On the tautomerism of hypericin: The 1,6-dioxo tautomer

Summary The 1,6-dioxo-tautomer of hypericin was obtained by basic and BF₃ catalyzed tautomerization of the natural and most stable 7,14-dioxo-tautomer. The isolation of this tautomer was aided by its insolubility in methanol. It was identified and characterized by spectroscopic methods, and its detailed structure was derived by means of force field calculations.

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Zur Tautomerie des Hypericins: Das 1,6-Dioxo-Tautomere

Zusammenfassung Das 1,6-Dioxo-Tautomere des Hypericins wurde durch basen- und BF₃-katalysierte Tautomerisierung des natürlichen, stabilen 7,14-Dioxo-Tautomers erhalten. Dessen Isolierung wurde durch die Schwerlöslichkeit in Methanol ermöglicht. Es wurde durch spektroskopische Methoden identifiziert und charakterisiert, und seine detaillierte Struktur wurde aus Kraftfeld-Rechnungen abgeleitet.

     

The deprotonation and protonation equilibria of a hypericin derivative in aqueous solution

Summary A hypericin derivative ,'-appended at the methyl groups with two polyethylene glycol moieties (about 23 units long) and capped with acetyl groups was synthesized starting from emodin. This derivative proved to be soluble in water and was investigated by means of spectrophotometric titrations and electrophoresis experiments. Deprotonation at thebay-region hydroxyl group was observed atpK _a=1.6. This was followed by a second deprotonation step of aperi-hydroxyl group at apK _a value of 9.4. This derivative could be protonated at the carbonyl group characterized by apK _a value of –5.7. FrompK _a determinations in water-ethanol mixtures the correspondingpK _a values of hypericin itself determined in such mixtures were extrapolated to the aqueous phase. This resulted in estimatedpK _a values of 1.8, 9.2, and –6.

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Deprotonierungs- und Protonierungsgleichgewichte eines Hypericinderivates in wäßriger Lösung

Zusammenfassung Ein an den Methylgruppen von Hypericin mit endständig acetylierten Polyethylenglykolketten (ungefähr 23 Einheiten lang) ,'-disubstituiertes Derivat wurde ausgehend von Emodin synthetisiert. Dieses Derivat ist wasserlöslich, und es wurde mit Hilfe von spektrophotometrischen Titrationen und Elektrophorese untersucht. Die Deprotonierung derbay-Hydroxylgruppe erfolgt beipK _a=1.6. Diese wird von einem zweiten Deprotonierungsschritt an einerperi-Hydroxylgruppe bei einempK _a-Wert von 9.4 gefolgt. Dieses Derivat konnte an der Carbonylgruppe protoniert werden, was durch einenpK _a-Wert von –5.7 charakterisiert ist. Ausgehend vonpK _a-Messungen in Wasser-Ethanol-Mischungen wurden die entsprechendenpK _a-Werte auch für das Hypericin selbst in wäßriger Phase extrapoliert. Dies führte zu geschätztenpK _a-Werten von 1.8, 9.2 und –6.

     

金属丝桃蒽酮结构变化的理论研究

用MMX和AM1方法对金属桃蒽酮(HYP)结构变化过程的生成热进行了计算.发现:1.HYP1,2位OH可越过20kJ/mol左右的势,绕C--O键旋转而形成分子内氢键,并估算出键能约为10kJ/mol;2.HYP其他四个OH也可进行类似的构象变化,势垒在26kJ/mol左右,相应分子内氢键键能约为20kJmol;3.HYP分子内氢传递产生的异构体在能量上不稳定,进而在基础上探讨了1,2位OH分子内氢键的形成对HYP光敏活性的影响。     

The separation of hypericin's enantiomers and their photophysics in chiral environments

We report the first separation of the enantiomers of hypericin. Their steady-state optical spectra and ultrafast primary photoprocesses are investigated in chiral environments. Within experimental error, there is no difference between the two enantiomers in any of the systems considered. This is consistent with the emerging picture that the rich and extended absorption spectrum of hypericin is not a result of ground-state heterogeneity. It is also consistent with the observation that the spectra and photophysics of hypericin are generally insensitive to environments in which it does not aggregate.     

