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Kuczynska K, Cmoch P, Rárová L, Jaźwiński J, Korda A, Morzycki JW, Kvasnicová M, Gwardiak K, Karczewski R, Yaghoobi Anzabi M, Luboradzki R, Strnad M, Pakulski Z. In pursuit of cytotoxic triterpenoids. Functionalization of lupane, taraxastane, friedelane, and baccharane derivatives via oxidation with selenium reagents. Eur J Med Chem 2025; 295:117770. [PMID: 40413988 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2025] [Revised: 05/14/2025] [Accepted: 05/15/2025] [Indexed: 05/27/2025]
Abstract
A series of triterpenoids of the lupane, taraxastane, friedelane and baccharane type were oxidized using selenium dioxide (SeO2) and benzeneseleninic anhydride (BSA) under various conditions. Depending on the reaction conditions, different reaction pathways were observed, including dehydrogenation, allylic oxidation, and 1,2-diketone formation. In this way, derivatives functionalized in the triterpene core (especially in rings A, D, and E), difficult to obtain by other methods, can be easily prepared. In some cases, rarely observed α-phenylseleno-ketones were isolated. An unexpected reaction involving the cleavage of the carbon-carbon double bond was observed in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of osmium tetroxide. Further transformations of selected intermediates facilitated the synthesis of new, functionally enriched derivatives. The key reaction pathways were investigated using density functional theory (DFT), focusing on bond length variations and transition states, revealing energetically favored pathways and critical transition structures, including covalent and noncovalent interactions. Solvent and isomerization equilibrium effects were proposed to explain the experimentally observed discrepancies. Cytotoxic activity of selected derivatives was investigated. Derivatives 4 and 38 showed strongest cytotoxicity in cancer cells and fibroblasts (IC50 2.6-26.4 μM); some compounds were selective for G-361 or HeLa cells. These results suggest that they may find application in pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Kuczynska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Piotr Cmoch
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lucie Rárová
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, and Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Jarosław Jaźwiński
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Korda
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek W Morzycki
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bialystok, K. Ciołkowskiego 1 K, 15-245, Białystok, Poland
| | - Marie Kvasnicová
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, and Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Katarzyna Gwardiak
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Romuald Karczewski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohadese Yaghoobi Anzabi
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Roman Luboradzki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Miroslav Strnad
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, and Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Zbigniew Pakulski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
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2
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Kazakova A, Frydrych I, Jakubcová N, Pokorný J, Lišková B, Gurská S, Buriánová R, Přibylka A, Džubák P, Hajdúch M, Urban M. Triterpenoid phthalimides as selective anti-cancer agents targeting mitochondrial apoptosis. Eur J Med Chem 2025; 283:117126. [PMID: 39673861 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.117126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2024] [Revised: 11/29/2024] [Accepted: 11/29/2024] [Indexed: 12/16/2024]
Abstract
Starting from benzyl 30-oxobetulinate and 30-oxobetulin diacetate, substituted dienes were synthesized and subjected to Diels-Alder reaction, yielding a variety of triterpenoid phthalates, phthalimides, and related derivatives. A total of 55 new compounds were prepared and tested for in vitro cytotoxic activity against eight cancer cell lines and two non-cancerous cell lines. Four compounds with IC50 values of 5 μM or lower were selected for further investigation. These compounds induced apoptosis in CCRF-CEM cells in a concentration-dependent manner, accompanied by mitochondrial depolarization and altered expression of key proteins involved in mitochondrial apoptosis. The compounds also disrupted DNA replication and transcriptional activity. Modulation of key proliferation pathways, including PI3K/Akt and STAT3, further supported the antiproliferative potential of these derivatives. Considering their high cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activity in CCRF-CEM cells, compounds 19, 26, 28, and 30 have been identified as promising candidates for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kazakova
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ivo Frydrych
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Jakubcová
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Laboratory of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Pokorný
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Laboratory of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Lišková
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Soňa Gurská
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Renata Buriánová
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Přibylka
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Džubák
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Urban
- Laboratory of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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3
