August 2004
955
1
drogen-deuterium exchange between D PO and AcOH. uncorrected. H-NMR spectra were recorded using a Varian VXR-300 or a
3
4
1
3
XL-400 spectrometer. C-NMR spectra were recorded using a Varian XL-
00 spectrometer. Mass spectra were obtained using a JEOL-JMX-DX 300
Thus, deuteriums from D PO were incorporated into the fla-
vanones, while AcOD served as the solvent. Therefore
D PO and AcOD were necessary for the high incorporation
3
4
4
or a JEOL-JMS-AX505 HA mass spectrometer. Microanalyses were
recorded using a Yanaco CHN corder MT-5. Thin-layer chromatography and
preparative chromatography were run using silica gel 60 PF254 (Merck)
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4
rate of deuteriums.
Starting with 4ꢀ-methoxyflavanone 4, the deuteration yield with benzene as the mobile solvent. 2ꢀ-Hydroxychalcone 6 and flavanone 7
were purchased from Tokyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) and
Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) respectively.
General Procedure for Deuteration of Flavonoids To individual solu-
tions of non-labeled chalcones (6 or 1) and of non-labeled flavanones (7 or
at the C-3 position of 4 was large for both reaction times.
But, as for deuteration of 1, an extension of the reaction time
increased the deuteration at the carbons ortho to the 4ꢀ-
methoxy group. We propose that deuteration at the positions 4)—all at quantities of 50 mg—in AcOD (0.5 ml, 98 atom% D, Sigma-
ortho to the methoxy group is caused by resonance involving Aldrich Japan K. K.), D
PO (0.5 ml, 99 atom% D, Sigma-Aldrich Japan K.
3 4
K.) was added. The reaction mixtures were stirred at 100 °C for 10 or 60 min
under argon. After each reaction was finished, the mixture was treated with
an ion-exchange resin (AMBERLYST® A-21 from ORGANO Co.), ex-
tracted with benzene, evaporated, and then purified by preparative TLC.
Preparation of 2ꢀ-Hydroxy-4-methoxychalcone (1) A mixture of
the electron-donating group itself. Thus, for many flavonoids,
with one or more electron-donating groups associated with
the A and/or B-ring of the flavonoid skeleton, polydeutera-
tion may be a general result when our method is used. In-
deed, in a preliminary report, we showed that polydeuteration
of 5-methoxyflavanone occurs at the carbons ortho (C-6) and
para (C-8) to the methoxy group, as well as at the C-3 posi-
2
7
ꢀ-hydroxyacetophenone (1.00 g, 7.35 mmol), p-anisaldehyde (1.01 g,
.43 mmol), and KOH (4.17 g, 74.3 mmol) in ethanol (100 ml) was stirred at
room temperature for 20 h. The reaction mixture was neutralized with acetic
acid (10% ethanolic solution) and evaporated. The residue was extracted
with ethyl acetate and brine. The organic phase was dried over Na SO . The
15)
16)
tion. Mazur et al. reported that isoflavonoids from plant-
2
4
derived foods could be quantified using isotope dilution gas organic layer was then evaporated, and the residue was purified using col-
umn chromatography (silica gel, benzene : n-hexaneꢁ1 : 10) to give 1 as yel-
chromatographic-mass spectroscopy with polydeuterated
isoflavonoids as internal standards. We expect that poly-
deuterated flavonoids, prepared by our method, can be used
lowish needles (1.47 g; yield, 78.9%). Rfꢁ0.37 (benzene : n-hexaneꢁ1 : 1),
17)
ꢂ1
1
mp: 95—96 °C (EtOH) (lit., 95 °C); IR (CHCl ) cm : 1640 (CꢁO); H-
3
NMR (400 MHz, CDCl ) d: 12.933 (1H, s, OH), 7.925 (1H, dd, Jꢁ1.5,
3
for identification and quantification of non-deuterated 7.8 Hz, 6ꢀ-H), 7.912 (1H, d, Jꢁ15.0 Hz, b-H), 7.636 (2H, d, Jꢁ8.7 Hz, 2,6-
flavonoids derived from biological sources.
