Synthesis of Novel (9S)-Acyloxy Derivatives of Quinidine and Dihydroquinidine as Insecticidal Agents.

Endeavor to discover biorational natural products-based insecticides, two series (30) of novel (9S)-acyloxy derivatives of quinidine and dihydroquinidine were prepared and assessed for their insecticidal activity against Mythimna separata in vivo by the leaf-dipping method at 1 mg/mL. Among all the compounds, especially four derivatives exhibited the best insecticidal activity with final mortality rates of 71.4 %, 75.0 %, 71.4 %, and 75.0 %, respectively. Relatively speaking, 9-hydroxy group is well tolerated, and the results showed that after modification of the hydroxy group with an acyloxy group, the insecticidal activity was significantly increased; the configuration at C8/9 position is important for insecticidal activity, and the (9S)-configuration is optimal; modification of the out-ring double bond is acceptable, and hydrogenation of the double bond enhances insecticidal activity. These preliminary results will pave the way for further modification of quinidine in the development of potential new insecticides.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of fluoro-substituted 3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives for cytotoxic and analgesic effects.

As a bioisosteric strategy to overcome the poor metabolic stability of lead compound KYS05090S, a series of new fluoro-substituted 3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives was prepared and evaluated for T-type calcium channel (Cav3.2) block, cytotoxic effects and liver microsomal stability. Among them, compound 8h (KCP10068F) containing 4-fluorobenzyl amide and 4-cyclohexylphenyl ring potently blocked Cav3.2 currents (>90% inhibition) at 10µM concentration and exhibited cytotoxic effect (IC50=5.9µM) in A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells that was comparable to KYS05090S. Furthermore, 8h showed approximately a 2-fold increase in liver metabolic stability in rat and human species compared to KYS05090S. Based on these overall results, 8h (KCP10068F) may therefore represent a good backup compound for KYS05090S for further biological investigations as novel cytotoxic agent. In addition, compound 8g (KCP10067F) was found to partially protect from inflammatory pain via a blockade of Cav3.2 channels.

Ethyl-³H analogues of plant natural products: Biologically active proxy radioligands via vinyl group tritiation.

Methods are presented to tritiate the plant natural product analogues dihydrocolforsin and dihydroquinidine.

Novel carbamoyl type quinine and quinidine based chiral anion exchangers implementing alkyne-azide cycloaddition immobilization chemistry.

The synthesis and chromatographic evaluation of a series of new Cinchona derived chiral weak anion exchangers is presented. Huisgen Cu(I) mediated alkyne-azide cycloaddition, so-called click chemistry, was used as an immobilization strategy. In this way it was possible to immobilize about 90% of offered selector via 1,2,3-triazole linker, which displays a more efficient way of binding the selector to modified silica compared to common radical mediated thiol-ene addition. Problems associated with potential radical scavenging properties of chiral selectors thereby could be circumvented. The evaluation of the synthesized chiral stationary phases regarding chromatographic behavior was carried out using polar organic mode mobile phase composition and a set of representative chiral organic acids. Different loading densities revealed an optimum selector density of about 310µmol/g chiral stationary phase with respect to resolution and selectivity. A decrease of performance was observed for higher loading, indicating mutual spatial influence of selector units leading to sterical hindrance. In addition, we observed that the effect of free azide groups on retention is negligible and the overall chromatographic behavior is comparable to other Cinchona derived chiral stationary phases.

Practical and highly selective sulfur ylide mediated asymmetric epoxidations and aziridinations using an inexpensive, readily available chiral sulfide. Applications to the synthesis of quinine and quinidine.

Heating one of the most abundant naturally occurring inorganic chemicals (elemental sulfur) with one of the most readily available homochiral molecules (limonene) gives a one-step synthesis of a chiral sulfide which exhibits outstanding selectivities in sulfur ylide mediated asymmetric epoxidations and aziridinations. In particular reactions of benzyl and allylic sulfonium salts with both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes gave epoxides with perfect enantioselectivities and the highest diastereoselectivities reported to date. In addition reactions with imines gave aziridines again with the highest enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities reported to date. The reactions are scaleable, and the sulfide can be reisolated in high yield. The epoxidation has been used as the key step in a convergent and stereoselective synthesis of each of the diastereoisomers of the cinchona alkaloids, quinine and quinidine.

An improved synthesis of 10,11-didehydro Cinchona alkaloids.

A revised procedure for the conversion of the four major Cinchona alkaloids (quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine, and cinchonine) into their respective 10,11-didehydro derivatives is described. The reported protocol offers several advantages over a recently published synthetic route. These include (i) enhanced robustness (ii) ready scalability (iii) reduced operational complexity and number of steps (iv) chromatography-free work-up. In addition, toxic solvents were replaced by environmentally less problematic alternatives.

Sensing metal ions with DNA building blocks: fluorescent pyridobenzimidazole nucleosides.

