Synthesis of solanum glycosides

The present invention relates to the chemical synthesis of solanum glycosides, in particular to the synthesis of solasonine as well as to novel β-monosaccharide intermediate compounds, of Formula (2), where R1 is a benzylidene, 4-nitrobenzylidene or 4-methoxybenzylidine group, and each R2 independently is a benzoyl, acetyl or pivaloyl group:

The present invention relates to the chemical synthesis of solanum glycosides, in particular to the synthesis of solasonine as well as to novel β-monosaccharide intermediate compounds.

Solasodine and its glycosides are of considerable interest clinically. They are widely used as starting products for the synthesis of various steroidal drugs, the aglycon solasodine is a source for synthetic cortisone and progesterone.

It is moreover well established that certain naturally occurring conjugate solasodine glycosides have potent antineoplastic properties. Of particular interest are the triglycosides solasonine (22R, 25R)-spiro-5-en-3β-yl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->2 gal)-O-p-D-glucopyranosyl-(1->3 gal)-β-D-galactopyranose and solamargine (22R, 25R)-spiro-5-en-3β-yl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->2 glu)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->4 glu)-β-D-gluco-pyranose. The structures of these triglycosides are shown below:

The above triglycosides are conventionally obtained by extraction from a plant source. A commercially available extract ofS. sodomaeum, commonly referred to as BEC (Drug Future, 1988, vol. 13.8, pages 714-716) is a crude mixture of solamargine, solasonine and their isomeric diglycosides. The extraction process for making BEC involves homogenizing the fruits ofS. sodomaeumin a large volume of acetic acid, filtering off the liquid through muslin followed by precipitation of the glycosides with ammonia (Drugs of today (1990), Vol. 26 No. 1, p. 55-58, cancer letters (1991), Vol. 59, p. 183-192). The yield of the solasodine glycoside mixture is very low (approx. 1%). Moreover the individual process steps are not defined to GMP in terms of scale up, definition of yield, composition and product quality.

There is a great need for a cost efficient process that provides the antineoplastically active triglycoside solasonine at high yield with little or no impurities.

Contrary to other steroid ring systems, the steroid skeleton of solasodine contains a very labile nitrogen-containing ring. This aglycon cannot readily be chemically modified while keeping the steroid skeleton intact. In spite of the fact that the aglycon solasodine is readily available, the prior art does not disclose the synthesis of the solasonine using the aglycon material as starting material.

The synthesis of solasonine requires the stereoselective glycosylation of solasodine at the relatively unreactive hydroxyl group.

It has been found that solasodine is not compatible with the conventional steroid glycosylation technique. No glycosylation was observed following the treatment of solasodine with tetrabenzoyl α-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate and trimethyl-silyl triflate or boron trifluoride dietherate (unpublished results).

The problem underlying the present invention is to provide a cost effective method for the preparation of solasonine.

The present invention resides in the finding that the stereoselective β-glycosylation of solasodine may be achieved in high yields using specific galacto-pyranosyl donors. Preferably the reaction is carried out in the presence of a promoter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It was unexpectedly found that by reacting a D-galacto-pyranosyl donor of the following formula 1

wherein each R1is the same or different and independently represents a benzylidene, 4-nitrobenzylidene or 4-methoxybenzylidene group
each R2 is the same or different and independently represents a benzoyl, acetyl or pivaloyl group and
R3is halogen, SPh or SEt
with solasodine the correspondingly protected β-glycoside of formula 2 could be obtained in high yield.

wherein each R1is the same or different and independently represents a benzylidene, 4-nitrobenzylidene or 4-methoxybenzylidene group and each R2is the same or different and independently represents a benzoyl, acetyl or pivaloyl group.

Preferably the reaction is carried out in the presence of a promoter.

Any conventional promoter as used in carbohydrate chemistry may be used.

The following promoters are particularly preferred:

The reaction is preferably carried out using dichloromethane as the solvent. Preferably the reaction time is 30 min.-1 hr.

The desired end product solasonine may be prepared by partially deprotecting the β-glycoside of formula 2 to give intermediate formula 3(1) and then selectively silylating one of the hydroxyl groups (OH-2 and OH-3) using tert-butyldimethylsilyl chloride, imidazole in DMF at 50° C.

However, due to the small selectivity between the OH-2 and OH-3 hydroxyl groups a mixture of OH-2 and OH-3 silylated protected β-glycosides are formed. The OH-3 silylated protected β-glycoside can mostly be precipitated from the mixture in methanol of the formula 3(2).

wherein each of R1is the same or different and represent independently from each other benzylidene, 4-nitrobenzylidene or 4-methoxybenzylidene,
R2is tert-butylsilyl or H and R3is H.

The OH-3 protected galactose-solasodine adduct is then glycosylated at the OH-2 with a suitable α-L-rhamnopyranosyl donor.

Suitable rhamnose donors include tri-O-benzolyl-α-rhamnopyranosly, tri-O-pivoloyl-L-rhamnopyranosyl, or tri-O-acetyl-4-L-rhamnopyranosyl bromides of formula 4

wherein each of R1is the same or different and independently represents acetyl, benzoyl or pivaloyl,
and R2is halogen or SEt, SPh

Deprotection of the tert-butylsilyl group at the OH-3 position using tetrabutylammonium flouride in THF and glycosidation with a suitable α-D-glucopyranosly donor,

wherein the D-gluco-pyranosyl donor is tetra-O-benzoyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl bromide, tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl bromide or tetra-O-pivoloyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl bromide, or a thio-glycoside of the general formula 5

wherein each of R1is the same or different an independently represents acetyl, benzoyl or pivaloyl and R2is halogen, SEt, SPh gives a fully protected solasonine of formula 6(1).

wherein each R1is the same or different and independently represents benzylidene, 4-nitrobenzyilidene or 4-methoxybenzylidene and each R2are the same or different and independently represent acetyl, benzoyl or pivaloyl.

The protected solasonine formula 6(1) may be de-acetalised using aqueous acetic acid at 70° C. and de-esterified using sodium methoxide in methanol/dichloromethane mixture to give the fully deprotected solasonine formula 6(2) where in R1and R2are H.