Racemic andransinine (1), an indole alkaloid derivative obtained during isolation of alkaloids from Alstonia angustiloba and Kopsia pauciflora, was found to undergo spontaneous resolution when crystallized in EtOAc, forming racemic conglomerates (an equimolar mechanical mixture of enantiomerically pure individual crystals). X-ray analyses of the enantiomers (obtained from crystals from EtOAc solution and from chiral-phase HPLC) provided the absolute configuration of each enantiomer as (15R,16S,21R)-(+)-andransinine (1a or I+) and (15S,16R,21S)-(-)-andransinine (1b or I-).
A total of 20 alkaloids were isolated from the leaf and stem-bark extracts of Alstonia angustiloba, of which two are hitherto unknown. One is an alkaloid of the angustilobine type (angustilobine C), while the other is a bisindole alkaloid angustiphylline, derived from the union of uleine and secovallesamine moieties. The structures of these alkaloids were established using NMR and MS analysis. Angustilobine C showed moderate cytotoxicity towards KB cells.
Eleven new indole alkaloids (1-11) comprising seven aspidofractinine and four eburnane alkaloids, were isolated from the stem-bark extract of Kopsia pauciflora occurring in Malaysian Borneo. The aspidofractinine alkaloids include a ring-contracted, an additional ring-fused, a paucidactine regioisomer, two paucidactine, and one kopsine alkaloid. The structures of several of these alkaloids were also confirmed by X-ray diffraction analyses. The bisindole alkaloids isolated, norpleiomutine and kopsoffinol, showed in vitro growth inhibitory activity against human PC-3, HCT-116, MCF-7, and A549 cells and moderate effects in reversing multidrug-resistance in vincristine-resistant human KB cells.
Leucofoline and leuconoline, representing the first members of the aspidospermatan-aspidospermatan and eburnane-sarpagine subclasses of the bisindole alkaloids, respectively, were isolated from the Malayan Leuconotis griffithii. The structures of these bisindole alkaloids were established using NMR and MS analysis, and in the case of leuconoline, confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Both alkaloids showed weak cytotoxicity towards human KB cells.
Ten new indole alkaloids of the aspidofractinine type, in addition to several recently reported indole alkaloids and 20 other known alkaloids, were obtained from the leaf and stem-bark extract of the Malayan Kopsia singapurensis, viz., kopsimalines A-E (1-5), kopsinicine (6), kopsofinone (7), and kopsiloscines H-J (8-10). The structures of these alkaloids were determined using NMR and MS analysis. Kopsimalines A (1), B (2), C (3), D (4), and E (5) and kopsiloscine J (10) were found to reverse multidrug-resistance in vincristine-resistant KB cells, with 1 showing the highest potency.
Six new indole alkaloids, viz., (3S)-3-cyanocoronaridine (2), (3S)-3-cyanoisovoacangine (3), conolobine A (5), conolobine B (6), conolidine (7), and (3R/3S)-3-ethoxyvoacangine (8), in addition to 36 known ones, were obtained from the stem-bark extract of the Malayan Tabernaemontana divaricata. The structures were determined by NMR and MS analysis. The CN-substituted alkaloids showed appreciable cytotoxicity towards the KB human oral epidermoid carcinoma cell-line.
Nine new indole alkaloids, rhazinoline (1), 19(S)-methoxytubotaiwine (2), 19(R)-methoxytubotaiwine (3), kopsamidine A (4), kopsamidine B (5), kopsinidine A (6), kopsinidine B (7), paucidactine C (8), and pericine N-oxide (9), in addition to several recently reported novel indoles and 34 other known ones, were obtained from the stem-bark extract of the Malayan Kopsia arborea. The structures were determined using NMR and MS analysis. Valparicine (12) showed pronounced cytotoxic effects against KB and Jurkat cells (IC(50) 13.0 and 0.91 microM, respectively).
Reexamination of the absolute configuration of recently isolated eburnane alkaloids from Malaysian Kopsia and Leuconotis species by X-ray diffraction analysis and ECD/TDDFT has revealed the existence of biosynthetic enantiodivergence. Three different scenarios are discerned with respect to the composition of the enantiomeric eburnane alkaloids in these plants: first, where the new eburnane congeners possess the same C-20, C-21 absolute configurations as the common eburnane alkaloids (eburnamonine, eburnamine, isoeburnamine, eburnamenine) occurring in the same plant; second, where the new eburnane congeners possess opposite or enantiomeric C-20, C-21 absolute configurations compared to the common eburnane alkaloids found in the same plant; and, third, where the four common eburnane alkaloids were isolated as racemic or scalemic mixtures, while the new eburnane congeners were isolated as pure enantiomers with a common C-20, C-21 configuration (20α, 21α). Additionally, the same Kopsia species (K. pauciflora) found in two different geographical locations (Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo) showed different patterns in the composition of the enantiomeric eburnane alkaloids. Revision of the absolute configurations of a number of new eburnane congeners (previously assigned based on the assumption of a common biogenetic origin to that of the known eburnane alkaloids co-occurring in the same plant) is required based on the present results.
A cytotoxic bisindole alkaloid possessing an unprecedented structure in which two indole moieties are bridged by an aromatic spacer unit has been isolated from Alstonia angustifolia. The structure was established by analysis of the spectroscopic data and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. A possible biogenetic pathway from pyrocatechuic acid and pleiocarpamine is presented.
