Recent topics of the stereodivergent synthesis of natural products

A variety of natural products, a valuable source of drug lead compounds, coexist with their stereoisomers as congeners. For pursuing the structural elucidation and the structure–activity relationship study of natural products, it is needed to establish the streamlined synthetic route to supply natural products and their stereoisomers. Divergent pathway is one of the synthetic strategies to deliver more than one target compound. In this digest, selected examples of the stereodivergent approach toward the synthesis of natural products are described. Especially, this digest focuses on common synthetic intermediates and stereodiversification steps from the common intermediates to reach the target compounds.     

Comparative triad of routes to an alkyne-BF2 azadipyrromethene near-infrared fluorochrome

A series of three inter-related synthetic routes to a water soluble alkyne substituted BF₂-azadipyrromethene fluorochrome is described. Each route allows for the introduction of the required reactive alkynyl group and water solubilizing propane-sulfonic acid through either more advanced pyrrole intermediates or through their earlier synthetic precursors. The advantages and disadvantages of each route lie in the number of synthetic steps required versus the formation of undesired azadipyrromethene by-products. Upon its synthesis, the alkyne-bearing fluorochrome was shown to efficiently participate in CuACC reactions with a series of azido substrates in water at room temperature and 37?°C. NIR-photophysical properties of the fluorochrome and its conjugates were similar, showing strong potential for in vitro and in vivo imaging applications.     

天然产物骆驼宁碱A及其衍生物的合成研究进展

骆驼宁碱A是从骆驼蒿中分离出来的喹唑啉酮类生物碱, 骆驼蒿在中国民间用来治疗风湿病、炎症、脓肿及其他疾病. 由于骆驼宁碱A的药理活性, 有关其合成方法受到了关注. 综述了该化合物的合成方法, 根据闭环方式的不同把合成方法分为六大类, 大部分方法都围绕中间体喹啉吡咯烷酮的合成, 一般步骤较长, 产率过低, 虽然有的路线步骤短, 产率高, 但原料不易得到. 因此, 经济的产业化方法还有待进一步研究.     

Biological–synthetic hybrid block copolymers: Combining the best from two worlds

Although biopolymers and synthetic polymers share many common features, each of these two classes of materials is also characterized by a distinct and very specific set of advantages and disadvantages. Combining biopolymer elements with synthetic polymers into a single macromolecular conjugate is an interesting strategy for synergetically merging the properties of the individual components and overcoming some of their limitations. This article focuses on a special class of biological–synthetic hybrids that are obtained by site‐selective conjugation of a protein or peptide and a synthetic polymer. The first part of the article gives an overview of the different liquid‐phase and solid‐phase techniques that have been developed for the synthesis of well‐defined, that is, site‐selectively conjugated, synthetic polymer–protein hybrids. In the second part, the properties and potential applications of these materials are discussed. The conjugation of biological and synthetic macromolecules allows the modulation of protein binding and recognition properties and is a powerful strategy for mediating the self‐assembly of synthetic polymers. Synthetic polymer–protein hybrids are already used as medicines and show significant promise for bioanalytical applications and bioseparations. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1–17, 2005     

Total synthesis of complex cyclotryptamine alkaloids: stereocontrolled construction of quaternary carbon stereocenters

Our ability to access the more complex members of the cyclotryptamine family of alkaloids, and to exploit their disparate biological activities, is limited by the synthetic challenge posed by their oligomeric, polyindoline structures. A recurring structural theme within these molecules is the presence of multiple quaternary stereocenters in close proximity to one another. Over the last decade, we have developed a set of transformations that allow rapid access to polyindolines, a number of which exploit the ability of catalytic levels of palladium to orchestrate carbon-carbon bond formation with impressive levels of regio- and stereocontrol. This review tells the story behind the development of this toolbox of synthetic methods, and their validation through the total synthesis of a number of structurally complex cyclotryptamine alkaloids. It also highlights an aspect of asymmetric catalysis that has received little attention, the ability of catalytic asymmetric reactions to selectively elaborate complex, polyfunctional molecules.     

Toward the natural didemnaketal A: total synthesis of the isomer of didemnaketal A

The total synthesis of isomer of didemnaketal A was achieved in 26 steps. The position of esters is switched at C7 and C8 with respect to their proposed position in natural didemnaketal A, which shows potent anti-HIV activity but so far has not been synthesized in the laboratory. Structural analysis of synthetic isomer of didemnaketal A indicates that the esters at C7 and C8 are correctly assigned, suggesting that the problems for the structural reassignment of natural didemnaketal A lie elsewhere.     

