An evaluation of the tautomerism of cinchoninone and quinidinone made using a combination of 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy

The Cinchona alkaloids cinchoninone and qiunidinone are the substrates for the cinchoninone: NADPH oxidoreductases I and II described previously. The in vitro assay of this activity is complicated by the tendency of the substrates in neutral aqueous solution to undergo mutarotation owing to tautomerism. The composition of such solutions at equilibrium has been determined using a combination of ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and shown to contain the keto, enol and diol forms of both the 8S and 8R steric series. All these species exist at different concentrations. Furthermore, the position of the equilibrium favours the 8S-isomers rather than the 8R-form found in both the crystalline solid and the natural biosynthetic intermediate, cinchoninone.     

Toxicity of quinoline alkaloids to cultured Cinchona ledgeriana cells

The toxicity of Cinchona alkaloids to cell cultures of C. ledgeriana has been studied in relation to alkaloid uptake and possibilities for selecting high-yielding cell lines. The most toxic, quinine, was completely toxic at 5.5 mM. Both quinine and quinidine were more toxic than their unmethoxylated precursors, cinchonidine and cinchonine. The permanently-charged metho-chlorides of quinine and cinchonidine were less toxic than the parent alkaloids, despite showing similar accumulation ratios in 5-day uptake experiments at sub-toxic concentrations (ca 1.7mM). The toxicity of the natural quinoline alkaloids appears to be a non-specific effect which may be caused by intracellular alkalinisation following uptake of the uncharged bases. The use of precursors of quinine and quinidine as toxic agents for the selection of cell lines with enhanced quinine and quinidine production is ruled out by the lower toxicity of these precursors and by the correlation of an apparently non-specific toxicity with uptake.     

Synthesis and optical resolution of an allenoic acid by diastereomeric salt formation induced by chiral alkaloids

A synthetic procedure for the preparation of 4-cyclohexyl-2-methyl-buta-2,3-dienoic acid in the two optically active forms has been developed. Synthesis of the racemic allenoic acid was made by an efficient route with good overall yield. Resolution of the enantiomers was achieved by forming the cinchonidine and cinchonine diastereomeric salt, respectively, and the enantiomers were isolated in up to 95% enantiomeric excess. The absolute configuration of the allenoic acid was determined by X-ray crystallography.     

Synthesis and biological activity of the calcium modulator (R) and (S)-3-methyl 5-pentyl 2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate

An efficient total synthesis of (R) and (S)-3-methyl 5-pentyl 2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate in high optical purities is reported. The useful step is the resolution of racemic 2, 6-dimethyl-5-methoxycarbonyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylic acid by using commercially available Cinchona alkaloids cinchonidine and quinidine as the resolving agents. Under the optimum conditions, the optical purities for R- and S-enantiomers are extremely high (ee >99.5%). The further dihydropyridine receptor binding activity assay shows that the S-enantiomer is more potent than R-enantiomer both in rat cardiac (approximately 19 times) and cerebral cortex membrane (12 times).     

Assessment of inter- and intra-population variation in quinoline alkaloid profile of juvenile shoot cultures of Cinchona ledgeriana: effect of method of nutrient delivery on alkaloid profile

Intra-population quinoline alkaloid profiles surveying quinine, quinidine, cinchonine and cinchonidine were determined for each of five populations of Cinchona ledgeriana grown as shoot-culture for 125 days. No significant difference in respect of mean alkaloid content between populations was detected. In contrast, there was considerable between-seedling variation in alkaloid content within each population. When nutrients were delivered to shoot-cultures in droplet form by means of an aerosol spray (as compared to the supply of nutrients direct from agar-or liquid-based reservoirs) alkaloid profile was greatly perturbed; most notable in this respect was a four-fold increase in the production of cinchonidine concomitant with a four-fold decrease in the production of cinchonine. These data are discussed with reference to the optimisation of quinoline alkaloid production by juvenile shoot-cultures of Cinchona ledgeriana.     