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Zhao ZX, Zou QY, Ma YH, Morris-Natschke SL, Li XY, Shi LC, Ma GX, Xu XD, Yang MH, Zhao ZJ, Li YX, Xue J, Chen CH, Wu HF. Recent progress on triterpenoid derivatives and their anticancer potential. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2025; 229:114257. [PMID: 39209239 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Cancer poses a significant global public health challenge, with commonly used adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy often leading to adverse side effects and drug resistance. Therefore, advancing cancer treatment necessitates the ongoing development of novel anticancer agents with diverse structures and mechanisms of action. Natural products remain crucial in the process of drug discovery, serving as a primary source for pharmaceutical leads and therapeutic advancements. Triterpenoids are particularly compelling due to their complex structures and wide array of biological activities. Recent research has demonstrated that naturally occurring triterpenes and their derivatives have the potential to serve as promising candidates for new drug development. This review aims to comprehensively explore the anticancer properties of triterpenoids and their synthetic analogs, with a focus on recent advancements. Various aspects, such as synthesis, phytochemistry, and molecular simulation for structure-activity relationship analyses, are summarized. It is anticipated that triterpenoid derivatives will emerge as notable anticancer agents following further investigation into their mechanisms of action and in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Xuan Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qiong-Yu Zou
- Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Hunan Higher Education for Western Hunan Medicinal Plant and Ethnobotany, Hunan Provincial Higher Education Key Laboratory of Intensive Processing Research on Mountain Ecological Food, Key Laboratory of Natural Products Research and Utilization in Wuling Mountain Area, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Huaihua University, Huaihua, 418008, China
| | - Ying-Hong Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Susan L Morris-Natschke
- Natural Products Research Laboratories, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Xiang-Yuan Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Lin-Chun Shi
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guo-Xu Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xu-Dong Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mei-Hua Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zi-Jian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Hunan Higher Education for Western Hunan Medicinal Plant and Ethnobotany, Hunan Provincial Higher Education Key Laboratory of Intensive Processing Research on Mountain Ecological Food, Key Laboratory of Natural Products Research and Utilization in Wuling Mountain Area, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Huaihua University, Huaihua, 418008, China
| | - Yuan-Xiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Hunan Higher Education for Western Hunan Medicinal Plant and Ethnobotany, Hunan Provincial Higher Education Key Laboratory of Intensive Processing Research on Mountain Ecological Food, Key Laboratory of Natural Products Research and Utilization in Wuling Mountain Area, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Huaihua University, Huaihua, 418008, China
| | - Jing Xue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Chin-Ho Chen
- Antiviral Drug Discovery Laboratory, Surgical Oncology Research Facility, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
| | - Hai-Feng Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Hunan Higher Education for Western Hunan Medicinal Plant and Ethnobotany, Hunan Provincial Higher Education Key Laboratory of Intensive Processing Research on Mountain Ecological Food, Key Laboratory of Natural Products Research and Utilization in Wuling Mountain Area, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Huaihua University, Huaihua, 418008, China; Natural Products Research Laboratories, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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4
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Hodoň J, Frydrych I, Trhlíková Z, Pokorný J, Borková L, Benická S, Vlk M, Lišková B, Kubíčková A, Medvedíková M, Pisár M, Šarek J, Das V, Ligasová A, Koberna K, Džubák P, Hajdúch M, Urban M. Triterpenoid pyrazines and pyridines - Synthesis, cytotoxicity, mechanism of action, preparation of prodrugs. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114777. [PMID: 36174412 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
A set of fifteen triterpenoid pyrazines and pyridines was prepared from parent triterpenoid 3-oxoderivatives (betulonic acid, dihydrobetulonic acid, oleanonic acid, moronic acid, ursonic acid, heterobetulonic acid, and allobetulone). Cytotoxicity of all compounds was tested in eight cancer and two non-cancer cell lines. Evaluation of the structure-activity relationships revealed that the triterpenoid core determined whether the final molecule is active or not, while the heterocycle is able to increase the activity and modulate the specificity. Five compounds (1b, 1c, 2b, 2c, and 8) were found to be preferentially and highly cytotoxic (IC50 ≈ 1 μM) against leukemic cancer cell lines (CCRF-CEM, K562, CEM-DNR, or K562-TAX). Surprisingly, compounds 1c, 2b, and 2c are 10-fold more active in multidrug-resistant leukemia cells (CEM-DNR and K562-TAX) than in their non-resistant analogs (CCRF-CEM and K562). Pharmacological parameters were measured for the most promising candidates and two types of prodrugs were synthesized: 1) Sugar-containing conjugates, most of which had improved cell penetration and retained high cytotoxicity in the CCRF-CEM cell line, unfortunately, they lost the selectivity against resistant cells. 2) Medoxomil derivatives, among which compounds 26-28 gained activities of IC50 0.026-0.043 μM against K562 cells. Compounds 1b, 8, 21, 22, 23, and 24 were selected for the evaluation of the mechanism of action based on their highest cytotoxicity against CCRF-CEM cell line. Several experiments showed that the majority of them cause apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. Compounds 1b, 8, and 21 inhibit growth and disintegrate spheroid cultures of HCT116 and HeLa cells, which would be important for the treatment of solid tumors. In summary, compounds 1b, 1c, 2b, 2c, 24, and 26-28 are highly and selectively cytotoxic against cancer cell lines and were selected for future in vivo tests and further development of anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Hodoň
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ivo Frydrych
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeňka Trhlíková
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Pokorný
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Borková
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Sandra Benická
