A search for kinase inhibitors and antibacterial agents: bromopyrrolo-2-aminoimidazoles from a deep-water Great Australian Bight sponge, Axinella sp.

Biological screening of a deep-water Great Australian Bight marine sponge, Axinella sp., detected inhibition against the neurodegenerative disease kinase targets CDK5/p25, CK1δ, and GSK3β, as well as significant levels of antibacterial activity. Chemical fractionation returned 18 secondary metabolites identified by detailed spectroscopic analysis as three new bromopyrrolo-2-aminoimidazoles, 14-O-sulfate massadine (1), 14-O-methyl massadine (2), and 3-O-methyl massadine chloride (3), together with the known metabolites massadine chloride (4), massadine (5), stylissadine B (6), axinellamines A-C (7-9), hymenin (10), stevensine (also known as odiline) (11), tauroacidin A (12), hymenidin (13), taurodispacamide A (14), oroidin (15), debromohymenialdisine (16), hymenialdisine (17), and aldisin (18). Armed with this focused natural product chemical diversity library, we re-established that 16 and 17 were nM kinase inhibitors, and determined that 3, 6, and 12-15 were sub μM antibacterials.     

Five novel norcembranoids from Sinularia leptoclados and S. parva

Three new norcembrane-based diterpenoids, leptocladolides A (1), B (4) and C (5), along with five known metabolites 6-10, have been isolated from the dichloromethane extract of a Taiwanese soft coral Sinularia leptoclados. Furthermore, a chemical investigation on the dichloromethane extract of S. parva has resulted in the isolation of two new related isomers, 1-epi-leptocladolide A (2) and 7E-leptocladolide A (3), in addition to 1 and 7. The structures of new metabolites 1-5 were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and their relative stereochemistries were determined by NOESY experiments. The new metabolites 1 and 3 have been shown to exhibit significant cytotoxic activity against KB and Hepa59T/VGH cancer cell lines.     

Proanthocyanidin glycosides from the leaves of Quercus ilex L. (Fagaceae)

From the polar extracts of the leaves of Quercus ilex L., two new proanthocyanidin glycosides, namely afzelechin-(4α→8)-catechin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (1) and afzelechin-(4α→8)-catechin-3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside (2), were isolated in addition to catechin (3), proanthocyanidin B₃ (4), prodelphinidin C (5), dehydrodicatechin A (6), quercetin (7) and six known flavonol glucosides with their acylated derivatives (8-13) and ellagic acid (14). The structures of all isolated compounds were established by spectroscopic means, mainly 1D and 2D NMR, as well as LC/MS and HR-MS spectrometric analyses. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by CD measurements. The proanthocyanidin glycosides are especially interesting, as they possess the sugar in the upper unit of the dimer, which is rare for this type of compounds.     

Polyketide derivatives of endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis sp. isolated from the Chinese mangrove plant Rhizophora mucronata

A detailed chemical investigation of the minor metabolites produced by the endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis sp. isolated from the Chinese mangrove Rhizophora mucronata afforded sixteen new compounds of polyketide origin, including pestalotiopyrones A-H (1-8), pestalotiopisorin A (10), pestalotiollides A-B (11-12), pestalotiopin A (13), and four amides pestalotiopamides A-D (14-17), along with three known compounds, nigrosporapyrone D (9), 2-anhydromevalonic acid (18), and p-hydroxy benzaldehyde (19). The structures of all compounds were unambiguously established from their spectroscopic data that included HR-ESIMS and 1- and 2-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, and by comparison with the literature.     

Discovery of novel sesquiterpenoids from a gorgonian Menella sp.

A novel sesquiterpenoid, menelloide A (1), which was found to possess a new carbon skeleton, and a new guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid, menelloide B (2), along with (+)-chloranthalactone B (3), an enantiomer of the known sesquiterpenoid, chloranthalactone B (4), were isolated from a gorgonian coral identified as Menella sp. The structures of sesquiterpenoids 1-3 were established by spectroscopic methods and by comparison of the data with those of related metabolites. Sesquiterpenoids 1 and 3 displayed inhibitory effects on the generation of superoxide anion by human neutrophils.     

