Antifungal Cyclopentenediones from Piper coruscans

Styryl Group, a Friend or Foe in Medicinal Chemistry

The styryl (Ph-CH=CH-R) group is widely represented in medicinally important compounds, including drugs, clinical candidates, and molecular probes as it positively impacts the lipophilicity, oral absorption, and biological activity. The analysis of matched molecular pairs (styryl vs. phenethyl, phenyl, methyl, H) for the biological activity indicates the superiority aspect of styryl compounds. However, the Michael acceptor site in the styryl group makes it amenable to the nucleophilic attack by biological nucleophiles and transformation to the toxic metabolites. One of the downsides of styryl compounds is isomerization that impacts the molecular conformation and directly affects biological activity. The impact of cis-trans isomerism and isosteric replacements on biological activity is exemplified. We also discuss the styryl group-bearing drugs, clinical candidates, and fluorescent probes. Overall, the present review reveals the utility of the styryl group in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.

Selenium Dioxide-Mediated Bromination of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones Using N-Bromosuccinimide in the Presence of p-Toluenesulfonic Acid: A Versatile Route for the Synthesis of α'-Bromo-4-arylbut-3-en-2-one and α',α'-Dibromo-4-arylbut-3-en-2-one

An efficient method for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated α'-bromoketones and α,β-unsaturated α',α'-dibromoketones is described using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) as the brominating agent mediated by selenium dioxide (SeO₂) in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) monohydrate in toluene. The method is simple, employing easily available shelf reagents to afford a wide range of products in good yields. The method highlighted that simple fine-tuning of the reaction conditions and molar equivalents of the reactants easily affords either mono- or dibrominated products in excellent yields. A number of these products have not been reported in the literature. All of the reactions were carried out in gram-scale quantities.

Silica gel and microwave-promoted synthesis of dihydropyrrolizines and tetrahydroindolizines from enaminones

A wide range of N-(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)enaminones, prepared by the Eschenmoser sulfide contraction between N-(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)pyrrolidine-2-thione and various bromomethyl aryl and heteroaryl ketones, underwent cyclization in the presence of silica gel to give ethyl 6-(hetero)aryl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizine-5-carboxylates within minutes upon microwave heating in xylene at 150 °C. Instead of functioning as a nucleophile, the enaminone acted as an electrophile at its carbonyl group during the cyclization. Yields of the bicyclic products were generally above 75%. The analogous microwave-assisted reaction to produce ethyl 2-aryl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroindolizine-3-carboxylates from (E)-ethyl 2-[2-(2-oxo-2-arylethylidene)piperidin-1-yl]acetates failed in nonpolar solvents, but occurred in ethanol at lower temperature and microwave power, although requiring much longer time. A possible mechanism for the cyclization is presented, and further functionalization of the newly created pyrrole ring in the dihydropyrrolizine core is described.

Chemical and Enantioselective Analysis of the Leaf Essential Oil from Piper coruscans Kunth (Piperaceae), a Costal and Amazonian Native Species of Ecuador

In the present study, an essential oil was distilled from the leaves of Piper coruscans Kunth, a native Amazonian species belonging to the family Piperaceae and quite common in Ecuador. The chemical analysis was performed by GC-MS (qualitative) and GC-FID (quantitative), on polar and non-polar columns, detecting a total of 58 compounds of which 52 were identified. All the identified compounds were quantified. The essential oil was mainly constituted of sesquiterpenes (54.1-55.0%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (32.5-33.6%), the major constituents being: (E)-β-caryophyllene (24.1-25.0%), α-humulene (11.6-12.0%), caryophyllene oxide (9.3-10.9%), linalool (4.5-5.2%), humulene epoxide II (3.6-4.1%), (E)-nerolidol (3.7-4.0%), α-copaene (3.7-3.9%), α-muurolol (3.4-3.7%), α-selinene (3.4-3.5%), β-selinene (3.1-3.3%), and one undetermined oxygenated sesquiterpenoid (3.1-3.3%). The aqueous phase (hydrolate) of the distillation process was also submitted to chemical analysis, showing linalool as the main organic compound in solution, with a concentration of 12.3-15.7 mg/100 mL. The essential oil was than analyzed for the enantiomeric distribution of its monoterpene constituents, affording the following enantiomeric excesses in two β-cyclodextrin-based enantioselective columns: (1S,5S)-(-)-α-pinene (60.0-69.6%), (1S,5S)-(-)-β-pinene (5.2-7.2%), (R)-(-)-α-phellandrene (72.5-78.2%), (R)-(+)-limonene (28.6%) and (R)-(-)-linalool (1.8-3.1%).

