Dmitry S. Baev

Rapid access to new bioconjugates of betulonic acid via click chemistry.

Plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoids of lupane and oleanane families provide a versatile structural platform for the discovery of new biologically active compounds. A number of semisynthetic derivatives of these molecules, possess high medical efficiency including antiviral (HIV-1), anticancer and immunomodulating activity. Even small structural changes in these triterpenoid derivatives were reported to lead to significant changes in their activity, making a convincing case for a systematic study of structure-activity relationships in this class of compounds. Our earlier work opened synthetic access to alkynes derived from the betulonic scaffold and enabled the development of a new family of biohybrids using Click Chemistry (CC). The computer-aided prediction of several types of biological activity were performed with program PASS (Prediction Activity Spectra of Substances. Experimental studies based on mouse models verified the SAR predictions obtained by the PASS program. The observed correlation between the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity indicates substantial contribution of the latter in the mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect of the triazole derivatives of betulonic acid.

Efficient synthesis of the first betulonic acid-acetylene hybrids and their hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activity.

The Sonogashira reaction can be applied for the preparation of acetylenic derivatives of betulonic acid where the triterpenoid moiety can serve as either the halo- or the acetylenic component. This reaction opened access to the first derivatives of betulonic acid containing either the arylethynyl (C[triple bond]C-Ar(Het) or the ethynyl (C[triple bond]CH) moieties. From the fundamental perspective, this work illustrates the possibility of selective Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling at terminal acetylenes in the presence of a terminal alkene. Hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of selected acetylenic derivatives of betulonic acid were investigated using the CCl4-induced hepatitis and carrageenan-induced edema models, respectively.

Stereoselective synthesis of 11-phenylundeca-5Z,9Z-dienoic acid and investigation of its human topoisomerase I and IIα inhibitory activity.

(5Z,9Z)-11-Phenylundeca-5,9-dienoic acid was stereoselectively synthesized, based on original cross-cyclomagnesiation of 2-(hepta-5,6-dien-1-yloxy)tetrahydro-2H-pyran and buta-2,3-dien-1-ylbenzene with EtMgBr in the presence of Cp2TiCl2 catalyst giving 2,5-dialkylidenemagnesacyclopentane in 86% yield. The acid hydrolysis of the product and the Jones oxidation of the resulting 2-{[(5Z,9Z)-11-phenylundeca-5,9-dien-1-yl]oxy}tetrahydro-2Н-pyran afforded (5Z,9Z)-11-phenylundeca-5,9-dienoic acid in an overall yield of 75%. A high inhibitory activity of the synthesized acid with respect to human topoisomerase I (hTop1) and II (hTop2α) was determined.

Synthesis of new betulinic acid–peptide conjugates and in vivo and in silico studies of the influence of peptide moieties on the triterpenoid core activity

The modification of betulinic acid derivatives bearing an ethynyl group at the C-3 position by different azidopeptides using Cu(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition has been described. All obtained compounds were tested for their anti-inflammatory activity using a histamine-induced paw edema model. Betulinic acid–peptide conjugates containing histidine, alanine, tryptophan and isoleucine amino acid fragments were found to exhibit high anti-inflammatory activity, comparable to that of indomethacin. It has been shown by molecular docking that the obtained conjugates are incorporated into the binding site of the protein Keap1 Kelch-domain by their amino acid residues and form more non-covalent bonds, but have lower affinity than the initial triterpenoid core. It has been suggested that peptide moieties can modify the activity of the initial triterpenoid scaffold due to the change in the conformational and thermodynamic characteristics, which have influence on the binding of the compound to its molecular target.

Synthesis of 1H-1,2,3-triazole linked aryl(arylamidomethyl) - dihydrofurocoumarin hybrids and analysis of their cytotoxicity.

A series of 2-(4-R-triazolyl)substituted 3-oxo-2,3-dihydrofurocoumarins have been synthesized by a regioselective cycloaddition of 2-azidooreoselone 1 or 2-azido-9-[(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl]oreoselone 2 with various alkynes in the presence of Cu(II)/ascorbate in water/methylene chloride reaction medium. The structure of 2-azidooreoselone was established by X-ray structure analysis. The cytotoxicity of 2-substituted dihydrofurocoumarins was determined against three cancer cell lines (CEM-13, MT-4, U-937) using the conventional MTT assays. Among the tested molecules, most of the analogs displayed better cytotoxic activity then the parent natural furocoumarin peucedanin 3. The activity and selectivity to the cell line increased even further in the series of 2-(4-{2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxine}triazolyl)-3-oxo-2,3-dihydrofurocoumarins and 2-(4-aryltriazolyl)-3-oxo-2,3-dihydrofurocoumarins having the (4-methylpiperazin-1-ylmethyl) substituent in the 9-th position. The most active compound 20 contain the 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzamidomethyl substituent in the 4-th position at the triazole ring of 2-(triazol-1-yl)dihydrofurocoumarins. The obtained 2-triazolyl substituted dihydrofurocoumarins were studied as inhibitors of phosphodiesterase (PDE-4B) using docking experiments. As a result of virtual screening 3 compounds are selected based on minimum binding energy. The interactions of the most active compound and amino acid residues in the binding site were studied.

