts is described. Through asymmetric α-alkylation of glycine Schiff base with substituted benzyl bromides and 1-(bromomethyl)naphthalene under the catalysis of O-allyl-N-(9-anthracenmethyl) cinchoninium bromide (1f) and O-allyl-N-(9-anthracenylmethyl)cinchonidium bromide (1i), respectively, a series of both (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of unnatural α-amino acid derivatives were obtained in excellent yields and enantioselectivity. The synthetic method is simple and scalable, and the stereochemistry of the products is fully predictable and controlled: the cinchonine-type phase transfer catalyst 1f resulted in (R)-α-amino acid derivatives, and the cinchonidine-type phase transfer catalyst 1i afforded (S)-α-amino acid derivatives.

Towards an Asymmetric Organocatalytic α-Azidation of β-Ketoesters

Detailed investigations concerning the organocatalytic (asymmetric) α-azidation of prochiral β-ketoesters were carried out. It was shown that the racemic version of such a reaction can either be carried out under oxidative conditions using TMSN₃ as the azide-source with quaternary ammonium iodides as the catalysts, or by using hypervalent iodine-based electrophilic azide-transfer reagents with different organocatalysts. In addition, the latter strategy could also be carried out with modest enantioselectivities when using simple cinchona alkaloid catalysts, albeit with relatively low yields.

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated γ-Amino Acids through the Umpolung Addition of Trifluoromethyl Imines to Carboxylic Acid Derivatives

Novel cinchona alkaloid derived chiral phase-transfer catalysts enabled the highly chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective umpolung addition of trifluoromethyl imines to α,β-unsaturated N-acyl pyrroles. With a catalyst loading ranging from 0.2 to 5.0 mol %, this new catalytic asymmetric transformation provides facile and high-yielding access to highly enantiomerically enriched chiral trifluoromethylated γ-amino acids and γ-lactams.

Synthesis of chiral chalcone derivatives catalyzed by the chiral cinchona alkaloid squaramide

An effective method has been developed for the preparation of novel chiral chalcone derivatives under mild conditions from the easily accessible starting materials nitromethane and chalcone derivatives 2. The corresponding products were obtained in moderate yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99%).

How cinchona alkaloid-derived primary amines control asymmetric electrophilic fluorination of cyclic ketones

The origin of selectivity in the α-fluorination of cyclic ketones catalyzed by cinchona alkaloid-derived primary amines is determined with density functional calculations. The chair preference of a seven-membered ring at the fluorine transfer transition state is key in determining the sense and level of enantiofacial selectivity.

Cinchona alkaloid derivative-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis via a Mannich-type reaction and antifungal activity of β-amino esters bearing benzoheterocycle moieties

An efficient synthesis of highly functionalized chiral β-amino ester derivatives containing benzothiophene and benzothiazole moieties is developed by a Mannich-type reaction using a cinchona alkaloid-derived thiourea catalyst. The desired products were obtained in good yields and high enantioselectivities (~86% yield, >99% ee) using to the optimized reaction conditions. The synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR, and HREI-MS analyses. The bioassays identified that compound 5dr has excellent antifungal activity, with a 60.53% inhibition rate against F. oxysporum, higher than that of the commercial agricultural fungicide hymexazol, whose inhibition rate was 56.12%.

Chemical modifications of cinchona alkaloids lead to enhanced inhibition of human butyrylcholinesterase

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors were identified from a collection containing cinchonine, cinchonidine and synthetic derivatives, and further characterized using cytotoxicity and molecular docking studies. The most active ones were: (10 triple bond)-10,11-dibromo-10,11-dihydrocinchonidine (11), a competitive inhibitor with Ki = 3.45 +/- 0.39 microM, and IC50 BChE = 9.83 +/- 0.30 microM/human (h)BChE = 34.47 +/- 4.63 and O-(trimethylsilyl)cinchonine (15), a mixed inhibitor with Kiuc = 1.73 +/- 0.46 microM and Kic = 0.85 +/- 0.26 microM, and IC50 BChE = 0.56 +/- 0.14 microM/hBChE = 0.24 +/- 0.04. In cytotoxicity experiments, > or = 80% of the cells remained viable when exposed to concentrations of up to 80 microM of both inhibitors in four different cell lines, including neurons. Due to the bulkier trimethylsilyl side group of 15, it covered the active site of hBChE better than 11 with an OH-group while not being able to fit into the active site gorge of hAChE, thus explaining the selectivity of 15 towards hBChE.