Nostotrebin 6 Related Cyclopentenediones and δ-Lactones with Broad Activity Spectrum Isolated from the Cultivation Medium of the Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. CBT1153

Cyanobacteria are an interesting source of biologically active natural products, especially chemically diverse and potent protease inhibitors. On our search for inhibitors of the trypanosomal cysteine protease rhodesain, we identified the homodimeric cyclopentenedione (CPD) nostotrebin 6 (1) and new related monomeric, dimeric, and higher oligomeric compounds as the active substances in the medium extract of Nostoc sp. CBT1153. The oligomeric compounds are composed of two core monomeric structures, a trisubstituted CPD or a trisubstituted unsaturated δ-lactone. Nostotrebin 6 thus far has been the only known cyanobacterial CPD. It has been found to be active in a broad variety of assays, indicating that it might be a pan-assay interference compound (PAIN). Thus, we compared the antibacterial and cytotoxic activities as well as the rhodesain inhibition of selected compounds. Because a compound with a δ-lactone instead of a CPD core structure was equally active as nostotrebin 6, the bioactivities of these compounds seem to be based on the phenolic substructures rather than the CPD moiety. While the dimers were roughly equally potent, the monomer displayed slightly weaker activity, suggesting that the compounds show unspecific activity depending upon the number of free phenolic hydroxy groups per molecule.

Molecular modeling studies of coruscanone (A) core nucleus as potential antifungal agents

Fungal diseases could be serious and, in some cases, life-threatening. Considering the limited availability of antifungal agents in use, and the emergence of multi drug resistance (MDR) in fungal infections, there is a pressing need for the development of novel broad spectrum antifungal drugs with better efficacy. Coruscanone A analogues, natural derivatives which target the fungal lanosterol enzyme, were docked against lanosterol 14 α-demethylase (CYP51A1) that converts lanosterol to 4,4-dimethylcholesta-8,14,24-trien-3β-ol in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway in order to stabilize the plasma membrane of the fungal species, and hence can be targeted for an effective antifungal therapy. For this purpose, we have employed Glide docking, using MAESTRO to predict binding modes of these Coruscanone (A) analogs to the enzyme. Results showed that some of these compounds were potent inhibitors of this enzyme compared to fluconazole (the known ligand of the enzyme that was used as control in the study) as evidenced by their docking scores and binding interactions. In conclusion, these finding may be helpful in the design of new effective and potent antifungal inhibitors.

Bioactivity-Guided Metabolite Profiling of Feijoa ( Acca sellowiana) Cultivars Identifies 4-Cyclopentene-1,3-dione as a Potent Antifungal Inhibitor of Chitin Synthesis

Pathogenic fungi continue to develop resistance against current antifungal drugs. To explore the potential of agricultural waste products as a source of novel antifungal compounds, we obtained an unbiased GC-MS profile of 151 compounds from 16 commercial and experimental cultivars of feijoa peels. Multivariate analysis correlated 93% of the compound profiles with antifungal bioactivities. Of the 18 compounds that significantly correlated with antifungal activity, 5 had not previously been described from feijoa. Two novel cultivars were the most bioactive, and the compound 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione, detected in these cultivars, was potently antifungal (IC₅₀ = 1-2 μM) against human-pathogenic Candida species. Haploinsufficiency and fluorescence microscopy analyses determined that the synthesis of chitin, a fungal-cell-wall polysaccharide, was the target of 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione. This fungal-specific mechanism was consistent with a 22-70-fold reduction in antibacterial activity. Overall, we identified the agricultural waste product of specific cultivars of feijoa peels as a source of potential high-value antifungal compounds.

Antiprotozoal activity of medicinal plants used by Iquitos-Nauta road communities in Loreto (Peru)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In the Peruvian Amazon, the use of medicinal plants is a common practice. However, there is few documented information about the practical aspects of their use and few scientific validation. The starting point for this work was a set of interviews of people living in rural communities from the Peruvian Amazon about their uses of plants. Protozoan diseases are a public health issue in the Amazonian communities, who partly cope with it by using traditional remedies. Validation of these traditional practices contributes to public health care efficiency and may help identify new antiprotozoal compounds.

