0000000000083066

AUTHOR

Adrien Cavé

Semisynthesis of new tetrahydrofuranic alkyl ester and furano-pyrone derivatives as inhibitors of the mitochondrial complex I

Abstract Methoxymethylation of altholactone ( 1 ) led to the corresponding O -methoxymethyl derivative ( 3 ) in addition to the unexpected 6,7-dihydro-7-methoxy analogue ( 4 ), and two original tetrahydrofuranic (THF) alkyl esters ( 5 , 6 ). Moreover, when we accomplished a new method for the preparation of the furano-pyrone goniofupyrone ( 7 ) through 7-hydroxylation of 1 in acid medium, a minor compound ( 8 ) with an identical skeleton to that of compounds 5 and 6 was identified. Careful examination of the published spectral data of the reported styryl-lactones with an heptolide skeleton reveals that those structures possess also a THF alkyl ester skeleton. The revision of those structure…

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Bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinolines, a New Class of Inhibitors of the Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Complex I

Four bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (-)-medelline, (+)-antioquine, (+)-aromoline, and (+)-obamegine were isolated from the fruits of Xylopia columbiana. These compounds, the previously isolated alkaloids (+)-thaligrisine and (+)-isotetrandrine, as well as their O-acetylated derivatives were assayed on submitochondrial particles from beef heart as inhibitors of the mammalian respiratory chain. The results revealed that these alkaloids act as selective inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I in a 0.15 - 4.71 microM range. O-Acetylation, which increases their lipophilicity, considerably increased the inhibitory potency.

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Gamma-lactone-Functionalized antitumoral acetogenins are the most potent inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I.

To study the relevance of the terminal alpha,beta-unsaturated gamma-methyl-gamma-lactone moiety of the antitumoral acetogenins of Annonaceae for potent mitochondrial complex I inhibition, we have prepared a series of semisynthetic acetogenins with modifications only in this part of the molecule, from the natural rolliniastatin-1 (1) and cherimolin-1 (2). Some of the hydroxylated derivatives (1b, 1d and 1e) in addition to two infrequent natural beta-hydroxy gamma-methyl gamma-lactone acetogenins, laherradurin (3) and itrabin (4), are more potent complex I inhibitors than any other known compounds.

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