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The Wacker-Tsuji aerobic oxidation of various allyl(hetero)arenes under photocatalytic conditions to form the corresponding methyl ketones is presented. By using a palladium complex [PdCl2(MeCN)2] and the photosensitizer [Acr-Mes]ClO4 in aqueous medium and at room temperature, and by simple irradiation with blue led light, the desired carbonyl compounds were synthesized with high conversions (>80%) and excellent selectivities (>90%). The key process was the transient formation of Pd nanoparticles that can activate oxygen, thus recycling the Pd(II) species necessary in the Wacker oxidative reaction. While light irradiation was strictly mandatory, the addition of the photocatalyst improved the reaction selectivity, due to the formation of the starting allyl(hetero)arene from some of the obtained by-products, thus entering back in the Wacker-Tsuji catalytic cycle. Once optimized, the oxidation reaction was combined in a one-pot two-step sequential protocol with an enzymatic transformation. Depending on the biocatalyst employed, i. e. an amine transaminase or an alcohol dehydrogenase, the corresponding (R)- and (S)-1-arylpropan-2-amines or 1-arylpropan-2-ols, respectively, could be synthesized in most cases with high yields (>70%) and in enantiopure form. Finally, an application of this photo-metal-biocatalytic strategy has been demonstrated in order to get access in a straightforward manner to selegiline, an anti-Parkinson drug. (Figure presented.).

Herein, a sequential and selective chemoenzymatic approach is described involving the metal-catalysed Wacker-Tsuji oxidation of allylbenzenes followed by the amine transaminase-catalysed biotransamination of the resulting 1-arylpropan-2-ones. Thus, a series of nine optically active 1-arylpropan-2-amines were obtained with good to very high conversions (74–92%) and excellent selectivities (>99% enantiomeric excess) in aqueous medium. The Wacker-Tsuji reaction has been exhaustively optimised searching for compatible conditions with the biotransamination experiments, using palladium(II) complexes as catalysts and iron(III) salts as terminal oxidants in aqueous media. The compatibility of palladium/iron systems for the chemical oxidation with commercially available and made in house amine transaminases was analysed, finding ideal conditions for the development of a general and stereoselective cascade sequence. Depending on the selectivity displayed by selected amine transaminase, it was possible to produce both 1-arylpropan-2-amines enantiomers under mild reaction conditions, compounds that present therapeutic properties or can be employed as synthetic intermediates of chiral drugs from the amphetamine family. (Figure presented.).

Ecstasy samples often contain byproducts of the illegal, uncontrolled synthesis of N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxy-amphetamine or 3,4-methylenedioxy- methamphetamine (MDMA). MDMA and eight chemically defined byproducts of MDMA synthesis were investigated for their interaction with the primary sites of action of MDMA, namely the human plasmalemmal monamine transporters for norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine [(norepinephrine transporter (NET), serotonin transporter (SERT), and dopamine transporter (DAT)]. SKN-MC neuroblastoma and human embryonic kidney cells stably transfected with the transporter cDNA were used for uptake and release experiments. Two of the eight compounds, 1,3-bis (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propanamine (12) and N-formyl-1,3-bis (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-prop-2-yl-amine (13) had uptake inhibitory potencies with IC50 values in the low micromolar range similar to MDMA. Compounds with nitro instead of amino groups and a phenylethenyl instead of a phenylethyl structure or a formamide or acetamide modification had IC50 values beyond 100 μM. MDMA, 12, and 13 were examined for induction of carrier-mediated release by superfusion of transporter expressing cells preloaded with the metabolically inert transporter substrate [3H]1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium. MDMA induced release mediated by NET, SERT, or DAT with EC50 values of 0.64, 1.12, and 3.24 μM, respectively. 12 weakly released from NET- and SERT-expressing cells with maximum effects less than one-tenth of that of MDMA and did not release from DAT cells. 13 had no releasing activity. 12 and 13 inhibited release induced by MDMA, and the concentration dependence of this effect correlated with their uptake inhibitory potency at the various transporters. These results do not support a neurotoxic potential of the examined ecstasy synthesis byproducts and provide interesting structure-activity relationships on the transporters. Copyright

A series of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-alkylamphetamines (MDAAs) were automatically docked and subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in a cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) protein model. The predicted substrate binding orientations, sites of oxidation, and relative reactivities were compared to the experimental data of wild-type and Phe120Ala mutant CYP2D6. Automated docking results were not sufficient to accurately rationalize experimental binding orientations of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) in the two enzymes as measured with spin lattice relaxation NMR. Nevertheless, the docking results could be used as starting structures for MD simulations. Predicted binding orientations of MDMA and sites of oxidation of the MDAAs derived from MD simulations matched well with the experimental data. It appeared the experimental results were best described in MD simulations considering the nitrogen atoms of the MDAAs in neutral form. Differences in regioselectivity and stereoselectivity in the oxidative metabolism of the MDAAs by the Phe120Ala mutant CYP2D6 were correctly predicted, and the effects of the Phe120Ala mutation could be rationalized as well.