We describe novel fluorescent N-deoxyribosides (1 and 2) having 2-pyrido-2-benzimidazole and 2-quino-2-benzimidazole as aglycones. The compounds were prepared from the previously unknown heterocyclic precursors and Hoffer's chlorosugar, yielding alpha anomers as the chief products. X-ray crystal structures confirmed the geometry and showed that the pyridine and benzimidazole ring systems deviated from coplanarity in the solid state by 154 degrees and 140 degrees , respectively. In methanol compounds 1 and 2 had absorption maxima at 360 and 370 nm, respectively, and emission maxima at 494 and 539 nm. Experiments revealed varied fluorescence responses of the nucleosides to a panel of 17 monovalent, divalent, and trivalent metal ions in methanol. One or both of the nucleosides showed significant changes with 10 of the metal ions. The most pronounced spectral changes for ligand-nucleoside 1 included red shifts in fluorescence (Au(+), Au(3+)), strong quenching (Cu(2+), Ni(2+), Pt(2+)), and substantial enhancements in emission intensity coupled with red shifts (Ag(+), Cd(2+), Zn(2+)). The greatest spectral changes for ligand-nucleoside 2 included a red shift in fluorescence (Ag(+)), a blue shift (Cd(2+)), strong quenching (Pd(2+), Pt(2+)), and substantial enhancements in emission intensity coupled with a blue shift (Zn(2+)). The compounds could be readily incorporated into oligodeoxynucleotides, where an initial study revealed that they retained sensitivity to metal ions in aqueous solution and demonstrated possible cooperative sensing behavior with several ions. The two free nucleosides alone can act as differential sensors for multiple metal ions, and they are potentially useful monomers for contributing metal ion sensing capability to DNAs.

Confirmation of the structure of (3S)-3-hydroxyquinine: synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of its 9-aceto analogue.

3(S)-3-Hydroxyquinine (2) has been separated from its epimeric mixture at C-3 by conversion into the 9-aceto analogue followed by chromatography. The molecular structure of the acetate was determined through single-crystal X-ray analysis, and this confirms the structure of (3S)-3-hydroxyquinine (2), the major metabolite of quinine (1).

Catalytic asymmetric total syntheses of quinine and quinidine.

The catalytic, asymmetric syntheses of quinine and quinidine were achieved in 16 steps. The recently developed salen(Al)-catalyzed enantioselective Michael addition of methyl cyanoacetate served to set the crucial C4 stereocenter in 92% ee, and a late-stage asymmetric dihydroxylation was used to differentiate the common intermediate and access the two desired diastereomeric products with high selectivity.

Synthesis of 10,11-dihydroxydihydroquinidine N-oxide, a new metabolite of quinidine. Preparation and 1H-nmr spectroscopy of the metabolites of quinine and quinidine and conformational analysis via 2D COSY nmr spectroscopy.

The first synthesis of 10,11-dihydroxydihydroquinidine N-oxide [7b], a recently isolated metabolite of quinidine, was accomplished in three steps from 1b. The related congener 7a in the quinine series was also prepared, as well as two other analogues 3a and 4a. In addition, the previously reported human metabolites 2a, 5a, and 6a of quinine [1a] and those 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, and 6b of quinidine [1b] were synthesized. The chemical shift and coupling constants for all of the metabolites of quinine and quinidine were assigned via 2D COSY 1H-nmr spectroscopy. Moreover, the conformations of these metabolites in solution were found to parallel those of the parent alkaloids, quinine [1a] and quinidine [1b], respectively.

Synthesis and characterization of 19F NMR chelators for measurement of cytosolic free Ca.

Fluorine 19 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of intracellular fluorinated calcium chelators provide a useful strategy for the determination of cytosolic free calcium levels in cells and perfused organs. However, the fluorinated chelator with the highest affinity for calcium ions which has been described to date. 1,2-bis-(2-amino-5-fluorophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (5FBAPTA), exhibits a dissociation constant (Kd) value 5- to 10-fold greater than the intracellular calcium concentration levels in most cell types, thus limiting the ability of fluorine NMR to report these concentrations reliably. We have consequently designed and synthesized several fluorinated calcium chelators with higher affinity for calcium. The best of these, 2-(2-amino-4-methyl-5-fluorophenoxy)-methyl-8 aminoquinidine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (quinMF), has a Kd value approximately 10 times lower than that of 5FBAPTA. Several of the newly synthesized indicators have different chemical shifts for the calcium complexed and uncomplexed chelators to allow the simultaneous use of two indicators. In addition to providing information about the level of cytosolic free calcium, chelators containing a quinoline ring exhibit considerable sensitivity to magnesium levels and hence have potential application for the determination of cytosolic-magnesium concentrations. Application of these chelators is illustrated by determination of the cytosolic-free calcium level in erythrocytes. Use of quinMF, the chelator with the lowest Kd value, gives a calcium value of 25-30 nM.