Biotransformation of two stemodane diterpenes by Mucor plumbeus

The microbiological transformation of 13α,17-dihydroxy-stemodane (2) by the fungus Mucor plumbeus afforded 13α,17,19-trihydroxy-stemodane (3), 3β,13α,17-trihydroxy-stemodane (5), 3-oxo-13α,17-dihydroxy-stemodane (7), 7α,13α,17,19-tetrahydroxy-stemodane (8), 3β,11α,13α,17-tetrahydroxy-stemodane (10), 3β,7α,13α,17-tetrahydroxy-stemodane (12), 3β,8β,13α,17-tetrahydroxy-stemodane (14), 2α,13α,17-trihydroxy-stemodane (16), 2α,13α,17,19-tetrahydroxy-stemodane (17), 2α,3β,13α,17-tetrahydroxy-stemodane (20) and 3β,11β,13α,17-tetrahydroxy-stemodane (22), whilst the incubation of 13α,14-dihydroxy-stemodane (25) gave 3β,13α,14-trihydroxy-stemodane (28), 2α,13α,14-trihydroxy-stemodane (29) and 13α,14,19-trihydroxy-stemodane (30). Preference for hydroxylations of ring A at C-2(α), C-3(β) and C-19 were observed in both incubations. An interesting rearrangement of 13α,14α-dihydroxy-stemodanes to 14-oxo derivatives with an unusual carbon framework has been observed under acetylation conditions. We have named this skeleton prestemodane, which, as a hydrocarbon ion, had been postulated as a biogenetic precursor of stemodane.     

Nucleophilic substitution approach to 4′-substituted thymidines by employing 4′-benzenesulfonyl leaving group

Synthesis of 4′-substituted thymidines was investigated based on nucleophilic substitution using organosilicon and organoaluminum reagents. Two substrates having a benzenesulfonyl leaving group at the 4′-position were prepared for this purpose: 1-[4-benzenesulfonyl-3,5-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-2-deoxy-α-l-threo-pentofuranosyl]thymine (8α) and the 4′-(benzenesulfonyl)thymidine derivative (8β). The reaction of 8α with organosilicon reagents (Me₃SiCH₂CHCH₂ and Me₃SiN₃) in combination with SnCl₄ gave preferentially the 4′-substituted β-d-isomer: the 4′-allyl (12β) and 4′-azido (15β) derivatives, respectively. The reaction of 8α with AlMe₃, however, gave the 4′-methyl-α-l-isomer (16α) as the major product, presumably through an ion pair mechanism. By employing the substrate 8β in this reaction, the 4′-methylthymidine derivative (16β) was obtained exclusively in high yield. The 4′-ethyl (20β) and 4′-cyano (24β) derivatives were also synthesized by reacting 8β with the respective organoaluminum reagent.     

N-Nosyl as a stereoselectivity-improving and easily removable group in the O-glycosylation of d-allal and d-galactal-derived allyl aziridines. Stereospecific synthesis of 4-amino-2,3-unsaturated-O-glycosides

The glycosylation of alcohols, phenol, and partially protected monosaccharides with the diastereoisomeric d-allal and d-galactal-derived N-nosyl aziridines 2α and 2β leads to the corresponding 4-N-(nosylamino)-2,3-unsaturated-α-O- (6α) and β-O-glycosides and disaccharides (6β), respectively, in a stereospecific substrate-dependent O-glycosylation process. The N-(nosylamino) group of 6α and 6β can easily be deprotected to give the corresponding 4-amino-2,3-unsaturated-O-glycosides 7α and 7β, with an increased value to our glycosylation protocol.     

Specific oxidation of C-14 oxygenated 4(20),11-taxadienes by microbial transformation

Three C-14 oxygenated taxanes, 2α,5α,10β,14β-tetraacetoxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (1), 2α,5α,10β-triacetoxy-14β-(2-methylbutyryloxy)taxa-4(20),11-diene (2), and yunanaxane (3), major products of callus cultures of Taxus spp., were regio- and stereoselectively hydroxylated at the 7β position by a fungus, Absidia coerulea IFO 4011. Intriguingly, when 1 was co-administered with β-cyclodextrin and incubated with the fungus cell cultures, three other compounds 5α,9α,10β,13α-tetraacetoxytaxa-4(20),11-dien-14β-ol (7), 5α,9α,10β,13α-tetraacetoxytaxa-4(20),11-dien-1β-ol (8) and 5α,9α,10β,13α-tetraacetoxy-11(15→1) abeotaxa-4(20),11-dien-15-ol (9) were obtained.     