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Vlk
- Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Břehová 7, 115 19, Prague 1, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Lišková
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Agáta Kubíčková
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Křížkovského 511/8, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Medvedíková
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Pisár
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Šarek
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Viswanath Das
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Křížkovského 511/8, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Ligasová
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Koberna
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Džubák
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Urban
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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5
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Shu Y, Li F, Han Y, Wang P, Gao F, Yan M, Liang M, Ma Q, Zhang Y, Ding X, Lei H. Design, synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of novel betulonic acid-diazine derivatives as potential antitumor agents. Front Chem 2022; 10:969770. [PMID: 36147251 PMCID: PMC9486541 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.969770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the purpose to improve antiproliferative activity, 26 new betulonic acid-diazine derivatives were designed and synthesized from betulinic acid. The anticancer activity of these semi-synthetic compounds was evaluated by MTT assay in both tumor cell lines and normal cell line. The results indicated that majority of new compounds exhibited improved antitumor activity compared with the parent compound betulonic acid. Compound BoA2C, in particular, had the most significant action with IC50 value of 3.39 μM against MCF-7 cells, while it showed lower cytotoxicity on MDCK cell line than cisplatin. Furthermore, we discovered that BoA2C strongly increased MCF-7 cell damage mostly by influencing arginine and fatty acid metabolism. In addition, the structure-activity relationships were briefly discussed. The results of this study suggested that the introduction of different diazines at C-28 could selectively inhibit different kinds of cancer cells and might be an effective way to synthesize potent anticancer lead compound from betulonic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisong Shu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Feifei Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yaotian Han
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Penglong Wang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Gao
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Mengmeng Yan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Miao Liang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Ma
- Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Ma, ; Yuzhong Zhang, ; Xia Ding, ; Haimin Lei ,
| | - Yuzhong Zhang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Ma, ; Yuzhong Zhang, ; Xia Ding, ; Haimin Lei ,
| | - Xia Ding
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Ma, ; Yuzhong Zhang, ; Xia Ding, ; Haimin Lei ,
| | - Haimin Lei
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Ma, ; Yuzhong Zhang, ; Xia Ding, ; Haimin Lei ,
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6
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Bailly C. The health benefits of santol fruits and bioactive products isolated from Sandoricum koetjape Merr.: A scoping review. J Food Biochem 2022; 46:e14152. [PMID: 35315091 DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.14152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The santol tree (Sandoricum koetjape Merr.) is largely distributed in Southeast Asia. It produces useful timber and edible fruits, consumed fresh, and transformed. It has a wide range of traditional medicinal uses for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and digestive troubles. Numerous bioactive natural products have been isolated from the roots, leaves, stems, and fruits of S. koetjape, including flavonoids, limonoids, and terpenoids. The seeds are considered toxic and contain insecticidal limonoids. The present review provides a survey of the natural products isolated from different parts of the plant and discusses their pharmacological properties. Information on S. koetjape was collected through databases and analyzed, leading to the identification of about 30 natural products of interest. Bioactive compounds include limonoids, such as sandoripins A-B, sanjecumins A-B, and sandrapins A-E, and flavonoids with antioxidant, antibacterial, and insecticidal properties such as sandoricin and sandoripin derivatives. The santol plant contains various anti-inflammatory triterpenes, such as sentulic acid and koetjapic acid (KA). KA is the main product found in santol and a few other plants. This tetracyclic triterpenoid is endowed with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, with marked antimetastatic and antiangiogenic effects. Its potential molecular targets are discussed, notably the kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and other proteins (cyclooxygenase 2, DNA polymerase-β). The water-soluble derivative potassium koetjapate (KK) affords an orally bioavailable derivative, with superior antiangiogenic properties compared to KA. The health benefits associated with the consumption of santol fruits shall be further considered, and the design of hemi-synthetic analogs of KA encouraged. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The fruits of the santol tree are largely consumed in Asia and different parts of the plant (Sandoricum koetjape Merr.) are used in traditional medicine. Diverse bioactive terpenoids have been isolated from the plant. Their pharmacological properties are reviewed here, with a focus on the triterpene koetjapic acid which displays marked anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Several other bioactive natural products, including limonoids and flavonoids, are evoked as well, to shed light on the many active compounds found in the fruits and the whole plant. For a healthy life, the use of the plant in phytomedicine and the consumption of the santol fruit should be encouraged.
