Novel bile acid derived H‐phosphonate conjugates: Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization

The H‐phosphonate bioconjugates of bile acids, conjugated with various alcohols and nucleosides, were obtained in one pot by a tandem transesterification with diphenyl phosphite (DPP). The synthesis of cholic acid derived phosphoramide from the corresponding H‐phosphonate was also demonstrated. The structures of these novel conjugates were confirmed on the basis of IR,³¹P NMR, ¹H NMR, and mass spectra. The synthesized bile acid conjugates were mixtures of diastereoisomers due to the chirality of the phosphorus. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:402–407, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20447     

Conjugates with an Antimicrobial Effect Based on New Derivatives of Mercaptobenzoxazole Esterified onto Poly(maleic anhydride‐alt‐vinyl acetate)

New compounds with biological activity based on hydroxy‐amino derivatives of benzoxazolyl‐2‐mercaptoformic acid, benzoxazolyl‐2‐mercaptoacetic acid, and chloracetyl‐2‐mercaptobenzoxazole have been synthesized. The chemical bonding of these compounds to poly(maleic anhydride‐alt‐vinyl acetate), through esterification, leads in obtaining conjugates of polymer biologically active compound type, tests indicating a sustained release of the active chemical, with time (between 5 and 6 h). Reaction products were characterized through elemental and spectral analysis (FTIR and ¹H NMR). Toxicology and antimicrobial activity tests recommend compounds with small molecule, as well as their conjugates as therapeutical candidates (antimicrobial inhibitors) for pharmacological application.     

A novel derivatization reagent possessing a bromoquinolinium structure for biological carboxylic acids in HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS

A novel bromoquinolinium reagent, i.e. 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)‐3‐bromoquinolinium bromide (APBQ), was synthesized for the analysis of carboxylic acids. A simple and practical precolumn derivatization procedure using the APBQ in RP chromatography and MS (HPLC‐MS) has been developed using bile acids and free fatty acids, as the representative carboxylic acids in biological samples. The APBQ efficiently reacted with carboxylic acids at 60°C for 60 min in the presence of N,N‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and pyridine as the activation reagents. Because the APBQ possesses a bromine atom in the structure, the identification of a series of carboxylic acids was easily achieved due to the characteristic bromine isotope pattern in the mass spectra. The APBQ also has a quaternary amine structure, thus the positively charged derivatives are predominate for the highly sensitive detection of carboxylic acids. The APBQ was successfully applied to the selective determination of biological carboxylic acids in human plasma. The bile acids (chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid) and several saturated (stearic acid and palmitic acid) and unsaturated free fatty acids (oleic acid and linoleic acid) were reasonably determined by HPLC‐MS under the proposed procedure. Based on the results of analyses of human plasma and saliva, the proposed procedure using APBQ seems to be applicable for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of a series of carboxylic acids in biological samples.     

Bile acids and their oxo derivatives: Potential inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase I and II,androgen receptor antagonists and CYP3A4 substrates

Some biological properties of bile acids and their oxo derivatives have not been sufficiently investigated, although the interest in bile acids as signaling molecules is rising. The aim of this work was to evaluate physico‐chemical parametar b (slope) that represents the lipophilicity of the examined molecules and to investigate interactions of bile acids with carbonic anhydrase I, II, androgen receptor and CYP450s. Thirteen candidates were investigated using normal‐phase thin‐layer chromatography in two solvent systems. Retention parameters were used in further quantitative structure–activity relationship analysis and docking studies to predict interactions and binding affinities of examined molecules with enzymes and receptors. Prediction of activity on androgen receptor showed that compounds 3α ‐hydroxy‐12‐oxo‐5β ‐cholanoic and 3α ‐hydroxy‐7‐oxo‐5β ‐cholanoic acid have stronger antiandrogen activity than natural bile acids. The inhibitory potential for carbonic anhydrase I and II was tested and it was concluded that molecules 3α ‐hydroxy‐12‐oxo‐5β ‐cholanoic, 3α ‐hydroxy‐7‐oxo‐5β ‐cholanoic, 3,7,12‐trioxo‐5β ‐cholanoic acid and hyodeoxycholic acid show the best results. Substrate behavior for CYP3A4 was confirmed for all investigated compounds. Oxo derivatives of bile acids show stronger interactions with enzymes and receptors as classical bile acids and lower membranolytic activity compared with them. These significant observations could be valuable in consideration of oxo derivatives as building blocks in medicinal chemistry.     

Liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet absorbance detection,electrospray ionization,collision‐induced dissociation and tandem mass spectrometry on a triple quadrupole for the on‐line characterization of polyphenols and methylxanthines in green coffee beans

Liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector, electrospray ionization, collision‐induced dissociation and tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐DAD/ESI‐CID‐MS/MS) on a triple quadrupole (QqQ) has been used to detect and characterize polyphenols and methylxanthines in green coffee beans: three phenolic acids (caffeic acid, ferulic acid and dimethoxycinnamic acid), three isomeric caffeoylquinic acids (M_r 354), three feruloylquinic acids (M_r 368), one p‐coumaroylquinic acid (M_r 338), three dicaffeoylquinic acids (M_r 516), three feruloyl‐caffeoylquinic acids (M_r 530), four p‐coumaroyl‐caffeoylquinic acids (M_r 500), three diferuloylquinic acids (M_r 544), six dimethoxycinnamoyl‐caffeoylquinic acids (M_r 544), three dimethoxycinnamoyl‐feruloylquinic acids (M_r 558), six cinnamoyl‐amino acid conjugates, three cinnamoyl glycosides, and three methylxanthines (caffeine, theobromine and theophylline). Dimethoxycinnamic acid, three isomers of dimethoxycinnamoyl‐caffeoylquinic acids and another three of dimethoxycinnamoyl‐feruloylquinic acids, as well as the three cinnamoyl glycosides, had not previously been reported in coffee beans. Structures have been assigned on the basis of the complementary information obtained from UV‐visible spectra, relative hydrophobicity, scan mode MS spectra, and fragmentation patterns in MS² spectra (both in the positive and negative ion modes) obtained using a QqQ at different collision energies. A structure diagnosis scheme is provided for the identification of different isomers of polyphenols and methylxanthines. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of Pseudo‐Peptide Building Blocks with retro‐Thioamide Bond Mediated via Thiocarbamoyl Meldrum's Acid

An easy and efficient synthesis of pseudo‐tripeptide containing a thiomalonamide moiety was developed. Isothiocyanate derivatives of amino acids react smoothly with 2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxane‐4,6‐dione (Meldrum's acid) to yield new thiocarbamoyl derivatives of Meldrum's acids. Thermal decomposition of these new derivatives leads to thiocarbamoyl ketenes, which acylate amino acid esters to give pseudo‐tripeptides.     

Synthesis of new bio‐based hydrogels derived from bile acids by free‐radical photo‐polymerization

In this article, the study on the swelling and thermal behaviors of a new series of bile acid‐based polymeric hydrogels is reported. For this purpose, in the first step, the reduction of carboxyl acid groups of some common bile acids including cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxy cholic acid (CDCA), and lithocholic acid (LCA) to the corresponding alcohols by lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH₄) in THF solution is performed. Then, hydroxyl functionalities of the obtained products are reacted with the acryloyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine (TEA). Finally, the cross‐linking reactions between acryloyl functionalized bile acids and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate (MPEGMA) are conducted by free‐radical photo‐polymerization technique at λ = 350 nm in the presence of 2,2‐Dimethoxy‐2‐phenylacetophenone (DMPA) as an initiator to achieve the desired bile acid‐based polymeric hydrogels. The resulting hydrogels and their intermediates are characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H‐NMR) spectroscopies. The swelling and thermal behavior of the obtained hydrogels indicates that the hydrogel starting from cholic acid is more swellable and has enhanced thermostability compared to others. Thus, the results of this study offer beneficial insights to researchers working in particularly bio‐medical industry.     

Synthesis and structure elucidation of five new conjugates of oleanolic acid derivatives and chalcones using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy

Five new conjugates of oleanolic acid derivatives and chalcones have been designed and synthesized. The structure elucidation of these conjugates was accomplished by using extensive 1D (¹H, ¹³C) and 2D NMR spectroscopic studies (COSY, HSQC and HMBC); and α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity is reported for these conjugates. Compound 2b (IC₅₀ = 47.5 µm ) displayed much stronger activity than oleanolic acid and acarbose. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3-烷基取代吡咯单体的合成

通过电聚合沉积在基底上的聚吡咯膜容易剥离的问题可以通过粘合增强剂解决。我们设计并合成一类新化合物w-3-吡咯烷基磷酸将聚吡咯膜 通过化学键键合到金属基底上。本文描述了合成含有表面反应功能团的3-取代吡咯的过程。1-苯磺酰吡咯作为起始物经付-克反应得到3-取代吡咯。两种方法可以合成w-3-吡咯烷基磷酸酯。一种路线是：先磷酸化然后脱保护基最后还原羰基。这种方法适用于含有六个碳及以上的取代基。另一种路线是：先还原羰基然后磷酸化及脱保护。这种方法适用于短链及长链取代基。最后水解得到w-3-吡咯烷基磷酸。     

