Search

Eight avenanthramides, amides of anthranilic acid (1) and 5-hydroxyanthranilic acid (2), respectively, and the four cinnamic acids p-coumaric (p), caffeic (c), ferulic (f), and sinapic (s) acid, were synthesized for identification in oat extracts and for structure-antioxidant activity studies. Three compounds (2p, 2c, and 2f) were found in oat extracts. As assessed by the reactivity toward 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), all avenanthramides except 1p showed activity. Initially, the antioxidant activity of the avenanthramides decreased in a similar order as for the corresponding cinnamic acids, that is: sinapic > caffeic > ferulic > p-coumaric acid. The avenanthramides derived from 2 were usually slightly more active than those derived from 1. All avenanthramides inhibited azo-initiated peroxidation of linoleic acid. 1c and 1s were initially the most effective compounds. The relative order of antioxidant activities was slightly different for the DPPH and the linoleic acid assays run in methanol and chlorobenzene, respectively.

[reaction: see text] beta-Hydroxyalkyl aryl chalcogenides, readily available by regioselective ring-opening of epoxides with nucleophilic benzeneselenolate or tellurolate, were O-alkylated by treatment with ethyl propiolate or (E)-1,2-bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethylene. Subsequent carbonylation/reductive cyclization in the presence of AIBN/TTMSS and carbon monoxide (80 atm) afforded tetrahydrofuran-3-ones in moderate to good yields.

Novel water-soluble diaryl tellurides, alkyl aryl tellurides, and dialkyl tellurides carrying sulfopropyl groups were prepared and found to possess potent peroxide decomposing and chain-breaking antioxidative capacity. The dilithium, disodium, dipotassium, and bis-tetramethylammonium salts of bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) telluride (4) were treated with 2.3 equiv of 1,3-propanesultone in aqueous tert-butyl alcohol to give the corresponding salts 5 of bis-O-sulfopropylated diaryl telluride. A variety of diaryl ditellurides were reduced with sodium borohydride in ethanol. Upon addition of propanesultone to the resulting sodium arenetellurolates, the corresponding 3-aryltellurenylpropanesulfonic acid sodium salts 8 were precipitated. Diphenyl diselenide and dibutyl ditelluride reacted similarly to afford the sodium salts of 3-benzeneselenenylpropanesulfonic acid (9) and 4-telluraoctanesulfonic acid (10), respectively. The glutathione peroxidase-like activity of the water-soluble compounds was assessed at pH = 7.4 by using the coupled GSSG reductase assay. Dialkyl telluride 10 turned out to be the most efficient catalyst. Several alkyl aryl tellurides 8 were also more efficient than any of the previously tested organotellurium compounds in this model. Bulky and electron-withdrawing aryl substituents seemed to reduce activity, whereas electron-donating groups enhanced it. Alkyl aryl selenide 9 was void of any catalytic activity. The novel compounds were also assessed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy for their capacity to catalyze the hydrogen peroxide oxidation of N-acetylcysteine in D(2)O under acidic conditions. In the presence of 0.01 mol % of the organotellurium catalyst, the thiol concentration was reduced to 50% within 12 min for the most active catalyst (compound 5b). Although many of the compounds showed high catalytic activity, it was not possible to rationalize their relative efficiency. The capacity of the novel organotellurium compounds to act as a scavengers of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was also investigated. The organotelluriums seem to act primarily as electron donors in their reaction with DPPH. Compounds 8d, 10, and 8b were the most effective scavengers. Bulky or electron-withdrawing aryl substituents caused a reduction in activity, whereas electron-donating ones enhanced it. None of the compounds could match vitamin E in their scavanging capacity.

Monosubstituted epoxides were regiospecifically ring-opened from the sterically least hindered side by benzenetellurolate and benzeneselenolate reagents to afford aryl beta-hydroxyalkyl tellurides and selenides, respectively. These materials were O-allylated by treatment with allylic bromides/sodium hydride in tetrahydrofuran and O-prop-2-ynylated when reacted with propargyl bromide/sodium hydride. On photolysis in benzene containing 40 mol % of hexabutylditin, the beta-(allyloxy)alkyl aryl tellurides were found to undergo group transfer cyclization to afford 2-substituted 4-[(aryltelluro)methyl]tetrahydrofurans (cis/trans = 1/3-1/10). The aryl beta-(prop-2-ynyloxy)alkyl tellurides similarly afforded 2-substituted 4-[(aryltelluro)methylene]tetrahydrofurans with an E/Z-ratio close to unity. The beta-(allyloxy)alkyl aryl selenides and aryl beta-(prop-2-ynyloxy)alkyl selenides failed to undergo group transfer cyclization. In the presence of tributyltin hydride and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile, the former compounds were found to undergo reductive radical cyclization in high yields to afford 2-substituted 4-methyltetrahydrofurans (cis/trans = 1/3-1/10). Aryl beta-(prop-2-ynyloxy)alkyl selenides similarly afforded 2-substituted 4-methylenetetrahydrofurans. 2-Alkoxy-2-(allyloxy)ethyl phenyl selenides, prepared by allyloxyselenenation of vinyl ethers, were found to undergo reductive radical cyclization to afford 2-alkoxy-4-methyltetrahydrofurans (cis/trans = 1/3-1/4). The preference for formation of trans-2,4-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans in the group transfer and reductive radical cyclizations was rationalized assuming a chairlike transition state with a preferred adoption of a pseudoequatorial position of the 2-substituent. By carrying out the reactions at lower temperatures (ambient or -45 degrees C), using triethylborane as an initiator, it was possible to further increase the trans selectivity in the reductive cyclizations.