lignans and malic-acid

Further investigation of the methanol leaf extract of Maytenus senegalensis led to the isolation of six compounds, including mayselignoside (1) and an unusual benzoyl malic acid derivative, benzoyl R-(+)-malic acid (2). Two known lignan derivatives (+)-lyoniresinol (3) and (-)-isolariciresinol (4), a known neolignan derivative dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol (5) and the triterpenoid, β-amyrin (6) were also isolated. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectroscopy. All compounds were tested for cytotoxicity against mouse lymphoma cell line (L5178Y) and for antimicrobial activity against strains of bacteria and fungi. None of the compounds showed promising cytotoxic and/or antimicrobial activities.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Cell Line, Tumor; Glycosides; Lignans; Malates; Maytenus; Mice; Molecular Structure; Plant Leaves

The total synthesis of (-)-wikstromol, a bioactive alpha-hydroxylated lactone lignan, from natural malic acid using a consecutive alkylation strategy is presented. First, alkylation of a malic acid ester provided the monobenzyl derivative, which was then converted to an alpha-substituted dioxolanone. This derivative was reacted in a second alkylation step to a double benzylated dioxolanone, which was transformed to bis-O-benzyl-protected (-)-wikstromol and subsequently to the natural product. Only six steps were required to produce wikstromol in 30% overall yield. A second approach from malic acid, the double alkylation of dienolates from 5-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl acetic acid derivatives, was not successful. No reaction conditions were found to afford the dienolates. Instead, rapid fragmentation of the dioxolanones to fumaric acid derivatives and pivalaldehyde occurred even at -105 degrees C, and aldol reaction products with good stereoselectivity were formed. The relative configuration of the major isomer was determined by X-ray structure analysis. By comparison of NMR data it is shown that a previous assignment of the configuration of one of the described aldol products was incorrect.

Topics: Alkylation; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Crystallography, X-Ray; Furans; Lignans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Malates; Molecular Structure; Stereoisomerism