(4R,4aR,6S,7S,7aS)-6-Hydroxy-7-hy- droxymethyl-4-methylperhydrocyclo- penta[c]pyran-1-one chloroform solvate from Valeriana laxiflora

The structure of an iridolactone isolated from Valeriana laxiflora was established as (4R,4aR,6S,7S,7aS)-6-hydroxy-7-hydroxy­methyl-4-methyl­per­hydro­cyclo­penta­[c]­pyran-1-one chloro­form solvate, C10H16O4·CHCl3. The two rings are cis-fused. The [delta]-lactone ring adopts a slightly twisted half-chair conformation with approximate planarity of the lactone group and the cyclo­pentane ring adopts an envelope conformation. The hydroxy group, the hydroxymethyl group and the methyl group all have [beta] orientations. The absolute configuration was determined using anomalous dispersion data enhanced by the adventitious inclusion of a chloro­form solvent mol­ecule. Hydro­gen bonding, crystal packing and ring conformations are discussed in detail.The structure of the title compound was determined in the Molecular Structure Laboratory of the Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona. The diffractometer was obtained with funds provided by the NSF (grant No. CHE9610374). This study was supported by NIH grant No. 5U01TW00316-10 awarded to BNT

(ÿ)-Fern-7-en-3a-ol from Sebastiania brasiliensis

The structure of a fernane isolated from S. brasiliensis was established as fern-7en-3[alpha]-ol, C30H50O. Rings A and D assume a chair conformation, while rings B and C adopt a twist-boat conformation. Rings A/B, C/D, and D/E are trans fused. The relative orientation of the hydroxy group and that of the iso­propyl group is [alpha].This structure was determined in the Molecular Structure Laboratory of the Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. The SMART1000 diffractometer was gratefully obtained with funds provided by NSF grant CHE9610374. This study was supported by NIH grant 5U01TW00316-10 awarded to BNT. This study was undertaken as part of the required course work for the class CHEM 517 offered by Dr J. H. Enemark at the University of Arizona. The authors thank Liliya Yatsunyk for her help in this study

Drug lead discovery through plant bioprospecting in Latin America

The bioassay guided fractionation of two Latin American plants, structure elucidation of pure isolates, and LC/MS studies of six plant extracts is presented here along with the structure determination of two compounds using X-ray diffraction. The bioassay guided fractionation of the antibacterial and antitubercular CH2Cl2-MeOH extracts of the Argentinean plant Caiophora coronata Hook. et Arn. (Loasaceae) and the Chilean plant Myrcianthes coquimbensis (Barn.) Landrum et Grifo (Myrtaceae) respectively led to the isolation and complete structure elucidation of nine compounds from the active fractions. Three of these isolates were determined to be new. Namely, a new triterpene, 1beta,3beta-dihydroxyurs-12-en-27-oic acid, a new iridoid, 1alpha-methoxy-6alpha,10-dihydroxyisoepiiridomyrmecin (caiophoraenin) from C. coronata and a new monoterpene (1S,3 S,4R)-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-1,3-cyclohexanediol from M. coqumibensis. All chemical structures were established unequivocally by physical and spectroscopic techniques including-melting point, optical rotation, 1D and 2D NMR, HR-FABMS, and FT-IR. Absolute configuration of the new monoterpene was established by Mosher's esterification. The antibacterial activity of all isolates from C. coronata were determined against methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and -resistant (MRSA) strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis (BS), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF), Escherichia coli (EC), E. coli imp (ECimp), and Candida albicans (CA). 1beta,3beta-Dihydroxyurs-12-en-27-oic acid was found active against BS, MSSA, MRSA, VREF, and ECimp with MIC values of 2, 4, 4, 4 and 16 mug/ml respectively, whereas, other isolates were essentially inactive. The antitubercular activity of all isolates from M. coquimbensis was evaluated against M. tuberculosis using the microplate alamar blue assay. Oleanolic acid was determined to be the active principle of the extract with an MIC value of 29.66 mug/mL whereas other isolates were regarded as inactive (MIC > 128 mug/mL). Chemical investigations by LC/MS of species closely related to C. coronata and M. coquimbensis were also conducted. Structure solutions by single crystal X-ray crystallography, of an iridoid (4R,5R,7S,8S,9 S)-(-)-7-hydroxy-8-hydroxymethyl-4-methylperhydrocyclopenta[ c]pyran-1-one, and a fernane (3R,5S,9 R,10S,13S,14S,17 R,18R,21R)-(-)-fern-7-ene-3alpha-ol, isolated from the antitubercular methanolic extracts of Valeriana laxiflora DC (Valerianaceae) and Sebastiania brasiliensis Spreng. (Euphorbiaceae) respectively is also presented. The absolute configuration of these compounds was also determined