New Steryl Esters of Fatty Acids from the Mangrove Fungus Aspergillus awamori

The polyhydroxylated ergostane‐type sterol 9 , its derivatives 10 – 15 , and the fatty acid esters 1 – 8 were isolated from a fungus strain which was collected from mangrove areas at Wenchang, Hainan Province, P. R. China, exhibited potent cytotoxic activity, and was identified as Aspergillus awamori. The structures of 1 – 15 were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Among them, the six steryl esters 1 – 6 of fatty acids were new compounds, i.e., (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐palmitate ( 1 ), (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐stearate ( 2 ), (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐oleate ( 3 ), (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐linoleate ( 4 ), (3β,5α,6β,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐palmitate ( 5 ), and (3β,5α,6β,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐stearate ( 6 ). The related known fatty acids stearic acid (=octadecanoic acid) and palmitic acid (=octadecanoic acid) were also obtained. A speculative biogenetic relationship of the metabolites is proposed. The known polyhydroxylated sterols and derivatives showed cytotoxic activities, in agreement with earlier reports. The cytotoxic activities against B16 and SMMC‐7721 cell lines of the new steryl esters 1 – 6 by the MTT method were weak.     

Expanding the Scope of Atropisomeric Monodentate P‐Donor Ligands in Asymmetric Catalysis: Hydrogen‐Transfer Reduction of α,β‐Unsaturated Acid Derivatives by Rhodium/Ph‐binepine Catalysts

A range of α,β‐unsaturated acids and esters have been selectively reduced to the corresponding saturated acid derivatives by hydrogen transfer. As the reducing agent, formic acid was used in the presence of Rh^I complexes formed with the powerful chiral ligand Ph‐binepine ( 1 ), an axially chiral binaphthalene‐type monodentate P‐donor ligand. Very high stereoselectivities (up to 97% ee) were obtained in the case of itaconic acid ( 2a ).     

Synthesis and characterization of tributyltin derivatives from 4‐oxo‐4‐(arylamino)butanoic acids and their in vitro biological activity against cervical cancer cell lines

Uterine (cervix and corpus) cancer is one of the major causes of mortality in women in Mexico. Organotin carboxylated derivatives have shown high cytotoxic activity against various cell lines of human origin. We describe the synthesis of three new tri‐n‐butyltin derivatives from 4‐oxo‐4‐(arylamino)butanoic acids; their structures were confirmed using spectral data (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹¹⁹Sn NMR and infrared), elemental analyses, mass spectrometry and X‐ray diffraction. All the tri‐n‐butyltin carboxylates exhibit ¹ J (^119/117Sn–¹³C) coupling satellites in solution and lie in the range 357 to 339 Hz, suggesting a tetrahedral geometry around the tin atom. The polymeric structures of two of the derivatives and the monomeric structure of another were confirmed using X‐ray crystallography. Using succinic anhydride as raw material, five N‐substituted succinamic acid compounds were synthesized by the acylation reaction with aniline, 4‐nitroaniline, 4‐nitro‐3‐(trifluoromethyl)aniline, 2‐amino‐5‐nitrothiazole and 4‐aminoantipyrine. From these compounds, five tin derivatives were prepared and their in vitro anti‐proliferative effect on HeLa, CaSki and ViBo cell lines was screened. All of the compounds showed potency against all three strains and null or low cytotoxic activity (necrotic) as well. The most potent of our derivatives as an anti‐proliferative agent against the three cell lines was tributylstannyl 4‐oxo‐4‐[(3‐trifluoromethyl‐4‐nitrophen‐1‐yl)amino]butanoate, exhibiting an IC₅₀ value of 0.43 μM against the HeLa cell line. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthetic dsDNA‐Binding Peptides Using Natural Compounds as Model

We have developed a series of short DNA‐binding peptides containing newly synthesized, unnatural as well as natural amino acid building blocks. By a combinatorial‐library approach, oligopeptides were developed with moderate dsDNA‐binding affinities. Two strategies were used to further enhance the binding affinity of the lead peptides: Ac‐Arg‐Ual‐Sar‐Chi‐Chi‐Chi‐Arg‐NH₂ and Ac‐Arg‐Cbg‐Cha‐Chi‐Chi‐Tal‐Arg‐NH₂. Site‐selective amino acid substitutions increased the binding affinities up to 2 × 10^?5 M . Further enhancement of the binding affinities could be achieved by coupling of an acridine intercalating unit, using linker arms of different length and flexibility. With the introduction of a new lysine‐based acridine unit, different types of oligopeptide–acridine conjugates were designed using known dsDNA‐binding ligands as model compounds. The binding capacities of these new oligopeptide–acridine conjugates have been investigated by a fluorescent intercalator (ethidium bromide) displacement (FID) assay. With the synthesis of the dipeptide–acridine conjugates, binding affinities in the low micromolar range were obtained (6.4 × 10^?6 M ), which is similar to the binding strength of the well‐known DNA binder Hoechst 33258.     

