1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions of racemic 3-substituted 1-butenes to nitrones derived from (-)- or (+)-menthone occurred via exo-approach of the alkene onto the nitrone's less hindered face. This process afforded bicyclic spirpheterocycles as epimers, with selectivities ≤ 4:1, depending on the 3-substituent (R) on the alkene. The selectivity appeared to be influenced by hydrogen bonding (R = OH) or the
Novel routes to either racemic or enantiopure α-amino-(4-hydroxy-pyrrolidin-3-yl)acetic acid derivatives and biological evaluation of a new promising pharmacological scaffold
Cycloaddition between (+) or (-)-menthone-derived nitrones and N-benzyl-3-pyrroline afforded enantiopure spiro-fused heterocycles. The reaction occurred enantio- and diastereo-selectively on the less hindered side of the nitrone, the 3-pyrroline N-benzyl group being oriented outwards, thus controlling the configurations of three simultaneously created chiral centers. From either (+) or (-)-menthone, both enantiomeric cycloadducts were synthesized in excellent yield. Removing the chiral auxiliary and the N-benzyl group delivered a series of enantiopure 4-hydroxy-3-glycinyl-pyrrolidine derivatives in 3-5 steps and 36 to 81 overall yields. Using two other achiral nitrones, shorter routes to racemic analogues were developed. Two of the synthesized compounds markedly lowered extracellular glutamate level and modestly interacted with cannabinoid type-1 receptors. As these two neuroactive compounds were devoid of in vitro toxicity and did not cross the blood brain interface, they might represent potential pharmacological agents to target peripheral organs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.