AIMS OF STUDY

to inventory and validate the use of medicinal plants by rural people of Loreto region.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rural mestizos were interviewed about traditional medication of parasite infections with medicinal plants. Ethnopharmacological surveys were undertaken in two villages along Iquitos-Nauta road (Loreto region, Peru), namely 13 de Febrero and El Dorado communities. Forty-six plants were collected according to their traditional use for the treatment of parasitic diseases, 50 ethanolic extracts (different parts for some of the plants) were tested in vitro on Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 sensitive strain and W2 chloroquine resistant strain), Leishmania donovani LV9 strain and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. Cytotoxic assessment (HUVEC cells) of the active extracts was performed. Two of the most active plants were submitted to preliminary bioguided fractionation to ascertain and explore their activities.

RESULTS

From the initial plants list, 10 were found to be active on P. falciparum, 15 on L. donovani and 2 on the three parasites. The ethanolic extract from Costus curvibracteatus (Costaceae) leaves and Grias neuberthii (Lecythidaceae) bark showed strong in vitro activity on P. falciparum (sensitive and resistant strain) and L. donovani and moderate activity on T. brucei gambiense.

CONCLUSIONS

The Amazonian forest communities in Peru represents a source of knowledge on the use of medicinal plants. In this work, several extracts with antiprotozoal activity were identified. This work contributes to validate some traditional uses and opens subsequent investigations on active compounds isolation and identification.

Protocol for Identifying Natural Agents That Selectively Affect Adhesion, Thickness, Architecture, Cellular Phenotypes, Extracellular Matrix, and Human White Blood Cell Impenetrability of Candida albicans Biofilms

In the screening of natural plant extracts for antifungal activity, assessment of their effects on the growth of cells in suspension or in the wells of microtiter plates is expedient. However, microorganisms, including Candida albicans, grow in nature as biofilms, which are organized cellular communities with a complex architecture capable of conditioning their microenvironment, communicating, and excluding low- and high-molecular-weight molecules and white blood cells. Here, a confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) protocol for testing the effects of large numbers of agents on biofilm development is described. The protocol assessed nine parameters from a single z-stack series of CLSM scans for each individual biofilm analyzed. The parameters included adhesion, thickness, formation of a basal yeast cell polylayer, hypha formation, the vertical orientation of hyphae, the hyphal bend point, pseudohypha formation, calcofluor white staining of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and human white blood cell impenetrability. The protocol was applied first to five plant extracts and derivative compounds and then to a collection of 88 previously untested plant extracts. They were found to cause a variety of phenotypic profiles, as was the case for 64 of the 88 extracts (73%). Half of the 46 extracts that did not affect biofilm thickness affected other biofilm parameters. Correlations between specific effects were revealed. The protocol will be useful not only in the screening of chemical libraries but also in the analysis of compounds with known effects and mutations.

A comprehensive LC/MS analysis of novel cyclopentenedione library

Cyclopentenediones (CPDs) are compounds with a variety of applications ranging from the preparation of functional polymers to the development of antimicrobial agents, suggesting the potential use of CPDs as novel bioactive compounds or drugs. For this reason, a detailed characterization of CPDs and the development of robust analytical methods for their trace analysis are being sought. Here we focused on the design and synthesis of a library of novelized benzylidene CPD derivatives that were consequently characterized by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) on-line connected with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The library design was based on a 2-benzylidene-4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione skeleton substituted with a variety of hydroxy, methoxy, halogen, linear aliphatic, heterocyclic and saccharide moieties, primarily modulating the skeleton's hydrophobicity. The prepared CPDs were effectively ionized by positive/negative atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). After careful optimization of the dopant composition and flow rate, positive-mode APPI proved to be more sensitive than APCI. In negative mode, both ionization techniques gave similar results. Further, a detailed MS fragmentation study was performed, confirming the structure of the compounds and enabling positional isomers of CPDs to be differentiated on the basis of their collision spectra analysis. Finally, an optimization of the composition of the mobile phase and reversed-phased separation mode were done, followed by a selection of the most suitable UHPLC stationary phases, i.e. C18, C8 and phenyl. The applicability of the method was evaluated by the inclusion of the other two substances in the study, i.e. monomeric and dimeric bioactive CPDs, compound TX-1123 and nostotrebin 6 with cytostatic and antimicrobial activities, respectively. The results presented here could be used in further investigations of the chromatographic retention and MS behavior of CPDs, which could be utilized for their isolation, detailed characterization and analysis in biological systems.