Fitting quantum machine learning potentials to experimental free energy data: predicting tautomer ratios in solution

The computation of tautomer ratios of druglike molecules is enormously important in computer-aided drug discovery, as over a quarter of all approved drugs can populate multiple tautomeric species in solution. Unfortunately, accurate calculations of aqueous tautomer ratios—the degree to which these species must be penalized in order to correctly account for tautomers in modeling binding for computer-aided drug discovery—is surprisingly difficult. While quantum chemical approaches to computing aqueous tautomer ratios using continuum solvent models and rigid-rotor harmonic-oscillator thermochemistry are currently state of the art, these methods are still surprisingly inaccurate despite their enormous computational expense. Here, we show that a major source of this inaccuracy lies in the breakdown of the standard approach to accounting for quantum chemical thermochemistry using rigid rotor harmonic oscillator (RRHO) approximations, which are frustrated by the complex conformational landscape introduced by the migration of double bonds, creation of stereocenters, and introduction of multiple conformations separated by low energetic barriers induced by migration of a single proton. Using quantum machine learning (QML) methods that allow us to compute potential energies with quantum chemical accuracy at a fraction of the cost, we show how rigorous relative alchemical free energy calculations can be used to compute tautomer ratios in vacuum free from the limitations introduced by RRHO approximations. Furthermore, since the parameters of QML methods are tunable, we show how we can train these models to correct limitations in the underlying learned quantum chemical potential energy surface using free energies, enabling these methods to learn to generalize tautomer free energies across a broader range of predictions.

We show how alchemical free energies can be calculated with QML potentials to identify deficiencies in RRHO approximations for computing tautomeric free energies, and how these potentials can be learned from experiment to improve prediction accuracy.     

Searching and optimizing structure ensembles for complex flexible sugars

NMR restrictions are suitable to specify the geometry of a molecule when a single well-defined global free energy minimum exists that is significantly lower than other local minima. Carbohydrates are quite flexible, and therefore, NMR observables do not always correlate with a single conformer but instead with an ensemble of low free energy conformers that can be accessed by thermal fluctuations. In this communication, we describe a novel procedure to identify and weight the contribution to the ensemble of local minima conformers based on comparison to residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) or other NMR observables, such as scalar couplings. A genetic algorithm is implemented to globally minimize the R factor comparing calculated RDCs to experiment. This is done by optimizing the weights of different conformers derived from the exhaustive local minima conformational search program, fast sugar structure prediction software (FSPS). We apply this framework to six human milk sugars, LND-1, LNF-1, LNF-2, LNF-3, LNnT, and LNT, and are able to determine corresponding population weights for the ensemble of conformers. Interestingly, our results indicate that in all cases the RDCs can be well represented by only a few most important conformers. This confirms that several, but not all of the glycosidic linkages in histo-blood group "epitopes" are quite rigid.     

Detection of tautomer proportions of dimedone in solution: a new approach based on theoretical and FT-IR viewpoint

Molecular structures of stable tautomers of dimedone [5,5-dimethyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione (1) and 3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enone (2)] were optimized and vibrational frequencies were calculated in five different organic solvents (dimethylsulfoxide, methanol, acetonitrile, dichloromethane and chloroform). Geometry optimizations and harmonic vibrational frequency calculations were performed at DFT 6-31+G(d,p), DFT 6-311++G(2d,2p), MP2 6-311++G (2d,2p) and MP2 aug-cc-pVDZ levels for both stable forms of dimedone. Experimental FT-IR spectra of dimedone have also been recorded in the same solvents. A new approach was developed in order to determine tautomers’ ratio using both experimental and theoretical data in Lambert–Beer equation. Obtained results were compared with experimental results published in literature. It has been concluded that while DFT 6-31+G(d,p) method provides accurate enol ratio in DMSO, MeOH, and DCM, in order to obtain accurate results for the other solvents the MP2 aug-cc-pVDZ level calculations should be used for CH₃CN and CHCl₃ solutions.     