Combined use of [TBA][L-ASP] and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as selectors for separation of Cinchona alkaloids by capillary electrophoresis

In this paper, a new capillary electrophoresis (CE) separation and detection method was developed for the chiral separation of the four major Cinchona alkaloids (quinine/quinidine and cinchonine/cinchonidine) using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and chiral ionic liquid ([TBA][L-ASP]) as selectors. Separation parameters such as buffer concentrations, pH, HP-β-CD and chiral ionic liquid concentrations, capillary temperature, and separation voltage were investigated. After optimization of separation conditions, baseline separation of the three analytes (cinchonidine, quinine, cinchonine) was achieved in fewer than 7 min in ammonium acetate background electrolyte (pH 5.0) with the addition of HP-β-CD in a concentration of 40 mM and [TBA][L-ASP] of 14 mM, while the baseline separation of cinchonine and quinidine was not obtained. Therefore, the first-order derivative electropherogram was applied for resolving overlapping peaks. Regression equations revealed a good linear relationship between peak areas in first-order derivative electropherograms and concentrations of the two diastereomer pairs. The results not only indicated that the first-order derivative electropherogram was effective in determination of a low content component and of those not fully separated from adjacent ones, but also showed that the ionic liquid appeared to be a very promising chiral selector in CE.     

Synthesis of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT)--Cinchona alkaloid conjugates via click chemistry: Toward novel fluorescent markers and cytostatic agents

Novel nucleoside-Cinchona alkaloid conjugates were synthesized using ‘click’ chemistry approach based on the copper(I) catalyzed Huisgen azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Two series of conjugates were prepared employing 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) as the azide component and the four 10,11-didehydro Cinchona alkaloids as well as their 9-O-propargyl ethers as the alkyne components. All obtained conjugates showed strong fluorescence emission and some of them exhibited marked cytotoxic activity in vitro.     

Uncharacteristic alkaloid synthesis by suspension cultures of Cinchona pubescens fed with L-tryptophan

The growth and alkaloid production of a liquid suspension culture of Cinchona pubescens has been studied, particularly with attention to the effect on the alkaloid spectrum of feeding cultures with L-tryptophan. This treatment did not enhance the production of any of the known alkaloids of Cinchona. Above 2mmM, however, the presence of the amino acid was toxic, causing extreme acidification of the medium and cell death. Under these conditions a number of indole and quinoline derivatives accumulated. The principal component of the alkaloid fraction proved to be norharman; indole-3-aldehyde was also isolated. Both these products probably occur by uncharacteristic metabolism of L-tryptophan. Furthermore, evidence for the degradation of endogenous alkaloids was obtained, as 4-hydroxymethylquinoline was also isolated. None of the known quinoline alkaloids of Cinchona, which were present in untreated cells, could be detected after L-tryptophan treatment, even when large amounts of culture were analysed. It is concluded that, in this instance, Cinchona alkaloid production cannot be improved by feeding with a precursor.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IAA indoleacetic acid - BA benzyladenine     

In vitro and in vivo cancer cell apoptosis triggered by competitive binding of Cinchona alkaloids to the RING domain of TRAF6

TRAF6 is highly expressed in many tumors and plays an important role in the immune system. The aim of this study is to confirm anti-tumor activities of all naturally occurring Cinchona alkaloids that have been screened using computational docking program, and to validate the accuracy and specificity of the RING domain of TRAF6 as a potential anti-tumor target, and to explore their effect on the immune system. Results reported herein would demonstrate that Cinchona alkaloids could induce apoptosis in HeLa cells, inhibit the ubiquitination and phosphorylation of both AKT and TAK1, and up-regulate the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. In addition, these compounds could induce apoptosis in vivo, and increase the secretion of TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IgG, while not significantly impacting the ratio of CD4⁺T/CD8⁺T. These investigations suggest that the RING domain of TRAF6 could serve as a de novo biological target for therapeutic treatment in cancers.     

