A biogenetically patterned conversion of palmatine into polycarpine

Oxidation of palmatine ($\text{1}$) choride with $\text{m}$-chloroperbenzoic acid in methylene chloride in the presence of sodium bicarbonate at near ?78° C yields polycarpine ($\text{2}$). A new biogenetic route to the aporphines is proposed which does not involve phenolic oxidative coupling, and proceeds through the intermediacy of protoberberinium salts.     

红霉素的生物合成与组合生物合成

组合生物合成在筛选和发展新型药物方面日益被生物、化学和医药界所关注.红霉素作为组合生物合成发展的模式化合物一直是人们研究的热点.概述了红霉素的生物合成机制及近年来在此基础上采用组合生物合成获得红霉素衍生物的研究进展,并对此方面存在的问题、应用前景作了展望.     

Asymmetric synthesis of tetrahydropalmatine via tandem 1,2-addition/cyclization

[Reaction: see text]. The enantioselective synthesis of both enantiomers of tetrahydropalmatine (2) (ee = 98%), a natural alkaloid belonging to the tetrahydroprotoberberine family, is described. The key step of this total synthesis is based on our tandem 1,2-addition/ring-closure methodology employing lithiated methylbenzamide and benzaldehyde SAMP or RAMP hydrazones as substrates. An initial route was investigated for the formation of N- and 3-substituted dihydroisoquinolones starting from 2-substituted benzaldehyde SAMP hydrazones, but although high diastereoselectivity was achieved, only disappointing yields were obtained. In our subsequent synthetic strategy, 2,3-dimethoxy-6-methylbenzamide 6 and 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde SAMP or RAMP hydrazone 19 gave the dihydroisoquinolones 20 in high diastereomeric purity (de > or = 96%) and reasonable yield (54-55%), taking into account the complex functionalities established in one step. Cleavage of the N-N bond of the chiral auxiliary and reduction of the carbonyl group of the amide moiety were performed in the same step, and the resulting tetrahydroisoquinolines 22 (ee = 99%) were N-functionalized by treatment with various electrophiles to investigate the ring closure by Pummerer, Friedel-Crafts, and Pomeranz-Fritsch reactions. The Pummerer cyclization led to the formation of (S)-(-)-2 with slight racemization (ee = 89%), whereas the Friedel-Crafts reaction proved to be unsuccessful. Finally, Pomeranz-Fritsch-type cyclization afforded the desired title compound (R)-(+)-2 in excellent enantioselectivity in 9% overall yield over seven steps and after optimization of the last step (S)-(-)-2 in 17% overall yield.     

Rapid determination and comparative pharmacokinetics of tetrahydropalmatine in spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive rats

A rapid high‐performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for determination of tetrahydropalmatine (THP), an active component of Rhizoma Corydalis, in rat plasma. The samples were prepared using protein precipitation and separated on an Agilent XDB‐C₁₈ column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) with the mobile phase consisting of methanol–0.1% phosphate acid solution, adjusted with triethylamine to pH 5.5 (65:35). Good linearity was found within 0.10–10.00 µg/mL of THP in rat plasma sample. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision values were less than 10%. The developed method was successfully applied to assess the pharmacokinetics of THP in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive rats. After oral administration of a single dose of THP (60 mg/kg), the maximum plasma concentrations were 6.15 ± 2.1 and 7.54 ± 2.9 µg/mL for normotensive rats and SHR, respectively. The mean values of AUC_0–∞ of THP in SHR were 81.44 ± 45.0 µg h/mL, significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in normotensive rats (44.06 ± 19.6 µg h/mL). The t_1/2 and MRT in SHR were much longer than that in healthy Sprague–Dawley rats, indicating slow elimination of THP in SHR. The results indicated that there are some differences in pharmacokinetics of THP in SHR and Sprague–Dawley rats and it is very important to investigate the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs in pathological conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly effective binding and inverse fluorescent behavior of palmatine and l-tetrahydropalmatine alkaloids by p-sulfonatocalixarenes