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Gu X, Hao D, Xiao P. Research progress of Chinese herbal medicine compounds and their bioactivities: Fruitful 2020. CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINES 2022; 14:171-186. [PMID: 36117669 PMCID: PMC9476823 DOI: 10.1016/j.chmed.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have continued to be a treasure trove. The study of chemodiversity and versatility of bioactivities has always been an important content of pharmacophylogeny. There is amazing progress in the discovery and research of natural components with novel structures and significant bioactivities in 2020. In this paper we review 271 valuable natural products, including terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics, nitrogen containing compounds and essential oil, etc., isolated and identified from TCMs published in journals of Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs (Zhong Cao Yao) and Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHMs), and focus on their structures, source organisms, and relevant bioactivities, paying special attention to structural characteristics of novel compounds and newly revealed pharmacological properties of known compounds. It is worth noting that natural products with antitumor activity still constitute the primary object of research. Among the reported compounds, two new triterpenoids, i.e., ursolic acid 3-O-β-cis-caffeate and mollugoside E, display remarkable cytotoxicity against PC-9 and HL-60 cell lines, respectively. Three known phenolic compounds, i.e., pyoluteorin, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy cinnamaldehyde and 3,7-dimethoxy-5-hydroxy-1,4-phenanthrenequinone, exhibit significant cytotoxicity against multiple cell lines. Numerous studies on the free radical scavenging activity of reported compounds are currently underway. In vitro, three known phenolic compounds, i.e., 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester, 3,4,5-O-tricaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester and arbutin, had more considerable antioxidant activities than vitamin C. The anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, hypolipidemic, neuroprotective and antimicrobial activities of isolated compounds are also encouraging. The structural characteristics and bioactivities of TCM compounds highlighted here reflect the enormous progress of CHM research in 2020 and will play a positive role in the future drug discovery and development. According to pharmacophylogeny, the phylogenetic distribution of compounds with different natures and flavors can be explored, with view to better mining TCM resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Gu
- Biotechnology Institute, School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Dacheng Hao
- Biotechnology Institute, School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Peigen Xiao
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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8
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Zhong Y, Liang N, Liu Y, Cheng MS. Recent progress on betulinic acid and its derivatives as antitumor agents: a mini review. Chin J Nat Med 2021; 19:641-647. [PMID: 34561074 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(21)60097-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Natural products are one of the important sources for the discovery of new drugs. Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid widely distributed in the plant kingdom, exhibits powerful biological effects, including antitumor activity against various types of cancer cells. A considerable number of BA derivatives have been designed and prepared to remove their disadvantages, such as poor water solubility and low bioavailability. This review summarizes the current studies of the structural diversity of antitumor BA derivatives within the last five years, which provides prospects for further research on the structural modification of betulinic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Nan Liang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Mao-Sheng Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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9
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Bailly C. Acankoreagenin and acankoreosides, a family of lupane triterpenoids with anti-inflammatory properties: an overview. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2021; 1502:14-27. [PMID: 34145915 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Acankoreagenin (ACK, also known as acankoreanogenin and HLEDA) and impressic acid are two lupane-type triterpenes that can be isolated from various Acanthopanax and Schefflera species. They efficiently block activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and the release of proinflammatory cytokines and/or the action of inflammation mediators (HMGB1, iNOS, and NO). These effects are the basis for the antiviral and anticancer activities reported with these pentacyclic compounds or their various glycoside derivatives. More than 15 acankoreosides (Ack-A to -O, and -R) and a few other mono- and bidesmosidic saponins (acantrifoside A and acangraciliside S) derive from the ACK aglycone. Compounds like Ack-A and -B are remarkable anti-inflammatory agents, inhibiting cytokine release from activated macrophages. Despite their effectiveness, ACK and impressic acid are far much less known and studied than the structurally related compounds betulinic acid and 23-hydroxybetulinic acid (anemosapogenin). The structural differences (notably the R/S stereoisomerism of the 3-hydroxyl group) and functional similarities of these compounds are discussed. The complete series of acankoreosides is presented for the first time. These natural products deserve further attention as anti-inflammatory agents, and ACK is recommended as a template for the design of new anticancer and antiviral drugs.