Preparation and Structure of β-Peptides Consisting of Geminally Disubstituted β2,2- and β3,3-Amino Acids: A Turn Motif for β-Peptides

We report on the synthesis of new and previously described β-peptides ( 1 – 6 ), consisting of up to twelve β^2,2- or β^3,3-geminally disubstituted β-amino acids which do not fit into any of the secondary structural patterns of β-peptides, hitherto disclosed. The required 2,2- and 3,3-dimethyl derivatives of 3-aminopropanoic acid are readily obtained from 3-methylbut-2-enoic acid and ammonia (Scheme 1) and from Boc-protected methyl 3-aminopropanoate by enolate methylation (Scheme 2). Protected (Boc for solution-, Fmoc for solid-phase syntheses) 1-(aminomethyl)cycloalkanecarboxylic-acid derivatives (with cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane, and cyclohexane rings) are obtained from 1-cyanocycloalkanecarboxylates and the corresponding dihaloalkanes (Scheme 3). Fully ¹³C- and ¹⁵N-labeled 3-amino-2,2-dimethylpropanoic-acid derivatives were prepared from the corresponding labeled precursors (see asterixed formula numbers and Scheme 4). Coupling of these amino acids was achieved by methods which we had previously employed for other β-peptide syntheses (intermediates 18 – 23 ). Crystal structures of Boc-protected geminally disubstituted amino acids ( 16a – d ) and of the corresponding tripeptide ( 23a ), as well as NMR and IR spectra of an isotopically labeled β-hexapeptide ( 2a* ) are presented (Figs. 1 – 4) and discussed. The tripeptide structure contains a ten-membered H-bonded ring which is proposed to be a turn-forming motif for β-peptides (Fig. 2).     

Iridoid Glycosides and Phenolic Compounds from the Flowers of Vitex agnus‐castus

A new and rare type of iridoid glycoside, agnusoside ( 1 ), a new caffeoylquinic acid derivative, castusic acid ( 2 ), and a new sugar ester, 1,2‐di‐(4‐hydroxybenzoyl)‐β‐glucopyranose ( 3 ), along with ten known compounds belonging to iridoid glycosides (agnuside, trans‐eurostoside), caffeoylquinic acid derivatives (chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid A), flavonoids (isoorientin, isovitexin, kaempferol 3‐O‐sophoroside, luteolin 6‐C‐(2′′‐O‐trans‐caffeoyl)glucopyranoside, and simple phenolic acids (4‐hydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4‐dihydroxybenzoic acid), chemical classes were isolated from the flowers of Vitex agnus‐castus. The structures of the isolates were established by extensive 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopic analysis as well as HR‐ESI‐MS. Agnusoside ( 1 ) represents an unusual type of iridoid glycoside with its 6‐keto C(4) nonsubstituted aglycone.     

Structural determination of aspericins A?C,new furan and pyran derivates from the marine‐derived fungus Rhizopus sp. 2‐PDA‐61, by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy

Three new furan and pyran derivatives named aspericins A? C (1–3), as well as a known asperic acid (4), have been isolated from the marine‐derived fungus Rhizopus sp. 2‐PDA‐61. The complete ¹H and ¹³C NMR assignments for the new compounds were carried out using ¹H, ¹³C, DEPT, COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY NMR experiments. Compounds 1–3 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities on P388, A549, HL‐60, and BEL‐7420 cell lines by the MTT and SRB methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous quantification of the major bile acids in Artificial Calculus bovis by high‐performance liquid chromatography with precolumn derivatization and its application in quality control

