Umbelliferone aminoalkyl derivatives, a new class of squalene-hopene cyclase inhibitors

The synthesis is described of several aminoalkyl derivatives of coumarin, obtained in good yields under microwave or high-intensity ultrasound irradiation. These compounds proved uniformly active as inhibitors of squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) from Alicyclobacilhis acidocaldarius. Their design stemmed from our recent finding that the umbelliferone nucleus acquires inhibitory properties towards SHC when functionalized with a suitable chain such as the omega-epoxyfarnesyl group. Under our experimental conditions the most active ones, such as 7-(4'-allyimethylamino-but-2-ynyloxy)chromen-2-one (IC50 0.75 mM), approached the potency of anticholesteremic drug Ro 48-8071 (IC50 0.35 mM), an effective inhibitor of both squalene- and oxidosqualene-cyclases (OSC). Tests are in progress to determine their efficacy on different eukaryotic OSCs. (C) 2004 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.