Biotransformation of electron-poor alkenes by yeasts: Asymmetric reduction of (4S)-(+)-carvone by yeast enoate reductases

Within the framework of a large-scale screening carried out on 146 yeasts of environmental origin, 16 strains (11% of the total) exhibited the ability to biotransform (4S)-(+)-carvone. Such positive yeasts, belonging to 14 species of 6 genera (Candida, Cryptococcus, Hanseniaspora, Kluyveromyces, Pichia and Saccharomyces), were thus used under different physiological state (growing, resting and lyophilised cells). Yields (expressed as% of biotransformation) varied from 0.14 to 30.04%, in dependence of both the strain and the physiological state of the cells. Products obtained from reduction of (4S)-(+)-carvone were 1S,4S- and 1R,4S-dihydrocarvone, (1S,2S,4S)-, (1S,2R,4S)- and (1R,2S,4S)-dihydrocarveol. Only traces of (1R,2R,4S)-dihydrocarveol were observed in a few strains. As far as the stereoselectivity of the biocatalysis, with the sole exception of a few strains, the use of yeasts determined the prevalent accumulation of 1S,4S-isomers [(1S,4S)-dihydrocarvone + (1S,2S,4S)-dihydrocarveol + (1S,2R,4S)-dihydrocarveol].The addition of glucose (acting as auxiliary substrate for cofactor-recycling system) to lyophilised yeast cells determined a considerable increase of biocatalytic activity: in particular, two strains showed a surprising increase of the% of biotransformation of (4S)-(+)-carvone (to values >98%).     

PAF-antagonistic bicyclo[3.2.1]octanoid neolignans from leaves of Ocotea macrophylla Kunth. (Lauraceae)

Di-nor-benzofuran neolignan aldehydes, Δ⁷-3,4-methylenedioxy-3′-methoxy-8′,9′-dinor-4′,7-epoxy-8,3′-neolignan-7′-aldehyde (ocophyllal A) 1, Δ⁷-3,4,5,3′-tetramethoxy-8′,9′-dinor-4′,7-epoxy-8,3′-neolignan-7′-aldehyde (ocophyllal B) 2, and macrophyllin-type bicyclo[3.2.1]octanoid neolignans (7R, 8R, 3′S, 4′S, 5′R)-Δ⁸′-4′-hydroxy-5′-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxy-2′,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydro-2′-oxo-7.3′,8.5′-neolignan (ocophyllol A) 3, (7R, 8R, 3′S, 4′S, 5′R)-Δ⁸′-4′-hydroxy-3,4,5′-trimethoxy-2′,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydro-2′-oxo-7.3′,8.5′-neolignan (ocophyllol B) 4, (7R, 8R, 3′S, 4′S, 5′R)-Δ⁸′-4′-hydroxy-3,4,5,5′-tetramethoxy-2′,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydro-2′-oxo-7.3′,8.5′-neolignan (ocophyllol C) 5, as well as 2′-epi-guianin 6 and (+)-licarin B 7, were isolated and characterized from leaves of Ocotea macrophylla (Lauraceae). The structures and configuration of these compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses. Inhibition of platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced aggregation of rabbit platelets were tested with neolignans 1–7. Although compound 6 was the most potent PAF-antagonist, compounds 3–5 showed some activity.     

Phthalide mono- and dimers from the radix of Angelica sinensis

Phytochemical investigation of the radix of Angelica sinensis has led to the isolation and identification of a new phthalide dimer, (3Z)-(3aR,6S,3′R,8′S)-3a.8′,6.3′-diligustilide (1), along with three known phthalide dimers, including riligustilide (2), levistolide A (3), senkyunolide O (4), and three known phthalide monomers, including 3,9-dihydroxyl-ligustilide (5), (Z)-butylidene phthalide (6), (Z)-ligustilide (7). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods including IR, NMR (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY) and MS. Meanwhile, the possible biosynthesis pathways of compounds 1 and 5 were hypothesized.     

Four tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids and a taberpsychine derivative from a Malayan Tabernaemontana

Four tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids, 7(R)- and 7(S)-geissoschizol oxindole (1 and 2), 7(R),16(R)- and 7(S),16(R)–19(E)-isositsirikine oxindole (3 and 4), in addition to a taberpsychine derivative, N(4)-demethyltaberpsychine (5), were isolated from the Malayan Tabernaemontana corymbosa and the structures were established using NMR and MS analysis.     

