Sylvie Michel

Cytotoxic activity of Brazilian Cerrado plants used in traditional medicine against cancer cell lines

UNLABELLED The search for new anti-cancer drugs is one of the most prominent research areas of natural products. Numerous active compounds isolated from Brazilian Cerrado plant species have been studied with promising results. AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the cytotoxic potential of 412 extracts from Brazilian Cerrado plants used in traditional medicine belonging to 21 families against tumor cell lines in culture. MATERIAL AND METHOD Maceration of 50 plant species resulted in 412 hexane, dichloromethane, ethanol and hydroalcohol extracts. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was tested against human colon carcinoma (HCT-8), melanoma (MDA-MB-435), and brain (SF-295) tumor cell lines, using the thiazolyl blue test (MTT) assay. Bioassay-guided fractionation was performed for one active extract. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Twenty-eight of the 412 tested extracts demonstrated a substantial antiproliferative effect, at least 85% inhibition of cell proliferation at 50 microg/mL against one or more cell lines. Those extracts are obtained from different parts of Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Clusiaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Sapindaceae, Sapotaceae, Simaroubaceae and Zingiberaceae. Complete dose-response curves were generated and IC(50) values were calculated for these active extracts against four cell lines HCT-8, MDA-MB-435, SF-295 and HL-60 (leukemia), and their direct cytotoxic effects were determined. In summary, 14 extracts of 13 species showed toxicity in all tested tumor cell lines, with IC(50) values ranging from 0.1 to 19.1 microg/mL. The strongest cytotoxic activity was found for the hexane extract of Casearia sylvestris var. lingua stem bark, with an IC(50) of 0.1 microg/mL for HCT-8, 0.9 microg/mL for SF-295, 1.2 microg/mL for MDA-MB-435, and 1.3 microg/mL for HL-60, and Simarouba versicolor root bark, with an IC(50) of 0.5 microg/mL for HCT-8, 0.7 microg/mL for SF-295, 1.5 microg/mL for MDA-MB-435, 1.1 microg/mL for HL-60. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the last extract led to the isolation of glaucarubinone, which showed pronounced activity against the four cell lines studied. Further studies of the active extracts are necessary for chemical characterization of the active compounds and more extensive biological evaluations.

A new synthetic access to furo[3,2-f]chromene analogues of an antimycobacterial

From the structure of 3,3-dimethyl-3H-benzofuro[3,2-f][1]-benzopyran, a selective in vitro inhibitor of mycobacterial growth, we have undertaken a structure-activity relationship investigation. We wish to report here our results on the use of [2+3] cycloadditions between 2-formylbenzoquinone and various enol derivatives to give various 4-formyl-5-hydroxy benzofurans. In the next step, an ytterbium triflate-catalysed reaction with 2-methylpropene allowed the preparation of various original furo[3,2-f]chromenes derivatives. Their biological evaluation on the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis as well as Mycobacterium tuberculosis pointed out that some analogues were four times more active than the initial hit.

Diversity-oriented synthesis of furo[3,2-f]chromanes with antimycobacterial activity

We previously reported the synthesis and the antimycobacterial activity of 4-(7,7-dimethyl-7H-furo[3,2-f]chromen-2-yl)pyridine. From this result, we sought to design simple synthetic accesses to related structures allowing the preparation of a diverse set of analogues. Two approaches were investigated. From 3-(2-bromo-7,7-dimethyl-8,9-dihydro-7H-furo[3,2-f]chromen-1-yl)propyl acetate, we prepared 2-arylated derivatives via Suzuki-Miyaura reactions between this bromine-bearing compound and various arylboronates. Moreover, and even more simple, we prepared the ((6-hydroxy-2,2,7,8-tetramethylchroman-5-yl)methyl)triphenylphosphonium salt via a selective bromination of 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethylchroman-6-ol. From this salt, a two stage Wittig reaction with an array of activated acids allowed the quick preparation of many analogues. The biological evaluation of the effect of these compounds on the growth of Mycobacterium bovis as well as Mycobacterium tuberculosis pointed out a fourfold improvement of the antimycobacterial properties for one of the compounds made. However, the many analogues which inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis in the 0.6-5 microg/mL range turned out to be also cytotoxic on VERO cells growth at the same concentration range.

