Current Advances in Naturally Occurring Caffeoylquinic Acids: Structure, Bioactivity, and Synthesis

Caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) are a broad class of secondary metabolites that have been found in edible and medicinal plants from various families. It has been 100 years since the discovery of chlorogenic acid in 1920. In recent years, a number of naturally derived CQAs have been isolated and structurally elucidated. Accumulated evidence demonstrate that CQAs have a wide range of biological activities, such as antioxidation, antibacterial, antiparasitic, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, and antidiabetic effects. Up to date, some meaningful progresses on the biosynthesis and total synthesis of CQAs have also been made. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively summarize the structure, biological activity, biosynthesis, and chemical synthesis of CQAs. This review provides extensive coverage of naturally occurring CQAs discovered from 1990 until 2020. Modern isolation techniques, chemical data (including structure, biosynthesis, and total synthesis), and bioactivity are summarized. This would be helpful for further research of CQAs as potential pharmaceutical agents.

Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of Caffeoylquinic Acid Derivatives as Potential Hypolipidemic Agents

A series of novel caffeoylquinic acid derivatives of chlorogenic acid have been designed and synthesized. Biological evaluation indicated that several synthesized derivatives exhibited moderate to good lipid-lowering effects on oleic acid-elicited lipid accumulation in HepG2 liver cells. Particularly, derivatives 3d, 3g, 4c and 4d exhibited more potential lipid-lowering effect than the positive control simvastatin and chlorogenic acid. Further studies on the mechanism of 3d, 3g, 4c and 4d revealed that the lipid-lowering effects were related to their regulation of TG levels and merit further investigation.

First chemical synthesis and in vitro characterization of the potential human metabolites 5-o-feruloylquinic acid 4'-sulfate and 4'-O-glucuronide

Feruloylquinic acids are a major class of biologically active phenolic antioxidants in coffee beans, but their metabolic fate is poorly understood. The present study investigated the phase II metabolism of feruloylquinic acids with selected human sulfotransferases (SULT1A1 and SULT1E1) and uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronosyltransferases (UGT1A1 and UGT1A9). For unequivocal metabolite identification, the chemical synthesis of two potential human metabolites of 5-O-feruloylquinic acid, the 4'-sulfated and 4'-O-glucuronidated conjugates, has been performed for the first time. Following incubation with human SULT1A1 or SULT1E1, formation of 5-O-feruloylquinic acid 4'-O-sulfate was confirmed by matching its HPLC and MS data with those of the authentic standard. On the other hand, no glucuronide conjugates were detected after incubation with human uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronosyltransferases. These results suggest that sulfation can take place on the ferulic acid moiety of feruloylquinic acids and may be a major metabolic pathway for feruloylquinic acids in humans.

How to distinguish between feruloyl quinic acids and isoferuloyl quinic acids by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

All four regioisomers of feruloyl quinic acid and isoferuloyl quinic acid were synthesized and a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method developed that resolves all eight regioisomers. All eight regioisomers can be readily distinguished by their MS/MS spectra in the negative ion mode, illustrating the power of tandem mass spectrometry to elucidate the structures of regioisomeric compounds. Compound identification is possible, either by direct comparison of spectral fingerprints or by rational probing of diagnostic fragment ions, thus allowing the identification of these important classes of natural products and potential human metabolites.

Novel and Efficient Syntheses of (−)-Methyl 4-epi-Shikimate and 4,5-Epoxy-Quinic and -Shikimic Acid Derivatives as Key Precursors to Prepare New Analogues

We have developed simple methods that provide a rapid entry into the synthesis of a series of quinate and shikimate analogues, including (-)-methyl 4-epi-shikimate and the 4,5-epoxy analogues of the parent acids. Epoxy derivatives of quinic and shikimic acids were converted into methyl scyllo-quinate and (+)-methyl 3-epi-shikimate, respectively, by processes involving a regio- and stereoselective epoxide ring opening. The strategies described take place through short, high-yield reaction sequences.