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10
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Bachořík J, Urban M. Biocatalysis in the Chemistry of Lupane Triterpenoids. Molecules 2021; 26:2271. [PMID: 33919839 PMCID: PMC8070785 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pentacyclic triterpenes are important representatives of natural products that exhibit a wide variety of biological activities. These activities suggest that these compounds may represent potential medicines for the treatment of cancer and viral, bacterial, or protozoal infections. Naturally occurring triterpenes usually have several drawbacks, such as limited activity and insufficient solubility and bioavailability; therefore, they need to be modified to obtain compounds suitable for drug development. Modifications can be achieved either by methods of standard organic synthesis or with the use of biocatalysts, such as enzymes or enzyme systems within living organisms. In most cases, these modifications result in the preparation of esters, amides, saponins, or sugar conjugates. Notably, while standard organic synthesis has been heavily used and developed, the use of the latter methodology has been rather limited, but it appears that biocatalysis has recently sparked considerably wider interest within the scientific community. Among triterpenes, derivatives of lupane play important roles. This review therefore summarizes the natural occurrence and sources of lupane triterpenoids, their biosynthesis, and semisynthetic methods that may be used for the production of betulinic acid from abundant and inexpensive betulin. Most importantly, this article compares chemical transformations of lupane triterpenoids with analogous reactions performed by biocatalysts and highlights a large space for the future development of biocatalysis in this field. The results of this study may serve as a summary of the current state of research and demonstrate the potential of the method in future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Bachořík
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic;
| | - Milan Urban
- Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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11
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Synthesis and Biological Activity of Brassinosteroid Analogues with a Nitrogen-Containing Side Chain. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010155. [PMID: 33375728 PMCID: PMC7795425 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Brassinosteroids are a class of plant hormones that regulate a broad range of physiological processes such as plant growth, development and immunity, including the suppression of biotic and abiotic stresses. In this paper, we report the synthesis of new brassinosteroid analogues with a nitrogen-containing side chain and their biological activity on Arabidopis thaliana. Based on molecular docking experiments, two groups of brassinosteroid analogues were prepared with short and long side chains in order to study the impact of side chain length on plants. The derivatives with a short side chain were prepared with amide, amine and ammonium functional groups. The derivatives with a long side chain were synthesized using amide and ammonium functional groups. A total of 25 new brassinosteroid analogues were prepared. All 25 compounds were tested in an Arabidopsis root sensitivity bioassay and cytotoxicity screening. The synthesized substances showed no significant inhibitory activity compared to natural 24-epibrassinolide. In contrast, in low concentration, several compounds (8a, 8b, 8e, 16e, 22a and 22e) showed interesting growth-promoting activity. The cytotoxicity assay showed no toxicity of the prepared compounds on cancer and normal cell lines.
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12
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Lipeeva AV, Dolgikh MP, Tolstikova TG, Shults EE. A Study of Plant Coumarins. 18. Conjugates of Coumarins with Lupane Triterpenoids and 1,2,3-Triazoles: Synthesis and Anti-Inflammatory Activity. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162020010161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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13
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Betulinic Acid-Nitrogen Heterocyclic Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, and Antitumor Evaluation in Vitro. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25040948. [PMID: 32093264 PMCID: PMC7070564 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Betulinic acid (BA) is a star member of the pentacyclic triterpenoid family, which exhibits great prospects for antitumor drug development. In an attempt to develop novel antitumor candidates, 21 BA-nitrogen heterocyclic derivatives were synthetized, in addition to four intermediates, 23 of which were first reported. Moreover, they were screened for in-vitro cytotoxicity against four tumor cell lines (Hela, HepG-2, BGC-823 and SK-SY5Y) by a standard methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The majority of these derivatives showed much stronger cytotoxic activity than BA. Remarkably, the most potent compound 7e (the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of which was 2.05 ± 0.66 μM) was 12-fold more toxic in vitro than BA-treated Hela. Furthermore, multiple fluorescent staining techniques and flow cytometry collectively revealed that compound 7e could induce the early apoptosis of Hela cells. Structure–activity relationships were also briefly discussed. The present study highlighted the importance of introducing nitrogen heterocyclic rings into betulinic acid in the discovery and development of novel antitumor agents.
