Jean Fotie

Antitrypanosomal Activity of 1,2-Dihydroquinolin-6-ols and Their Ester Derivatives

The current chemotherapy for second stage human African trypanosomiasis is unsatisfactory. A synthetic optimization study based on the lead antitrypanosomal compound 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinolin-6-yl 3,5-dimethoxybenzoate (TDR20364, 1a) was undertaken in an attempt to discover new trypanocides with potent in vivo activity. While 6-ether derivatives were less active than the lead compound, several N1-substituted derivatives displayed nanomolar IC(50) values against T. b. rhodesiense STIB900 in vitro, with selectivity indexes up to >18000. 1-Benzyl-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinolin-6-yl acetate (10a) displayed an IC(50) value of 0.014 microM against these parasites and a selectivity index of 1700. Intraperitoneal administration of 10a at 50 (mg/kg)/day for 4 days caused a promising prolongation of lifespan in T. b. brucei STIB795-infected mice (>14 days vs 7.75 days for untreated controls). Reactive oxygen species were produced when T. b. brucei were exposed to 10a in vitro, implicating oxidative stress in the trypanocidal mode of action of these 1,2-dihydroquinoline derivatives.

Unexpected 5,6,7,8,9,10-Hexahydro-6,6-pentamethylenephenanthridines and 2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-4,4-tetramethylene-1H-cyclopenta[c]quinolines from Skraup–Doebner–Von Miller Quinoline Synthesis and Their Implications for the Mechanism of That Reaction

The real mechanism of the Skraup-Doebner-Von Miller quinoline synthesis remains controversial and not well understood despite several mechanistic studies reported on the matter. A series of unexpected and unusual 5,6,7,8,9,10-hexahydro-6,6-pentamethylenephenanthridines and 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4,4-tetramethylene-1H-cyclopenta[c]quinolines have been obtained through the Skraup-Doebner-Von Miller quinoline synthesis. On the basis of these unexpected results and in agreement with some of the previously reported quinoline syntheses, an alternative mechanistic pathway is proposed for this variant of the reaction. It involves the formation of a Schiff base through a reaction between the ketone and the aniline derivative in the first step, followed by a cycloalkenylation at the ortho-position to the amine functional group of the aniline derivative, and an annulation in the final step to close the quinoline ring, leading to a dihydroquinoline derivative. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such a mechanistic pathway being proposed for any variant of the Skraup-Doebner-Von Miller quinoline synthesis.

Synthesis and antitrypanosomal evaluation of derivatives of N-benzyl-1,2-dihydroquinolin-6-ols: Effect of core substitutions and salt formation.

Analogs of the trypanocidal lead compound 1-benzyl-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinolin-6-yl acetate were prepared to extend the structure-activity relationship in this series of molecules, improve the in vivo antitrypanosomal activity of the lead, and determine whether ester prodrugs are needed to overcome the instability of the dihydroquinolin-6-ols. Two of the most active compounds identified in this study were 1-benzyl-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinolin-6-ol hydrochloride and 1-(2-methoxy)benzyl-1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinolin-6-ol hydrochloride. These stable solids possessed low nanomolar IC(50) values against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense STIB900 in vitro and provided cures in an early treatment acute mouse model of African trypanosomiasis when given ip at 50mg/kg/day for four consecutive days.

Depsipeptides from microorganisms: a new class of antimalarials.

Depsipeptides are a large group of natural products produced by fungi, actinomycetes, cyanobacteria, higher plants and marine organisms. This family of compounds is known to exhibit a wide range of biological activities, and thanks to the progress of isolation techniques and the advances of methods for structure determination, the numbers of depsipeptides having both unique structures and attractive biological activities are increasing. Many of these compounds have shown a wide range of biological activities, and some are in clinical use or have entered human clinical trials as antibiotic or anticancer agents. However, only a handful of them have been evaluated for their antimalarial activity. This paper aims to review the recent advances in depsipeptides as potential antimalarial compounds.

Inhibitors of Tubulin Assembly Identified through Screening a Compound Library

Tubulin is the proposed target for drugs against cancer and helminths and is also a validated target in kinetoplastid parasites. With the aim of identifying new lead compounds against Leishmania sp., tubulin isolated from L. tarentolae was used to screen a 10 000 compound library. One compound, Chembridge No. 7992831 (5), displayed an IC50 of 13 μm against Leishmania tubulin in an in vitro assembly assay and showed a greater than threefold selectivity over mammalian tubulin. Another compound, Chembridge No. 9067250 (8), exhibited good activity against mammalian tubulin (IC50 = 5.0 μm). This compound was also toxic to several cancer cell lines with IC50 values in the region of 1 μm. Subsequent testing of analogues of 8 contained within the library identified two compounds with greater potency against mammalian tubulin (IC50 values of 1.1 and 2.8 μm). The more potent antitubulin agent also showed promising activity against cancer cell lines in vitro, with IC50 values ranging from 0.18 to 0.73 μm.

