Orally active, hydrolytically stable, semisynthetic, antimalarial trioxanes in the artemisinin family

J Med Chem. 1999 Jan 28;42(2):300-4. doi: 10.1021/jm980529v.

Abstract

In only three chemical operations, natural trioxane lactone artemisinin (1) was converted into a series of C-10 carbon-substituted 10-deoxoartemisinin compounds 4-9. The three steps involved lactone reduction, replacement of the anomeric lactol OH by F using diethylaminosulfur trifluoride, and finally boron trifluoride-promoted substitution of F by aryl, heteroaryl, and acetylide nucleophiles. All of these C-10 nonacetal, chemically robust, enantiomerically pure compounds 4-9 have high antimalarial potencies in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites, and furans 5a and 5b and pyrrole 7a are antimalarially potent also in vivo even when administered to rodents orally.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage
  • Antimalarials / chemistry
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Artemisinins*
  • Drug Stability
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / chemistry
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Hydrolysis
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Molecular Structure
  • Sesquiterpenes / chemistry*
  • Spectrophotometry, Infrared

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Artemisinins
  • Heterocyclic Compounds
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • artemisinin