10.1071/CH9921577
The study investigates the synthesis, structural characterization, and tubulin-binding properties of two ketone derivatives of colchicine, namely 7-oxodeacetamidocolchicine (2) and 7-oxodeacetamidoisocolchicine (3). The researchers converted commercially available (-)-colchicine (1) into these ketones via deacetylcolchiceine (4) as an intermediate. The primary goal was to develop a reliable synthetic route for these compounds, which are of interest due to their potential for enantioselective reduction studies and their biological properties. The study also explores the X-ray crystal structures of compounds (2) and (3) to understand their molecular conformations and how they interact with tubulin. Additionally, the tubulin-binding properties of these ketones were evaluated to assess their potential as antitumor agents. The results showed that while compound (2) exhibited significant inhibitory effects on tubulin polymerization, compound (3) had little effect, highlighting the importance of molecular structure in biological activity.