Transformations of hispanolone. Novel Michael adducts with in planta activity against rice blast

Two novel Michael adducts 9α-cyano-15,16-epoxy-7β-hydroxylabda-13(16),14-dien-6-one (2) and 9α-cyano-15,16-epoxy-7-hydroxylabda-7,13(16),14-trien-6-one (3) and the reduction product of 2, 9α-cyano-15,16-epoxy-6β,7β-dihydroxylabda-13(16),14-diene (4), were synthesized from the naturally occurring labdane diterpene hispanolone (1). Compounds 2-4 exhibited in planta activity against the pathogenic rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea.     

β,β-Difluoro analogs of α-oxo-β-phenylpropionic acid and phenylalanine

A simple three-step procedure converted the readily accessible (2-bromo-1,1-difluoroethyl)arenes (2) into α-aryl-α,α-difluoroacetaldehydes (1). Subsequent hydrocyanation, hydrolysis, oxidation and again hydrolysis afforded β-aryl-β,β-difluoro-α-oxopropionic acids (3). Reductive amination transformed the oxoacids 3 into a separable mixture of α-hydroxyacids 11 and racemic β,β-difluoro-β-phenylalanine derivatives (4). Enantiomerically pure β,β-difluorophenylalanine (l-4a) was obtained when α,α-difluoro-α-phenylacet-aldehyde (1a) was condensed with homochiral 1-phenylethylamine, hydrogen cyanide added to the resulting imine, the diastereomeric mixture thus produced hydrolyzed to the carboxamides (15) which were found to be separable by fractional crystallization or chromatography. The pK_a values of the β-aryl-β,β-difluoroalanines (4) were measured and biological profile of the latter probed. 3-(4-Chlorophenyl)-3,3-difluoro-2-oxopropionic acid (4c) proved to be a potent (K_i 27 μM) and selective inhibitor of arogenate dehydratase, a key enzyme catalyzing the last step of the phenylalanine biosynthesis.     

Oxidation of natural targets by dioxiranes. Part 6: on the direct regio- and site-selective oxyfunctionalization of estrone and of 5α-androstane steroid derivatives

Using methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (1b), 3β,6α,17β-triacetoxy-5α-androstane (6) could be selectively transformed into its C-14 hydroxy derivative (7) and into the valuable C-12 ketone steroid (8), in high yields under mild reaction conditions. Similarly, the oxidation of 3α-estrone acetate (4) with 1b was carried out to yield selectively the steroid C-9 hydroxy derivative (5). The high regio- and site-selectivity attained demonstrates that the powerful dioxirane 1b is the reagent of choice to synthesize valuable oxyfunctionalized steroid derivatives.     

Carbanucleosides: synthesis of both enantiomers of 2-(6-chloro-purin-9-yl)-3,5-bishydroxymethyl cyclopentanol from d-glucose

The key intermediate 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-3-deoxy-3β-allyl-α-d-glucofuranose (8) could be conveniently prepared through radical induced allyl substitution at C-3 of appropriate 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-glucofuranose derivatives (7a,b) and used to synthesize enantiomeric bishydroxymethyl aminocyclopentanols 13 and 19 by the application of a 1,3-dipolar nitrone cycloaddition reaction involving the C-5 or C-1 aldehyde functionality. The products were subsequently transformed into carbanucleoside enantiomers 15 and 21. The diastereomeric isoxazolidinocyclopentane derivative 20 was similarly converted to carbanucleoside 22.     

Combined biotransformations of 4(20),11-taxadienes

Taxuyunnanine C (1) and its analogs (2 and 3), the C-14 oxygenated 4(20), 11-taxadienes from callus cultures of Taxus sp., were regio- and stereo-selectively hydroxylated at the 7β position by a fungus, Abisidia coerulea IFO 4011, and it was interesting that the longer the alkyl chain of the acyloxyl group at C-14 became, the higher the yield of 7β-hydroxylated product was. Besides the three 7β-hydroxylated products (5, 9, 17), other nine new products (7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20 and 21) and six known products (4, 6, 8, 10, 13 and 19) were obtained. Subsequently, the acetylated derivatives (24 and 27) of 7β-and 9α-hydroxylated products of 1 were regio- and stereo-specifically hydroxylated at the 9α position by Ginkgo cells and 7β position by A. coerulea, respectively. Thus, the two specific oxidations have been combined. These bioconversions would provide not only valuable intermediates for the semi-synthesis of paclitaxel or other bioactive taxoids from 1 and its analogs, but also some useful hints for the biosynthetic pathway of taxoid in the natural Taxus plant.     

