title: Dispiro-1,2,4-trioxane analogues of a prototype dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane: mechanistic comparators for artemisinin in the context of reaction pathways with iron(II).
abstract: Single electron reduction of the 1,2,4-trioxane heterocycle of artemisinin (1) forms primary and secondary carbon-centered radicals. The complex structure of 1 does not lend itself to a satisfactory dissection of the electronic and steric effects that influence the formation and subsequent reaction of these carbon-centered free radicals. To help demarcate these effects, we characterized the reactions of achiral dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane 4 and dispiro-1,2,4-trioxanes 5-7 with ferrous bromide and 4-oxo-TEMPO. Our results suggest a small preference for attack of Fe(II) on the nonketal peroxide oxygen atom of 1. For 4, but not for 5 and 6, there was a strong preference for attack of Fe(II) on the less hindered peroxide bond oxygen atom. The steric hindrance afforded by a spiroadamantane in a five-membered trioxolane is evidently much greater than that for a corresponding six-membered trioxane. Unlike 1, 5-7 fragment by entropically favored beta-scission pathways forming relatively stable alpha-oxa carbon-centered radicals. These data suggest that formation of either primary or secondary carbon-centered radicals is a necessary but insufficient criterion for antimalarial activity of 1 and synthetic peroxides.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986025 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6025, USA.
authors.forename: Yuanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kamaraj
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sriraghavan
authors.forename: James K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vennerstrom
mesh_terms: D000218:Adamantane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002384:Catalysis; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D013141:Spiro Compounds; C031327:artemisinin; D007501:Iron; D000218:Adamantane