A Concise, Enantioselective Approach to (−)-Quinic Acid

[reaction: see text] An expedient, enantioselective synthesis of a key precursor to (-)-quinic acid has been achieved from an ephedrine-derived morpholine-dione. The salient features of this approach are a highly diastereoselective conversion of the dione to a dialkenyl morpholinone and a subsequent ring-closing metathesis reaction. Removal of the ephedrine portion generates an enantiomerically enriched hydroxycyclohexene carboxamide that is readily converted to the quinic acid precursor.

Sialyl Lewis(x) analogs based on a quinic acid scaffold as the fucose mimic

(-)-Quinic acid was used as a starting material for the preparation of sialyl Lewis(x) mimetics in order to target E-selectin. Spatial orientation of the hydroxyl groups of quinic acid could mimic the l-fucose ones. Introduction of a side chain ending with a carboxylic acid was effected to replace the sialic acid interaction at the carbohydrate recognition domain. A first series of derivatives, incorporating amino acids linked to quinic acid, were tested for their affinity and found to interact with E-selectin with IC(50) within the millimolar range.

Novel enzymatic synthesis of 4-O-cinnamoyl quinic and shikimic acid derivatives

The first direct synthesis of 4-O-cinnamoyl derivatives of quinic and shikimic acids were accomplished by regioselective esterification with Candida antarctica lipase A. For hydrocinnamic esters, enzymatic transesterification with vinyl esters gave excellent yields. However, more reactive acylating agents such as anhydrides were used to synthesize cinnamic derivatives of both acids. An inhibitory effect was observed with this lipase for p-methoxy, p-hydroxy, and p-acetoxy vinyl ester and anhydride derivatives (coumarate and ferulate derivatives).

Irreversible inhibition of type I dehydroquinase by substrates for type II dehydroquinase

Mechanistic differences between type I and type II dehydroquinases have been exploited in the design of type specific inhibitors. (2R)-2-Bromo-3-dehydroquinic acid (3), (2R)-2-fluoro-3-dehydroquinic acid (5) and 2-bromo-3-dehydroshikimic acid (4), all excellent substrates for type II dehydroquinase, are shown to be irreversible inhibitors of type I dehydroquinase.

New sialyltransferase inhibitors based on CMP-quinic acid: development of a new sialyltransferase assay

Quinic acid (4) was transformed into phosphitamides 6, 14, and 15, which could be readily linked to 5'-O-unprotected cytidine derivative 7; ensuing oxidation of the obtained phosphite triesters with tert-butylhydroperoxide furnished the corresponding phosphate triesters 8, 16, and 17, respectively. Hydrogenolytic debenzylation of the phosphate moiety, base catalysed removal of acetyl protective groups, and basic hydrolysis of the methylester of the quinic acid moiety furnished CMP-Neu5Ac analogues 1-3. In order to measure their inhibition of sialyltransferases, a nonradioactive sialyltransferase assay [employed for alpha(2-6)-sialyltransferase from rat liver (EC 2.4.99.1)] based on reversed-phase HPLC separation of UV-labelled acceptor 20 (p-nitrophenyl glycoside of N-acetyllactosamine) from the UV-labelled product 21 (p-nitrophenyl glycoside of sialyl alpha(2-6')-N-acetyllactosamine) and p-nitrophenylalanine as internal standard was developed. The assay reproduced the reported K(M) values for CMP-Neu5Ac and N-acetyllactosamine and the Ki values for CDP. 1 and 2 turned out to be potent sialyltransferase inhibitors.

Synthesis, structure and antitumor activity of a water-soluble platinum complex, (1R,3R,4R,5R)-(-)-quinato(1R,2R-cyclohexanediamine)platinum (II)

The reaction of dihydroxo(1R,2R-cyclohexanediamine)platinum(II) with (-)-quinic acid gave a water soluble complex, (-)-quinato(1R,2R-cyclohexanediamine)platinum(II). The crystal structure of the complex was determined by X-ray analysis. The data indicate a chelation of the alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acid part of quinic acid to platinum(II). The complex shows moderate antitumor activity against murine leukemia L1210 at high doses (T/C x 100 = 179% at a dose of 200 mg/kg).