New bicyclotridecane C15 nonterpenoid bromoallenes from Laurencia marilzae

Naturally Occurring Organohalogen Compounds-A Comprehensive Review

The present volume is the third in a trilogy that documents naturally occurring organohalogen compounds, bringing the total number-from fewer than 25 in 1968-to approximately 8000 compounds to date. Nearly all of these natural products contain chlorine or bromine, with a few containing iodine and, fewer still, fluorine. Produced by ubiquitous marine (algae, sponges, corals, bryozoa, nudibranchs, fungi, bacteria) and terrestrial organisms (plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, higher animals) and universal abiotic processes (volcanos, forest fires, geothermal events), organohalogens pervade the global ecosystem. Newly identified extraterrestrial sources are also documented. In addition to chemical structures, biological activity, biohalogenation, biodegradation, natural function, and future outlook are presented.

Deciphering the Chameleonic Chemistry of Allenols: Breaking the Taboo of a Onetime Esoteric Functionality

The allene functionality has participated in one of the most exciting voyages in organic chemistry, from chemical curiosities to a recurring building block in modern organic chemistry. In the last decades, a special kind of allene, namely, allenol, has emerged. Allenols, formed by an allene moiety and a hydroxyl functional group with diverse connectivity, have become common building blocks for the synthesis of a wide range of structures and frequent motif in naturally occurring systems. The synergistic effect of the allene and hydroxyl functional groups enables allenols to be considered as a unique and sole functionality exhibiting a special reactivity. This Review summarizes the most significant contributions to the chemistry of allenols that appeared during the past decade, with emphasis on their synthesis, reactivity, and occurrence in natural products.

Assignment of Absolute Configuration of Bromoallenes by Vacuum-Ultraviolet Circular Dichroism (VUVCD)

A new application of vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUVCD), which enables the measurement of CD spectra in the vacuum-ultraviolet region (140–200 nm), for the assignment of the absolute configurations of bromoallenes is described. Bromoallene moieties are found in natural products obtained from many marine organisms. To date, the absolute configuration of bromoallenes has been assigned almost exclusively with Lowe’s rule, which is based on specific rotation. However, exceptions to Lowe’s rule have been reported arising from the presence of other substituents with large specific rotations. For the unambiguous assignment of the absolute configuration of the bromoallene moiety with its characteristic absorption wavelength at 180–190 nm due to the π–π* transition, VUVCD was applied to four pairs of bromoallene diastereomers prepared by modifying the synthetic scheme of omaezallene. The VUVCD spectra clearly showed positive or negative Cotton effects around 180–190 nm according to the configuration of the bromoallene employed, revealing the potential of VUVCD for determining absolute stereochemistry.

Halogenated C15 Acetogenin Analogues of Obtusallene III from a Laurenciella sp. Collected in Corsica

NMR chemical profiling of a Laurenciella sp. using a computerized method developed in our laboratory resulted in the identification of five new compounds (1-5) and 17 known compounds, among which 3-(E)-laurenyne represented by far the most abundant metabolite. Compounds 1 to 5 were isolated and fully characterized by detailed spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration and structural features of compound 1 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 to 4 are 12-membered cyclic ether acetogenins that are present in solution as interconverting conformers exhibiting an (aR) configuration of the bromoallene unit together with an S configuration at C-4. Among these, compound 3 is the first obtusallene derivative with bromine substituents at both the C-7 and C-12 positions. Compound 5 is an acetogenin bearing a [5.5.1]bicyclotridecane ring system. A plausible biosynthetic route to 1-4 is proposed.

Marine natural products

Covering: 2016. Previous review: Nat. Prod. Rep., 2017, 34, 235-294This review covers the literature published in 2016 for marine natural products (MNPs), with 757 citations (643 for the period January to December 2016) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1277 in 432 papers for 2016), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Reviews, biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that led to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included.

