Microbial Transformation of Isosteviol
J ournal of Natural Products, 2004, Vol. 67, No. 3 409
stored on potato-dextrose agar medium at 24 °C. Seed cultures
were obtained by transferring fungi from stock cultures to a
yeast extract-corn steep liquor broth medium (YCB; 8 g of
corn steep liquor, 1 g of yeast extract, and 10 g of glucose were
0.55), of which identification was done by spectral comparison
with the literature.9
,14,19
Biotr a n sfor m a tion by M. elon ga te. The procedure was
similar to the one described above for A. niger. Bioconversion
of 2 (500 mg) by M. elongate yielded a crude extract (549 mg),
which was subjected to column chromatography on silica gel
(30 g). Elution of the column with 1.5 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc
(9:1, v/v) yielded fraction A′′ (53 mg), elution with 1.0 L of
n-hexanes-EtOAc (4:1, v/v) gave fraction B′′ (278 mg), which
was identified as unmetabolized 2, and further elution with
2.0 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc (1:1, v/v) afforded fraction C′′ (174
2
suspended in 1 L of H O). Preliminary screenings were
conducted with conical flasks (250 mL) containing 50 mL of
YCB medium. For each fungus two flasks were inoculated with
the seed culture and incubated on a rotary shaker (110 rpm)
for 3 days at 25 °C. Then compound 2 (10 mg) in dimethyl
sulfoxide (DMSO) (0.2 mL) was added to one flask, while the
other one was kept as a control. The fermentation was
continued for 7 more days, after which the mycelium was
filtered off and washed with EtOAc. The combined broth, after
adjusting the acidity at pH 3-4 by diluted HCl, was extracted
three times with EtOAc, and the organic layers were combined
mg). Reversed-phase HPLC of fraction C′′ gave metabolites 3
(75 mg, 15.0%)8 and 4 (30 mg, 6.0%; t
,13
13.0 min, R 0.60).
R
f
2
5
7-Oxoisosteviol (4): fine needles, mp 216-219 °C; [R]
-73.8° (c 0.13, MeOH); IR νmax 3416 (OH), 1742 and 1718
D
-
1 1
and dried with anhydrous Na
2
SO
4
. After filtration the solvent
(>CdO), 1680 (COOH) cm ; H NMR (pyridine-d
δ 0.91 (1H, ddd, J ) 3.4, 13.2, 13.2 Hz, H -1), 1.06 (1H, m,
-3), 1.07 (3H, s, H-17), 1.11 (3H, s, H-20), 1.28 (3H, s, H-19),
1.32 (1H, m, H -12), 1.36 (1H, ddt, J ) 12.9, 12.9, 4.6 Hz, H
11), 1.51 (1H, m, H -2), 1.53 (1H, dd, J ) 3.9, 12.2 Hz, H -14),
1.56 (1H, dd, J ) 2.9, 8.8 Hz, H-9), 1.57 (1H, m, H -12), 1.63
(1H, br d, J ) 15.4 Hz, H-5), 1.65 (1H, m, H -1), 1.67 (1H, m,
-11), 2.14 (1H, d, J ) 18.3 Hz, H -15), 2.19 (1H, m, H -2),
2.46 (1H, br d, J ) 13.2 Hz, H -3), 2.64 (1H, dd, J ) 2.8, 12.2
Hz, H -15), 2.75 (1H, dd, J ) 3.9, 18.3 Hz, H -15), 3.05 (1H,
dd, J ) 3.7, 15.4 Hz, H -6), 3.44 (1H, dd, J ) 15.4, 15.4 Hz,
-6); 13C NMR (pyridine-d
, 100 MHz) δ 13.2 (CH , C-20), 19.5
CH , C-2), 20.1 (CH , C-17), 20.2 (CH , C-11), 28.6 (CH , C-19),
6.9 (CH , C-12), 38.2 (C, C-10), 38.3 (CH
C-1), 40.3 (CH , C-6), 43.8 (C, C-4), 46.2 (CH
5
, 400 MHz)
was evaporated in vacuo, producing the crude extract. The
extracts from the experimental flasks were compared to the
controls by TLC. Among the seven fungi examined, three, A.
