Identification, pharmacological evaluation and binding mode analysis of novel chromene and chromane based σ1 receptor ligands.

A set of aminoethyl substituted chromenes 3 and chromanes 4, originally developed as antiprotozoal drugs was evaluated as novel types of σ1 receptor ligands. Analysis of SAR showed that chromenes 3 have a higher σ1 affinity than chromanes 4. A distance of four bond lengths between the basic amino moiety and the phenyl ring (3c), an alicyclic N-substituent such as the cyclohexylmethyl moiety (3l), and methylation of the secondary amine to afford a tertiary amine (3n) result in very high σ1 affinity and selectivity over the σ2 subtype.

New combination of pharmacophoric elements of potent σ₁ ligands: design, synthesis and σ receptor affinity of aminoethyl substituted tetrahydrobenzothiophenes.

The aminoethyl substituted tetrahydrobenzothiophenes 4 resulted from combination of the pharmacophoric elements of the potent σ₁ ligands 2 and 3. The aminoethyl substituted tetrahydrobenzothiophenes 4 were prepared in an 8-step synthesis starting with thiophene. Whereas the σ₁ affinity of the N-benzyl derivative 4a is in the medium nanomolar range (Ki = 49 nM), the analogous N-cyclohexylmethyl derivative 4d exhibits low nanomolar affinity (Ki = 5.

Enantioselective synthesis of encecaline-derived potent antimalarial agents.

The high antiplasmodial activity of racemic benzylamines rac-1 and rac-2 stimulated the synthesis of pure enantiomers. Ellman's chiral sulfinamides (S)-6 and (R)-6 were used as chiral auxiliaries. Condensation of prochiral ketone 5 with enantiomerically pure sulfinamides (S)-6 and (R)-6 and subsequent NaBH4 reduction provided predominantly unlike configured diastereomers (S,R)-8 and (R,S)-8 (ratio unlike-8:like-8 = 90:10).

Natural product derived antiprotozoal agents: synthesis, biological evaluation, and structure-activity relationships of novel chromene and chromane derivatives.

Various natural products with the chromane and chromene scaffold exhibit high antiprotozoal activity. The natural product encecalin (7) served as key intermediate for the synthesis of different ethers 9, amides 11, and amines 12. The chromane analogues 14 and the phenols 15 were obtained by reductive amination of ketones 13 and 6, respectively.

Unprecedented "In Water" imidazole carbonylation: paradigm shift for preparation of urea and carbamate.

The first "In Water" imidazolecarbonylation of amine is described. A one pot reaction of carbonylimidazolide in water with a nucleophile provides an efficient and general method for the preparation of urea, carbamates and thiocarbamates. Use of an anhydrous solvent and an inert atmosphere could be avoided.

Encecalol angelate, an unstable chromene from Ageratum conyzoides L.: total synthesis and investigation of its antiprotozoal activity.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: In agreement with ethnomedicinal reports, the dichloromethane extract of Ageratum conyzoides L. (Asteraceae) was recently shown to be of considerable activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the etiologic agent of East African Human Trypanosomiasis (East African Sleeping Sickness). Isolated compounds, namely, methoxylated flavonoids as well as the chromene derivative encecalol methyl ether, were less active than the crude extract.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel (4 or 5-aryl)pyrazolyl-indoles as inhibitors of interleukin-2 inducible T-cell kinase (ITK).

Interleukin-2 inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) is one of five kinases that belong to the Tec kinase family that plays an important role in T-cell and mast cell signaling. Various reports point to a role of ITK in the treatment of allergic asthma. For example, it was shown that mice lacking ITK have reduced airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and tracheal responses in an allergic asthma model.