Pinnatifidenyne-Derived Ethynyl Oxirane Acetogenins from Laurencia viridis

Red algae of Laurencia continue to provide wide structural diversity and complexity of halogenated C₁₅ acetogenin medium-ring ethers. Here, we described the isolation of three new C₁₅ acetogenins (3–5), and one truncated derivative (6) from Laurencia viridis collected on the Canary Islands. These compounds are interesting variations on the pinnatifidenyne structure that included the first examples of ethynyl oxirane derivatives (3–4). The structures were elucidated by extensive study of NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) data, J-based configuration analysis and DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations. Their antiproliferative activity against six human solid tumor cell lines was evaluated.

High-Throughput in Silico Structure Validation and Revision of Halogenated Natural Products Is Enabled by Parametric Corrections to DFT-Computed 13C NMR Chemical Shifts and Spin-Spin Coupling Constants

Halogenated natural products constitute diverse and promising feedstock for molecular pharmaceuticals. However, their solution-structure elucidation by NMR presents several challenges, including the lack of fast methods to compute ¹³C chemical shifts for carbons bearing heavy atoms. We show that parametric corrections to DFT-computed chemical shifts in conjunction with rff-computed spin-spin coupling constants allow for fast and reliable screening of a large number of reported halogenated natural products, resulting in expedient structure validation or revision. In this paper, we examine more than 100 structures of halogenated terpenoids and other natural products with the new parametric approach and demonstrate that the accuracy of the combined method is sufficient to identify misassignments and suggest revisions in most cases (16 structures are revised). As the 1D ¹H and ¹³C NMR data are ubiquitous and most routinely used in solution structure elucidation, this fast and efficient two-criterion method (nuclear spin-spin coupling and ¹³C chemical shifts) which we term DU8+ is recommended as the first essential step in structure assignment and validation.

Epimeric Face-Selective Oxidations and Diastereodivergent Transannular Oxonium Ion Formation Fragmentations: Computational Modeling and Total Syntheses of 12-Epoxyobtusallene IV, 12-Epoxyobtusallene II, Obtusallene X, Marilzabicycloallene C, and Marilzabicycloallene D

The total syntheses of 12-epoxyobtusallene IV, 12-epoxyobtusallene II, obtusallene X, marilzabicycloallene C, and marilzabicycloallene D as halogenated C₁₅-acetogenin 12-membered bicyclic and tricyclic ether bromoallene-containing marine metabolites from Laurencia species are described. Two enantiomerically pure C₄-epimeric dioxabicyclo[8.2.1]tridecenes were synthesized by E-selective ring-closing metathesis where their absolute stereochemistry was previously set via catalytic asymmetric homoallylic epoxidation and elaborated via regioselective epoxide-ring opening and diastereoselective bromoetherification. Epimeric face-selective oxidation of their Δ^12,13 olefins followed by bromoallene installation allowed access to the oppositely configured 12,13-epoxides of 12-epoxyobtusallene II and 12-epoxyobtusallene IV. Subsequent exploration of their putative biomimetic oxonium ion formation-fragmentations reactions revealed diastereodivergent pathways giving marilzabicycloallene C and obtusallene X, respectively. The original configurations of the substrates evidently control oxonium ion formation and their subsequent preferred mode of fragmentation by nucleophilic attack at C₉ or C₁₂. Quantum modeling of this stereoselectivity at the ωB97X-D/Def2-TZVPPD/SCRF = methanol level revealed that in addition to direction resulting from hydrogen bonding, the dipole moment of the ion-pair transition state is an important factor. Marilzabicycloallene D as a pentahalogenated 12-membered bicyclic ether bromoallene was synthesized by a face-selective chloronium ion initiated oxonium ion formation-fragmentation process followed by subsequent bromoallene installation.

Additional Insights into the Obtusallene Family: Components of Laurencia marilzae

The obtusallenes are a significant subset of C15-halogenated acetogenins that incorporate 12-membered cyclic ethers. We have recently reported the isolation from Laurencia marilzae of 12-epoxyobtusallene IV (1) and its related α,β-unsaturated carboxylate ester (2), both of special biogenetic relevance. Here we describe the final step of our study, the isolation of three new analogues (3-5), among these, the first bromopropargylic derivative (3) of this class of macrocyclic C15-acetogenins. The structures were elucidated by analysis of NMR and X-ray data. 12-Epoxyobtusallene IV (1), its new isomer 4, and known obtusallene IV (6) were evaluated for their apoptosis-inducing activities in a human hepatocarcinoma cell line.