Acetylenic derivatives of betulonic acid amide as a new type of compounds possessing spasmolytic activity

Efficient and versatile synthetic procedures towards novel derivatives of betulonic acid via Mannich reaction, Sonogashira cross-coupling, and copper(i)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cyclo-additions were developed. Introduction of secondary amines (Mannich reaction) into betulonic acid amides led to derivatives possessing marked spasmolytic activity, which is not characteristic of the triterpene fragment.

Synthesis, in vivo Anticoagulant Evaluation and Molecular Docking Studies of Bicoumarins Obtained from Furocoumarin Peucedanin

BACKGROUND Synthesis of 7,7.-linked bicoumarins, 3,3.-linked bi(2-isopropyl)psoralens as well as 1H-1,2,3-triazole linked coumarin-2,3-dihydrofurocoumarin and furocoumarin-2,3-dihydrofurocoumarin hybrids was performed by two alternative pathways, either involving a catalyzed transformations of the ethynyl derivatives of plant coumarins - peucedanin or peuruthenicin. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS The Sonogashira reaction of 7-ethynyl coumarins or 3-ethynyl-2-isopropylpsoralen with the subsequent coumarin triflates led to 7,7´-linked bicoumarins or 3,3´-linked bipsoralens. 1,2,3-Triazole linked coumarin-2,3-dihydrofurocoumarin or furocoumarin-2,3-dihydrofurocoumarin hybrids were synthesized by a regioselective Cu-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction of 2-azidooreoselone with 7-alkynylcoumarins or 3-ethynyl-2-isopropylpsoralen. RESULTS Pharmacological screening of synthesized bicoumarins for anticoagulant activity in vivo revealed that coumarin-dihydrofurocoumarin hybrids linked with a 1,2,3-triazole ring 20 and 22 were the most active compounds. The presented prothrombin time (PT) values comparable to the reference drug warfarin in a dose 100 mg/kg. Docking studies were undertaken to gain insight into the possible binding mode of these compounds with the coagulation factor Xa (FXa) binding site. CONCLUSION The moderate toxicity of compounds 20 and 22 (LD50 valuewas more than 3000 mg/kg) encouraged the further design of therapeutically relevant analogues based on these novel type of coumarin hybrids.

New cancer cells apoptosis agents: Fluorinated aza-heterocycles

Fluorinated benzo-fused 1,3-diazoles, 1,2,3-triazoles, 1,2,5-thia/selenadiazoles and 1,4-diazines were synthesized and tried for cytotoxicity towards the Hep2 (laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma) cells. The diazoles, triazoles and selenadiazoles were cytotoxic with IC50 = 2.2–26.4 µM and induced the cells apoptosis at concentrations C = 1–25 µM. At the same time, they were nontoxic towards normal cells. Due to this, these scaffolds were used in the computer-aided molecular design of new antitumor agents. Particularly, novel 1,2,3-triazole and 1,3-diazole derivatives for the binding site of the PAS domain of the transcription factor HIF were designed and some of them synthesized for further study. Overall, new anticancer agents featuring apoptotic activity are suggested.Fluorinated benzo-fused 1,3-diazoles, 1,2,3-triazoles, 1,2,5-thia/selenadiazoles and 1,4-diazines were synthesized and tried for cytotoxicity towards the Hep2 (laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma) cells. The diazoles, triazoles and selenadiazoles were cytotoxic with IC50 = 2.2–26.4 µM and induced the cells apoptosis at concentrations C = 1–25 µM. At the same time, they were nontoxic towards normal cells. Due to this, these scaffolds were used in the computer-aided molecular design of new antitumor agents. Particularly, novel 1,2,3-triazole and 1,3-diazole derivatives for the binding site of the PAS domain of the transcription factor HIF were designed and some of them synthesized for further study. Overall, new anticancer agents featuring apoptotic activity are suggested.