NMR-based conformational analysis of perezone and analogues

A Timeline of Perezone, the First Isolated Secondary Metabolite in the New World, Covering the Period from 1852 to 2020

This chapter covers a sesquiterpene quinone, commonly named perezone. This molecule is documented as the first secondary metabolite isolated in crystalline form in the New World in 1852. An introduction, with its structure, the IUPAC nomenclature, and the most recent physical and spectroscopic characterizations are firstly described initially. Alongside this, a timeline and scheme with summarized information of the history of this molecule is given including the "Códice Badiano de la Cruz, 1552, highlighting the year of its isolation culminating with information up to 2005. Subsequently, in a chronological order the most recent advances of the target molecule are included and organized in subsections covering the last 15-year period 2006-2020. Finally, recently submitted contributions from the laboratory of the authors are described. It is important to note that the details provided highlight the importance and relevance of perezone.

Complete 1H NMR assignment of cholesteryl benzoate

The 750 MHz ¹H NMR spectrum of cholesteryl benzoate (1b) could be assigned completely, which means all chemical shifts and all coupling constants, including some long-range values, were established. This task was possible by extracting many approximate coupling constant values in the overlapped spectrum region from an HSQC experiment, and using these values in the ¹H iterative full spin analysis integrated in the PERCH NMR software. The task was facilitated using our published data for 3β-acetoxypregna-5,16-dien-20-one (3), the assignment data of the sesquiterpene benzoquinone dihydroperezone (2), also performed in the present study, which contains the same carbon atoms chain than cholesterol (1a), and an HSQC study of (25R)-27-deuteriocholesterol (1c) we prepared some 40 years ago. The HSQC values of 1c in combination with the coupling constants of 1b also allowed to completely assigning the spectrum of 1c. The complete assignment of 1b and 1c further provided the opportunity to estimate the hydrogen shifts induced upon benzoylation of cholesterol. Comparison of the experimental vicinal coupling constants of 1b with the values calculated using the Altona software provides an excellent correlation. In addition, a single crystal X-ray diffraction study of 1b provided the molecular conformation in the solid state, which revealed the side chain adopts an extended conformation.

Absolute configuration of the diterpenoids icetexone and conacytone from Salvia ballotaeflora

Detailed literature inspections regarding the diterpenoids icetexone (1) and conacytone (3) reveal that the absolute configuration (AC) of these natural occurring compounds is not rigorously proven, despite they were originally isolated in 1976. This task is now completed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction Flack and Hooft parameters determination after processing data collected with Cu Kα graphite monochromated radiation. The AC of both compounds is further determined by vibrational circular dichroism measurements performed on icetexone acetate (2) and conacytone triacetate (4) since the solubility of 1 and 3 is limited. Comparison of the substituent chemical shifts (SCS) induced by acetylation of 1 and 3 to afford 2 and 4, respectively, reveals that in the case of icetexone, all six SCS values of the quinone ring are in excellent agreement with the expected values, while in the case of conacytone, three agree and three do not agree due to the presence of additional acetates near the quinone ring. Density functional theory calculations performed on 3-hydroxythymoquinone (6) and its tautomer 4-hydroxy-1,2-quinone 7, on 6-hydroxythymoquinone (8) and its tautomer ortho-quinone 9, and on icetexone (1) and the claimed natural occurring ortho-quinone tautomer romulogarzone (5) indicate that 2-hydroxy-1,4-quinones are more stable, by some 11-14 kcal/mol, than their 4-hydroxy-1,2-quinone tautomers, and therefore, romulogarzone (5) is inexistent.

Complete 1 H NMR assignment of cedranolides

Complete and unambiguous ¹ H NMR chemical shift assignment of α-cedrene (2) and cedrol (9), as well as for α-pipitzol (1), isocedrol (10), and the six related compounds 3-8 has been established by iterative full spin analysis using the PERCH NMR software (PERCH Solutions Ltd., Kuopio, Finland). The total sets of coupling constants are described and correlated with the conformational equilibria of the five-membered ring of 1-10, which were calculated using the complete basis set method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Essential parameters for structural analysis and dereplication by (1)H NMR spectroscopy

The present study demonstrates the importance of adequate precision when reporting the δ and J parameters of frequency domain (1)H NMR (HNMR) data. Using a variety of structural classes (terpenoids, phenolics, alkaloids) from different taxa (plants, cyanobacteria), this study develops rationales that explain the importance of enhanced precision in NMR spectroscopic analysis and rationalizes the need for reporting Δδ and ΔJ values at the 0.1-1 ppb and 10 mHz level, respectively. Spectral simulations paired with iteration are shown to be essential tools for complete spectral interpretation, adequate precision, and unambiguous HNMR-driven dereplication and metabolomic analysis. The broader applicability of the recommendation relates to the physicochemical properties of hydrogen ((1)H) and its ubiquity in organic molecules, making HNMR spectra an integral component of structure elucidation and verification. Regardless of origin or molecular weight, the HNMR spectrum of a compound can be very complex and encode a wealth of structural information that is often obscured by limited spectral dispersion and the occurrence of higher order effects. This altogether limits spectral interpretation, confines decoding of the underlying spin parameters, and explains the major challenge associated with the translation of HNMR spectra into tabulated information. On the other hand, the reproducibility of the spectral data set of any (new) chemical entity is essential for its structure elucidation and subsequent dereplication. Handling and documenting HNMR data with adequate precision is critical for establishing unequivocal links between chemical structure, analytical data, metabolomes, and biological activity. Using the full potential of HNMR spectra will facilitate the general reproducibility for future studies of bioactive chemicals, especially of compounds obtained from the diversity of terrestrial and marine organisms.

Complete 1H NMR assignments of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and a new eudesmanoid from Senecio polypodioides

Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Senecio polypodioides lead to the isolation of the new eudesmanoid 1β-angeloyloxyeudesm-7-ene-4β,9α-diol (1) and the known dirhamnosyl flavonoid lespidin (3), while from roots, the known 7β-angeloyloxy-1-methylene-8α-pyrrolizidine (5) and sarracine N-oxide (6), as well as the new neosarracine N-oxide (8), were obtained. The structure of 1 and 8 was elucidated by spectral means. Complete assignments of the (1)H NMR data for 5, 6, sarracine (7), and 8 were made using one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR experiments and by application of the iterative full spin analysis of the PERCH NMR software.