The effects of pressure and solvent were examined for the inclusion complexation of phenothiazine dyes and trans-4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1-methylpyridinium (St-4Me) with water-soluble p-sulfonatocalix[8]arene (Calix-S8). Depending on the bulkiness of the guest dyes, external pressures and solvent polarity increase the inclusion equilibrium constants of dyes with Calix-S8. From the pressure dependence of the inclusion equilibria, the reaction volumes for inclusion by Calix-S8 in the alcohol-water mixtures were estimated to be negative values (?19.8 to ?5.29 cm³ mol^?1 for the phenothiazine dyes and ?13.1 to ?9.85 cm³ mol^?1 for St-4Me). Analysis of the results of the high pressure indicated that the intrinsic volume change related to inclusion into the Calix-S8 cavity plays an important role in the inclusion of Calix-S8, depending on the bulkiness of the guest molecules. Based on ¹H NMR measurements, the structures of the inclusion complexes of Calix-S8 with phenothiazine dyes have been established and the differences in the inclusion behaviors of the phenothiazine dyes and St-4Me are discussed.     

One-step purification of palmatine and its derivative dl-tetrahydropalmatine from Enantia chlorantha using high-performance displacement chromatography

Palmatine and its reduced form, dl-tetrahydropalmatine are a group of isoquinoline alkaloids that have been reported to display a variety of biological and pharmacological activities. Both drugs are hydrophilic and are difficult to be purified by conventional purification methods of natural products. A high-performance displacement chromatography (HPDC) method successfully purified palmatine and its semi-synthetic derivative dl-tetrahydropalmatine from crude extract of the African medicinal plant Enantia chlorantha. The crude extract from the root bark of E. chlorantha was fractionated on an analytical reversed-phase C(18) column by using 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) or acetic acid/H2O as a carrier and cetylpyridinium trifluoroacetate (or acetate) (1.9mg/mL) in 0.1% TFA (or acetic acid)/H2O as a displacer. Palmatine was quantitatively purified at >98% purity in the fully developed displacement mode. dl-Tetrahydropalmatine was semi-synthesized by NaBH4 reduction from crude palmatine and directly purified by HPDC. Both palmatine and dl-tetrahydropalmatine were identified by high-resolution electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR. This is the first report of one-step HPDC purification of natural and semi-synthetic products from a complex crude extract.     

Biosynthesis of magnoflorine and laurifoline

The incorporation of (±)-, nor-laudanosoline, nor-protosinomenine, nor-orientaline, norreticuline and reticuline and reticuline methiodide into magnoflorine and laurifoline has been studied and specific incorporation of nor-reticuline and reticuline demonstrated. Parallel feeding experiments with (+)-S and (?)-(R)-reticulines demonstrated specific incorporation of (+)-(S)-isomer into these bases.     

Biosynthesis of tylophorine and tylophorinine

Administration of 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl[2-¹⁴C] alanine to young Tylophora asthmatica plants revealed that ring B and carbon atoms C₉ and C₇ of tylophorine and tylophorinine are derived from dopa. Tracer experiments with 6,7-diphenylhexahydroindolizines (1–7) and (26) demonstrated that compound 1 is efficiently and specifically incorporated into tylophorine (13) and tylophorinine (16). Compounds (3), (4) and (26) were not metabolized by the plants to form (13) and (16) whereas (5) and (6) were utilized to yield (13) and (16). Compound (2) was very poorly converted into (13) and (16) and thus is not on the major biosynthetic pathway of (13) and (16).     

Fast fluorescent staining of protein in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels by palmatine

A fast and sensitive protein fluorescent detection method in SDS-PAGE using the natural product palmatine is described. Palmatine is an alkaloid found in various plants exhibiting a broad spectrum of antibiotic activity in humans. The sensitivity of palmatine staining is similar to those of the SYPRO Red, SYPRO Tangerine, and SYPRO Orange protein gel stains - about 4 ng per protein band. This detection sensitivity is comparable to colloidal CBB staining. Since proteins stained with palmatine do not need destaining, the staining procedure can be easily shortened and completed in about 30 min. Stained proteins can be photographed using a UV transilluminator. The results of the present study suggest that the palmatine staining is sensitive, rapid, low cost, and safe for a broad application to the research of protein.     