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14
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Gostynska N, Pannella M, Rocco ML, Giardino L, Aloe L, Calzà L. The pleiotropic molecule NGF regulates the in vitro properties of fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells: implications for wound healing. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2019; 318:C360-C371. [PMID: 31774700 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00180.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is recognized as a pleiotropic molecule, exerting a variety of biological effects on different cell types and pathophysiological conditions, and its role in tissue wound healing has been recently highlighted. However, the preferential cellular target of NGF is still elusive in the complex cellular and molecular cross talk that accompanies wound healing. Thus, to explore possible NGF cellular targets in skin wound healing, we investigated the in vitro NGF responsiveness of keratinocytes (cell line HEKa), fibroblasts (cell line BJ), and endothelial cells (cell line HUVEC), also in the presence of adverse microenvironmental conditions, e.g., hyperglycemia. The main results are summarized as follows: 1) NGF stimulates keratinocyte proliferation and HUVEC proliferation and angiogenesis in a dose-dependent manner although it has no effect on fibroblast proliferation; 2) NGF stimulates keratinocyte but not fibroblast migration in the wound healing assay; and 3) NGF completely reverts the proliferation impairment of keratinocytes and the angiogenesis impairment of HUVECs induced by high d-glucose concentration in the culture medium. These results contribute to better understanding possible targets for the therapeutic use of NGF in skin repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Gostynska
- Health Sciences and Technologies-Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
| | - M Pannella
- Health Sciences and Technologies-Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
| | - M L Rocco
- IRET Foundation, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
| | - L Giardino
- Health Sciences and Technologies-Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
| | - L Aloe
- IRET Foundation, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
| | - L Calzà
- Health Sciences and Technologies-Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy.,Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
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15
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Borková L, Frydrych I, Jakubcová N, Adámek R, Lišková B, Gurská S, Medvedíková M, Hajdúch M, Urban M. Synthesis and biological evaluation of triterpenoid thiazoles derived from betulonic acid, dihydrobetulonic acid, and ursonic acid. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 185:111806. [PMID: 31677446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this work, 35 new derivatives of betulonic, dihydrobetulonic and ursonic acid were prepared including 30 aminothiazoles and all of them were tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activity in eight cancer cell lines and two non-cancer fibroblasts. Compounds with the IC50 below 5 μM in CCRF-CEM cells and low toxicity in non-cancer fibroblasts (4m, 5c, 5m, 6c, 6m, 7b, and 7c) were further subjected to tests of pharmacological parameters yielding the final set for advanced biological evaluation (4m, 5m, 6m, and 7b). It was proved by several methods, that all of them trigger apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway and derivatives 5m and 7b are the most effective (IC50 2.4 μM and 3.6 μM). They are the best candidates to become potentially new anticancer drugs and will be subjected to in vivo tests in mice. In addition, compounds 6b and 6c deserve more attention because their activity is not limited only to chemosensitive CCRF-CEM cell line. Specifically, compound 6b is highly active against K562 leukemic cell line (0.7 μM) and its IC50 activity in colon cancer HCT116 cell line is 1.0 μM. Compound 6c is active in both normal K562 and resistant K562-TAX cell lines (IC50 3.4 μM and 5.4 μM) and both colon cancer cell lines (HCT116 and HCT116p53-/-, IC50 3.5 μM and 3.4 μM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Borková
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ivo Frydrych
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Jakubcová
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Adámek
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Lišková
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Soňa Gurská
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Medvedíková
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Urban
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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16
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Perlikova P, Kvasnica M, Urban M, Hajduch M, Sarek J. 2-Deoxyglycoside Conjugates of Lupane Triterpenoids with High Cytotoxic Activity-Synthesis, Activity, and Pharmacokinetic Profile. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:2844-2858. [PMID: 31553559 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
A set of 41 glycosidic conjugates of pentacyclic triterpenes was synthesized in order to improve the solubility of highly cytotoxic parent compounds. Their in vitro cytotoxic activity was evaluated in 25 cancer cell lines and 2 noncancer fibroblasts. Fifteen compounds had high cytotoxicity on the T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell line CCRF-CEM and 6 of them were active in multiple cell lines of various histogenic origin and not toxic in fibroblasts. Compound 11a had IC50 of 0.64 μM in CCRF-CEM cells, 0.60 μM in K-562 cells, and 0.37 μM in PC-3 cells; compound 12a had IC50 of 0.64 μM in CCRF-CEM cells and 0.71 μM in SW620 cells; compound 17b had IC50 of 0.86 μM in HCT116 cells and 0.92 μM in PC-3 cells. Compounds 11b and 12b were slightly less active than the previously mentioned derivatives; however, their solubility was significantly better, and therefore they were selected for the in vivo evaluation of the pharmacokinetic profile in mice. In both compounds, the maximum concentration in plasma was achieved very rapidly-the highest level in plasma was found 1 h after administration (22.2, respectively, 6.4 μM). For compound 12b, the resorption was followed with fast elimination, and 12 h after administration, the compound was not detected in plasma. In contrast, compound 11b was eliminated more slowly; it was still present in plasma after 12 h, but its concentration dropped below the detection limit after 24 h. The elimination half-time determined for compound 11b was 2.4 h and for compound 12b just about 1.4 h. These values are reasonable for further drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavla Perlikova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Flemingovo n. 2 , 16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Kvasnica