An accurate and sensitive high‐performance liquid chromatography method coupled with ultralviolet detection and precolumn derivatization was developed for the simultaneous quantification of the major bile acids in Artificial Calculus bovis, including cholic acid, hyodeoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and deoxycholic acid. The extraction, derivatization, chromatographic separation, and detection parameters were fully optimized. The samples were extracted with methanol by ultrasonic extraction. Then, 2‐bromine‐4’‐nitroacetophenone and 18‐crown ether‐6 were used for derivatization. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent SB‐C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm id, 5 μm) at a column temperature of 30°C and liquid flow rate of 1.0 mL/min using water and methanol as the mobile phase with a gradient elution. The detection wavelength was 263 nm. The method was extensively validated by evaluating the linearity (r² ≥ 0.9980), recovery (94.24–98.91%), limits of detection (0.25–0.31 ng) and limits of quantification (0.83–1.02 ng). Seventeen samples were analyzed using the developed and validated method. Then, the amounts of bile acids were analyzed by hierarchical agglomerative clustering analysis and principal component analysis. The results of the chemometric analysis showed that the contents of these compounds reflect the intrinsic quality of artificial Calculus bovis, and two compounds (hyodeoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid) were the most important markers for quality evaluating.     

Development of a Novel Covalent Folate‐Albumin‐Photosensitizer Conjugate

There is considerable interest in the development of novel and more efficient delivery systems for improving the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT). The authors in this highlighted issue describe the synthesis and the photobiological characterizations of two photosensitizer (PS) conjugates based on β‐carboline derivatives covalently conjugated to folic acid (FA) coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a carrier system specifically targeting cancer cells overexpressing FA receptor alpha (FRα). Accordingly, only the FA–BSA–β‐carboline conjugates are internalized specifically in FRα‐positive cells and are proved to be phototoxic. On the other hand, albumin–β‐carboline conjugates without FA or β‐carboline derivatives alone are not internalized and nontoxic. This conjugate is among the first to produce a conjugate composed of a PS and FA molecules that are directly conjugated to BSA. In addition, the in vitro studies are the first evidence that directly conjugated FA‐BSA can be used as carriers to selectively enhance cytotoxicity by PDT relative to unmodified PS or nontargeted BSA‐PS. This strategy is a positive step forward for the covalent design and construction of a photodynamic nanomedicine for FR‐positive tumors.     

Synthesis of 1‐silacyclopent‐2‐ene derivatives using 1,2‐hydroboration, 1,1‐organoboration and protodeborylation

The reaction of di(alkyn‐1‐yl)vinylsilanes R¹(H₂C═CH)Si(C≡C―R)₂ (R¹ = Me ( 1 ), Ph ( 2 ); R = Bu (a), Ph (b), Me₂HSi (c)) at 25°C with 1 equiv. of 9‐borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9‐BBN) affords 1‐silacyclopent‐2‐ene derivatives ( 3a , 3b , 3c , 4a , 4b ), bearing one Si―C≡C―R function readily available for further transformations. These compounds are formed by consecutive 1,2‐hydroboration followed by intramolecular 1,1‐carboboration. Treated with a further equivalent of 9‐BBN in benzene they are converted at relatively high temperature (80–100°C) into 1‐alkenyl‐1‐silacyclopent‐2‐ene derivatives ( 5a , 5b 6a , 6b ) as a result of 1,2‐hydroboration of the Si―C≡C―R function. Protodeborylation of the 9‐BBN‐substituted 1‐silacyclopent‐2‐ene derivatives 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , using acetic acid in excess, proceeds smoothly to give the novel 1‐silacyclopent‐2‐ene ( 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ). The solution‐state structural assignment of all new compounds, i.e. di(alkyn‐1‐yl)vinylsilanes and 1‐silacyclopent‐2‐ene derivatives, was carried out using multinuclear magnetic resonance techniques (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹B, ²⁹Si NMR). The gas phase structures of some examples were calculated and optimized by density functional theory methods (B3LYP/6‐311+G/(d,p) level of theory), and ²⁹Si NMR parameters were calculated (chemical shifts δ²⁹Si and coupling constants ⁿJ(²⁹Si,¹³C)). Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nucleo‐β‐Amino Acids: Synthesis and Oligomerization to β‐Homoalanyl‐PNA

The synthesis of thyminyl‐, uracilyl‐, cytosinyl‐, and guaninyl‐β³‐amino acids and the oligomerization of the cytosinyl‐ and guaninyl‐β³‐amino acids to β‐homoalanyl‐PNA are presented. The pyrimidinyl nucleobases were connected to the γ‐position of β‐homoalanine by Mitsunobu reaction with a β‐homoserine derivative or by nucleophilic substitution of methanesulfonates. For the preparation of the guaninyl‐β³‐amino acid, a β‐lactam route was established that might be of interest also for the synthesis of other β³‐amino acid derivatives. The cytosinyl and guaninyl building blocks were oligomerized to hexamers. They form quite stable self‐pairing complexes in H₂O as indicated by temperature dependent UV and CD spectroscopy.