NMR and X-ray studies of apetalic acid isolated from Calophyllum brasiliense and of its chiral amides

Abstract

The tropical tree Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae) grows in the rain forests from Brazil to Mexico. Its leaves, as well as those of other Calophyllum species, are rich sources of chromanone acids, such as apetalic acid, isoapetalic acid, and their derivatives. Apetalic acid has shown significant antimycobacterial activity. The biological activity of apetalic acid has been related to the configuration of three asymmetric centers and the stereochemistry of the molecule; however, the C-19 configuration in the acidic side chain has not been fully resolved. For this reason, the unequivocal determination of the absolute configuration by means of X-ray crystallography in a sample of unique homogeneous apetalic acid stereoisomer was the most important point to start this study. We prepared some chiral amides using the carboxyl group. We determined the C-19 stereochemistry of apetalic acid, and its specific chiral derivatives, using NMR, X-ray diffraction methods, and molecular mechanics. Finally, we observed that steric hindrance in the side chain of apetalic acid leads to restriction of rotation around the pivotal link C-10 and C-19 establishing chiral centers at C2(R), C3(S), and C19(R). We were able to separate derivatives of these two high-rotatory-barrier conformers of apetalic acid by forming diastereoisomeric amides with phenylglycine methyl ester having a chiral center at C-2’. Our results allowed the conclusion of the existence of atropisomerism in the apetalic acid molecule.