Pharmacokinetic behaviour of R-(+)- and S-(−)-amlodipine after single enantiomer administration

Amlodipine, 3-ethyl 5-methyl-2-[(2-aminoethoxymethyl]-4-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-6-methyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate, is a chiral calcium antagonist, currently on the market and in therapeutic use as a racemate. The pharmacokinetic behaviour of R-(+)- and S-(−)-amlodipine after single enantiomer administration to healthy male human volunteers together with comparative administration of the racemic mixture of both enantiomers were studied. Plasma levels were studied as a function of time and assayed using an enantioselective chromatographic method (coupled chiral and achiral HPLC) with on-line solid-phase extraction and UV absorbance detection. The method was validated separately for the R-(+)- and S-(−)-enantiomer, respectively. Results of the study indicate that the pharmacokinetic behaviour of R-(+)- and S-(−)-amlodipine after single enantiomer administration is comparable to that of each enantiomer after administration of the racemate. No racemization occurs in vivo in human plasma after single enantiomer administration.     

Synthesis and evaluation of bioactive naphthoquinones from the Brazilian medicinal plant, Tabebuia avellanedae

A series of naphthoquinones based on the naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione skeleton such as (−)-5-hydroxy-2-(1′-hydoxyethyl)naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione (1) and its positional isomer, (−)-8-hydroxy-2-(1′-hydoxyethyl)naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione (2), which are secondary metabolites found in the inner bark of Tabebuia avellanedae, were stereoselectively synthesized and their biological activities were evaluated in conjunction with those of their corresponding enantiomers. Compound 1 exhibited potent antiproliferative effect against several human tumor cell lines, but its effect against some human normal cell lines was much lower than that of mitomycin. On the other hand, its enantiomer (R)-1 was less active toward the above tumor cell lines than 1. The antiproliferative effect of 2 against all tumor cell lines was significantly reduced. These results indicated the presence of the phenolic hydroxy group at C-5 is of great important for increasing antiproliferative effect. In addition, 1 also showed higher cancer chemopreventive activity than 2, while there were no significant differences between 1 and 2 in antimicrobial activity. Both compounds displayed modest antifungal and antibacterial activity (Gram-positive bacteria), whereas they were inactive against Gram-negative bacteria.     

Novel antioxidant agents deriving from molecular combinations of vitamins C and E analogues: 3,4-dihydroxy-5(R)-[2(R,S)-(6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-chroman-2(R,S)-yl-methyl)-[1,3]dioxolan-4(S)-yl]-5H-furan-2-one and 3-O-octadecyl derivatives

Molecular combinations of two antioxidants (i.e., ascorbic acid and the pharmacophore of α-tocopherol), namely the 2,3-dihydroxy-2,3-enono-1,4-lactone and the chromane residues, have been designed and tested for their radical scavenging activities. When evaluated for their capability to inhibit malondialdehyde (MDA) production in rat liver microsomal membranes, the 3,4-dihydroxy-5R-2(R,S)-(6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2(R,S)yl-methyl)-1,3]dioxolan-4S-yl]-5H-furan-2-one (11a–d), exhibited an interesting activity. In particular the 5R,2R,2R,4S and 5R,2R,2S,4S isomers (11c,d) displayed a potent antioxidant effect compared to the respective synthetic α-tocopherol analogue (5) and natural α-tocopherol or ascorbic acid, used alone or in combination. Moreover, the mixture of stereoisomers 11a–d also proved to be effective in preventing damage induced by reperfusion on isolated rabbit heart, in particular at the higher concentration of 300 μM. In view of these results our study represents a new approach to potential therapeutic agents for applications in pathological events in which a free radical damage is involved. Design, synthesis and preliminary biological activity are discussed.     

Resolution and Synthesis of (S)-1-(2-Naphthyl)ethanol with Immobilized Pea Protein: As a New Biocatalyst

(S)-1-(2-Naphthyl)ethanol was yielded by immobilized pea (Pisum sativum L.) protein (IPP) from (R, S) 2-naphthyl ethanol (>99% ee, yield; about 50%), in which the (R)-enantiomer was selectively oxidized to 2-acetonaphthone. IPP could be reused consecutively at least three times without any decrease of yield and optical purity.     

Ceriopsins A–D, diterpenoids from Ceriops decandra

Chemical examination of the ethyl acetate solubles of the CH₃OH:CH₂Cl₂ (1:1) extract of the roots of Ceriops decandra collected from Kauvery estuary resulted in the isolation of four new diterpenoids, ceriopsins A–D (1–4). The structures of the new diterpenoids were elucidated by a study of their physical and spectral data as methyl 17-hydroxy-16-oxobeyeran-18-oate (1), methyl 16(R)-16,17-dihydroxybeyeran-18-oate (2), 1β,15(S)-isopimar-7-ene-1,15,16-triol (3), and 8,15(R)-epoxypimarane-1β,16-diol (4).     