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research , Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Palacky University , Šlechtitelů 27 , 78371 Olomouc , Czech Republic
| | - Milan Urban
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry , Palacky University , Hnevotinská 5 , 77900 , Olomouc , Czech Republic
| | - Marian Hajduch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry , Palacky University , Hnevotinská 5 , 77900 , Olomouc , Czech Republic
| | - Jan Sarek
- Betulinines , Sazavska 323 , 28167 Stribrna Skalice , Czech Republic
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17
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Recent Achievements in Medicinal and Supramolecular Chemistry of Betulinic Acid and Its Derivatives ‡. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24193546. [PMID: 31574991 PMCID: PMC6803882 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24193546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The subject of this review article refers to the recent achievements in the investigation of pharmacological activity and supramolecular characteristics of betulinic acid and its diverse derivatives, with special focus on their cytotoxic effect, antitumor activity, and antiviral effect, and mostly covers a period 2015–2018. Literature sources published earlier are referred to in required coherences or from historical points of view. Relationships between pharmacological activity and supramolecular characteristics are included if such investigation has been done in the original literature sources. A wide practical applicability of betulinic acid and its derivatives demonstrated in the literature sources is also included in this review article. Several literature sources also focused on in silico calculation of physicochemical and ADME parameters of the developed compounds, and on a comparison between the experimental and calculated data.
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18
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Hodon J, Borkova L, Pokorny J, Kazakova A, Urban M. Design and synthesis of pentacyclic triterpene conjugates and their use in medicinal research. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 182:111653. [PMID: 31499360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Triterpenoids are natural products from plants and many other organisms that have various biological activities, such as antitumor, antiviral, antimicrobial, and protective activities. This review covers the synthesis and biological evaluation of pentacyclic triterpene (PT) conjugates with other molecules that have been found to increase the IC50 or improve the pharmacological profile of the parent PT. Some of these molecules are designed to target specific proteins or cellular organelles, which has resulted in highly selective lead structures for drug development. Other PT conjugates are useful for investigating their mechanism of action. This concept has been very successful: 1) Many compounds, especially mitochondria-targeting PT conjugates, have reached a selective cytotoxicity at low nanomolar concentrations in cancer cells. 2) A number of PT conjugates have had high activity against HIV or the influenza virus. 3) Fluorescent PT conjugates have been able to visualize the PT in living cells, which has allowed quantification of the uptake and distribution of the PT within the cell. 4) Biotinylated PT conjugates have been used to identify target proteins, which may help to show their mechanism of action. 5) A large number of PT conjugates with polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyamines, etc. form nanometer-sized micelles that have a much better pharmacological profile than the PT alone. In summary, the connection of a PT to an appropriate modifying molecule has resulted in extremely useful semisynthetic compounds with a high potential to treat cancer or viral infections or compounds that are useful for the study of the mechanism of action of PTs at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Hodon
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Borkova
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Pokorny
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Kazakova
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Urban
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Hnevotinská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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Li H, Gao X, Huang X, Wang X, Xu S, Uchita T, Gao M, Xu J, Hua H, Li D. Hydrogen sulfide donating ent-kaurane and spirolactone-type 6,7-seco-ent-kaurane derivatives: Design, synthesis and antiproliferative properties. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 178:446-457. [PMID: 31202992 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Motivated by our interest in hydrogen sulfide bio-chemistry and ent-kaurane diterpenoid chemistry, 14 hydrogen sulfide donating derivatives (9, 11a-c, 12a-c, 13, 14, 16a-c and 17a-b) of ent-kaurane and spirolactone-type 6,7-seco-ent-kaurane were designed and synthesized. Four human cancer cell lines (K562, Bel-7402, SGC-7901 and A549) and two normal cell lines (L-02 and PBMC) were selected for antiproliferative assay. Most derivatives showed more potent activities than the lead ent-kaurane oridonin. Among them, compound 12b exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activities, with IC50 values of 1.01, 0.88, 4.36 and 5.21 μM against above human cancer cell lines, respectively. Further apoptosis-related mechanism study indicated that 12b could arrest Bel-7402 cell cycle at G1 phase and induce apoptosis through mitochondria related pathway. Through Western blot assay, 12b was shown to influence the intrinsic pathway by increasing the expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome c and cleaved PARP, meanwhile suppressing procaspase-3, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and PARP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Xiaofang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Xianhua Wang
- School of Public Health, Qingdao University, 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao, 266021, PR China
| | - Shengtao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, PR China
| | - Takahiro Uchita
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women's University, 11-68 Koshien, Nishinomiya, 663-8179, Japan
| | - Ming Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women's University, 11-68 Koshien, Nishinomiya, 663-8179, Japan
| | - Jinyi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, PR China
| | - Huiming Hua
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Dahong Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China.
