Search

The reaction of indigo with two equivalents of the electrophile ethyl bromoacetate with caesium carbonate as a base result in the formation of structurally complex polyheterocyclics, including a fused spiroimidazole and a spiro[1,3]oxazino derivative, together with a biindigoid-type derivative, through a convenient one-pot reaction. Further assessment of the reaction using five equivalents of the electrophile gave rise to other molecules incorporating the 2-(7,13,14-trioxo-6,7,13,14-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a:4,3-a′]diindol-6-yl) scaffold. The reaction of ethyl bromoacetate with the less reactive indirubin resulted in the synthesis of three derivatives of a new class of polyheterocyclic system via a cascade process, although yields were low. These compounds were derived from the parent indolo[1,2-b]pyrrolo[4,3,2-de]isoquinoline skeleton. Despite the modest yields of the reactions, they represent quick cascade routes to a variety of heterocycles from cheap starting materials, with these structures otherwise being difficult to synthesise in a traditional stepwise manner. These outcomes also contribute significantly to the detailed understanding of the indigo/indirubin cascade reaction pathways initiated by base-catalysed N-alkylation.

As part of a project on fused medium-sized ring systems as potential drugs, we have previously demonstrated the usefulness of Density Functional Theory (DFT) to evaluate amine nitrogen-based transannular interactions across the central 10-membered ring in the bioactive dibenzazecine alkaloid, protopine. A range of related hypothetical systems have been investigated, together with transannular interactions involving ring-embedded imino or azo group nitrogens and atoms or groups (Y) across the ring. Electrostatic potential energies mapped onto electron density surfaces in the different ring conformations were evaluated in order to characterise these conformations. Unexpectedly, the presence of sp2 hybridised nitrogen atoms in the medium-sized rings did not influence the conformations appreciably. The strength and type of the N…Y interactions are determined primarily by the nature of Y. This is also the case when the substituent on the interacting nitrogen is varied from CH3 (protopine) to H or OH. With Y = BOH, very strong interactions were observed in protopine analogues, as well as in rings incorporating imino or azo groups. Strong to moderate interactions were observed with Y = CS, CO and SO in all ring systems. Weaker interactions were observed with Y = S, O and weaker ones again with an sp3 hybridised carbon (Y = CH2). The transannular interactions can influence conformational preferencing and shape and change electron distributions at key sites, which theoretically could modify properties of the molecules while providing new or enhanced sites for biological target interactions, such as the H or OH substituent. The prediction of new strong transannular interaction types such as with Y = BOH and CS should be helpful in informing priorities for synthesis and other experimental studies.

Using a common 1-(1-phenylethenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline precursor to the required ylide or N-oxide intermediate, the Stevens [2,3] and analogous Meisenheimer [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangements have been applied to afford concise syntheses of phenyl -substituted representatives of each of the reduced 1H-3-benzazonine and 4,3-benzoxazonine systems, respectively. Single crystal X-ray structure determinations were employed to define the conformational characteristics for each ring type.

In the course of studies on hybrid antibacterials incorporating 2-aryl-5-nitro-1H-indole moieties as potential bacterial NorA efflux pump inhibitors, the compound 1-[2-(5-nitro-1H-indol-2-yl)phenyl]methylpyridinium chloride (2) was synthesized and structurally characterized. This pyridinium chloride salt crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with the following unit cell dimensions: a 10.274(3) Å, b 13.101(4) Å, c 13.439(4) Å, b 107.702(7)°, V 1723.2(9) Å3, Z (f.u.) = 4; R1 = 0.048, and wR2 = 0.13. Of interest in the single crystal X-ray structure is the (intramolecular) disposition of the pyridinium plane over the indole heterocyclic residue [interplanar dihedral angle 17.91(4)°].

A range of brominated indole derivatives were found in the egg masses of six species of muricid molluscs. Several non-brominated indoles were also present in the eggs of two Mediterranean Muricidae, although these were not found in the Australian species. Tyrindoleninone (3), was the only compound found in all six species and is likely to be responsible for the observed antimicrobial activity of these muricid egg masses [1,2]. These bioactive indoles appear to be characteristic of muricid egg masses and were not found in the egg masses from 17 species in different families of marine molluscs.

Initial investigation of medicinal plants from Lombok has resulted in the collection of 100 plant species predicted to have antimicrobial, including antimalarial, properties according to local medicinal uses. These plants represent 49 families and 80 genera; 23% of the plants tested positively for alkaloids. Among the plants testing positive, five have been selected for further investigation involving structure elucidation and antimicrobial testing on the extracted alkaloids. Initial work on structural elucidation of some of the alkaloids is reported briefly.