A microwave improvement in the synthesis of the quinazoline scaffold

A rapid and efficient microwave-assisted protocol is described that greatly improves a recent synthetic method developed for quinazoline synthesis. The synthetic protocol is based on the use of cycles of microwave irradiation. The optimization process is reported and the experimental results are compared with those of the conventional synthetic route.     

A Facile Synthesis of Indole-based Conjugated Derivatives

A novel synthetic method was developed for the preparation of indole-based conjugated derivatives with satisfied yields. By applying this strategy, a series of new compounds were prepared conveniently. All the obtained new indole derivatives were characterized by spectroscopic analyses, giving satisfactory data corresponding to their expected molecular structures.     

合成丙二酸亚异丙酯Mannich碱的新方法

以甲醛和胺作为胺甲基化试剂，合成了丙二酸亚异丙酯及其5－单取代烃基衍 生物的Mannich碱，同时还讨论了这些Mannich碱的化学性质。     

Synthesis,structure, and function of internally functionalized dendrimers

The past three decades have witnessed an exponential increase in the structural diversity and applications of dendrimers, spanning across drug delivery and diagnostics, protein, and enzyme mimicry, solubility enhancement, coatings, light harvesting, and catalysis. The dendrimer community has recently focused on internally functionalized dendrimers (IFDs) owing to their advanced design and functionality. The synthesis of IFDs relies on advanced orthogonal chemistries and/or (de)protection schemes, as well as careful purification to minimize polydispersity of composition and molecular weight. The studies published on IFDs, however, lay scattered across the chemical literature, and a comprehensive presentation of structural rationale, synthetic procedures, and technologically relevant applications is missing. To address this need, this review presents a comprehensive collection and discussion of all available studies on IFDs, detailing their methods of synthesis and their structure–function correlations. The wide variety of internal functionalities, including hydroxyl, amine, carboxylic acid, allyl, alkyne, and imidazole groups, enables myriad applications in biochemistry, chemical and biomedical engineering, and material science. Particular focus is given to IFDs that are amenable to modular synthetic strategies, which promote higher synthetic yield and scalability, and therefore possess stronger translational and commercial potential. As such, this review guides research groups pursuing the difficult task of IFD rational design and synthesis providing them a concise roadmap to their mission.     

A Case for Bond‐Network Analysis in the Synthesis of Bridged Polycyclic Complex Molecules: Hetidine and Hetisine Diterpenoid Alkaloids

A key challenge in the synthesis of diterpenoid alkaloids lies in identifying strategies that rapidly construct their multiply bridged polycyclic skeletons. Existing approaches to these structurally intricate secondary metabolites are discussed in the context of a “bond‐network analysis” of molecular frameworks, which was originally devised by Corey some 40 years ago. The retrosynthesis plans that emerge from a topological analysis of the highly bridged frameworks of the diterpenoid alkaloids are discussed in the context of eight recent syntheses of hetidine and hetisine natural products and their derivatives. This Minireview highlights the extent to which network analyses of the type described here sufficed for designing synthesis plans, as well as areas where they had to be amalgamated with functional group oriented synthetic planning considerations.     

Schinortriterpenoids: A Case Study in Synthetic Design

Since the pioneering days of total synthesis and retrosynthetic analysis, the community has embraced guiding principles for planning synthetic approaches towards complex natural products. These guideposts have enabled the community to synthesize ever more complex compounds by applying prior knowledge gained in new settings. The recently isolated schinortriterpenoid family of natural products has attracted considerable synthetic attention and provided a rich opportunity to evaluate the lessons learned in the construction of complex, polycyclic scaffolds. In this Minireview, a detailed discussion of the synthetic work within this family is provided, including the six reported total syntheses, as well as a comparative analysis of the approaches utilized in their construction.     

A New and Efficient Synthetic Method and Antibacterial Activities of Oxazolidinone Analogues

A series of novel oxazolidinone analogues were prepared by a new and efficient synthetic method and their antibacterial activities were determined. These compounds wer echaracterized by LC-MS and ^1H NMR.     