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Kvasnica M, Buchtova K, Budesinsky M, Beres T, Rarova L, Strnad M. Synthesis, characterization and antiproliferative activity of seco analogues of brassinosteroids. Steroids 2019; 146:1-13. [PMID: 30885649 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis and structure-activity relationship analysis of a two groups of 2,3-seco analogues of brassinosteroids (BRs) were performed to examine their antiproliferative activities. Two steroid skeletons were chosen for the preparation of seco analogues - cholestane and stigmastane. The synthetic strategy consists of multistep reactions and detailed analysis of compounds prepared. We have discovered unpublished behaviour of 2,3-seco-2,3-dihydroxy-6-ketones leading to formation of intramolecular ketal with two new steroidal rings. Their reaction intermediates were also characterized in some cases. All compounds prepared were fully characterized with NMR and MS techniques. Most of compounds were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity on three cancer cell lines (CEM, MCF7, and HeLa) and normal human fibroblasts (BJ). It was discovered that some seco analogues caused apoptosis in cancer cells. The most promising seco derivative 28 proved to have high therapeutic index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Kvasnica
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany & Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Katerina Buchtova
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany & Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Milos Budesinsky
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tibor Beres
- Department of Chemical Biology and Genetics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacky University, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic; Central Laboratories and Research Support, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Rarova
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany & Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic; Department of Chemical Biology and Genetics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacky University, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Strnad
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany & Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Sousa JLC, Freire CSR, Silvestre AJD, Silva AMS. Recent Developments in the Functionalization of Betulinic Acid and Its Natural Analogues: A Route to New Bioactive Compounds. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24020355. [PMID: 30669472 PMCID: PMC6359067 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24020355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Betulinic acid (BA) and its natural analogues betulin (BN), betulonic (BoA), and 23-hydroxybetulinic (HBA) acids are lupane-type pentacyclic triterpenoids. They are present in many plants and display important biological activities. This review focuses on the chemical transformations used to functionalize BA/BN/BoA/HBA in order to obtain new derivatives with improved biological activity, covering the period since 2013 to 2018. It is divided by the main chemical transformations reported in the literature, including amination, esterification, alkylation, sulfonation, copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition, palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling, hydroxylation, and aldol condensation reactions. In addition, the synthesis of heterocycle-fused BA/HBA derivatives and polymer‒BA conjugates are also addressed. The new derivatives are mainly used as antitumor agents, but there are other biological applications such as antimalarial activity, drug delivery, bioimaging, among others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana L C Sousa
- QOPNA & LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
- CICECO, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Carmen S R Freire
- CICECO, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | | | - Artur M S Silva
- QOPNA & LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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Krajcovicova S, Stankova J, Dzubak P, Hajduch M, Soural M, Urban M. A Synthetic Approach for the Rapid Preparation of BODIPY Conjugates and their use in Imaging of Cellular Drug Uptake and Distribution. Chemistry 2018; 24:4957-4966. [PMID: 29411907 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201706093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
A solid-phase synthetic (SPS) method was developed for the preparation of BODIPY-labeled bioactive compounds that allows for fast and simple synthesis of conjugates for use in fluorescent microscopy. The approach was used to visualize cellular uptake and distribution of cytotoxic triterpenes in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sona Krajcovicova
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Science, 17. Listopadu 12, 77100, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jarmila Stankova
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Hnevotinska 5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Dzubak
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Hnevotinska 5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marian Hajduch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Hnevotinska 5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Soural
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Science, 17. Listopadu 12, 77100, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Urban
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Hnevotinska 5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Medina-O’Donnell M, Rivas F, Reyes-Zurita FJ, Martinez A, Lupiañez JA, Parra A. Diamine and PEGylated-diamine conjugates of triterpenic acids as potential anticancer agents. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 148:325-336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Synthesis and characterization of new conjugates of betulin diacetate and bis(triphenysilyl)betulin with substituted triazoles. MONATSHEFTE FUR CHEMIE 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00706-017-2113-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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