Unusual open chain quinolinyl peroxol and its alcohol counterpart obtained through a modified Skraup–Doebner–Von Miller quinoline synthesis: theoretical studies and complete 1H- and 13C-NMR assignments

Because of their extreme instability, it is generally difficult to synthesize and fully characterize open chain peroxides, also known as peroxols. In our attempt to investigate the mechanism of the Skraup–Doebner–Von Miller quinoline synthesis, we were able to obtain an unusual open chain peroxy‐quinoline, namely, 4‐(8‐ethoxy‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐cyclopenta[c]quinolin‐4‐yl)butane‐1‐peroxol (1), and its alcohol counterpart, namely 4‐(8‐ethoxy‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐cyclopenta[c]quinolin‐4‐yl)butan‐1‐ol (2) obtained as a side product during the same reaction. Although structurally similar, these two compounds appeared to display some very distinct physical and spectroscopic characteristics. This work reports detailed NMR studies and full 1H and 13 C NMR assignments for these two compounds. These assignments are based upon the analysis of the NMR spectra of these compounds including 1H, 13 C, COSY, gHSQC and gHMBC. The effect of the peroxide functional group on the chemical shift of neighboring carbons and protons was also investigated by comparing the NMR data of these two compounds. Furthermore, the effects of potential hydrogen bondings in 1, 2, and possible 1–1 dimer, 2–2 dimer and in prototypical model systems, as well as the stability of these compounds, were investigated computationally. The computed dissociation energies and NMR data support the interpretation of the experimental data. Copyright

trans-Bis(2-amino­phen­yl)diazene

The title compound, C12H12N4, is a trans-azobenzene which crystallizes with an inversion center at the midpoint of the N=N bond.

Nano-dispersed platinum(0) in organically modified silicate matrices as sustainable catalysts for a regioselective hydrosilylation of alkenes and alkynes

Nano-dispersed platinum(0) particles stabilized in a range of organically modified silicate (ORMOSIL) matrices are investigated as sustainable catalysts for the hydrosilylation of alkenes and alkynes. In this study, five different siloxane matrices including triethoxysilane (HTEOS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), ethyltriethoxysilane (ETES), triethoxyvinylsilane (TEVS) and propyltriethoxysilane (PTES) are investigated, and the distribution of the metal particles in these materials analyzed by transition electron microscopy (TEM). The particles appeared to be generally of a small size, with a diameter of ca. 2–5 nm in each of these catalysts, however the distribution is not equally uniform from one matrix to the other. HTEOS, MTES and ETES that respectively carry a hydrogen, a methyl and an ethyl group on the triethoxysilane moiety, displayed a more uniform distribution, while particles appeared to be more scattered in the remaining matrices. Catalysts with a uniform particles distribution produced higher and consistent yields, while those with poor particles distribution produced lower and almost random yields, suggesting that the uniformity in particle distribution, and by extension the nature of the siloxane matrix, are important for the catalytic properties of these materials. The scope of the reaction was broadened to a range of olefins, with a goal of investigating the tolerability of the reaction toward a number of reactive functional groups, resulting in the preparation of 28 compounds. This catalytic system also enabled the hydrosilylation of a limited number of alkynes under the optimized reaction conditions.

1H and 13C NMR assignments for a series of Diels–Alder adducts of anthracene and 9-substituted anthracenes

Keywords: 1H NMR; 13C NMR; HSQC; HMBC; Diels-Alder reaction; Anthracene derivatives; Crystal structures

4-(8-Eth­oxy-2,3-dihydro-1H-cyclo­penta­[c]quinolin-4-yl)butane-1-peroxol

In the title molecule, C18H23NO3, the hydroperoxybutyl substituent is nearly fully extended, with the four torsion angles in the range 170.23 (10)–178.71 (9)°. The O—O distance in the hydroperoxide group is 1.4690 (13) Å. This group acts as an intermolecular hydrogen-bond donor to a quinoline N atom. This results in dimeric units about the respective inversion centers, with graph-set notation R 2 2(18).