Biosynthesis of thalicarpine

The incorporation of (±)-, norlaudanosoline, ?nor-reticuline, ?N-methylcoclaurine and ?norlaudanidine into thalicarpine in Cocculus laurifolius DC has been studied and specific utilization of (±)- reticuline is demonstrated. The evidence supports that both the “halves” of thalicapine are derived from reticuline. Parallel feedings of (S)-, and (R)-, reticulines showed that the stereospecifity is maintained in the biosynthesis of thalicarpine from the 1-benzyl-tetrahydroisoquinoline precursor.A double-labelling experiment with (±)-[1-³H, 4′-O¹⁴CH₃] nor-reticuline has shown that the 4′OMe group of a nor-reticuline unit is lost in the biotransformation into thalicarpine. Feeding experiments also revealed that the plants can convert (S)-bolding and (S)-isoboldine into thalicarpine.     

Biosynthesis of isotetrandrine

The incorporation of (±)-coclaurine, (±)-N-methylcoclaurine, didehydro-N-methylcoclaurinium iodide, (+)-(S)-N-methylcoclaurine and (?)-(R)-N-methylcoclaurine into isotetrandrine in Cocculus laurifolius DC has been studied and specific utilization of (±)-, (+)-(S)- and (?)-R-N-methylcoclaurines and didehydro-N-methylcoclaurinium iodide demonstrated. The evidence supports intermolecular oxidative coupline of (+)-(S)- and (?)-(R)-N-methylcoclaurines to form isotetrandrine. Double labelling experiment with (±)-N- [¹⁴C] methyl [1 - ³H] coclaurine demonstrated that the hydrogen atom at the asymmetric centre in N-methylcoclaurine is retained in the bioconversion into isotetrandrine.     

Biosynthesis of Mikrolin

Mikrolin (8) and dechloromikrolin (9) have been shown to exist as tautomeric mixtures in solution. The structures of mono-O-trifluoroacetyl Mikrolin (10) and di-O-acetyl Mikrolin (11) have been elucidated. The products 15 to 23 from reduction of the metabolites 8 9 with Pd/C and Zn in aqueous acetic acid have been identified. The ¹³C-NMR. spectra of Mikrolin (8) and dechloromikrolin (9) and their derivatives have been completely assigned Based on the results of incorporation experiments with sodium [1-¹³C]-, [2-¹³C]- and [1, 2-¹³C]-acetate, a biosynthetic pathway is proposed for Mikrolin (8) .     

Biosynthesis of tetrapetalones

The biosynthesis of tetrapetalones (tetrapetalones A, B, C, and D) in Streptomyces sp. USF-4727 was studied by feeding experiments with [1-13C] sodium propanoate, [1-13C] sodium butanoate, [carbonyl-13C] 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA) hydrochloride, and [1-13C] glucose, followed by analysis of the 13C-NMR spectra. These feeding experiments revealed that the four tetrapetalones were polyketide compounds constructed from propanoate, butanoate, AHBA, and glucose. The tetrapetalone biosynthetic pathway was also suggested in this study. In this pathway, tetrapetalone A (1) is synthesized by polyketide synthase (PKS) using AHBA as a starter unit, then the side chain of 1 is subjected to acetoxylation to produce tetrapetalone B (2). Additionally, 1 is oxidized and transformed into tetrapetalone C (3). In a similar way, 2 is converted to tetrapetalone D (4). Therefore, the biosynthetic relationship of the four tetrapetalones was indicated.     

Biosynthesis of pantothenate

Pantothenate is an essential metabolite for all biological systems, however, the biosynthetic pathway is limited to plants, eubacteria and archaea. This suggests that the pathway is a strong candidate for the discovery of novel antibiotic and herbicidal compounds. The enzymology of this short pathway in both bacteria and plants is discussed in detail. In addition a short survey of studies of the whole pathway, and a discussion of both the metabolism and the transport of pantothenate are included.