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This work aimed to render phenomenologically autonomous the otherwise stepwise operation of a catenane-based molecular switch, which is chemically triggered by the decarboxylation of 2-cyano-2-phenylpropanoic acid (2). Given that any amount of 2 in stoichiometric excess with respect to the catenane is consumed in a side reaction, the authors resorted to the corresponding anhydride 5, the slow hydrolysis of which, due to adventitious water in dichloromethane, continuously produces in situ the actual fuel 2. As a consequence, the machine does not require a reloading after each cycle, but switches back and forth as long as fuel is present.

Free fatty acid 1 (FFA1/GPR40) has attracted extensive attention as a novel target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes for its role in the enhancement of insulin secretion with glucose dependency. Aiming to develop novel potent FFA1 agonists, a new series of phenylpropionic acid derivatives were designed and synthesized on the basis of the modification of chemical cement of TAK-875, AMG-837, and LY2881835. Among them, most promising compounds 7, 14, and 15 were obtained with EC50 values of 82, 79, and 88 nM, exhibiting a powerful agonistic activity compared to TAK-875 (95.1 nM). During Oral glucose tolerance test in normal mice, compound 7, 14, and 15 had significant glucose-lowering effect at the dose of 50 mg/kg. Furthermore, compound 15 (50 mg/kg) also significantly improved in glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetic mice. Herein, we reported the discovery and optimization of a series of potent FFA1 agonists. The discovery supported further exploration surrounding this scaffold.

The free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1) is a potential target due to its function in enhancing of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The FFA1 agonist GW9508 has great potential for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, but it has been suffering from high plasma clearance probably because the phenylpropanoic acid is vulnerable to β-oxidation. To identify orally available analog without influence on the unique pharmacological mechanism of GW9508, we tried to interdict the metabolically labile group by incorporating two deuterium atoms at the α-position of phenylpropionic acid affording compound 4 (HWL-066). As expected, HWL-066 revealed a lower clearance (CL = 0.23 L-1 hr-1 kg-1 ), higher maximum concentration (Cmax = 5907.47 μg/L), and longer half-life (T1/2 = 3.50 hr), resulting in a 2.8-fold higher exposure than GW9508. Moreover, the glucose-lowering effect of HWL-066 was far better than that of GW9508 and comparable with TAK-875. Different from glibenclamide, no side-effect of hypoglycemia was observed in mice after oral administrating HWL-066 (80 mg/kg).

The decarboxylation of 2-cyano-2-phenylpropanoic acid is fast and quantitative when carried out in the presence of 1?molar equivalent of a [2]catenane composed of two identical macrocycles incorporating a 1,10-phenanthroline unit in their backbone. When decarboxylation is over, all of the catenane molecules have experienced large-amplitude motions from neutral to protonated catenane, and back again to the neutral form, so that they are ready to perform another cycle. This study provides the first example of the cyclic operation of a molecular switch at the sole expenses of the energy supplied by the substrate undergoing chemical transformation, without recourse to additional stimuli. Poetry in motion: Carboxylic acid 1 was found to be a convenient fuel for the operation of a molecular switch that moves under the influence of protonation-deprotonation steps. The cyclic motions of the catenane switch were induced solely by the chemical energy supplied by the decarboxylation of 1, without recourse to additional stimuli.

Caffeic acid is a plant-specific phenylpropanoic acid with multiple health-improving effects reported, and its therapeutic derivatives have also been studied throughout the last decade. To meet its market need and achieve high-level production, microbial production of caffeic acid approaches have been developed in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli. In our previous work, we have established the first artificial pathway that realized de novo production of caffeic acid using E. coli endogenous 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-hydroxylase (4HP3H). In this work, we exploited the catalytic potential of 4HPA3H in the whole-cell bioconversion study and produced 3.82 g/L (461.12 mg/L/OD) caffeic acid from p-coumaric acid, a direct precursor. We further engineered a phenylalanine over-producer into a tyrosine over-producer and then introduced the artificial pathway. After adjusting the expression strategy and optimizing the inoculants timing, de novo production of caffeic acid reached 766.68 mg/L. Both results from the direct precursor and simple carbon sources represent the highest titers of caffeic acid from microbial production so far.

International audience; A high-throughput screening of candidatenitrilases against 25 structurally diverse substrates allowedus to create a wide collection of 125 experimentallyvalidated nitrilases. The enzymes were selectedby genomic approach from 700 diverse prokaryoticspecies and one metagenome as representativeof the nitrilase family diversity. The enzymaticscreening of this collection expands the biocatalytictoolbox for chemical synthesis by providing a largenumber of tested nitrilases with their assigned substrates.Three examples illustrate the synthetic potentialof our enzyme collection. The syntheses of carboxylicacid building blocks, a b-substituted phenylpropanoicacid, a cyclic g-keto carboxylic acid anda mononitrile monocarboxylic acid, were achievedfrom the corresponding nitrile substrates, using threenew nitrilases (two from Sphingomonas wittichii andone from Syntrophobacter fumaroxidans). Improvementsof nitrilase activities through the optimizationof reaction parameters and the preparative biocatalyticsynthesis are presented for these three examples.

