Design, synthesis and screening of a drug discovery library based on an Eremophila-derived serrulatane scaffold

Chemical studies of the aerial parts of the Australian desert plant Eremophila microtheca afforded the targeted and known diterpenoid scaffolds, 3,7,8-trihydroxyserrulat-14-en-19-oic acid and 3-acetoxy-7,8-dihydroxyserrulat-14-en-19-oic acid. The most abundant serrulatane scaffold was converted to the poly-methyl derivatives, 3-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyserrulat-14-en-19-oic acid methyl ester and 3,7,8-trimethoxyserrulat-14-en-19-oic acid methyl ester using simple and rapid methylation conditions consisting of DMSO, NaOH and MeI at room temperature. Subsequently a 12-membered amide library was synthesised by reacting the methylated scaffolds with a diverse series of commercial primary amines. The chemical structures of the 12 undescribed semi-synthetic analogues were fully characterised following 1D/2D NMR, MS, UV, ECD and [α]_D data analyses. All compounds were evaluated for their anthelmintic, anti-microbial and anti-viral activities. While none of the compounds significantly inhibited motility or development of the exsheathed third-stage larvae (xL3s) of a pathogenic ruminant parasite, Haemonchus contortus, the tri-methylated analogue induced a skinny phenotype in fourth-stage larvae (L4s) after seven days of treatment (IC₅₀ = 14 μM). Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities were not observed at concentrations up to 20 μM. Activity against HIV latency reversal was tested in inducible, chronically-infected cells, with the tri-methylated analogue being the most active (EC₅₀ = 38 μM).