Feroniellins A-C, novel cytotoxic furanocoumarins with highly oxygenated C10 moieties from Feroniella lucida

Three new furanocoumarins, named feroniellins A (1), B (2), and C (3), were isolated from the roots of Feroniella lucida. Compounds 1-3 are novel structures having an oxolane, oxane, and oxepane moiety. Their overall structures and configurations were determined by spectral and chemical methods. The cytotoxicities of 1-3 were evaluated against human KB and HeLa carcinoma cells.     

New xenicane diterpenoids from Xenia florida

Three new xenicane diterpenoids, designated xeniolactones A (1), B (2), and C (3), were isolated from Xenia florida collected in Taiwan. Compound 1 possesses a novel structure having a heterotricyclic skeleton in cyclononane system. The structures of 1-3 were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. The cytotoxicity of 1-3 was also evaluated against human cancer cell lines.     

Bis-spiro-azaphilones and azaphilones from the fungi Chaetomium cochliodes VTh01 and C. cochliodes CTh05

Four new dimeric spiro-azaplilones, cochliodones A-D (1-4), two new azaphliones, chaetoviridines E and F (5 and 6), a new epi-chaetoviridin A (7), together with five known compounds, chaetoviridin A (8), ergosterol (9), chaetochalasin A (10), 24(R)-5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6-22-diene-3β-ol (11), and ergosterol-β-d-glucoside (12) were isolated from the fungi Chaetomium cochliodes VTh01 and C. cochliodes CTh05. Structures and stereochemistry of the atropisomers 1-3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 5, 10, and 11 exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, while 3, 5, 6, 10, and 11 showed antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, 5 and 6 also showed cytotoxicity against the KB, BC1, and NCI-H187 cell lines.     

Cyclohexadepsipeptides from Acremonium sp. BCC 28424

Six new cyclohexadepsipeptides, beauvenniatins A-E (1-5), and beauvericin J (6), together with the known beauvericin (7) and enniatin B (8), were isolated from the fungus Acremonium sp. BCC 28424. The productions of minor derivatives 3-6, possessing an N-methyl-l-tyrosine, were enhanced by feeding l-tyrosine in the liquid fermentation medium. Antimalarial, antitubercular, and cytotoxic activities of these cyclodepsipeptides were evaluated.     

Bioactive meroterpenoids and alkaloids from the fungus Eurotium chevalieri

Five new meroterpenoids, chevalones A-D (1-4), aszonapyrone B (8), and a new sequiterpene alkaloid, eurochevalierine (5), together with four known compounds, sequiterpene (6), terpenoid pyrrolobenzoxazine named CJ-12662 (7), meroterpenoid, aszonapyrone A (9), and ergosterol were isolated from the fungus Eurotium chevalieri. The structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The configurations of 1 and 5 were determined by X-ray analysis. The biosynthetic pathway of 1-3, 8, and 9 were proposed. Chemical transformation of aszonapyrone A (9) was also studied. Compounds 4, 5, and 7 exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, while 3, 5, and 7 showed antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, compounds 2-7 showed cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines.     

Montamine, a unique dimeric indole alkaloid, from the seeds of Centaurea montana (Asteraceae), and its in vitro cytotoxic activity against the CaCo2 colon cancer cells

Reversed-phase HPLC analysis of the methanol extract of the seeds of Centaurea montana afforded a flavanone, montanoside (4), six epoxylignans, berchemol (7), berchemol 4′-O-β-d-glucoside (5), pinoresinol (10), pinoresinol 4-O-β-d-glucoside (8), pinoresinol 4,4′-di-O-β-d-glucoside (6), pinoresinol 4-O-apiose-(1→2)-β-d-glucoside (9), two quinic acid derivatives, trans-3-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid (1), cis-3-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid (2), and eight indole alkaloids, tryptamine (3), N-(4-hydroxycinnamoyl)-5-hydroxytryptamine (11), cis-N-(4-hydroxycinnamoyl)-5-hydroxytryptamine (12), centcyamine (16), cis-centcyamine (17), moschamine (13), cis-moschamine (14) and a dimeric indole alkaloid, montamine (15). While the structures of two new compounds, montanoside (4) and montamine (15), were established unequivocally by UV, IR, MS and a series of 1D and 2D NMR analyses, all known compounds were identified by comparison of their spectroscopic data with literature data. The antioxidant properties of these compounds were assessed by the DPPH assay, and their toxicity towards brine shrimps and cytotoxicity against CaCo-2 colon cancer cells were evaluated by the brine shrimp lethality and the MTT cytotoxicity assays, respectively. The novel dimer, montamine (15), showed significant in vitro anticolon cancer activity (IC₅₀=43.9 μM) while that of the monomer, moschamine (13), was of a moderate level (IC₅₀=81.0 μM).     

