N-dealkylation of an N-cyclopropylamine by horseradish peroxidase. Fate of the cyclopropyl group.

Cyclopropylamines inactivate cytochrome P450 enzymes which catalyze their oxidative N-dealkylation. A key intermediate in both processes is postulated to be a highly reactive aminium cation radical formed by single electron transfer (SET) oxidation of the nitrogen center, but direct evidence for this has remained elusive. To address this deficiency and identify the fate of the cyclopropyl group lost upon N-dealkylation, we have investigated the oxidation of N-cyclopropyl-N-methylaniline (3) by horseradish peroxidase, a well-known SET enzyme. For comparison, similar studies were carried out in parallel with N-isopropyl-N-methylaniline (9) and N,N-dimethylaniline (8). Under standard peroxidatic conditions (HRP, H(2)O(2), air), HRP oxidizes 8 completely to N-methylaniline (4) plus formaldehyde within 15-30 min, whereas 9 is oxidized more slowly (<10% in 60 min) to produce only N-isopropylaniline (10) and formaldehyde (acetone and 4 are not formed). In contrast to results with 9, oxidation of 3 is complete in <60 min and affords 4 (20% yield) plus traces of aniline. By using [1'-(14)C]-3, [1'-(13)C]-3, and [2',3'-(13)C]-3 as substrates, radiochemical and NMR analyses of incubation mixtures revealed that the complete oxidation of 3 by HRP yields 4 (0.2 mol), beta-hydroxypropionic acid (17, 0.2 mol), and N-methylquinolinium (16, 0.8 mol). In buffer purged with pure O(2), the complete oxidation of 3 yields 4 (0.7 mol), 17 (0.7 mol), and 16 (0.3 mol), while under anaerobic conditions, 16 is formed quantitatively from 3. These results indicate that the aminium ion formed by SET oxidation of 3 undergoes cyclopropyl ring fragmentation exclusively to generate a distonic cation radical (14+*) which then partitions between unimolecular cyclization (leading, after further oxidation, to 16) and bimolecular reaction with dissolved oxygen (leading to 4 and 17 in a 1:1 ratio). Neither beta-hydroxypropionaldehyde, acrolein, nor cyclopropanone hydrate are formed as SET metabolites of 3. The synthetic and analytical methods developed in the course of these studies should facilitate the application of cyclopropylamine-containing probes to reactions catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes.

A novel trisaccharide glycolipid biosurfactant containing trehalose bears ester-linked hexanoate, succinate, and acyloxyacyl moieties: NMR and MS characterization of the underivatized structure.

A Gram-positive actinomycete growing on n-hexadecane secreted a family of anionic glycolipid surfactant homologs. The major homolog, with a molecular weight of 1210.6347, had the formula C58H98O26. Following mild alkaline saponification, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy were used to characterize the non-reducing trisaccharide backbone: beta-Glcp-(1-->3)-alpha-Glcp-(1<-->1)-alpha-Glcp ('laminaratrehalose'). Hexanoate, succinate, 3-hydroxyoctanoate, and 3-hydroxydecanoate were found in 3:1:1:1 molar ratio using GC-EIMS analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) prepared by transesterification. We found that the beta-hydroxy acids bore secondary hexanoate chains in 3-O-ester linkage, giving acyloxyacyl anions of appropriate m/z in FABMS and FABMS/MS spectra. COSY, HETCOR, HMBC, and HMQC NMR experiments established the acylation pattern: succinate at C-2 of the terminal alpha-glucopyranose ring; hexanoate at C-3" of the beta-glucopyranose ring; 3-hexanoyloxyoctanoate and 3-hexanoyloxydecanoate at the 2'- and 4-positions. In FABMS spectra, the homologs flanked the molecular ion by +/- 14 and +/- 28 amu, suggesting heterogeneity in acyl chain length.

Antitubercular natural products: berberine from the roots of commercial Hydrastis canadensis powder. Isolation of inactive 8-oxotetrahydrothalifendine, canadine, beta-hydrastine, and two new quinic acid esters, hycandinic acid esters-1 and -2.

Berberine (4) is responsible for the activity of an extract of a commercial root sample of Hydrastis canadensis against multiply drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Two new quinic acid feruloyl esters, compounds 2 and 3, have been isolated from the same source along with canadine (1c), 8-oxotetrahydrothalifendine (1), and beta-hydrastine (5). These were found to be inactive. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated from spectral (1H, 13C, HMQC, HMBC, and H-H COSY) and chemical evidences.

A 19F NMR study of lomefloxacin in human erythrocytes and its interaction with hemoglobin.

19F NMR spectroscopy of a model fluoroquinolone, lomefloxacin, in an erythrocyte suspension showed separate resonances for the intra- and extra-cellular compartments. The intra-cellular peak revealed significant line broadening of the fluorine signals of lomefloxacin. Line broadening also occurred in the presence of oxyhemoglobin (HbO2), hematin, globin and iron. This evidence indicated that lomefloxacin interacted with these compounds; however, ultrafiltration experiments indicated that there was only weak binding (5%) of lomefloxacin to HbO2. 19F and 31P NMR spectroscopy revealed that lomefloxacin may compete with 2,3-diphosphoglycerate for its binding site on HbO2. An apparent partition coefficient of 1.90 +/- 0.15 was observed for lomefloxacin in human erythrocytes, utilizing LC analysis.

Hydrolysis of the prodrug, 2',3',5'-triacetyl-6-azauridine.

PURPOSE: The purposes were to study the kinetics of hydrolysis of 2',3',5'-triacetyl-6-azauridine (1) in aqueous solution (mu = 0.5) and to identify the main intermediates and products of the reaction. METHODS: A stability indicating isocratic LC assay was used to study the rate of degradation of 1. A gradient LC assay was used to study the time courses of the degradants. The products of hydrolysis were isolated by preparative liquid chromatography and identified by 1H-NMR and CI-MS. The pKa value was obtained by potentiometric titration. RESULTS: At 36.8 degrees C, the pH-rate profile of 1 in water was adequately described by a four-term rate equation. The intermediates were identified as the primary and secondary di-acetates, and the primary and secondary mono-acetates. The final product was 6-azauridine. CONCLUSIONS: A simplified kinetic scheme could be used to describe the concentration-time profiles of 1, the intermediates and the final product.