Hs), 7.547 (1H, d, Jꢁ15.0 Hz, a-H), 7.492 (1H, ddd, Jꢁ8.2, 8.5, 1.5 Hz, 4ꢀ-
H), 7.025 (1H, dd, Jꢁ8.2, 1.0 Hz, 3ꢀ-H), 6.956 (2H, d, Jꢁ8.7 Hz, 3,5-Hs),
6
.943 (1H, ddd, Jꢁ1.0, 8.5, 7.8 Hz, 5ꢀ-H), 3.869 (3H, s, 4-OMe); HR-EI-
Conclusion
MS m/z: 254.0944 (Calcd. for C H O : 254.0943 ); Anal. Calcd. for
C H O : C, 75.57, H, 5.55; Found: C, 75.32, H, 5.61.
1
6
14
3
We report a new method for deuteration of non-deuterated
chalcones and flavanones. We show that dideuterated fla-
1
6
14
3
Preparation of (ꢁ)-4ꢀ-Methoxyflavanone (4) To a solution of 2ꢀ-hy-
vanones and monodeuterated chalcones are readily prepared droxy-4-methoxychalcone 1 (97.5 mg, 0.38 mmol) in acetic acid (1 ml), 1 ml
of phosphoric acid was added. The stirred reaction mixture was placed in a
using D PO and AcOD. Our results suggest a reaction
mechanism for deuteration of 2ꢀ-hydroxychalcones. In the
first step, 2ꢀ-hydroxychalcones cyclize to the corresponding
3
4
boiling water bath for 10 min. The mixture was then poured into water and
the precipitate was extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic layer was dried
over Na SO and evaporated to give an orange oil that was then purified by
2
4
flavanones by an intramolecular Michael-type reaction. Then, preparative TLC. These procedures gave 4 as colorless needles (70.7 mg;
1
8)
yield, 72.5%). Rfꢁ0.30 (benzene), mp: 93—94 °C (EtOH) (lit., 96—
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7
in a second step, deuteriums are incorporated at the C-3 posi-
tion of flavanones via enolization. In our study of flavanone
metabolism by cytochrome P450, we probed the reaction
mechanism using C-3 deuterium-labeled flavanones. An in-
ꢂ1
1
8 °C); IR (CHCl ) cm : 1690 (CꢁO); H-NMR (400 MHz, CDCl ) d:
3
3
.934 (1H, dd, Jꢁ8.2, 1.9 Hz, 5-H), 7.505 (1H, ddd, Jꢁ1.9, 8.2, 8.8 Hz, 7-
H), 7.416 (2H, d, Jꢁ8.8 Hz, 2ꢀ,6ꢀ-Hs), 7.048 (1H, ddd, Jꢁ8.2, 8.2, 1.0 Hz,
-H), 7.038 (1H, dd, Jꢁ1.0, 8.8 Hz, 8-H), 6.964 (2H, d, Jꢁ8.8 Hz, 3ꢀ,5ꢀ-
6
termolecular isotope effect was observed for the metabolism Hs), 5.436 (1H, dd, Jꢁ13.2, 2.9 Hz, 2-H), 3.114 (1H, dd, Jꢁ13.2, 16.8 Hz,
3
-H ax), 2.866 (1H, dd, Jꢁ2.9, 16.8 Hz, 3-H eq), 3.836 (3H, s, 4ꢀ-OCH3);
of dideuterated flavanones (3, 10) and non-labeled flavanones
4, 7) to the corresponding 2,3-trans-flavanonols by cy-
tochrome P450. Therefore, these dideuterated flavanones
are useful reagents for metabolic study of flavonoids.