A Survey of the Chemical Compounds of Piper spp. (Piperaceae) and Their Biological Activities

The genus Piper is one of the largest genera in the Piperaceae, with most species widely distributed globally, covering all continents. To date, many Piper species have been scientifically investigated for their chemical diversities and interesting broad spectrum of bioactivities, including central nervous system (CNS), pesticidal, antifungal and antibacterial effects. This review systematically summarizes the scaffolds of the alkaloids reported, the major chemicals isolated from Piper spp., and their biological activities. Besides the alkaloids, some neolignans with rearranged skeletons show structural diversities, while the chalcones, flavonoids and kava-pyrones have some potential activities. Herein, the sesquiterpenes and phenolic compounds from Piper species and their bioactivities are also surveyed.

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated α'-haloketones through the chemoselective addition of halomethyllithiums to Weinreb amides

A straightforward synthesis of variously functionalized α,β-unsaturated α'-haloketones has been achieved through the chemoselective addition of halomethyllithium carbenoids to Weinreb amides at -78 °C. A comparative study employing the corresponding esters under the same reaction conditions pointed out that the instability of the tetrahedral intermediate formed from the latter is responsible for the observed formation of carbinols instead of the desired haloketones.

Antifungal Compounds from Piper Species

This review documents chemical structures and antifungal activities of 68 compounds isolated from 22 Piper species of the plant family Piperaceae. These compounds include amides, flavonoids, prenylated benzoic acid derivatives, lignans, phenylpropanoids, butenolides, and cyclopentendiones. Some of them may serve as leads for potential pharmaceutical or agricultural fungicide development.

Cytotoxicity and Pro-Apoptotic Activity of 2,2´-Bis[4,5-bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclopent-4-en-1,3-dione], a Phenolic Cyclopentenedione Isolated from the Cyanobacterium Strain Nostoc sp. str. Lukešová 27/97

The cytotoxicity of the polyphenol 2,2´-bis[4,5-bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclopent-4-en-1,3-dione], nostotrebin 6 (NOS-6), was tested under in vitro conditions using mouse fibroblasts (BALB/c cells). Identification of NOS-6 and its uptake into fibroblasts was examined by multi-stage mass spectrometry analysis with the following fragmentation pattern: MS (m/z) [M+H]⁺ 799.1 → MS² 399.1 → MS³ 305.1 → MS⁴ 277.1. Using several cell viability assays, the IC₅₀ of NOS-6 after 24 h incubation was found to be 8.48 ± 0.16/12.15 ± 1.96 µM (neutral red/MTT assay) which was higher than that of doxorubicin. It was found that NOS-6 is capable of inducing both types of cell death, apoptosis and necrosis in a dose-dependent manner. The biological activities of the cyclopentenediones and preliminary data on NOS-6 cytotoxicity are discussed.

Natural Product Based 6-Hydroxy-2,3,4,6-tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrimidinium Scaffold as A New Antifungal Template

Synthetic analogues of the marine-derived class of natural products phloeodictines have been prepared and exhibited potent in vitro fungicidal activities against a broad array of fungal pathogens including drug resistant strains. The 6-hydroxy-2,3,4,6-tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrimidinium structural moiety with a C12 to C16 aliphatic side chain at C-6 has been shown to be the antifungal pharmacophore and may serve as a new antifungal template for further lead optimization.

Biomimetic total syntheses of linderaspirone A and bi-linderone and revisions of their biosynthetic pathways

Simple exposure to sunlight is sufficient for triggering photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition-Cope or radical rearrangement cascades in the naturally occurring methyl linderone, leading to efficient biomimetic total syntheses of linderaspirone A and bi-linderone, two recently discovered bioactive spirocyclopentenedione natural products.

Synthesis, antifungal activity, and structure-activity relationships of coruscanone A analogues

Coruscanone A, a plant-derived cyclopentenedione derivative, showed potent in vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans comparable to amphotericin B and fluconazole. A series of analogues have been synthesized by modification of the cyclopentenedione ring, the enolic methoxy functionality, and the side chain styryl moiety of this natural product lead. A structurally close 1,4-benzoquinone analogue was also prepared. All the compounds were examined for their in vitro activity against major opportunistic fungal pathogens including C. albicans, C. neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus and fluconazole-resistant C. albicans strains, with several analogues demonstrating potent antifungal activity. Structure-activity relationship studies indicate that the 2-methoxymethylenecyclopent-4-ene-1,3-dione structural moiety is the pharmacophore responsible for the antifungal activity of this class of compounds while the side chain styryl-like moiety plays an important complementary role, presumably contributing to target binding.

Facile synthesis of γ-alkylidenebutenolides

In this paper, a novel route to gamma-alkylidenebutenolides (gamma-AIBs) by way of stereoselective vinylogous aldol reaction of the unactivated butenolide in simple and general conditions is reported.