Cinchona alkaloids from Cinchona succirubra and Cinchona ledgeriana

Seven new cinchona alkaloids, cinchonanines A-G (1-7), and 29 known alkaloids were isolated from the barks of Cinchona surrirubra and C. ledgeriana collected from Yunnan Province in China. The new structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines. Compounds 2, 13, 14, and 15 showed moderate cytotoxicity.

Influences of urea and pH on the interaction of cinchonidine with bovine serum albumin by steady state fluorescence spectroscopy

The binding of cinchonidine to bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solution in the absence and presence of urea has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopic techniques at pH 7.40. Denaturation of BSA in the presence of urea is almost complete at [urea] ≥8.0 M. Upon unfolding, two fluorescence peaks of BSA were observed. One peak was assigned to the fluorescence of Trp residue in a polar environment, and the other peak was assigned to the fluorescence of Tyr residues. In addition, the fluorescence quenching effects of cinchonidine were shown not only on the native but also on the unfolded form of BSA. The quenching rate constants and binding constants calculated in the absence and presence of the denaturant urea indicates that the binding capacity of cinchonidine to the denatured BSA deceases dramatically. In addition, influence of pH on the interaction between cinchonidine and BSA was investigated and the binding abilities of the drug to BSA deceased under lower pH conditions (pH 3.5 and 1.8) and higher pH conditions (pH 9.0).

One-pot synthesis of novel chiral β-amino acid derivatives by enantioselective Mannich reactions catalyzed by squaramide cinchona alkaloids

An efficient one-pot synthesis of novel β-amino acid derivatives containing a thiadiazole moiety was developed using a chiral squaramide cinchona alkaloid as organocatalyst. The reactions afforded chiral β-amino acid derivatives in moderate yields and with moderate to excellent enantioselectivities. The present study demonstrated for the first time the use of a Mannich reaction catalyzed by a chiral bifunctional organocatalyst for the one-pot synthesis of novel β-amino acid derivatives bearing a 1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety on nitrogen.

Asymmetric synthesis of the carbon-14-labeled selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator using cinchona alkaloid catalyzed addition of 6-bromoindole to ethyl trifluoropyruvate

We describe in this study the asymmetric synthesis of radioisotope (RI)-labeled selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator. This synthesis is based on optimization of the cinchona alkaloid catalyzed addition of 6-bromoindole to ethyl trifluoropyruvate and Negishi coupling of zinc cyanide to the 6-bromoindole moiety. [¹⁴C] Labeled (-)-{4-[(1-{2-[6-cyano-1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxypropyl}piperidin-4-yl)oxy]-3-methoxyphenyl}acetic acid (-)-1 was synthesized successfully with high enantioselectivity (>99% ee) and sufficient radiochemical purity.

Investigating the activity of quinine analogues versus chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malarial parasite species, has developed resistance against nearly all man-made antimalarial drugs within the past century. However, quinine (QN), the first antimalarial drug, remains efficacious worldwide. Some chloroquine resistant (CQR) P. falciparum strains or isolates show mild cross resistance to QN, but many do not. Further optimization of QN may provide a well-tolerated therapy with improved activity versus CQR malaria. Thus, using the Heck reaction, we have pursued a structure-activity relationship study, including vinyl group modifications of QN. Certain derivatives show good antiplasmodial activity in QN-resistant and QN-sensitive strains, with lower IC(50) values relative to QN.

Double diastereoselective, nucleophile-catalyzed aldol lactonizations (NCAL) leading to beta-lactone fused carbocycles and extensions to beta-lactone fused tetrahydrofurans

A double diastereoselective variant of the nucleophile-catalyzed aldol lactonization (NCAL) process is described. This strategy delivers beta-lactone-fused carbocycles with good to excellent diastereoselectivities using cinchona alkaloid catalysts with enantioenriched aldehyde acids, which gave low diastereoselectivity based on substrate control alone. beta-Lactone-fused tetrahydrofurans are also prepared for the first time via the NCAL process; however, diastereoselectivity was only modestly improved when applying double diastereodifferentiation to these systems.