Halichonadins A-D, new sesquiterpenoids from a sponge Halichondria sp.

A new dimeric sesquiterpenoid with two eudesmane skeletons through a urea linkage, halichonadin A (1), as well as three new eudesmane sesquiterpenoids having a carbamate, an isonitrile, or an amino functionality, halichonadins B (2), C (3), and D (4), respectively, have been isolated from a marine sponge Halichondria sp., and the gross structures and relative stereochemistry of 1-4 were elucidated on the basis of spectral data and chemical means.     

Synthesis and molecular structures of dinuclear complexes with 1,2-dihydro-1,2-diphenyl-naphtho[1,8-c,d]1,2-diphosphole as a bridging ligand

A bisphosphine in which a PhP-PPh bond bridges 1,8-positions of naphthalene, 1,2-dihydro-1,2-diphenyl-naphtho[1,8-cd]-1,2-diphosphole (1), was used as a bridging ligand for the preparation of dinuclear group 6 metal complexes. Free trans-1, a more stable isomer having two phenyl groups on phosphorus centers mutually trans with respect to a naphthalene plane, was allowed to react with two equivalents of M(CO)₅(thf) (M = W, Mo, Cr) at room temperature to give dinuclear complexes (OC)₅M(μ-trans-1)M(CO)₅ (M = W (2a), Mo (2b), Cr (2c)). The preparation of the corresponding dinuclear complexes bridged by the cis isomer of 1 was also carried out starting from the free trans-1 in the following way. Mono-nuclear complexes M(trans-1)(CO)₅ (M = W (3a), Mo (3b), Cr (3c)) which had been prepared by a reaction of trans-1 with one equivalent of the corresponding M(CO)₅(thf) (M = W, Mo, Cr) complex, were heated in toluene, wherein a part of the trans-3a-c was converted to their respective cis isomer M(cis-1)(CO)₅. Each cis trans mixture of the mono-nuclear complexes 3a-c was treated with the corresponding M(CO)₅(thf) to give a cis trans mixture of the respective dinuclear complexes 2a-c. The cis isomer of the ditungsten complex 2a was isolated, and its molecular structure was confirmed by X-ray analysis, showing a shorter W?W distance of 5.1661(3) Å than that of 5.8317(2) Å in trans-2a.     

Three novel 3,4-seco-podocarpane trinorditerpenoids from Aleurites moluccana

Three novel 3,4-seco-podocarpane-type trinorditerpenoids, moluccanic acid (1), moluccanic acid methyl ester (2), and 6,7-dehydromoluccanic acid (3), were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Aleurites moluccana. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 2D NMR analysis. The cytotoxicity of compounds 1-3 was evaluated.     

3-Oxyanthranilic acid derivatives from Actinomadura sp. BCC27169

Eight new compounds including 9′-[2-amino-3-(4″-O-methyl-α-rhamnopyranosyloxy) phenyl]nonanoic acid (1), 9′-[2-amino-3-(4″-O-methyl-α-ribopyranosyloxy)phenyl] nonanoic acid (2), 11′-[2-amino-3-(4″-O-methyl-α-rhamnopyranosyloxy)phenyl]undecanoic acid (3), 11′-[2-amino-3-(4″-O-methyl-α-ribopyranosyloxy)phenyl]undecanoic acid (4), 8-(4′-O-methyl-α-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one (5), 8-(4′-O-methyl-α-ribopyranosyloxy)-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one (6), 8-(4′-O-methyl-α-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-2-methyquinoline (7), and 8-(4′-O-methyl-α-ribopyranosyloxy)-2-methylquinoline (8) were isolated from Actinomadura sp. BCC27169. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined based on NMR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy. The absolute configurations of these monosaccharides were revealed by the hydrolysis of compounds 7 and 8. Compounds 3 and 8 exhibited antitubercular activity at MIC 50 μg/mL. Only compound 3 showed cytotoxicity against KB cell at IC₅₀ 18.63 μg/mL, while other isolated compounds were inactive at tested maximum concentration (50 μg/mL).     