The human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes catalyzing the oxidative metabolism of the widely abused amphetamine derivatives MDMA (N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 'Ecstasy'), MDE (N-ethyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 'Eve'), and MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine) were identified. Using a simplified non-extractive reversed-phase HPLC assay with fluorescence detection, biphasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics were obtained for formation of all three dihydroxyamphetamines in liver microsomes from a CYP2D6 extensive metabolizer subject. In contrast, no low K(m) component was detectable in microsomes from a poor metabolizer subject. Additional specific probes for CYP2D6 further confirmed this isozyme as the exclusive low K(m) component for demethylenation. P450-selective inhibitors applied to CYP2D6-inhibited microsomes and activity measurements in a series of recombinant P450s suggested CYP1A2 as the major high K(m) component with contributions by CYP2B6 and CYP3A4. Moreover, the relative CYP1A2 content of a panel of 12 human livers was weakly but significantly correlated to the high K(m) demethylenase activity (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [r(s)] = 0.58; P 0.05). Microsomal maximal velocities for N-dealkylation were at least 7-fold lower than for demethylenation and were characterized by apparently monophasic kinetics. The most important isozyme for this reaction appeared to be CYP2B6, the microsomal content of which was found to be strongly correlated to N-deethylation of MDE (r(s) = 0.90; P 0.001). We conclude that, in addition to CP2D6 as the sole high-affinity demethylenase, several other P450 isozymes have the capacity to contribute to microsomal oxidative metabolism of methylenedioxyamphetamines. This may be of particular importance in individuals genetically lacking functional CYP2D6. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.

A qualitative GC/MS profile was obtained and its mass spectrometric features characterized for the analysis of the enantiomers of (RS)-3,4-methylenedioxmethamphetamine (MDMA) and its metabolites (RS)-3,4- methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), (RS)-4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA) and (RS)-4- hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine (HMA). A chiral derivatization method was selected to obtain the diastereomers required for the separation of the respective enantiomers with a non-chiral GC stationary phase. The selected derivatization consisted of a reaction with N-heptafluorobutyryl-(S)-prolyl chloride combined with a consecutive reaction with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyltrifluoracetamid, resulting in N-[heptafluorobutyryl-(S)-prolyl]-O-trimethylsilyl derivatives. Detection was carried out with electron ionization and positive chemical ionization (PCI) ion trap mass spectrometry. Mass spectra of the derivatives of reference standards of the compounds of interest obtained with PCI demonstrated that this method simultaneously induces proton and charge-transfer reactions in the ion trap. The advantage is that high mass information is provided while some fragmentation remains to elucidate structural details. Subsequently, in three urine samples obtained from different and unrelated MDMA intoxications the enantiomers of MDMA and MDA were identified. In some urine samples also HMMA and/or HMA were found. In addition to these compounds, an unexpected compound and/or additional chiral metabolite, N-hydroxy-(RS)-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, was identified in two out of three urine samples. Preliminary results also indicated an enantioselective metabolism in the N-demethylation pathway for MDMA in humans.

Certain phenyalkylamine derivatives have been considered to bind selectively at 5-HT2 serotonin receptors.It is now recognized that the most widely used derivatives, i.e., 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-X-phenyl)-2-aminopropanes where X = Me (DOM), Br (DOB), and I (DOI) (1-3, respectively) also bind at the more recently identified population of serotonin 5-HT1C receptors.The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether simple phenylalkylamines bind selectively at one population of receptors over the other.An examination of 34 derivatives reveals (i) similar structure-affinity relationships and (ii) a significant correlation (r = >0.9, n = 25) between 5-HT1C and 5-HT2 affinity.None of the compounds included in the present study displayed more than a 10-fold selectivity for one population of these receptors over the other; the results suggest that these compounds (including the widely used 5-HT2 agonists DOB and DOI) are 5-HT1C/5-HT2 agents.

Reaction of 6,7-dialkoxy-1-alkyl-3,4-dihydro-3-methylisoquinolines (10 - 12) with sulphinamide anhydride (13) yields 2,3-dialkoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-6-methyl-8-oxoisoquinolinoquinazolines (14 and 19) and 2,3-dialkoxy-13a-alkyl-5,6,7,8,13,13a-hexahydro-6-methyl-8-oxoisoquinolinoquinazolines (15 - 17 and 20).Of the two possible geometrical isomers of the latter class of compounds, the cis-isomer predominates and the trans-isomer is found to be labile towards aerial oxidation.No evidence for the generation of iminoketene (21) is obtained in the reaction of sulphinamide anhydride (13) with various 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivatives.

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The known central nervous system activity of 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylisopropylamine and its N-methyl homolog prompted the synthesis of a series of analogs with substituents on the nitrogen atom. Most of these analogs (R = alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, and alkoxyalkyl) were prepared by the reductive alkylation of 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylacetone with the appropriate amine and sodium cyanoborohydride. Hindered isomers were synthesized indirectly. Measurements of their pharmacological activity in several animal assays and in human subjects indicated that the central activity decreased with the increasing bulk of the N-substituent.

N-substituted analogs of 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylisopropylamine (MDA) were tested ror analgesic potency and influence on motor activity in mice following potency and influence on motor activity in mice following oral administration. These compounds also were tested for thei psychotomimetic potency in man. Unsubstituted MDA and its monoalkyl-homologs with a low number of C-atoms (N-methyl-, N-methyl-, N-ethyl-MDA) showed both enhancement of motor-activity in mice and psychotomimetic effects in man. MDA and N-methyl-MDA also showed an analgesic effec wthich was enhanced by the inclusion of a weakly labis group (N-mallyl, N-hydroxyethyl). These latter two compounds, however, did not influence motor-activity, which makes them more recommendable as possible analgesic compounds. Structural parallels between these compounds, morphine, endorphins and enkephalins, may explain their similar spectrum of pharmacological effects.

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