Self-association promoted conformational transition of (3R,4S,8R,9R)-9-[(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl))-thiourea](9-deoxy)-epi-cinchonine

The conformational diversity of the (3R,4S,8R,9R)-9-[(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl))-thiourea](9-deoxy)-epi-cinchonine organocatalyst is discussed. Low-temperature NMR experiments confirmed a self-association process, which promotes the quinoline rotation between two intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded monomeric conformers of the catalyst. The balanced population of the coexisting monomeric and dimeric species allowed us to conduct a structural study of a rather complex conformational dynamics of the pure catalyst. The study is extended by a comparison with other members of the bifunctional amine-thiourea organocatalyst family. Changes in the molecular structure of the catalysts influence the interplay between intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding, and yield different extent of catalyst self-association. By assessing the conformation of the individual states, we established the thermodynamic model of a self-association promoted conformational transition.

Mechanism and selectivity of cinchona alkaloid catalyzed [1,3]-shifts of allylic trichloroacetimidates

Density functional theory calculations were used to investigate the [3,3]- and [1,3]-shifts of O-allylic trichloroacetimidates in the presence of cinchona alkaloids. Thermal [1,3]- and [3,3]-rearrangements proceed through concerted pseudopericyclic transition states to give the corresponding rearranged products. [1,3]-Rearrangement is catalyzed via a double S(N)2' mechanism in which syn addition of the nucleophile is exclusively preferred in both steps. The catalyzed mechanism is favored by a 6.3 kcal/mol free energy difference compared to the alternative [3,3]-rearrangement pathway. The fast-reacting enantiomer is predicted to be determined by the availability of the H-bonding interaction between the catalyst and the substrate.

Asymmetric synthesis of beta,gamma-unsaturated alpha-amino acids via efficient kinetic resolution with cinchona alkaloids

The beta,gamma-unsaturated amino acids are versatile chiral building blocks and biologically interesting compounds. The asymmetric synthesis of beta,gamma-unsaturated amino acids presents a challenging task as these compounds are labile toward racemization as well as the undesirable double bond isomerization. An efficient, general and mild kinetic resolution with readily accessible and fully recyclable cinchona alkaloid catalysts has been developed to provide a reliably useful approach toward optically active beta,gamma-unsaturated amino acids.

Catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition of simple alkyl thiols to alpha,beta-unsaturated N-acylated oxazolidin-2-ones with bifunctional catalysts

In this communication, we describe an unprecedented highly enantioselective catalytic conjugate addition of simple alkyl thiols to alpha,beta-unsaturated N-acylated oxazolidin-2-ones catalyzed by acid-base bifunctional catalysis. This reaction provides a useful catalytic method for the synthesis of optically active chiral sulfur compounds that are otherwise difficult to prepare by asymmetric catalysis. The successful development of this reaction resulted from a discovery that, upon proper modification, a cinchona alkaloid bearing a thiourea functionality at 6' position can afford highly efficient catalysis for asymmetric conjugate additions.

Chiral squaramide derivatives are excellent hydrogen bond donor catalysts

Thioureas represent the dominant platform for hydrogen bond promoted asymmetric catalysts. A large number of reactions, reported in scores of publications, have been successfully promoted by chiral thioureas. The present paper reports the use of squaramides as a highly effective new scaffold for the development of chiral hydrogen bond donor catalysts. Squaramide catalysts are very simple to prepare. The (-)-cinchonine modified squaramide (5), easily prepared through a two-step process from methyl squarate, was shown to be an effective catalyst, even at catalyst loadings as low as 0.1 mol%, for the conjugate addition reactions of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to beta-nitrostyrenes. The addition products were obtained in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities.

