Jozimine A2: The First Dimeric Dioncophyllaceae‐Type Naphthylisoquinoline Alkaloid,with Three Chiral Axes and High Antiplasmodial Activity

A new dimeric naphthylisoquinoline alkaloid, jozimine A₂ ( 2 ), was isolated from the root bark of an Ancistrocladus species from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its absolute stereostructure was determined by chemical, spectroscopic, and chiroptical methods, and confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Jozimine A₂ ( 2 ) is one of the as yet very rare naphthylisoquinoline dimers whose central biaryl axis is rotationally hindered. Moreover, it is the first natural dimer of a Dioncophyllaceae‐type alkaloid, that is, lacking oxygen functions at C6, and bearing R configurations at C3 in its two isoquinoline portions. Despite this decreased steric hindrance, the outer biaryl axes are chiral, too, so that jozimine A₂ ( 2 ) has three consecutive stereogenic axes and, together with the four stereogenic centers, seven elements of chirality and is C₂‐symmetric. The new dimer exhibits excellent, and specific, antiplasmodial activity. To further confirm its stereostructure and for likewise testing the bioactivities of its (unnatural) atropo‐diastereomer, compound 2 was prepared by semi‐synthesis from the co‐occurring (and likewise synthetically available) dioncophylline A ( 5 ), along with its atropo‐diastereomer, 3′‐epi‐ 2 .     

Total Synthesis of Plakortone B

Plakortone B is a naturally occurring bicyclic[3.3.0]furanolactone compound with attractive bioactivities. Although the relative configuration of plakortone B’s central core had been established by NMR spectroscopic methods, the absolute configuration of its four stereocenters remained unknown. In the present paper, all four possible isomers of plakortone B were synthesized and one of these molecules was found to be identical with the natural plakortone B on the basis of ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectra and specific rotation comparisons. Thus, the absolute configuration of the natural plakortone B was determined to be (3S,4S,6R,10R).     

Suffrutines A and B: A Pair of Z/E Isomeric Indolizidine Alkaloids from the Roots of Flueggea suffruticosa

Suffrutines A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ), a pair of novel photochemical Z/E isomeric indolizidine alkaloids, with a unique and highly conjugated C₂₀ skeleton, were isolated from the roots of Flueggea suffruticosa. The structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of NMR spectra and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The light‐induced isomerization and hypothetical biogenetic pathway to 1 and 2 , as well as their activity for regulating the morphology of Neuro‐2a cells are also discussed.     

Epicochalasines A and B: Two Bioactive Merocytochalasans Bearing Caged Epicoccine Dimer Units from Aspergillus flavipes

Two bioactive merocytochalasans, epicochalasines A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ), a new class of cytochalasans bearing unexpected scaffolds consisting of fused aspochalasin and epicoccine dimer moieties, were isolated from the liquid culture broth of Aspergillus flavipes. Both 1 and 2 possess a hendecacyclic 5/6/11/5/6/5/6/5/6/6/5 ring system containing an adamantyl cage and as many as 19 stereogenic centers; however, the fusion patterns of 1 and 2 differ greatly, thus resulting in different carbon skeletons. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by X‐ray diffraction and calculated ECD, respectively. The biogenetic pathways of 1 and 2 are proposed to involve Diels–Alder and nucleophilic addition reactions. Both 1 and 2 induced significant G2/M‐phase cell‐cycle arrest. Furthermore, we found that merocytochalasans induce apoptosis in leukemia cells through the activation of caspase‐3 and the degradation of PARP.     

Guapsidial A and Guadials B and C: Three New Meroterpenoids with Unusual Skeletons from the Leaves of Psidium guajava

A novel sesquiterpene‐based Psidium meroterpenoid, possessing an unusual coupling pattern, and two new monoterpene‐based meroterpenoids with unprecedented skeletons were isolated from the leaves of Psidium guajava. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by spectroscopic, X‐ray diffraction, and computational methods. The plausible biosynthetic pathway of these meroterpenoids as well as their cytotoxicities toward HepG2 and HepG2/ADM cells were also discussed.     

Discovery and Total Synthesis of Streptoaminals: Antimicrobial [5,5]‐Spirohemiaminals from the Combined‐Culture of Streptomyces nigrescens and Tsukamurella pulmonis

A series of lipidic spirohemiaminals, designated streptoaminals, is reported. These were discovered by surveying the unique molecular signatures identified in the mass spectrometry data of the combined‐culture broth of Streptomyces nigrescens HEK616 and Tsukamurella pulmonis TP‐B0596. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that streptoaminals appeared as a cluster of ion peaks, which were separated by 14 mass unit intervals, implying the presence of alkyl chains of different lengths. The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and total synthesis. Streptoaminals with globular structures showed broad antimicrobial activities, whereas the planar structures of the 5‐alkyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinolines found in the same combined‐culture did not. This work shows the application of microbes as reservoirs for a range of chemical scaffolds.     