Maize microsomal benzoxazinone N-monooxygenase

The benzoxazinones occur in hydroxamic acid and lactam forms in maize (Zea mays L.) tissue. The hydroxamic acid forms which possess a N-hydroxyl group are found in the highest concentration while the lactam members which lack the N-hydroxyl group occur in lower concentrations. The hydroxamic acid 2,4-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIBOA) has as its lactam counterpart 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (HBOA). An enzyme has been identified in maize microsomal preparations which catalyzes the N-hydroxylation of HBOA to form DIBOA. The enzyme is initially observed in seedlings 2 days after imbibition which coincides with the onset of hydroxamic acid accumulation. The enzyme requires NADPH and is inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents, NADP, cytochrome c, cations, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen gas. The effect of nitrogen can be reversed by exposing the enzyme to air, while the effect of carbon monoxide can be reversed by exposing the enzyme to 450 nanometer light during the incubation period. The apparent K_m values for HBOA and NADPH are 13 and 5 micromolar, respectively. The pH optimum is 7.5 and the temperature optimum for the enzyme is 35°C. A 450 nanometer absorbance peak is observed when reduced microsomal preparations are exposed to carbon monoxide which in combination with other data presented supports the hypothesis that the enzyme is a cytochrome P-450 dependent N-monooxygenase.     

Pseudomonas aeruginosa transhydrogenase: affinity of substrates for the regulatory site and possible hysteretic behavior.

The polymeric enzyme transhydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NADPH:NAD⁺ oxidoreductase; EC 1.6.1.1) has been shown to possess distinct catalytic and regulatory sites, despite the close structural relationship between substrates and effectors. The present report substantiates the previous conclusions from kinetic and affinity chromatography studies, which have suggested that the substrates NADPH and oxidized thionicotinamide ademine dinucleotide phosphate could bind to both catalytic and regulatory sites. In addition, the allosteric R form of the enzyme appears now to be stabilized against high dilution inactivation.The oxidized substrate thionicotinamide adenine dinucleotide forms a dead end complex on binding to the catalytic site in the T form. The process is slow, and can be termed hysteretic, as defined by Frieden (J. Biol. Chem. (1970), 245, 5788–5799).     

Thermotoga neapolitana Homotetrameric Xylose Isomerase Is Expressed as a Catalytically Active and Thermostable Dimer in Escherichia coli

The xylA gene from Thermotoga neapolitana 5068 was expressed in Escherichia coli. Gel filtration chromatography showed that the recombinant enzyme was both a homodimer and a homotetramer, with the dimer being the more abundant form. The purified native enzyme, however, has been shown to be exclusively tetrameric. The two enzyme forms had comparable stabilities when they were thermoinactivated at 95°C. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed thermal transitions at 99 and 109.5°C for both forms, with an additional shoulder at 91°C for the tetramer. These results suggest that the association of the subunits into the tetrameric form may have little impact on the stability and biocatalytic properties of the enzyme.     

Heterologous expression of alkaloid biosynthetic genes — a review

Tetrahydrobenzylisoquinoline alkaloids comprise a diverse class of secondary metabolites with many pharmacologically active members. The biosynthesis at the enzyme level of at least two tetrahydrobenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, the benzophenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine in the California poppy, Eschscholtzia californica, and the bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid berbamunine in barberry, Berberis stolonifera, has been elucidated in detail starting from the aromatic amino acid (aa) l-tyrosine. In an initial attempt to develop alternate systems for the production of medicinally important alkaloids, one enzyme from each pathway (BBE, a covalently flavinylated enzyme of benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis and CYP80, a phenol coupling cytochrome P-450-dependent oxidase of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis) has been purified to homogeneity, a partial aa sequence determined, and the corresponding cDNAs isolated with aid of synthetic oligos based on the aa sequences. The recombinant enzymes were actively expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells using a baculovirus vector, purified and then characterized. Insect cell culture has proven to be a powerful system for the overexpression of alkaloid biosynthetic genes.     