Catalytic enantioselective peroxidation of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones

Despite the potential of chiral peroxides as biologically interesting or even clinically important compounds, no catalytic enantioselective peroxidation has been reported. With a chiral catalyst not only to induce enantioselectivity but also to convert a well established epoxidation pathway into a peroxidation pathway, the first efficient catalytic peroxidation has been successfully developed. Employing readily available alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and hydroperoxides and an easily accessible cinchona alkaloid catalyst, this novel reaction will open new possibilities in the asymmetric synthesis of chiral peroxides. Under different conditions a highly enantioselective epoxidation with the same starting materials, reagents, and catalyst has was also established.

Supramolecular tilt chirality in crystals of steroids and alkaloids

The concept of supramolecular chirality has assumed increasing importance in association with the development of supramolecular chemistry over the last two decades. In chiral crystals, 2 1 helical molecular assemblies are frequently observed as key motifs. Helical handedness of the 2 1 assemblies, however, has not been determined from the mathematical or crystallographical viewpoints. In this context, we have proposed two new concepts, three-axial chirality and tilt chirality. On the basis of the concepts, we describe supramolecular chirality and determine the handedness of 2 1 assemblies that are composed of relatively complicated molecules with multiple stereogenic centers such as brucine, bile acids, and cinchona alkaloids as well as those of simple molecules.

An improved synthesis of 10,11-didehydroCinchona alkaloids

A revised procedure for the conversion of the four major Cinchona alkaloids (quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine, and cinchonine) into their respective 10,11-didehydro derivatives is described. The reported protocol offers several advantages over a recently published synthetic route. These include (i) enhanced robustness (ii) ready scalability (iii) reduced operational complexity and number of steps (iv) chromatography-free work-up. In addition, toxic solvents were replaced by environmentally less problematic alternatives.

Temperature-dependent Time-resolved Fluorescence Study of Cinchonine Alkaloid Dication

Photo induced excited state dynamical processes of cinchonine alkaloid dication (C(++)) have been studied over a wide range of temperature using steady state and nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. The temperature-dependent fluorescence studies of C(++) clearly indicate the existence of two distinct emitting species having their own characteristic decay rates. The shorter-lived species shows a usual temperature dependence with increasing non-radiative deactivation at higher temperatures, while the longer-lived species show features resembling to the excited state solvent relaxation process with a large solvent relaxation time (tau(r) approximately 6 ns). The species emitting in the lower energy side, having longer decay time is found to be more sensitive towards chloride ion quenching and has a charge transfer character. Further, concentration quenching with decrease in tau(r) of long lived species shows the possibility of energy migration along with solvent relaxation in C(++).

Cinchona Alkaloids/TMAF Combination-Catalyzed Nucleophilic Enantioselective Trifluoromethylation of Aryl Ketones

The catalytic, nucleophilic enantioselective trifluoromethylation reaction of both acyclic and cyclic aryl ketones using the Ruppert-Prakash reagent is now at hand, with an operationally simple procedure, based on the combination of ammonium bromide of cinchona alkaloids with TMAF. The procedure is reliable and general. Trifluoromethyl-substituted tetrasubstituted aryl alcohols have been synthesized in up to 94% ee.

Asymmetric Friedel-crafts reaction of indoles with imines by an organic catalyst

In this communication, we report an asymmetric Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles with imines catalyzed by a bifunctional cinchona alkaloid catalyst. This is the first efficient organocatalytic asymmetric Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles with imines. This reaction is operationally simple and, unprecedentedly, affords high enantioselectivity for a wide range of indoles and both aryl and alkyl imines. This establishes a direct, convergent, and versatile approach to optically active 3-indolyl methanamines, a structural motif embedded in numerous indole alkaloids and synthetic indole derivatives.

Surface processes occurring on Rh/alumina during chiral modification by cinchonidine: an ATR-IR spectroscopy study