niger, G. cingulata, and M. elongate, produced metabolites of
a
H
a
a
a
-
a
a
2
reproducibly, and these were used for preparative experi-
b
ments. Preparative experiments were conducted in 500 mL
conical flasks containing 250 mL of YCB liquid medium. The
procedure and conditions were the same as for the preliminary
experiments.
b
H
b
a
b
b
b
b
a
Biotr a n sfor m a tion by A. n iger . Isosteviol (2; 500 mg; R
f
H
b
5
3
value 0.85 in TLC) in 2.0 mL of DMSO was evenly distributed
among 4 flasks containing A. niger cultures, and one was kept
as control. The crude extract (510 mg) obtained was subjected
to column chromatography on silica gel (30 g). The column was
eluted with 0.7 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc (9:1, v/v), 0.8 L of
n-hexanes-EtOAc (4:1, v/v), 0.3 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc (7:3,
v/v), and 0.6 L of EtOAc, which yielded fractions A (53 mg), B
(
2
3
2
3
3
2
2
2
, C-3), 39.7 (CH
, C-15), 46.6 (CH
2
2
,
,
2
C-14), 48.9 (C, C-13), 51.7 (C, C-8), 54.1 (CH, C-5), 55.1 (CH,
C-9), 179.5 (C, C-18), 212.3 (C, C-7), 217.4 (C, C-16); EIMS
+
m/z 332 [M] (33), 319 (4), 314 (8), 286 (11), 276 (100), 258 (4),
2
30 (6), 179 (8), 162 (5), 150 (15), 135 (7), 121 (9), 109 (17);
(
278 mg), C (57 mg), and D (76 mg), respectively. Fraction B
was unmetabolized 2 (retention time (t ) 53.0 min in HPLC,
value 0.85 in TLC) by MS and H NMR analysis. Reversed-
phase HPLC of fraction D yielded metabolites 3 (18 mg, 3.6%;
7.8 min, R 0.58), 5 (23 mg, 4.6%; t 8.3 min, R 0.64), and
(11 mg, 2.2%; t 7.1 min, R 0.59). Identification of 3, as its
HREIMS m/z 332.1984 (calcd for C20 , 332.1990).
28 4
H O
R
1
Meth od of EBV-EA In d u ction Tests. The inhibition of
EBV-EA activation was assayed using Raji cells (virus non-
producer type), the EBV genome-carrying human lymphoblas-
toid cells, which were cultivated in 10% fetal bovine serum-
Roswell Park Memorial Institute (FBS RPMI) 1640 medium
R
f
t
6
R
f
R
f
8
R
f
1
3
8
methyl ester derivative, and 6 was performed by spectral
6
solution. The indicator cells (Raji) (1 × 10 /mL) were incubated
comparison with the literature.
at 37 °C for 48 h in 1 mL of the medium containing n-butyric
acid (4 mM, trigger) and 32 pmol of TPA (20 ng/mL, inducer)
in DMSO, and a known amount of test compound in DMSO.