An improved synthesis of 10,11-didehydro Cinchona alkaloids

A revised procedure for the conversion of the four major Cinchona alkaloids (quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine, and cinchonine) into their respective 10,11-didehydro derivatives is described. The reported protocol offers several advantages over a recently published synthetic route. These include (i) enhanced robustness (ii) ready scalability (iii) reduced operational complexity and number of steps (iv) chromatography-free work-up. In addition, toxic solvents were replaced by environmentally less problematic alternatives.     

Peroxidase and the biosynthesis of terpenoid indole alkaloids in the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don

The leaves of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don produce the first natural drugs used in cancer therapy – the dimeric terpenoid indole alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine. The study of C. roseus further revealed two other terpenoid indole alkaloids with important pharmacological activity: ajmalicine, used as an antihypertensive, and serpentine, used as sedative. The biosynthetic pathway of the medicinal alkaloids has been investigated in much detail and a number of steps are now well characterized at the enzyme and gene level and, recently, several regulatory genes have also been isolated and characterized. Since early studies of the biosynthesis of vinblastine, during the 1970s and 1980s, the dimerization reaction has attracted much attention due to its possible regulatory importance and potential application for the semi synthetic production of the dimeric alkaloids. After initial, inconclusive work suggesting the involvement of peroxidase-like enzymes, the search for the dimerization enzyme in leaf tissue detected a single dimerization activity credited to the single class III plant peroxidase present in the leaves of the plant – the basic isoenzyme CRPRX1. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity, the respective cDNA and genomic sequences were characterized, and a channeling mechanism was proposed for the peroxidase-mediated-vacuolar synthesis of the first dimeric alkaloid intermediate, α-3′,4′-anhydrovinblastine. On the other hand, the oxidation of ajmalicine into serpentine has been attributed to basic peroxidase isoenzymes localized in the vacuole of C. roseus cells. An overview of the work implying class III plant peroxidases in the biosynthesis of terpenoid indole alkaloids in C. roseus is presented here. Abbreviations: CRPRX1 –Catharanthus roseus peroxidase 1; DAB – diaminobenzidine; IEF – isoelectric focusing; UV – ultraviolet.     

Mechanism of action of a wound-induced omega-hydroxyfatty acid:NADP oxidoreductase isolated from potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L).

ω-Hydroxyfatty acid:NADP oxidoreductase, an enzyme involved in suberin biosynthesis, is induced by wounding potato tubers. Initial velocity and product inhibition studies with the purified enzyme suggested an ordered sequential mechanism, where NADPH is added first, followed by 16-oxohexadecanoate, and NADP is released after 16-hydroxyhexadecanoate. Substrate inhibition by NADPH was observed at concentrations higher than 0.2 mm. The inhibitory NADPH molecule competes with 16-oxohexadecanoate, indicating that it forms a dead-end complex with the E-NADPH form of the enzyme. The kinetics for the NADPH inhibition suggested that n > 1 in the rate equation $\text{v}\text{=}\text{V[NADPH]}\text{(K}{}_{\mathrm{m}}\text{+}\text{[NADPH]}\text{+}\text{[NADPH]}{}^{\mathrm{n+1}}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{)}$; i.e., more than two NADPH molecules bind to enzyme. The K_m for 16-oxohexadecanoate did not change from pH 7.5 to 9.0 but increased about 10-fold from pH 9.0 to 10.0, whereas the K_m for NADPH and hexadecanal did not vary significantly in this pH range. Phenylglyoxal inactivated the enzyme; NADPH and AMP (which competes with NADPH; K_i = 1.1 mM) provided protection against such inactivation. Diethylpyrocarbonate also caused inactivation which was reversed by hydroxylamine; NADPH but not AMP protected the enzyme from this inhibition. Pyridoxal-5′-phosphate reversibly inactivated the enzyme and NaBH₄ reduction of the pyridoxal phosphate-treated enzyme resulted in irreversible inhibition; a combination of NADPH and ω-oxo C₁₆ acid provided protection against such inactivation. As the chain length of alkanals increased from C₃ to C₈, the K_m for the substrate decreased drastically from 7000 to 90μm and a further increase in chain length from C₈ to C₂₀ resulted in only a small decrease in K_m. The K_m and V for 8-oxooctanoate and 10-oxodecanoate are compared with the values obtained for 16-oxohexadecanoate. Based on these results, it is proposed that arginine acts as the binding site for NADPH, a hydrophobic crevice with lysine at the bottom forms the binding site for 16-oxohexadecanoate and histidine participates in the reaction as the proton donor.     