Asymmetric Total Syntheses,Stereostructures, and Cytotoxicities of Marine Bromotriterpenoids Aplysiol B (Laurenmariannol) and Saiyacenol A

There are marine cytotoxic bromotriterpenoids, named the thyrsiferol family that are structurally characterized by some tetrahydropyran (THP) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) rings. The thyrsiferol family belongs to natural products that are often difficult to determine their stereostructures even by the current, highly advanced spectroscopic methods, especially in acyclic systems including stereogenic tetrasubstituted carbon centers. In such cases, it is effective to predict and synthesize the possible stereostructures. Herein, to elucidate ambiguous stereostructures and unassigned absolute configurations of aplysiol B, laurenmariannol, and saiyacenol A, members of the thyrsiferol family, we carried out their asymmetric chemical syntheses featuring 6-exo and 5-exo oxacyclizations of epoxy alcohol precursors and 6-endo bromoetherification of a bishomoallylic alcohol. In this paper, we report total assignments of their stereostructures through their asymmetric chemical syntheses and also their preliminary cytotoxic activities against some tumor cells. These results could not have been achieved without depending on asymmetric total synthesis.     

Hopeahainol A: an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor from Hopea hainanensis

A phytochemical study of Hopea hainanensis has led to the isolation of three new polyphenols and one known compound. The most important of these compounds are hopeahainols A (2) and B (3), which contain an unprecedented carbon skeleton. The structures were elucidated by analysis of the spectroscopic data including single-crystal X-ray spectroscopy and computational methods. Hopeahainol A was an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor with an IC50 value of 4.33 microM, which is comparable to that of huperzine A, a presently prescribed drug for the treatment of Alzheimer, while other similar structures were inactive. This observation was complemented by a 3D interaction model of the inhibitor with active sites.     

Enantioselective Syntheses of Rigidiusculamides A and B: Revision of the Relative Stereochemistry of Rigidiusculamide A

The first enantioselective synthesis of cytotoxic natural products rigidiusculamides A (ent‐ 21 ) and B ( 8 ) has been achieved by two synthetic routes. The first one is convergent based on the common intermediate 11 , obtained through a high yielding SmI₂‐mediated Reformatsky‐type reaction. A highly diastereoselective one‐pot Dess–Martin periodinane‐mediated bis‐oxidation allowed the direct conversion of the diastereomeric mixture of 11 into rigidiusculamide B ( 8 ). Isolation of minor diastereomer 21 , in combination with computational work, allowed us to suggest the structure of the natural rigidiusculamide A to be 21 , as synthesized by the second route. Four diastereomers ( 7 , 7 , 22a , and 22b ) and an enantiomer ( 21 ) of rigidiusculamide A ( 21 ) have been synthesized. On the basis of literature precedents and computational work, a biosynthetic pathway for rigidiusculamides A and B was proposed to account for the opposite configuration at C‐5 of those two congeners.     

Stereochemical assignment and first synthesis of the core of miharamycin antibiotics

The relative configuration at C-6' of nucleoside antibiotic miharamycin A has been elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and proved to be S. The total synthesis of miharamycin B has also been investigated, which has led to the unprecedented construction of its core. The bicyclic sugar moiety has been elaborated by means of a SmI(2)-based keto-alkyne coupling. Elongation of its C-6 position towards a bicyclic sugar amino acid and conversion into a suitable glycosyl donor enabled efficient N-glycosylation with 2-aminopurine to take place to afford the nucleosidic part of miharamycin B. Final peptide coupling with arginine afforded the skeleton of miharamycin B. Unfortunately, attempts to deprotect this scaffold failed to afford the complex nucleoside antibiotic.     

Cimicifoetones A and B,Dimeric Prenylindole Alkaloids as Black Pigments of Cimicifuga foetida

Two dimeric prenylindole alkaloids with a unique indole‐benzoindolequinone skeleton, cimicifoetones A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ), were isolated as black pigments from the rhizomes of Cimicifuga foetida . The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including HRMS and 2D NMR, as well as single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and computational chemical modeling techniques. Cimicifoetones A and B represented the first examples of dimeric indole alkaloids generated through [4+2] Diels–Alder cycloaddition between the prenyl side chain in one 3‐prenylindole and the aromatic ring in another. The two compounds showed promising anti‐proliferative activity on seven tumor cell lines with IC₅₀ values in the range of 1.36–21.09 μm . Flow cytometric and western blot analysis revealed that compound 2 induced cell apoptosis via death receptor‐mediated extrinsic and mitochondrial‐mediated intrinsic pathways.     

Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Super‐Carbon‐Chain Compounds by a Combined Chemical,Spectroscopic, and Computational Approach: Gibbosols A and B

Marine dinoflagellates produce remarkable organic molecules, particularly those with polyoxygenated long‐carbon‐chain backbones, namely super‐carbon‐chain compounds (SCCCs), characterized by the presence of numerous stereogenic carbon centers on acyclic polyol carbon chains. Even today, it is a challenge to determine the absolute configurations of these compounds. In this work, the planar structures and absolute configurations of two highly flexible SCCCs, featuring either a C₆₉‐ or C₇₁‐linear carbon backbone, gibbosols A and B, respectively, each containing thirty‐seven stereogenic carbon centers, were unambiguously established by a combined chemical, spectroscopic, and computational approach. The discovery of gibbosols A and B with two hydrophilic acyclic polyol chains represents an unprecedented class of SCCCs. A reasonable convergent strategy for the biosynthesis of these SCCCs was proposed.