The Laurencia Paradox: An Endless Source of Chemodiversity

Nature, the most prolific source of biological and chemical diversity, has provided mankind with treatments for health problems since ancient times and continues to be the most promising reservoir of bioactive chemicals for the development of modern drugs. In addition to the terrestrial organisms that still remain a promising source of new bioactive metabolites, the marine environment, covering approximately 70% of the Earth's surface and containing a largely unexplored biodiversity, offers an enormous resource for the discovery of novel compounds. According to the MarinLit database, more than 27,000 metabolites from marine macro- and microorganisms have been isolated to date providing material and key structures for the development of new products in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmeceutical, chemical, and agrochemical sectors. Algae, which thrive in the euphotic zone, were among the first marine organisms that were investigated as sources of food, nutritional supplements, soil fertilizers, and bioactive metabolites.Red algae of the genus Laurencia are accepted unanimously as one of the richest sources of new secondary metabolites. Their cosmopolitan distribution, along with the chemical variation influenced to a significant degree by environmental and genetic factors, have resulted in an endless parade of metabolites, often featuring multiple halogenation sites.The present contribution, covering the literature until August 2015, offers a comprehensive view of the chemical wealth and the taxonomic problems currently impeding chemical and biological investigations of the genus Laurencia. Since mollusks feeding on Laurencia are, in many cases, bioaccumulating, and utilize algal metabolites as chemical weaponry against natural enemies, metabolites of postulated dietary origin of sea hares that feed on Laurencia species are also included in the present review. Altogether, 1047 secondary metabolites, often featuring new carbocyclic skeletons, have been included.The chapter addresses: (1) the "Laurencia complex", the botanical description and the growth and population dynamics of the genus, as well as its chemical diversity and ecological relations; (2) the secondary metabolites, which are organized according to their chemical structures and are classified into sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, acetogenins, indoles, aromatic compounds, steroids, and miscellaneous compounds, as well as their sources of isolation which are depicted in tabulated form, and (3) the biological activity organized according to the biological target and the ecological functions of Laurencia metabolites.

Stereochemical determination of five-membered cyclic ether acetogenins using a spin-spin coupling constant approach and DFT calculations

Five-membered rings are of particular interest, due to their presence in some of the most common molecules in chemistry and biology. Despite their apparent simplicity, the structural resolution of these rings is complex, due to their inherent conformational flexibility. Here, we describe an application of a recently reported simple and efficient NMR protocol based on the measurement of spin-spin coupling constants to achieve the challenging relative configurations of five new halogenated C₁₅ tetrahydrofuranyl-acetogenins, marilzafurollenes A–D (1–4) and 12-acetoxy-marilzafurenyne (5), isolated from the red alga, Laurencia marilzae. Although DFT chemical shift calculations were used to connect remote stereocenters, the NMR-based approach seems advantageous over computational techniques in this context, as the presence of halogens may interfere with reliable calculations.

Marine natural products

This review covers the literature published in 2011 for marine natural products, with 870 citations (558 for the period January to December 2011) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1152 for 2011), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that lead to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included.

Concise synthetic approaches for the Laurencia family: formal total syntheses of (±)-laurefucin and (±)-E- and (±)-Z-pinnatifidenyne

Herein is presented a cohesive strategy to rapidly fashion diverse members of the lauroxocane family of natural products, leading to the shortest syntheses of any member to date. These efforts include racemic formal total syntheses of laurefucin and E- and Z-pinnatifidenyne as well as a facile preparation of the oxocene core of 3E-dehydrobromolaurefucin. The key elements of the design are novel diastereoselective ring-expanding bromoetherifications of tetrahydrofurans triggered by a unique bromonium source (BDSB, Et(2)SBr·SbBrCl(5)) and strategically positioned nucleophilic traps, where altering the identity and position of these traps affords diverse functionality on the eight-membered ring backbone. Its biogenetic relevance is also discussed in light of the range of substrates that successfully undergo this key rearrangement.