Smears were made from the cell suspension. The activated
cells were stained by high-titer EBV-EA-positive sera from
nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and were detected by a
conventional indirect immunofluorescence technique. In each
assay, at least 500 cells were counted, and the experiments
were repeated twice. The average extent of EA induction was
determined and compared with that on positive control experi-
ments in which the cells were treated with n-butyric acid plus
TPA where the extent of EA induction was ordinarily more
than around 40%. The viability of treated Raji cells was
1
1â-Hyd r oxyisosteviol (5): fine needles, mp 210-213 °C;
5
2
[
R]
O), 1691 (COOH) cm ; H NMR (pyridine-d
3H, s, H-17), 1.18 (1H, m, H -3), 1.31 (1H, m, H-5), 1.32 (3H,
s, H-20), 1.38 (1H, m, H -1), 1.40 (3H, s, H-19), 1.45 (1H, dd,
J ) 2.8, 11.6 Hz, H -14), 1.51 (1H, d, J ) 10.4 Hz, H-9), 1.53
1H, m, H -7), 1.54 (1H, m, H -2), 1.59 (1H, dd, J ) 3.7, 11.6
Hz, H -14), 1.62 (1H, m, H -7), 1.78 (1H, dd, J ) 11.3, 11.3
Hz, H -12), 1.83 (1H, d, J ) 18.6 Hz, H -15), 2.11 (2H, m, H-6),
.13 (1H, ddd, J ) 2.8, 5.8, 11.3 Hz, H -12), 2.32 (1H, br d, J
14.0 Hz, H -2), 2.49 (1H, br d, J ) 12.8 Hz, H -3), 2.87 (1H,
b
dd, J ) 3.7, 18.6 Hz, H -15), 3.25 (1H, br d, J ) 13.4 Hz, H -
D
-64.6° (c 0.13, MeOH); IR νmax 3409 (OH), 1731 (>Cd
-1 1
5
, 400 MHz) δ 1.08
(
a
a
a
(
a
a
b
b
a
a
2
)
b
b
b
b
1
3
1
(
2
), 4.16 (1H, ddd, J ) 5.8, 10.4, 11.3 Hz, H-11); C NMR
pyridine-d , 100 MHz) δ 14.3 (CH , C-20), 19.7 (CH , C-17),
, C-2), 22.4 (CH , C-6), 29.9 (CH , C-19), 38.8 (CH
, C-1), 43.2 (CH
, C-12), 49.2 (CH
, C-14), 57.6 (CH, C-5), 60.3 (CH, C-9), 67.8
20
assayed by the Trypan Blue staining method.
5
3
3
0.1 (CH
2
2
3
2
2
,
,
Ack n ow led gm en t. We thank Horiuchi Foods, Co., Ltd.
(Tokyo, J apan) for the generous gift of stevioside used in this
study. This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid from
the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and the
Ministry of Health and Welfare of J apan, and this study was
also supported in part by a grant from the National Cancer
Institute (CA 177625).
C-3), 40.3 (C, C-10), 40.5 (C, C-8), 42.7 (CH
C-7), 44.4 (C, C-4), 49.1 (CH
2
2
2
, C-15), 49.3
(
(
[
(
C, C-13), 54.0 (CH
2
CH, C-11), 180.4 (C, C-18), 219.5 (C, C-16); EIMS m/z 334
+
M] (47), 316 (100), 301 (10), 298 (15), 289 (21), 271 (41), 257
16), 243 (10), 227 (16), 215 (12), 149 (34), 135 (49), 121 (96),
09 (99); HREIMS m/z 334.2144 (calcd for C20
1
30 4
H O , 334.2144).
Biotr a n sfor m a tion by G. cin gu la ta . The procedure was
Refer en ces a n d Notes
similar to the one described for A. niger. From 500 mg of 2, a
crude extract (526 mg) was obtained, which was then fraction-
ated by column chromatography on silica gel (30 g). Elution
with 0.5 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc (9:1, v/v) yielded 37 mg of
fraction A′, elution with 1.0 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc (9:1, v/v)
followed by 0.5 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc (4:1, v/v) gave fraction
B′ (249 mg), identified as unmetabolized 2, and further elution
with 0.5 L of n-hexanes-EtOAc (4:1, v/v) and 0.6 L of EtOAc
afforded fraction C′ (192 mg). Reversed-phase HPLC of fraction
(
1) Soejarto, D. D.; Kinghorn, A. D.; Farnsworth, N. R. J . Nat. Prod. 1982,
45, 590-599.
(2) Nanayakkara, N. P. D.; Kloke, J . A.; Compadre, C. M.; Hussain, P.
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4, 873-882.
(4) Yamamoto, N. S.; Kelmer Bracht, A. M.; Ishii, E. L.; Kemmelmeier,
F. S.; Alvarez, M.; Bracht, A. Experientia 1985, 41, 55-57.
5) Ishii, E. L.; Schwab, A. J .; Bracht, A. Biochem. Pharmacol. 1987, 36,
(
1
417-1433.
(6) Atta-ur-Rahman; Farooq, A.; Anjum, S.; Choudhary, M. I. Curr. Med.
Chem. 1999, 3, 309-326.
R f
C′ gave 17-hydroxyisosteviol (7; 40 mg, 8.0%; t 12.2 min, R