Generation of statin drug metabolites through electrochemical and enzymatic oxidations

The generation of key drug metabolites for the purpose of their complete structural characterization, toxicity testing, as well as to serve as standards for quantitative studies, is a critical step in the pharmaceutical discovery and development cycle. Here, we utilized electrochemistry/mass spectrometry for the detection and subsequent generation of six phase I metabolites of simvastatin and lovastatin. Both simvastatin and lovastatin are widely used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. There are known drug-drug interaction issues of statin therapy, and it has been suggested that the oxidative metabolites may contribute to the cholesterol-lowering effect of both statins. Of the known phase I metabolites of simvastatin and lovastatin, none are commercially available, and chemical means for the synthesis of a very few of them have been previously reported. Here, we report that electrochemical oxidation of less than 1 mg each of simvastatin and lovastatin led to the generation of three oxidative metabolites of each parent to allow complete nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of all six metabolites. The yields obtained by the electrochemical approach were also compared with incubation of parent drug with commercially available bacterial mutant CYP102A1 enzymes, and it was found that the electrochemical approach gave higher yields than the enzymatic oxidations for the generation of most of the observed oxidative metabolites in this study. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Stereoselective Flunoxaprofen-S-acyl-glutathione Thioester Formation Mediated by Acyl-CoA Formation in Rat HepatocytesS⃞

Flunoxaprofen (FLX) is a chiral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that was withdrawn from clinical use because of concerns of potential hepatotoxicity. FLX undergoes highly stereoselective chiral inversion mediated through the FLX-S-acyl-CoA thioester (FLX-CoA) in favor of the (R)-(−)-isomer. Acyl-CoA thioester derivatives of acidic drugs are chemically reactive species that are known to transacylate protein nucleophiles and glutathione (GSH). In this study, we investigated the relationship between the stereoselective metabolism of (R)-(−)- and (S)-(+)-FLX to FLX-CoA and the subsequent transacylation of GSH forming FLX-S-acyl-glutathione (FLX-SG) in incubations with rat hepatocytes in suspension. Thus, when hepatocytes (2 million cells/ml) were treated with (R)-(−)- or (S)-(+)-FLX (100 μM), both FLX-CoA and FLX-SG were detected by sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry techniques. However, these derivatives were observed primarily from (R)-(−)-FLX incubation extracts, for which the formation rates of FLX-CoA and FLX-SG were rapid, reaching maximum concentrations of 42 and 2.8 nM, respectively, after 6 min of incubation. Incubations with (S)-(+)-FLX over 60 min displayed 8.1 and 2.7% as much FLX-CoA and FLX-SG area under the concentration versus time curves, respectively, compared with corresponding incubations with (R)-(−)-FLX. Coincubation of lauric acid (1000 μM) with (R)-(−)-FLX (10 μM) led to the complete inhibition of FLX-CoA formation and a 98% inhibition of FLX-SG formation. Reaction of authentic (R,S)-FLX-CoA (2 μM) with GSH (10 mM) in buffer (pH 7.4, 37°C) showed the quantitative formation of FLX-SG after 3 h of incubation. Together, these results demonstrate the stereoselective transacylation of GSH in hepatocyte incubations containing (R)-(−)-FLX, which is consistent with bioactivation by stereoselective (R)-FLX-CoA formation