We have previously reported that bisleuconothine A (Bis-A), a novel bisindole alkaloid isolated from Leuconotis griffithii, showed cytostatic activity in several cell lines. In this report, the mechanism of Bis-A-induced cytostatic activity was investigated in detail using A549 cells. Bis-A did not cause apoptosis, as indicated by analysis of annexin V and propidium iodide staining. Expression of all tested apoptosis-related proteins was also unaffected by Bis-A treatment. Bis-A was found to increase LC3 lipidation in MCF7 cells as well as A549 cells, suggesting that Bis-A cytostatic activity may be due to induction of autophagy. Subsequent investigation via Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining indicated that Bis-A induced formation but prevented degradation of autophagosomes. Mechanistic studies showed that Bis-A down-regulated phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT) and its downstream kinase, PRAS40, which is an mTOR repressor. Moreover, phosphorylation of p70S6K, an mTOR-dependent kinase, was also down-regulated. Down-regulation of these kinases suggests that the increase in LC3 lipidation may be due to mTOR deactivation. Thus, the cytostatic activity shown by Bis-A may be attributed to its induction of autophagosome formation. The Bis-A-induced autophagosome formation was suggested to be caused by its interference with the AKT-mTOR signaling pathway.
Three new bisindole alkaloids, bisleuconothines B-D (1-3), were isolated from the bark of Leuconotis griffithii. Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Bisleuconothine B (1) is the first monoterpene indole alkaloid dimer featuring bridges between both C-16-C-10' and C-2-O-C-9'. All compounds were deemed noncytotoxic (IC50 > 10 μM) when tested against A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells.
A new bisindole alkaloid, bisnicalaterine A (1), consisting of two vobasine-type skeletons, and 3-epivobasinol (2) and 3-O-methylepivobasinol (3), with vobasine-type skeletons, were isolated from the leaves of Hunteria zeylanica, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical correlation. Bisnicalaterine A showed moderate cytotoxicity against various human cancer cell lines.
Two new bisindole alkaloids, bisnicalaterines B and C (1 and 2) consisting of an eburnane and a corynanthe type of skeletons, were isolated from the bark of Hunteria zeylanica. Their absolute structures were determined by combination of NMR, CD, and computational methods, and each of them was shown to be in an atropisomeric relationship. Bisnicalaterines B and C (1 and 2) showed potent vasorelaxant activity on isolated rat aorta.
The leaves of a tropical plant, Mitragyna speciosa KORTH (Rubiaceae), have been traditionally used as a substitute for opium. Phytochemical studies of the constituents of the plant growing in Thailand and Malaysia have led to the isolation of several 9-methoxy-Corynanthe-type monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, including new natural products. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic and/or synthetic methods. The potent opioid agonistic activities of mitragynine, the major constituent of this plant, and its analogues were found in in vitro and in vivo experiments and the mechanisms underlying the analgesic activity were clarified. The essential structural features of mitragynines, which differ from those of morphine and are responsible for the analgesic activity, were elucidated by pharmacological evaluation of the natural and synthetic derivatives. Among the mitragynine derivatives, 7-hydroxymitragynine, a minor constituent of M. speciosa, was found to exhibit potent antinociceptive activity in mice.
Four bisindole alkaloids, viz., 19'(S)-hydroxyconodurine, conodurinine, 19'(S)-hydroxyconoduramine, and 19'(S)-hydroxyervahanine A, in addition to conodurine and ervahanine A, were obtained from the leaf and stem-bark extracts of Tabernaemontana corymbosa. The structures of the new alkaloids were determined using NMR and MS analysis.
Eleven indole alkaloids, comprising four corynanthean, two eburnane, one aspidofractinine, one secoleuconoxine, one andranginine, and two pauciflorine type alkaloids were isolated from the stem-bark and leaf extracts of Kopsia pauciflora. Their structures were determined using NMR and MS analyses. The catharinensine type alkaloid kopsirensine B and the secoleuconoxine alkaloid arboloscine A showed moderate to weak activity in reversing MDR in vincristine-resistant KB cells. The alkaloid content was markedly different compared to that of a sample from Malaysian Borneo.
Two new indole alkaloids characterized by previously unencountered natural product skeletons, viz., criofolinine (1), incorporating a pyrroloazepine motif within a pentacyclic ring system, and vernavosine (2, isolated as its ethyl ether derivative 3, which on hydrolysis regenerated the putative precursor alkaloid 2), incorporating a pyridopyrimidine moiety embedded within a pentacyclic carbon framework, were isolated from a Malayan Tabernaemontana species. The structures and absolute configuration of these alkaloids were determined on the basis of NMR and MS analysis and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.
Seven new indole alkaloids (1-7) comprising four vobasine, two tacaman, and one corynanthe-tryptamine bisindole alkaloid were isolated from the stem-bark extract of a Malayan Tabernaemontana. Two of the new vobasine alkaloids (1, 3), as well as 16-epivobasine (15) and 16-epivobasenal (17), showed appreciable cytotoxicity toward KB cells (IC50 ca. 5 μg/mL). The structure of the known Tabernaemontana alkaloid tronoharine (8) was revised based on newly acquired NMR data, as well as X-ray diffraction analysis.
Eucophylline (1), a new tetracyclic vinylquinoline alkaloid, was isolated from the bark of Leuconotis eugenifolius together with leucophyllidine (2). The structure and absolute configuration of 1 were elucidated on the basis of 2D NMR correlations and simulated CD analysis. Leucophyllidine (2) showed iNOS inhibitory activity and decreased the iNOS protein expression dose-dependently.
Five new indole alkaloids of the ibogan type (1-5), in addition to 12 other known iboga alkaloids, were obtained from the leaf and stem-bark extract of the Malayan species Tabernaemontana corymbosa, viz., 19(S)-hydroxyibogamine (1), 19-epi-isovoacristine (2), isovoacryptine (3), 3R/S-ethoxyheyneanine (4), and 3R/S-ethoxy-19-epi-heyneanine (5). The structures were determined using NMR and MS analysis and comparison with known related compounds.