From trees to treatments. Catalytic amination of terpenes and biological screening

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

BC's forest products are rich in naturally occuring terpenes, a class of molecules that display anti-fungal,anti-bacterial and medicinal bioactivity. These molecules can be further chemically modifed to accesscompounds of commercial value as flavours and fragrances as well as medicines, herbicides and pesticides.All of these products are bioproducts and they enhance the commercial opportunity of BC's Forestry Industry.Notably chemical modification of terpenes has not included strategies for incorporating nitrogen into thesecomplex molecular structures. However, nitrogen containing terpenes are a class of naturally occuringproducts called terpenoid-alkaloids and such natural products are known to display potent biological activity.For example, terpenoid-alkaloids have been used in cancer therapies and in treatments for heart disease.Recent advances in the Schafer laboratory at UBC have resulted in the development of new catalytictechnologies that can install nitrogen into terpenes in one efficient chemical transformation. There are nowaste by-products formed and the transformation is energy efficient, making this chemical reaction ideallysuited for application in commercial processes. This proposal will prepare 20 different syntheticterpenoid-alkaloids for investigation as potential drugs. This work will be completed in collaboration withNanaimo Forest Products to determine preferred terpenes for modification and with the Centre for DrugResearch and Development in Vancouver for screening of new terpenoid-alkaloids for biological activity.