SAR Studies of the Leupyrrins: Design and Total Synthesis of Highly Potent Simplified Leupylogs

Leupyrrins are highly potent antifungal agents. A structure–activity-relationship study of natural and synthetic derivatives is reported which reveals important insights into the biological relevance of several structural subunits leading to the discovery of highly potent but drastically simplified leupylogs that incorporate a stable and readily available aromatic side chain. For their synthesis a concise strategy is described that enables a short and versatile access.     

含羟基中环二胺及其衍生物的合成

合成了一类含羟基中环二胺及其羧酸、磷酸衍生物,且利用强酸型阳离子交换树脂分离得到了游离的含羟基中环二胺羧酸衍生物。     

Protecting‐Group‐Free Total Synthesis and Biological Investigation of Cabucine Oxindole A†

Owing to their challenging structures and promising biological profiles, spirooxindole alkaloids have long attracted much attention from the synthetic community. Herein, we wish to describe a concise, protecting‐group‐free total synthesis of cabucine oxindole A, a putative natural spirooxindole alkaloid and a possible biosynthetic congener of cabucine and palmirine. Key transformations of our approach include a one‐step, organocatalytic and enantioselective construction of the spiro[pyrrolidine‐3,3’‐oxindole] moiety and a Korte rearrangement to furnish the final dihydropyran motif. Biological investigation of 1 and its synthetic intermediates revealed lactone 2 as a mild MOLT‐4 and MCF7 cell line inhibitor.     

Synthetic Studies toward C‐Glucosidic Ellagitannins: A Biomimetic Total Synthesis of 5‐O‐Desgalloylepipunicacortein A

C‐glucosidic ellagitannins constitute a subclass of bioactive polyphenolic natural products with strong antioxidant properties, as well as promising antitumoral and antiviral activities that are related to their capacity to interact with both functional and structural proteins. To date, most synthetic efforts toward ellagitannins have concerned glucopyranosic species. The development of a synthetic strategy to access C‐glucosidic ellagitannins, whose characteristic structural feature includes an atropoisomeric hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP) or a nonahydroxyterphenoyl (NHTP) unit that is linked to an open‐chain glucose core by a C‐aryl glucosidic bond, is described herein. The total synthesis of the biarylic HHDP‐containing 5‐O‐desgalloylepipunicacortein A ( 1 β ) was achieved by either using the natural ellagic acid bis‐lactone as a precursor of the requested HHDP unit or by implementing an atroposelective intramolecular oxidative biarylic coupling to forge this HHDP unit. Both routes converged in the penultimate step of this synthesis to enable a biomimetic formation of the key C‐aryl glucosidic bond in the title compound.     

Asymmetric synthesis and structure-activity studies of the fungal metabolites colletorin A,colletochlorin A and their halogenates analogues

The first asymmetric total synthesis of both enantiomers of the natural products colletorin A and colletochlorin A is presented. The proposed methodology is based on the coupling reaction between highly substituted aromatic Gilman cuprates and optically active allyl bromides, in turn obtained by Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation. The latter ensured a high degree of regio- and stereocontrol in the enantioselective step of the synthesis. The same synthetic strategy has been also applied for the preparation of differently halogenated synthetic analogues of colletochlorin A in high enantiomeric purity. The enantioselective synthesis of colletorin A and colletochlorin A allows to reliably assign their absolute configuration. Preliminary assessment of their herbicidal and insecticidal properties evidence the possibility to modulate the bioactivity of these compounds, highlighting its dependence on both the absolute stereochemistry and the halogen nature.     

Nitrogen-Containing Six-Membered Heterocycles: Solid-Phase Synthesis

Solid-phase organic synthesis is a rapidly expanding area of synthetic chemistry that is being widely exploited in the search for new medicinally important compounds using combinatorial techniques. In recent decades, a large number of reports related to solid-phase synthesis of heterocycles have appeared because of the wide variety of their biological activity. In this review, we report the important role of solid-phase synthesis in the synthesis of nitrogen containing six-membered ring heterocycles.     

Total Synthesis of Lactacystin and Salinosporamide A

Lactacystin and salinosporamide A are fascinating molecules with regard to both their chemical structures and biological activities. These naturally occurring compounds are potent and selective proteasome inhibitors. The molecular structures are characterized by their densely functionalized γ‐lactam cores. The structure and biological properties of these two compounds are attracting the attention of many chemists as challenging synthetic targets. We discuss their synthetic strategies in this review.