In summary, we achieved a regio-selective deuteration at
the C-3 position of flavanones, and we proposed a reaction
mechanism for the cyclization and the deuteration of 2ꢀ-hy-
1
3
C-NMR (100 MHz, CDCl ) d: 192.182 (C-4), 161.607 (C-9), 159.953 (C-
3
(
4
1
ꢀ), 136.115 (C-7), 130.751 (C-1ꢀ), 127.701 (C-2ꢀ,6ꢀ), 127.003 (C-5),
21.487 (C-6), 120.895 (C-10), 118.103 (C-8), 114.181 (C-3ꢀ,5ꢀ), 79.319
10)
(C-2), 55.231 (4ꢀ-OMe), 44.426 (C-3); HR-EI-MS m/z: 254.0938 (Calcd. for
: 254.0943); Anal. Calcd. for C16 : C, 75.57, H, 5.55; Found:
C, 75.33, H, 5.59
ꢀ-Hydroxy-4-methoxy[a-D ]chalcone (2) Yellow solid, mp: 94—
C
H
O
H O
14 3
16
14
3
2
1
1
9
5 °C; H-NMR (300 MHz, CDCl ) d: 12.931 (1H, s, 2ꢀ-OH), 7.918 (1H, dd,
3
droxychalcones. The deuteration reagents, D PO and AcOD,
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4
Jꢁ1.5, 8.0 Hz, 6ꢀ-H), 7.903 (1H, s, b-H), 7.633 (2H, d, Jꢁ8.5 Hz, 2,6-Hs),
are commercially available and easily handled. Although ap- 7.490 (1H, ddd, Jꢁ1.5, 7.8, 8.5 Hz, 4ꢀ-H), 7.025 (1H, dd, Jꢁ1.0, 8.2 Hz, 3ꢀ-
plied only to chalcones and flavanones in this report, the H), 6.957 (2H, d, Jꢁ8.5 Hz, 3,5-Hs), 6.942 (1H, ddd, Jꢁ1.0, 7.8, 8.0 Hz, 5ꢀ-
H), 3.869 (3H, s, 4-OMe); HR-FAB-MS (mNBA) m/z: 255.0998 (Calcd. for
method may be a general procedure for the introduction of
deuteriums at positions a to ketones in other natural prod-
ucts. Additionally, in the case of these compounds with one
C H O D : 255.1006 ).
1
6
13
3
1
1
4
ꢀ-Methoxy[3,3-D ]flavanone (3) Colorless solid, mp: 87—88 °C; H-
2
NMR (300 MHz, CDCl ) d: 7.930 (1H, dd, Jꢁ1.8, 8.2 Hz, 5-H), 7.504 (1H,
3
or more electron-donating groups with aromatic rings in their ddd, Jꢁ1.8, 7.5, 8.0 Hz, 7-H), 7.415 (2H, d, Jꢁ8.5 Hz, 2ꢀ,6ꢀ-Hs), 7.053 (1H,
ddd, Jꢁ1.0, 7.5, 8.2 Hz, 6-H), 7.036 (1H, dd, Jꢁ1.0, 8.0 Hz, 8-H), 6.963
structures, deuteration at the carbons ortho and/or para to the
(2H, d, Jꢁ8.5 Hz, 3ꢀ,5ꢀ-Hs), 5.430 (1H, s, 2-H), 3.836 (3H, s, 4ꢀ-OMe); HR-
electron-donating groups may also occur when the reaction
time is extended. Therefore, our deuteration method is also
useful for polydeuteration of natural products with one or
more electron-donating groups and/or ketones.
EI-MS m/z: 256.1078 (Calcd. for C H O D : 256.1068 ).
1
6
12
3
2
1
2
ꢀ-Hydroxy[a-D ]chalcone (8) Pale yellow solid, mp: 78—79 °C; H-
1
NMR (400 MHz, CDCl ) d: 12.820 (1H, s, 2ꢀ-OH), 7.935 (1H, dd, Jꢁ1.5,
3
8.0 Hz, 6ꢀ-H), 7.932 (1H, s, b-H), 7.695—7.664 (2H, m, Ar-H), 7.512 (1H,
ddd, Jꢁ1.5, 7.5, 8.5 Hz, 4ꢀ-H), 7.475—7.425 (3H, m, Ar-H), 7.040 (1H, dd,
Jꢁ0.5, 8.5 Hz, 3ꢀ-H), 6.957 (1H, ddd, Jꢁ0.5, 7.5, 8.0 Hz, 5ꢀ-H); HR-EI-MS
m/z: 225.0885 (Calcd. for C H O D : 225.0900 ).
Experimental
Melting points were taken using a Yanagimoto hot-stage apparatus and are
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2
1