Short Route to the Total Synthesis of Natural Muricadienin and Investigation of Its Cytotoxic Properties

An original synthesis of the acetogenin muricadienin, the bioprecursor of solamin, has been developed. The key step in the five-step 41% overall yield synthesis is the catalytic cross-cydomagnesiation reaction of functionally substituted 1,2-dienes with EtMgBr in the presence of Cp2TiCl2 and magnesium metal. It has been demonstrated for the first time that muricadienin exhibits a moderate in vitro inhibitory activity against topoisomerases I and II alpha, key cell cycle enzymes. Using flow cytometry, muricadienin was shown to have high cytotoxicity toward the HEK293 kidney cancer cells (IC50 0.39 mu M).