Biomimetic conversion of (-)-fusoxypyridone and (-)-oxysporidinone to (-)-sambutoxin: further evidence for the structure of the tricyclic pyridone alkaloid, (-)-fusoxypyridone

Biomimetic-type reactions of the tricyclic pyridone alkaloid, (−)-fusoxypyridone [(−)-4,6′-anhydrooxysporidinone] (1), recently encountered in an endophytic strain of Fusarium oxysporum, and (−)-oxysporidinone (2) afforded (−)-sambutoxin (3) and an analogue of 1, identified as (−)-1′(6′)-dehydro-4,6′-anhydrooxysporidinone (4), thus confirming the structure previously proposed for 1 and suggesting that 1-3 bear the same relative stereochemistry. Oxidation of 4 with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) yielded a hitherto unknown sambutoxin analogue, (−)-4,2′-anhydrosambutoxin (5).     

Aporphine alkaloids and cytotoxic lignans from the roots of Illigera luzonensis

Six aporphine alkaloids, (+)-(S)-N-butyrylcaaverine (1), (+)-(S)-N-propionylcaaverine (2), (+)-(S)-N-acetylcaaverine (3), (+)-(6aR,7R)-N-butyrylnorushinsunine (4), (+)-(6aR,7R,E)-N-(but-2-enoyl)norushinsunine (5), and N-formyldehydrocaaverine (6) were isolated from the roots of Illigera luzonensis, together with 16 known compounds. Their structures were determined through spectroscopic and MS analyses. Among the isolates, (−)-deoxypodophyllotoxin (13) was the most cytotoxic, with IC₅₀ values of 0.0057, 0.0067, 0.00004, and 0.0035 μg/mL, respectively, against DLD-1, CCRF-CEM, HL-60, and IMR-32 cell lines. In addition, (−)-yatein (12) exhibited cytotoxic effects, with IC₅₀ values of 0.81, 0.20, and 0.59 μg/mL, respectively, against DLD-1, CCRF-CEM, and HL-60 cell lines.     

Assessing the absolute configuration of (7S,8R)-(−)-epoxyjasmone

The absolute configuration of cis-epoxyjasmone (−)-2, isolated from Trichosporum cutaneum CCT 1903 whole cells, has been unambiguously established as (7S,8R), [α]_D²⁰ −29.0° (c 1.3, CHCl₃), by a new two step method, using a regioselective epoxide opening as the key step followed by Mosher acid derivatization.     

Synthesis and analgesic profile of conformationally constrained N-acylhydrazone analogues: Discovery of novel N-arylideneamino quinazolin-4(3H)-one compounds derived from natural safrole

In this work we reported the synthesis and evaluation of the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and platelet anti-aggregating properties of new 3-(arylideneamino)-2-methyl-6,7-methylenedioxy-quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives (3a–j), designed as conformationally constrained analogues of analgesic 1,3-benzodioxolyl-N-acylhydrazones (1) previously developed at LASSBio. Target compounds were synthesized in very good yields exploiting abundant Brazilian natural product safrole (2) as starting material. The pharmacological assays lead us to identify compounds LASSBio-1240 (3b) and LASSBio-1272 (3d) as new analgesic prototypes, presenting an antinociceptive profile more potent and effective than dipyrone and indomethacin used, respectively, as standards in AcOH-induced abdominal constrictions assay and in the formalin test. These results confirmed the success in the exploitation of conformation restriction strategy for identification of novel cyclic N-acylhydrazone analogues with optimized analgesic profile.     

Transformation of menthane monoterpenes by Mentha piperita cell culture

(+)-Isopiperitenone (100 mg l^–1) was converted into (4S,6R)-6-hydroxy- and (4S,8R)-8,9-epoxyisopiperitenone, aside from the already known (+)-7-hydroxyisopiperitenone, by suspension cell culture of Mentha piperita. As (–)-isopiperitenone was hydroxylated similarly, this implies that the hydroxylating enzyme(s) have a broad substrate stereospecificity in regards to the stereochemistry at C4. (–)-(4R)-Carvone was reduced by the Mentha cells both at carbonyl and C1-C6 double bond to give (1R,2S,4R)-neodihydrocarveol and (1R,2R,4R)-dihydrocarveol with the former being the major product. (+)-(4S)-Carvone had a similar reduction pattern, producing (1S,2R,4S)-neodihydrocarveol and (1S,4S)-dihydrocarvone. Formation of these compounds indicates that the peppermint cell culture cannot only hydroxylate the allylic position but also reduce the ,-unsaturated carbonyl system.     

Chemistry,physiological properties,and microbial production of hydroxycitric acid

The tropical plants Garcinia cambogia and Hibiscus subdariffa produce hydroxycitric acid (HCA), of which the absolute configurations are (2S,3S) and (2S,3R), respectively. (2S,3S)-HCA is an inhibitor of ATP-citrate lyase, which is involved in fatty acid synthesis. (2S,3R)-HCA inhibits pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal α-glucosidase, leading to a reduction in carbohydrate metabolism. In this study, we review current knowledge on the structure, biological occurrence, and physiological properties of HCA. The availability of HCA is limited by the restricted habitat of its source plants and the difficulty of stereoselective organic synthesis. Hence, in our recent study, thousands of microbial strains were screened and finally two bacterial strains were, for the first time, found to produce trace amounts of HCA. The HCA variants produced were the Hibiscus-type (2S,3R) enantiomer. Subsequent genome shuffling rapidly generated a mutant population with improved HCA yield relative to the parent strain of bacteria. These bacteria are a potential alternative source of natural HCA.     