In an effort to develop safe and efficacious compounds for the treatment of metabolic disorders, novel thiophene substituted oxazole derivatives containing α-alkoxy-phenylpropanoic acid (I) are designed and synthesized as highly potent PPARα/γ dual agonists.

The kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols (I) with phenylpropanoic acid (II) is examined and the optimized structure of the oxazole part in substrates (I) is determined.

(S)-2-[4′-(2″-Methylpropyl)phenylpropanoic acid (ibuprofen) and (S)-2-(3′-benzoylphenyl)propanoic acid (ketoprofen) have been synthesised in high enantiomeric excess. Control of stereochemistry was achieved by a combination of Sharpless epoxidalion followed by catalytic hydrogenolysis of the introduced benzylic epoxide oxygen bond. Also, the coupling of organic compounds in the presence of palladium with enantiopure 2-(3-iodophenyl)propanoic and 2-(4-iodophenyl)propanoic acids, prepared by the methodology above, is a general method for the synthesis of optically active arylpropanoic acids.

A series of substituted phenylpropanoic acid derivatives was prepared as part of a search for subtype-selective human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) activators. Structure–activity relationship studies indicated that the substituent at the α-position of the carboxyl group plays a key role in determining the potency and the selectivity for PPAR transactivation.

New chiral dopants for nematic liquid crystals were synthesized using optically active 2-phenylpropanoic acid derivatives. The magnitude of the helical twisting power (HTP) was largely influenced by the terminal group of the asymmetric frame and the core structures. (S)-1-[4-(trans-4-Butylcyclohexyl)phenyl]-2-phenylpropane-1-one showed a large HTP value (20.4 µm−1). The relationship between the HTP and the molecular structures of the chiral dopants is discussed.

Optically active phenylpropanoic acid derivatives [( S )- 5 , and ( R )- 5 ] were prepared, and their affinities for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α and PPARγ were evaluated. Binding assay and cell-based reporter assay indicated that the activity of these compounds is enantio-dependent, and resides exclusively on the ( S )-isomer.

An optically active phenylpropanoic acid derivative, a selective agonist for human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, was efficiently prepared in high optical purity by using Evans chiral oxazolidinone technique as a key step.

alpha-Alkoxy arylpropanoic acids containing 2-phenyloxazole-4yl-alkyl moiety are found to be potent hypolipidemic agents. These compounds were potent activators of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), with moderate PPARalpha activity and known to cause adverse effects such as weight gain and edema, which are essentially attributed to PPARgamma activation. Although extensive work has been done on the phenylpropanoic acid class of compounds, other phenyl propane derivatives such as alcohols, amines, ethers etc. have not received much attention. In order to develop predominant PPARalpha agonists as hypolipidemic agents with minor chemical modifications on compound III, we have synthesised few (2S)-ethoxyphenylpropane derivatives containing a 2-phenyl-5-methyloxazole-4ylalkoxy moiety of the general formula IV and evaluated by PPARalpha and gamma transactivation assay in conjugation with in vivo studies in male Swiss albino mice model. Compounds 3c and 3d showed the desired predominant PPARalpha activity and excellent tryiglyceride reduction in vivo and were selected as lead compounds for further development as hypolipidemic agents.

3-(4-Alkoxyphenyl)propanoic acid derivatives were prepared as candidate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha/delta/gamma pan agonists, based on our previous SAR studies directed toward the development of subtype-selective PPAR agonists. Those studies indicated that the steric bulkiness of substituents introduced at the distal benzene ring had an important influence on PPAR activity. The finding that a 4-adamantyl derivative exhibited not only PPARalpha/delta activity but also significant PPARgamma activity prompted us to search for structurally novel phenylpropanoic acid derivatives with more potent adipocyte differentiation activity than the well-known PPARgamma agonist, rosiglitazone, as well as well-balanced PPARalpha and PPARdelta agonistic activities. A representative phenylpropanoic acid derivative (12) bearing a 4-adamantylphenyl substituent proved to be a well-balanced PPAR-pan agonist with activities to regulate the expression of genes involved in lipid and glucose homeostasis, and should be useful as a candidate drug for the treatment of altered PPAR function.

A series of phenylpropanoic acids was prepared as candidate dual agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) alpha and delta. Structure-activity relationship studies indicated that the shape of the linker moiety and the nature of the substituent at the distal benzene ring play key roles in determining the potency and selectivity of PPAR subtype transactivation. Optically active alpha-ethylphenylpropanoic acid derivatives were identified as potent human PPAR alpha and delta dual agonists with potential for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

(S)-2-Phenylpropanoic acid, an intermediate for the preparation of optically active Ibuprofen, has been synthesized using, as the key steps, Sharpless epoxidation and benzylic hydrogenlysis.