A kinetic study of -acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase from Salmonella typhimurium

The kinetic mechanism of α-acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase from Salmonella typhimurium has been investigated by initial velocity kinetic and product inhibition studies. The results of the initial velocity studies are consistent with a sequential reaction. The product inhibition studies suggest an ordered reaction with NADPH and the acetohydroxy acid adding in that order, and dihydroxy acid release before NADP release.NADPH binding has been studied both by fluorimetric techniques and difference spectroscopy. From these investigations it has been calculated that 4 moles of NADPH bind per mole of enzyme; the first molecule of NADPH binds with a dissociation constant of 1.7 × 10^?6m, the subsequent 3 moles of NADPH bind with a constant of 6 × 10^?6m. Biphasic kinetics have been demonstrated at a wide range of NADPH concentrations. The occurrence of biphasic kinetics and two separate binding constants are discussed in terms of negative cooperativity.     

Bulge Formation in Escherichia coli Induced by l-Arabinose under Hypertonic Conditions with Sodium Chloride

A pseudotropine-forming tropinone reductase was extracted from root cultures of Hyoscyamus niger that produce the tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine and scopolamine. The enzyme stereospecifically reduces tropinone to pseudotropine, oxidizing NADPH. It has an approximate molecular weight of 84,000 and a pH optimum between 5.8 and 6.25. The Km value for tropinone is 35.1 μmol/l and for NADPH 21.1 μmol/l. Substrate specificity was tested for NADPH and several tropinone analogues.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of Two Soluble NAD(P)H Dehydrogenases from Arum maculatum Mitochondria

Two enzyme systems carrying out the oxidation of NAD(P)H in the presence of various electron acceptors have been isolated and partially characterized from the supernatant of frozen-thawed mitochondria from Arum maculatum spadices. The two systems contain flavoproteins and differ by their ability to oxidize NADH or NADPH, optimum pH and pI values, sensitivity to Ca²⁺ and EGTA, denaturation by 4 molar urea, molecular mass, and number of subunits. These properties, together with methodological considerations, are compatible with the location of these enzyme activities on the outer surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and support the hypothesis of the existence of two separate dehydrogenases responsible for the mitochondrial oxidation of cytosolic NADH and NADPH.     

Medicinal history of North American Veratrum

Plants belonging to the genus Veratrum have been used throughout history for their medicinal properties. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, phytochemical investigations revealed a host of steroidal alkaloids in Veratrum species, some of which are potent bioactives. This review discusses Veratrum species that grow in North America with a focus on the medicinal history of these plants and the steroidal alkaloids they contain. While significant reviews have been devoted to singularly describing the plant species within the genus Veratrum (botany), the staggering breadth of alkaloids isolated from these and related plants (phytochemistry), and the intricacies of how the various alkaloids act on their biological targets (physiology and biochemistry), this review will straddle the margins of the aforementioned disciplines in an attempt to provide a unified, coherent picture of the Veratrum plants of North America and the medicinal uses of their bioactive steroidal alkaloids.