Biological Potential and Structure-Activity Relationships of Most Recently Developed Vascular Disrupting Agents: An Overview of New Derivatives of Natural Combretastatin A-4

Tumor blood vessels are an important emerging target for anti-cancer therapy. The antimitotic agent combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), a cis-stilbene natural product isolated from the South African tree Combretum caffrum Kuntze, is the lead compound of a new class of anti-cancer drugs that target tumor vasculature. CA-4 inhibits tubulin polymerization by interacting at the colchicine binding site on tubulin. This alters the morphology of endothelial cells and causes vascular shutdown and regression of tumor vasculature. Some tubulin-binding vascular-disrupting agents (VDAs) are currently in clinical trials for cancer therapy. As a consequence of the potential favorable applications of these compounds, several analogs projected to induce rapid and selective vascular shutdown in tumors have been synthesized during the last few years. Many of these molecules have already been tested for their effects on tubulin polymerization as well as for their antiproliferative activity and other biological properties, and possible mechanisms of action have been investigated. The aim of the present review is to offer an overview of most recently developed combretastatin derivatives, focusing on biological effects exerted by these compounds. The published data about new analogs are presented and compared, and a detailed investigation of structure-activity relationships is described.

Antitumor Psoropermum Xanthones and Sarcomelicope Acridones: Privileged Structures Implied in DNA Alkylation†

Fused isopropylfuran and dimethylpyran units are privileged structures present in numerous bioactive natural products exemplified, in the field of anticancer drugs, by the furanoxanthone psorospermin and the pyranoacridone acronycine. Psorospermin binds to the N-7 position of the guanine units in the presence of topoisomerase II. In contrast, acronycine derivatives such as cis-1,2-diacetoxy-1,2-dihydrobenzo[b]acronycine alkylate the 2-amino group of DNA guanine residues in the minor groove. Hybrid compounds associating the acridone or benzo[b]acridone chromophore of acronycine derivatives and the epoxyfuran alkylating unit present in psorospermin also display very potent antiproliferative activities, alkylating DNA guanine units at position N-7 in the major groove, as natural xanthones belonging to the psorospermin series.

The synthesis and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of chalcones and their pyrazole derivatives.

A series of chalcones (1-9) and pyrazoles (10-18) was prepared to investigate their potential activity as Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Their structures were verified by elemental analysis, UV, IR, MS, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and 2D NMR experiments. Among tested compounds, chalcone 7 exerted the highest activity with an IC(50) value of 0.219 mM, while the most potent pyrazole was 15 (IC(50) value of 0.213 mM).

Synthesis of novel targeted pro-prodrugs of anthracyclines potentially activated by a monoclonal antibody galactosidase conjugate (part 1)

Abstract Daunorubicin substituted at N-3′ with a benzyloxycarbonyl group (self-immolative spacer) linked to an α-D-galactosyl residue such as 7a and 7b have been prepared as prodrugs. Conversion of 7a and 7b to daunorubicin will be mediated by an immunoconjugate consisting of an α-D-galactosidase enzyme covalently attached to a tumor specific monoclonal antibody.

Selective unusual Pd-mediated biaryl coupling reactions: solvent effects with carbonate bases.

A one-step Pd-catalyzed reaction performed on an o-bromobenzamide permitted the selective formation of either phenanthridinones 2 via an ipso substitution or new phenanthridinone-1-carboxamides 3 through a direct N-arylation. A direct correlation between the solvent polarity and the carbonate base on the selectivity has been observed. The proposed catalytic cycle involves the initial formation of a common intermediate and depends on the base assistance.

Synthesis, biological activity, and evaluation of the mode of action of novel antitubercular benzofurobenzopyrans substituted on A ring.

The 8-, 9-, 10-, and 11-halo, hydroxy, and methoxy derivatives of the antimycobacterial 3,3-dimethyl-3H-benzofuro[3,2-f][1]benzopyran were synthesized by condensation of the diazonium salts of 2-chloroanilines (13-17) with 1,4-benzoquinone (18), reduction of the intermediate phenylbenzoquinones 19-22 to dihydroxybiphenyls, cyclisation to halo-2-hydroxydibenzofurans 24-27, and construction of the pyran ring by thermal rearrangement of the corresponding dimethylpropargyl ethers 35-38. Palladium catalyzed nucleophilic aromatic substitution permitted conversion of the halo to the corresponding hydroxy derivatives which were methylated to methoxy-3,3-dimethyl-3H-benzofuro[3,2-f][1]benzopyran. All compounds substituted on the A ring were found more potent than the reference compound 1 against Mycobacterium bovis BCG and the virulent strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The effect of the most active derivatives on mycolate synthesis was explored in order to confirm the preliminary hypothesis of an effect on mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis. The linear 9-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-benzofuro[2,3-g][1]benzopyran (46) exhibiting a good antimycobacterial activity and devoid of cytotoxicity appeared to be the most promising compound.

A Novel Synthesis of 6-Demethoxyacronycine

The title compound was synthetized in six steps, starting from 3-nitrophenol. The key-step involves condensation of 2-bromobenzoic acid with 5-amino-2,2-dimethylchromene