Cinchona alkaloids are frequently used for chiral modification of supported noble metal catalysts employed in heterogeneous enantioselective hydrogenation. In order to gain molecular insight into the surface processes occurring at the metal/liquid interface, cinchonidine (CD) adsorption on vapor-deposited Rh/Al2O3 films has been studied in the presence of solvent and hydrogen by means of attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. The spectrum of CD adsorbed on Rh exhibited two dominant signals at 1593 and 1511 cm(-1), which are characteristic of a surface species having a quinoline ring tilted with respect to the metal. Interestingly, no adsorbed modifier in the flat geometry (quinoline parallel to the metal plane) was observed. During desorption, these signals vanished, and a new prominent signal appeared at 1601 cm(-1) which belongs to a species with the quinoline ring hydrogenated on the heteroaromatic side. Concentration-dependent experiments and the reversibility of the observed phenomenon indicate that CD was readily hydrogenated to 1',2',3',4',10,11-hexahydrocinchonidine (CDH(6)) on Rh. The ATR-IR spectra also reveal that the flat species was indeed immediately hydrogenated when CD was provided from solution, and the only visible adsorbed species was the tilted species, which displaced the hydrogenation product from the metal surface. In the absence of dissolved CD, during desorption, the tilted species was converted to the flat species and rapidly hydrogenated. The hydrogenation product was stable on the metal surface only in the absence of CD. Therefore, the adsorption strength of the different species is as follows: flat >> tilted > CDH(6). Evidence for the formation of the flat species and its role as an intermediate to the hydrogenation product is given by an experiment in which CD was adsorbed in the absence of dissolved hydrogen after surface cleaning. The adsorption and hydrogenation of CD on Rh deviate significantly from that observed earlier on Pt and Pd under similar conditions, where the flat species could be observed even in the presence of hydrogen. This difference is attributed to the weaker interaction and lower hydrogenation rate occurring on Pt and Pd.

Structure-property relationship in py-hexahydrocinchonidine diastereomers: ab initio and NMR study

Two py-hexahydrocinchonidine diastereomers were selectively obtained in the heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of cinchonidine over supported Pt catalyst. The two isolated compounds when used as chiral base catalysts in the Michael addition of a beta-keto ester to methyl vinyl ketone gave products of opposite configuration in excess. To trace the reason of this behavior, in the present study, the structures of the two diastereomers were fully optimized by ab initio quantum chemical calculation. These results were then compared with several nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY) signal intensities from the spectra of the two compounds. Further we performed a conformational search on all the optimized geometries independently for the two flexible torsional angles, which are linking the quinuclidine and tetrahydroquinoline moieties present in these molecules. This study allowed us to propose the configuration of the C(4)(') chiral center. Thus, the product mixture resulted in the hydrogenation of cinchonidine containing the 4'-(S)-diastereomer in excess (de = 20%). According to the computation results the 4'-(S)-diastereomer is more stable than the 4'-(R)-diastereomer. The 4'-(S)-conformer obtained by computation has lower electronic energy than the structures obtained for the 4'-(R)-diastereomer, which may explain the excess formation of the first one. The results of the Michael addition catalyzed by these diastereomers were interpreted on the basis of these conclusions.

Highly Enantioselective Epoxidation of 2-Methylnaphthoquinone (Vitamin K3) Mediated by NewCinchona Alkaloid Phase-Transfer Catalysts

In the area of catalytic asymmetric epoxidation, the highly enantioselective transformation of cyclic enones and quinones is an extremely challenging target. With the aim to develop new and highly effective phase-transfer catalysts for this purpose, we conducted a systematic structural variation of PTCs based on quinine and quinidine. In the total of 15 new quaternary ammonium PTCs, modifications included, for example, the exchange of the quinine methoxy group for a free hydroxyl or other alkoxy substituents, and the introduction of additional elements of chirality through alkylation of the alkaloid quinuclidine nitrogen atom by chiral electrophiles. For example, the well-established 9- anthracenylmethyl group was exchanged for a "chiral" anthracene in the form of 9-chloromethyl-[(1,8-S;4,5-R)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanoanthracene. The asymmetric epoxidation of vitamin K(3) was used as the test reaction for our novel PTCs. The readily available PTC 10 (derived from quinine in three convenient and high-yielding steps) proved to be the most enantioselective catalyst for this purpose known to date: At a catalyst loading of only 2.50 mol %, the quinone epoxide was obtained in 76 % yield and with 85 % ee (previously: < or =34 % ee), using commercial bleach (aqueous sodium hypochlorite) as the oxidant. To rationalize the sense of induction effected by our novel phase-transfer catalysts, a computational analysis of steric interactions in the intermediate chlorooxy enolate-PTC ion pair was conducted. Based on this analysis, the sense of induction for all 15 novel PTCs could be consistently explained.