Total Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 22-Hydroxyacuminatine and the Related Natural Products Norketoyobyrine and Naucleficine
Aromathecin compounds—which contain the same indolizine core structure as camptothecin-like compounds—are expected to show anticancer activity. Among them, 22-hydroxyacuminatine—which has a substituent on the E-ring of the pentacyclic scaffold—exhibits topoisomerase 1 inhibitory activity; therefore,...
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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Series: | Molecules |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/12/2650 |
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Summary: | Aromathecin compounds—which contain the same indolizine core structure as camptothecin-like compounds—are expected to show anticancer activity. Among them, 22-hydroxyacuminatine—which has a substituent on the E-ring of the pentacyclic scaffold—exhibits topoisomerase 1 inhibitory activity; therefore, the development of efficient methods for its synthesis has been actively pursued. Herein, we report a versatile synthetic methodology for introducing various substituents on the E-ring, leading to the total synthesis of 22-hydroxyacuminatine as a model compound of the aromathecin family. The synthesis comprises the following key steps: the synthesis of an isoquinoline <i>N</i>-oxide via the thermal cyclization of 2-alkynylbenzaldehyde oxime, the subsequent Reissert–Henze-type reaction to yield an isoquinolone, and the construction of the indolizine moiety (CD-ring) through C–N bond formation via the Mitsunobu reaction. Consequently, a pentacyclic benz[6,7]indolizino[1,2-<i>b</i>]quinolin-11(13<i>H</i>)-one framework is obtained. Using this methodology, the total synthesis of the natural products norketoyobyrine and naucleficine and an intermediate of the latter, which are indoloquinolizidine-type alkaloids, was achieved, and their antiproliferative activity against HCT-116 human colon cancer cells and HepG2 human liver cancer cells was assessed. Naucleficine and its intermediate exhibited moderate antiproliferative activity against HCT-116 cells, with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 55.58 and 41.40 μM, respectively. |
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ISSN: | 1420-3049 |