Densazalin, a New Cytotoxic Diazatricyclic Alkaloid from the Marine Sponge Haliclona densaspicula

Densazalin, a polycyclic alkaloid, was isolated from the marine sponge Haliclona densaspicula collected in Korea. The complete structure of the compound was determined by spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and comparison of the calculated and measured electronic circular dichroism spectra. Densazalin possesses a unique 5,11-diazatricyclo[7.3.1.02,7]tridecan-2,4,6-triene moiety, which is connected by two linear carbon chains. This compound was derived from the biogenetic precursor bis-1,3-dialkylpyridnium. Densazalin exhibited cytotoxic activity on two human tumor cell lines (AGS and HepG2) in the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) bioassay, with IC50 values ranging from 15.5 to 18.4 μM.

Fissisternoids A and B, two Pairs of 2′,5′-Quinodihydrochalcone-Based Meroterpenoid Enantiomers with Unusual Carbon Skeletons from Fissistigma bracteolatum

Two pairs of meroterpenoid enantiomers, (±)-fissisternoids A (1) and B (2), along with their putative biogenetic precursor 3 were isolated from the branches and leaves of Fissistigma bracteolatum. Compound 1...

Alkaloid Synthesis: Penaresidin A (Subba Reddy), Allokainic Acid (Saicic), Sedacryptine (Rutjes), Lepistine (Yokoshima/Fukuyama), Septicine (Hanessian), Lyconadin C (Dai)

Penaresidin A 3, isolated from the Okinawan marine sponge Penares sp., is a potent activator of actomyosin ATPase. B. V. Subba Reddy of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology prepared (Tetrahedron Lett. 2014, 55, 49) the azetidine ring of 3 by mesyl­ation of the hydroxy sulfonamide 2, derived from 1, followed by cyclization. Allokainic acid 6 has become a useful tool for neurological studies. Radomir N. Saicic of the University of Belgrade found (Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 34) that the Tsuji–Trost cyclization of 4 to 5 proceeded with high diastereoselectivity, presumably by way of the enamine of the aldehyde. Floris P. J. T. Rutjes of Radboud University Nijmegen prepared (Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 2038) the starting material 7 for (−)-sedacryptine 9 via an enantioselective Mannich addition. The reagent of choice for the Aza–Achmatowicz rearrangement of 7 to 8 proved to be mCPBA. The intriguing tricyclic alkaloid (−)-lepistine 12 was isolated from the mushroom Clitocybe fasciculate. En route to the first-ever synthesis of 12, Satoshi Yokoshima and Tohru Fukuyama of Nagoya University cyclized (Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 2862) the gly­cidol-derived sulfonamide 10 to the azacycle 11. (+)-Septicine 15 is the biogenetic precursor to the phenanthrene alkaloid (+)-tylophorine. Stephen Hanessian of the Université de Montréal prepared (Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 232) 15 by condensing the proline-derived ketone 13 with the aldehyde 14. Mingji Dai of Purdue University elaborated (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 3922) the amine 16 to the enone 17 by intramolecular Mannich alkylation followed by methylenation and allylic oxidation. Condensation with the sulfoxide 18 then delivered lyconadin C 19.

Production of Podophyllotoxin by Plant Tissue Cultures of Juniperus virginiana

Plant tissue cultures are a potential source of secondary metabolites. However, their production, when compared with intact plants, is usually lower. Phenylalanine, a biogenetic precursor of podophyllotoxin, was used to stimulate podophyllotoxin production in callus and suspension cultures of Juniperus virginiana L. The best phenylalanine effect on podophyllotoxin production was manifested in three-years-old callus cultures after a 21-days application of a 10 mmol/L concentration. A podophyllotoxin content of 0.15 mg/g DW was determined, which was about 400% higher in comparison with the control. The maximum content (0.48 mg/g DW) in newly derived suspension cultures (the 4th passage) was induced by 14-days application of a 1 mmol/L concentration; this was about 243% higher than the control. In one-year-old suspension cultures the highest podophyllotoxin content (0.56 mg/g DW) was recorded also after 14-days application of a 1 mmol/L concentration; this was about 211% higher than in the control cultures.

Total synthesis of the cyclic monoterpenoid pyrano[3,2-a]carbazole alkaloids derived from 2-hydroxy-6-methylcarbazole

The synthesis of seven pyrano[3,2-a]carbazole alkaloids has been achieved using their putative biogenetic precursor 2-hydroxy-6-methylcarbazole as key intermediate.