New polyesters from Talaromyces flavus

Six new polyesters, talapolyesters A–F (1–4, 14, and 16), together with 11 known ones 15G256ν (5), 15G256ν-me (6), 15G256π (7), 15G256β-2 (8), 15G256α-2 (9), 15G256α-2-me (10), 15G256ι (11), 15G256β (12), 15G256α (13), 15G256α-1 (15), and 15G256ω (17), were isolated from the wetland soil-derived fungus Talaromyces flavus BYD07-13, and their structures were determined by NMR and MS spectroscopic data. Among them, 1–4 and 16 were assembled in a different manner from that of the known 256 polyesters. All the polyesters are composed of (R)-2,4-dihydroxy-6-(2-hydroxypropyl)benzoic acid and (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid/(S)-3,4-dihydroxybutyric acid residues. The absolute configurations of the residues were determined by alkaline hydrolysis. The cytotoxicity against five tumor cell lines of these compounds was examined, and a tight structure–activity relationship is proposed.     

Synthesis of the aglycone of 26-O-deacetyl pavoninin-5

The aglycone of 26-O-deacetyl pavoninin-5, (25R)-cholest-5-en-3β,15α,26-triol, 5a, was synthesized in 10 steps in 17% overall yield from diosgenin, 3. Removing mercury from the Clemmensen reduction of diosgenin 3, gave a higher yield of (25R)-cholest-5-en-3β,16β,26-triol, 4, by a method, that is also more environmentally friendly. Attempted methods for the transposition of the C-16β hydroxyl to the 15α position are described. A successful method for this transposition via the 15α-hydroxy-16-ketone, 13, using the Barton deoxygenation reaction on the 16-alcohol, 15, is reported.     

Two novel sesquiterpenes from the roots of Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata

Two novel 3,4-secocadinane and 4,5-seco-8(7→6)-abeoguaiane skeletons, namely taiwaninones A (1) and B (2), together with khusinodiol (3) and 4β,6β-dihydroxy-1α,5β(H)-guai-9-ene (4) were isolated from the roots of Taiwania cryptomerioides. Their structures were elucidated by the spectral methods. The biotransformations of 1 and 2 were proposed from 3 and 4, respectively.     

New antitumor sesquiterpenoids from Santalum album of Indian origin

Three new campherenane-type (1, 4, 7) and three new santalane-type (9, 11, 12) sesquiterpenoids, and two aromatic glycosides (21, 22) together with 12 known metabolites including α,β-santalols (14, 18), (E)-α,β-santalals (15, 19), α,β-santaldiols (16, 20), α-santalenoic acid (17), and vanillic acid 4-O-neohesperidoside were isolated from Santalum album chips of Indian origin. The structures of the new compounds, including absolute configurations, were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic and chemical methods. The antitumor promoting activity of these isolates along with several neolignans previously isolated from the same source was evaluated for both in vitro Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation and in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis assays. Among them, compound 1 exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on EBV-EA activation, and also strongly suppressed two-stage carcinogenesis on mouse skin.     

Photochemical transformation leading to eupteleogenin—I: Introduction of epoxy-lactone system

Being interested in the photochemical reactions which are potentially applied in the biogenetic-type chemical derivations of natural products, the appropriate photochemical means have been sought to produce the 11α,12α-epoxy-13β,28-lactone moiety in the oleanane skeleton, which is one of the unique functions of eupteleogenin (2). Photooxidation of oleanolic acid (6a) in acidic medium has been undertaken and desired 11α,12α-epoxy-oleanolic lactone (12a) obtained. Erythrodiol (8a) has been submitted to photooxidation and the 11α,12α-epoxy-13β,28-oxide moiety (24a) introduced along with skeletal rearrangement affording the 11α,12α-epoxy-taraxerene derivative (25a). During photooxidation of 8a, it has been noticed that 11ξ-hydroxy-olean-12-ene derivatives (28, 42) are fairly labile, allowing the trans-formation of dihydropriverogenin A(10a) into the thermodynamically less favored isomer priverogenin B(9).     