The mass spectra of 1,6-dibromo-1,6-dideoxyhexitols

The mass spectra of 1,6-dibromo-1,6-dideoxy-D-mannitol and its O-deuterated analogue were rationalised in terms of the number and location of the bromine and hydroxy substituents on the carbon chain.     

The solution structure and reactivity of decavanadate

The oxygen-exchange reaction of V₁₀O with bulk water has been followed by time-dependent ¹⁷O-NMR spectroscopy (buffered solutions, pH ～ 5.5, [V₁₀]_total ～ 0.17m, T = 298 K). It is shown that all seven structurally different sites of O-atoms are kinetically similar but, in contrast to earlier studies, not identical (6 h ? ‘t_1/2’ ? 11 h). The kinetic similarity of the various structural sites implies the some (but not full) O scrambling is involved. Two possible mechanisms with a ‘half-bonded’ and an ‘open’ intermediate are discussed in detail to interpret the experimental results. A computer simulation of the exchange reaction based on these models is presented. It is shown that the ‘half-bonded-intermediate’ mechanism is consistent with the experimental data and the following parameters are calculated: formation of the intermediate: k₁ = 5.8 · 10^?3 s^?1, k_?1 = 6.7 · 10^?2 s^?1, [intermediate]_∞ ≈ 8%; all activated O-atoms exchange within the lifetime of the intermediate (τ ～ 15 s), and the calculated exchange rate of the intermediate (k₂ ? 0.60 s^?1) is consistent with earlier assumptions (k₂ ≈ 0.5 s^?1). It is shown that a simulation based on the ‘open-intermediate’ mechanism results in kinetic parameters which are not consistent with the kinetics of the formation of cyclic metavanadates ((VO)_n, n = 4,5) from decavanadate, since the required formation rate is by a factor ～ 10² too fast, and the equilibrium concentration of metavanadates is by a factor of ～ 2 too large (under the conditions of the O-exchange experiments of decavanadate (T = 298 K, [V₁₀]_total ≈ 0.17m, pH ～ 5.55) the total amount of metavanadates present is ～ 8%, with [(VO)₄]/[(VO)₅] ～ 4:1; a qualitative analysis of the kinetics of the formation of metavanadates (v_o kinetics; the exact mechanism of the back-reaction (at least second-order) is not known with certainty) leads to k₁ ? 4·10^?5 s^?1). O exchange of decavanadates via equilibrated metavanadates would lead to full scrambling of the O sites and is not consistent with the observed differences in the exchange rates. From the qualitative kinetic parameters of the metavanadate formation kinetics, it can be concluded that any contribution of an ‘open’ or an ‘metavanadate’ mechanism is of the order of 1–2% at most.     

The photoenol tautomer of 5-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone

Irradiation of pale yellow 5-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone ( 1 , Scheme 1) yields the blue photoenol 4-hydroxy-5-methylidene-1(5H)-naphthalenone (2) which is stable at 77 K. At room temperature the enol retautomerizes to starting material, the reaction rate being strongly dependent on the hydrogen-bond-acceptor basicity of the solvent. The enol is trapped in the presence of acid by protonation at the remaining carbonyl oxygen atom and subsequent electrophilic reaction of the exocylclic methylene group.     

HPLC-DAD and TLC-Densitometry for quantification of hypericin inHypericum perforatum L. Extracts

Summary Hypericum perforatum L. is a spontaneous perennial herbaceous plant, widely distributed in Europe, Asia, Northern Africa, and North America. The dried flowers or dried aerial parts are used to prepare the drug Hyperici Herba or St. John's Wort. Nowadays this drug is largely used as a natural antidepressant; hypericin and hypericin-like substances are considered the main active ingredients. In this work the hypericin and pseudohypericin content of hydroalcoholic extracts both of Hyperici Herba and ofHypericum perforatum L. dried flowers were measured by two techniques, TLC-densitometry with fluorescence detection and reversed-phase HPLC-DAD (diode-array detection). The quantitative data obtained by applying these techniques were compared and the identification of the main flavonoid constituents was performed by HPLC-DAD for characterization of the extracts. The quantitative data obtained by use of the two techniques were in good agreement and statistical analysis of the findings was indicative of the equivalence of the techniques.