柯拉斯那沉香的生物活性成分研究

为了解柯拉斯那(Aquilaria crassna)的化学成分,从其所产沉香中分离得到10个化合物,经波谱分析分别鉴定为:6,8-羟基-2-(2-苯乙基)色酮(1),6,8-二羟基-2-[2-(4-甲氧基苯)乙基]色酮(2),rel-(1a R,2R,3R,7b S)-1a,2,3,7b-tetrahydro-2,3-dihydroxy-5-(2-phenylethyl)-7H-oxireno[f][1]benzopyran-7-one(3),rel-(1a R,2R,3R,7b S)-1a,2,3,7b-tetrahydro-2,3-dihydroxy-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-ethyl]-7H-oxireno[f][1]benzopyran-7-one(4),rel-(1a R,2R,3R,7b S)-1a,2,3,7b-tetrahydro-2,3-dihydroxy-5-[2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-ethyl]-7H-oxireno[f][1]benzopyran-7-one(5),oxidoagarochromone B(6),oxidoagarochromone C(7),(5S,6R,7S,8R)-2-[2-(3′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromone(8),6,7-cis-dihydroxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromone(9),N-trans-feruloyltyramine(10)。化合物3~5和8~10为首次从柯拉斯那沉香中分离得到。化合物1,3,6,7,9和10对乙酰胆碱酯酶具有一定的抑制活性,化合物4对人慢性髓原白血病细胞株K-562和人胃癌细胞株SGC-7901均具有较小的抑制作用,化合物1和3对人肝癌细胞株BEL-7402也有抑制活性。     

Stereoselective oxidation of racemic 1-arylethanols by basil cultured cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ocimum </Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">basilicum</Emphasis> cv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Purpurascens</Emphasis>

The biotransformation of racemic 1-phenylethanol (30 mg) with plant cultured cells of basil (Ocimum basilicum cv. Purpurascens, 5 g wet wt) by shaking 120 rpm at 25°C for 7 days in the dark gave (R)-(+)-1-phenylethanol and acetophenone in 34 and 24% yields, respectively. The biotransformation can be applied to other 1-arylethanols and basil cells oxidized the (S)-alcohols to the corresponding ketones remaining the (R)-alcohols in excellent ee.     

(2S)-2-Amino-5-chloro-4-hydroxy-5-hexenoic acid,a new chloroamino acid,and related compounds fromAmanita gymnopus

Combining different chromatography systems, unusual nonprotein amino acids were isolated and unequivocally identified from a small amount (less than 100 g fresh weight) ofAmanita gymnopus fruit body. Without obtaining crystals of these amino acids, on the basis of¹H-NMR determination, high resolution mass spectrometry, chlorine analysis and oxidation with L-amino acid oxidase, one of them proved to be a new chloroamino acid, (2S)-2-amino-5-chloro-4-hydroxy-5-hexenoic acid (G2). The other three were (2S)-2-amino-5-hexenoic acid (G1), (2S)-2-amino-4,5-hexadienoic acid (G3) and (2S)-2-amino-5-hexynoic acid (G4). Amino acid (G1) was also encountered for the first time in natural products. Amino acid (G3) has been reported from several kinds of fungi belonging toAmanita, subgenusLepidella. The occurrence of amino acid (G4) was already reported fromCortinarius claricolor.Part 23 in the series Biochemical studies of nitrogen compounds in fungi. Part 22, Hatanaka, S. I. et al. 1985. Trans. Mycol. Soc. Japan26: 61–68.     

Synthesis of hydantoin analogues of (2S,3R,4S)-4-hydroxyisoleucine with insulinotropic properties

The first synthesis of an optically pure (2R,3R,4S)-hydantoin 2, analogue of (2S,3R,4S)-4-hydroxyisoleucine, was achieved in two steps in un-optimized 35% overall yield from previously reported aldehyde synthon 1. (2R,3R,4S)-Hydantoin is stable at acidic pH. This solves the major drawback of (2S,3R,4S)-4-hydroxyisoleucine that easily cyclizes into inactive lactone. Furthermore, (2R,3R,4S)-hydantoin stimulates the insulin secretion by 150% at 25 μM compared with 4-hydroxyisoleucine and insulin secretagogue drug repaglinide. In view of its stability and biological activity, (2R,3R,4S)-hydantoin represents a good candidate for type-2 diabetes management and control.