Masaki Tomizawa

Synthesis and biological analysis of new curcumin analogues bearing an enhanced potential for the medicinal treatment of cancer

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a dietary phytochemical with low toxicity that exhibits growth-suppressive activity against a variety of cancer cells and possesses certain chemopreventive properties. Curcumin has already been the subject of several clinical trials for use as a treatment in human cancers. Synthetic chemical modifications of curcumin have been studied intensively in an attempt to find a molecule with similar but enhanced properties of curcumin. In this study, a series of novel curcumin analogues were synthesized and screened for anticancer activity. New analogues that exhibit growth-suppressive activity 30 times that of curcumin and other commonly used anticancer drugs were identified. Structurally, the new analogues are symmetrical 1,5-diarylpentadienone whose aromatic rings possess an alkoxy substitution at each of the positions 3 and 5. Analysis of the effects of the analogues on the expression of cancer-related genes usually affected by curcumin indicated that some induced the down-regulation of β-catenin, Ki-ras, cyclin D1, c-Myc, and ErbB-2 at as low as one eighth the concentration at which curcumin normally has an effect. The analogues, however, exhibited neither harmful nor growth-suppressive effects on normal hepatocytes where oncogene products are not activated. They also exhibited no toxicities in vivo that they may provide effective alternative therapies for the prevention and treatment of some human cancers. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(10):2563–71]

Highly Efficient, Organocatalytic Aerobic Alcohol Oxidation

5-Fluoro-2-azaadamantane N-oxyl (5-F-AZADO) realizes a simple, organocatalytic aerobic alcohol oxidation system that has a wide scope under mild conditions at ambient pressure and temperature and is weakly acidic and halogen- and transition-metal-free. The oxoammonium nitrate (5-F-AZADO(+)NO(3)(-)) works as a bifunctional catalyst of 5-F-AZADO and NO(x) that enables the catalytic aerobic oxidation of alcohols by itself (a metal-salt-free system).

An Expeditious Entry to 9-Azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane N-Oxyl (ABNO): Another Highly Active Organocatalyst for Oxidation of Alcohols

A practical, three-step synthetic route to 9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane N-oxyl (ABNO, 3), an unhindered, stable class of nitroxyl radical, has been developed. ABNO exhibits a highly active nature compared with TEMPO in the catalytic oxidation of alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds.

Oxidative Rearrangement of Tertiary Allylic Alcohols Employing Oxoammonium Salts

Practical and highly efficient methods for oxidative rearrangement of tertiary allylic alcohols to beta-substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds employing oxoammonium salts are described. The methods developed are applicable to acyclic substrates as well as medium membered ring substrates and macrocyclic substrates. The counteranion of the oxoammonium salt plays crucial roles on this oxidative rearrangement.

Highly enantioselective organocatalytic oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols using chirally modified AZADOs.

A highly enantioselective organocatalytic oxidative kinetic resolution (OKR) of racemic secondary alcohols has been accomplished using asymmetric organocatalysis. A panel of chirally modified 2-azaadamantane N-oxyls (AZADOs) exhibit superior catalytic activity and high enantioselectivity, allowing us to obtain optically active secondary alcohols with a k(rel) value up to 82.2.

TEMPO/NaIO4−SiO2: A Catalytic Oxidative Rearrangement of Tertiary Allylic Alcohols to β-Substituted α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

The novel catalytic method for the oxidative rearrangement of tertiary allylic alcohols to beta-substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones is described. TEMPO/NaIO4-SiO2 causes facile and efficient oxidative rearrangement of various acyclic substrates as well as medium-sized and macrocyclic substrates.

Highly enantioselective organocatalytic oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols using chiral alkoxyamines as precatalysts: catalyst structure, active species, and substrate scope.

The development and characterization of enantioselective organocatalytic oxidative kinetic resolution (OKR) of racemic secondary alcohols using chiral alkoxyamines as precatalysts are described. A number of chiral alkoxyamines have been synthesized, and their structure-enantioselectivity correlation study in OKR has led us to identify a promising precatalyst, namely, 7-benzyl-3-n-butyl-4-oxa-5-azahomoadamantane, which affords various chiral aliphatic secondary alcohols (ee up to >99%, k(rel) up to 296). In a mechanistic study, chlorine-containing oxoammonium species were identified as the active species generated in situ from the alkoxyamine precatalyst, and it was revealed that the chlorine atom is crucial for high reactivity and enantioselectivity. The present OKR is the first successful example applicable to various unactivated aliphatic secondary alcohols, including heterocyclic alcohols with high enantioselectivity, the synthetic application of which is demonstrated by the synthesis of a bioactive compound.

AN ENANTIO- AND DIASTEREOCONTROLLED SYNTHESIS OF (―)-SALINOSPORAMIDE A

The enantio- and diastereocontrolled total synthesis of (―)-salinosporamide A, a potent 20S proteasome inhibitor, was accomplished through organocatalytic aldolization, diastereoselective Claisen condensation, a Rh-catalyzed Reformatsky reaction, and an AZADO-catalyzed oxidative β-lactonization reaction as the key reactions.