A novel and stereoselective synthesis of 7α-alkynylestra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17β-estradiol

Different stereoselective synthetic routes for the preparation of 7α/β-substituted estradiol derivatives, that is, 7α-alkynylestra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17β-estradiol (13) and its 17β-acetate derivative (14), are explored. These steroids are key starting materials for Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions to yield potential estrogen receptor (ER) antagonists, ER-based imaging ligands and other multi-functional agents. Initial preparation of 7α-alkynyl nortestosterone derivatives followed by various approaches to aromatize the A-ring, failed. Instead, stereoselective 7α-cyanation before A-ring aromatization, followed by 7α-cyano reduction to the 7α-aldehyde, dibromomethylenation and dehydrobromination of the aldehyde, gave the desired 7α-alkynyl derivatives 13 and 14 in good yield.     

A study of 1,5-hydrogen shift and cyclization reactions of an alkali isomerized methyl linolenoate

Heating a mixture formed by alkali isomerization of methyl linolenoate (1) produces a complex mixture with the bicyclic hexahydroindenoic esters 4β-(7-methoxycarbonylheptyl)-5α-methyl-2,3,3aα,4,5,7aαhexahydroindene (CL5) and 4β-ethyl-5α-(6-methoxycarbonylhexyl)-2,3,3aα,4,5,7aα-hexahydroindene (CL6) as main components. Similar isomerization reactions of three synthetic model compounds, methyl 9Z,13E,15Z-octadecatrienoate (2), 9Z,14E,16E-octadecatrienoate (4) and 9Z,11E,15Z-octadecatrienoate (5) corroborated the results obtained with alkali isomerized methyl linolenoate.     

Convenient construction of a variety of glycosidic linkages using a universal glucosyl donor

This letter deals with the concept of constructing four types (cis-α, trans-α, cis-β, and trans-β) of glycosidic linkages using a universal glucosyl donor. The selectively protected universal glucosyl donor 8 was synthesized in 36% yield from d-glucose (eight steps). The donor 8 undergoes glycosidation with a primary carbohydrate alcohol 7 to give disaccharide 9 having a 1,2-cis-α-glycosidic linkage in 90% yield. The construction of the corresponding 1,2-trans-α-glycosidic linkage was performed in 68% yield (three steps) from 9. A similar glycosidation of the 2-O-(N-phenylcarbamoyl)-glucosyl donor 6 derived from 8 with 7 gave disaccharide 11 having a 1,2-trans-β-glycosidic linkage in 75% yield. The construction of the corresponding 1,2-cis-β-linkage was performed in 53% yield (three steps) from 11.     

Solanum-alkaloide—SCVI: Synthese von solafloridin und 25-iso-solafloridin

3β,16α-Diacetoxy-20-(5-methyl-2-pyridyl)-pregna-5,20-diene (2) available from 3β-acetoxy-pregna-5,16-dien-20-one (1) was transformed into solafloridine (11) and 25-iso-solafloridine (13).     

Synthesis of imidazo[5,1-b]thiazoles or spiro-β-lactams by reaction of imines with mesoionic compounds or ketenes generated from N-acyl-thiazolidine-2-carboxylic acids

New mesoionic compounds (2H, 3H-thiazolo[3,2-c]oxazol-7-ones) (β) or ketenes ((3-acyl-1,3-thiazolidin-2-ylidene)methanone) (β′) were generated from N-acetyl and N-benzoyl-thiazolidine-2-carboxylic acids (7a,b) using different methods, and their reactivity towards N-(phenylmethylene)benzenesulfonamide (2) and N-(phenylmethylene)aniline (3) was tested. When (7a,b) were treated with (2) and acetic anhydride in refluxing toluene solution, only imidazo[5,1-b]thiazoles (8a,b) were obtained from the mesoionic compound intermediates (β). When the ketene intermediates (β′) were generated from (7a,b) by means of Mukaiyama's reagent, only spiro-β-lactams (9a,b) were isolated.     

Tandem reduction-olefination of triethyl 2-acyl-2-fluoro-2-phosphonoacetates and a synthetic approach to Cbz-Gly-Ψ[(Z)-CFC]-Gly dipeptide isostere

(Z)-α-Fluoro-α,β-unsaturated esters (Z)-7a-f were stereoselectively prepared by a tandem reduction-olefination of triethyl 2-acyl-2-fluoro-2-phosphonoacetates 6a-f with NaBH₄ in EtOH. A concise synthesis of Cbz-Gly-Ψ[(Z)-CFC]-Gly (26) as a dipeptide isostere was achieved via the tandem reduction-olefination of the corresponding 2-acyl-2-fluoro-2-phosphonoacetate 20.