Total Synthesis of Amphidinolide E and Amphidinolide E Stereoisomers

Four amphidinolide E stereoisomers, amphidinolide E (1), 2-epi-amphidinolide E (2), 19-epi-amphidinolide E (3), and 2-epi-19-epi-amphidinolide E (4), have been synthesized via the judicious union of aldehyde 5, allylsilanes 7 or 8, acids 9 or 10, and vinylstannane 6. The C19 stereocenters of the C19 epimeric allylsilanes 7 and 8 were introduced via crotylboration reactions early in the synthesis. [3+2] Annulation reactions of aldehyde 5 with allylsilanes 7 and 8 were employed to set the core tetrahydrofuran units of 1-4. Finally, the C2 stereocenter was installed by esterification using acid 9, without incident, or with acid 10, in which case an unexpected and completely stereoselective inversion of C2 occurs.     

The microbiological transformation of steroidal saponins by Curvularia lunata

The microbiological transformation of polyphyllin I (compound I), polyphyllin III (compound II), polyphyllin V (compound III) and polyphyllin VI (compound IV) by Curvularia lunata into their corresponding subsaponins, for example, diosgenin-3-O-α-l-arabinofuranosyl (1→4)-β-d-glucopyranoside (compound V), diosgenin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→4)-β-d-glucopyranoside (compound VI), diosgenin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (compound VII) and pennogenin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (compound VIII), were studied in this paper. Curvularia lunata is able to hydrolyze terminal rhamnosyls that are linked by 1→2 C- bond to sugar residues of steroidal saponins at C-3 position with high activity and regioselectivity.     

Cytotoxic dimeric sesquiterpenoids from Curcuma parviflora: isolation of three new parviflorenes and absolute stereochemistry of parviflorenes A, B, D, F, and G

Three novel dimeric sesquiterpenoids, named parviflorenes G-I (1-3), have been isolated from Curcuma parviflora (Zingiberaceae), and their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic studies. Absolute stereochemistry of parviflorene G (1) as well as previously isolated related compounds, parviflorenes A (4), B (5), D (6), and F (7), was revealed by CD spectral data and chemical means. Parviflorenes G (1) and I (3) were cytotoxic against HeLa cells, while parviflorenes A (4) and F (7) were cytotoxic against all tested tumor cell lines in the human cancer cell line panel assay.     

Synthesis, characterization and luminescence study of dimethyl(β-ketoiminato)gallium (-indium) complexes: crystal structure of dimethyl[1-phenyl-3-N-(4-methoxyphenylimino)-1-butanonato]gallium

Six dimethylgallium (indium) complexes of type Me₂ML [M = Ga, L = 1-phenyl-3-N-(phenylimino)-1-butanonato (1), 1-phenyl-3-N-(p-methoxyphenylimino)-1-butanonato (2), 1-phenyl-3-N-(o-chloro phenylimino)-1-butanonato (3); M = In, L = 1-phenyl-3-N-(phenyl imino)-1-butanonato (4), 1-phenyl-3-N-(p-methoxyphenylimino)-1-butanonato (5), 1-phenyl-3-N-(o-chlorophenylimino)-1-butanonato (6)] have been synthesized by reaction of trimethylgallium (indium) with appropriate 1-phenyl-3-N-(arylimino)-1-butanones. The complexes obtained have been characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, IR and mass spectroscopy. Structure of 2 has been determined by X-ray single-crystal analysis, in which Ga atom is four coordinated. Complexes 1-6 emit colors from blue to green (463-491 nm) when irradiated by UV light. The electroluminescent (EL) properties of 1-6 were examined by fabricating EL devices using 1-6 as emitter, respectively. The EL bands are located in the green region (509-522 nm).     

Novel polyisoprenylated benzophenone derivatives from Garcinia paucinervis

Four novel polyisoprenylated benzophenone derivatives, paucinones A-D (1-4), were isolated from the leaves of the plant Garcinia paucinervis. Paucinones A-C (1-3) contained an unexpected cyclohexane-spiro-tetrahydrofuran moiety. A 1-methylene-3,3-dimethylcyclohexane group never reported before was found in the structure of paucinone D (4). The structures of these compounds were elucidated with spectroscopic evidences. The relative stereochemistries of 1-4 were determined by NOESY correlations. These compounds showed significant cytotoxicities against HeLa cells.