A METHOD OF PREPARING A LIQUIRITIGENIN PRECURSOR

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a process suitable for mass-producing of iso-liquiritigenin.

[Solution] A process for preparing iso-liquiritigenin, which comprises steps of coupling a 4-alkoxycinnamic acid represented by formula (I) with a 1,3-alkoxybenzene represented by formula (II) through the Friedel-Crafts reaction (A) to synthesize a tri-alkoxy-iso-liquiritigenin represented by formula (III), to crystallize out the reaction product, and eliminating the protecting groups therefrom to obtain iso-liquiritigenin, represented by formula (IV). The iso-liquiritigenin (IV), is administered as a precursor for liquiritigenin represented by formula (V) to the body, thereby obtaining in vivo a pharmacological effect of the () isomer of liquiritigenin.

Claims

1. A method of preparing liquiritigenin precursor, which comprises steps of coupling a 4-alkoxy-cinnamic acid represented by the formula (I) with a 1,3-alkoxy benzene represented by the formula (II) through the Friedel-Crafts reaction (A) to synthesize a tri-alkoxy-iso-represented by formula (III), to crystallize out the reaction product, and eliminating the protecting groups therefrom to obtain iso-liquiritigenin represented by formula (IV). ##STR00004##

2. The method of preparing liquiritigenin precursor according to claim 1, wherein R is methyl in the protecting group RO of formulas (I), (II) and (III). ##STR00005##

3. A method of preparing liquiritigenin which comprises a cultivation step of iso-liquiritigenin (IV) in an aqueous solution of an acidic organic acid mainly composed of an organic acid to obtain liquiritigenin (V). ##STR00006##

Description

THE SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 shows reaction diagrams illustrating the first reaction (A) and the second reaction (B) indicating an example of iso-liquiritigenin according to the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 shows a reaction diagram illustrating an example of producing liquiritigenin by a conventional first method.

[0015] FIG. 3 shows a reaction diagram illustrating an example of producing a liquiritigenin by a conventional second method.

THE EMBODIMENT OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention in the Examples.

Example 1

[0017] ##STR00001##

[0018] 4-methoxy cinnamic acid (formula (Ia) of 10 g was dissolved in anhydrous methylene chloride of 50 mL with dimethylformamide of 0.25 ml, and then oxalyl chloride of 9.6 mL was added dropwise over 10 minutes at a room temperature, taking care of foaming. After 2 hours of stirring the mixture as it is, at a room temperature, the solvent was removed under a reduced pressure. To the resulting residue, 1,3-dimethoxy-benzene (II a) of 7.4 mL and anhydrous ether of 200 ml were added. In an ice bath, a catalyst anhydrous aluminum trichloride powder of 22.4 g was slowly added to the mixture over a period of 15 minutes. After being left to stand overnight at a room temperature, the content was dropped onto ice (500 g) and 6M hydrochloric acid of 10 mL was added. After the ice dissolved, the mixture was subjected to extraction with ethyl acetate (300 mL) four times. The extract was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, and concentrated under a reduced pressure and the residue was crystallized out with ether-hexane mixture to give a crystal product (III a) of 14.2 g. Yield 85% .sup.1H-NMR (CDCl.sub.3) 7.73 (1H, d, J=8.1 Hz), 7.64 (1H, d, J=15.1 Hz), 7.54 (2H, d, J=7.7 Hz), 7.38 (1H, d, J=15.1 Hz), 6.90 (2H, d, J=7.7 Hz), 6.55 (1H, brd, J=8.1 Hz), 6.49 (1H, brs), 3.89 (3H, s), 3.85 (3H, s), 3.83 (3H, s).

##STR00002##

[0019] The above product of 3 g was dissolved in methylene chloride of 60 mL and the solution was dropped into 1 M BBr.sub.3 methylene chloride solution at 0 C. The mixture was raised to a room temperature and was stirred as it is for two days. The ice-cold water of 700 mL containing a Senietto salt of 34 g and methanol of 350 mL were added thereto, and the mixture was stirred at a room temperature overnight. The resulting yellow solution was extracted twice with ethyl acetate, washed with 1 M Seignette salt (Potassium sodium tartrate)-saturated brine, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, and concentrated. The residue was crystallized from ether-hexane, to obtain the desired product (IV) of 1.95 g. The mother liquor again were crystallized with ether-hexane to give the second crystal object of 0.59 g. Total Yield 98% .sup.1H-NMR (acetone-d.sub.6) 13.5 (1H, s), 8.10 (1H, d, J=8.3 Hz), 7.82 (1H, d, J=15.4 Hz), 7.74 (1H, d, J=15.4 Hz), 7.72 (2H, d, J=8.2 Hz), 6.90 (2H, d, J=8.2 Hz), 6.44 (1H, dd, J=8.3 and 1.7 Hz), 6.34 (1H, d, J=1.7 Hz).

[0020] The desired product iso-liquiritigenin were tested for acute toxicity in Japan Food Analysis Center and it was confirmed that there is no toxicity.

Example 2

[0021] ##STR00003##

[0022] The starting material of 200 mg (Formula IV) was added to a citric acid aqueous solution adjusted at pH 2 to about pH 4, stirred, and after well dispersed, allowed to stand for one day and night at a room temperature. The suspension was concentrated to obtain the crude crystals (Formula V) by crystallization with ether. The analysis values are as follows, It was confirmed that a part of the starting material (Formula IV) was converted to liquiritigenin ().

[0023] 1H-NMR (DMSO-d.sub.6) 9.65 (1H, brs), 7.58 (1H, m), 7.27 (2H, m), 6.74 (2H, m), 6.45 (1H, m), 6.28 (1 H, m), 5.39 (1 H, brd, J=11.6 Hz), 3.65 (1 H, brt, J=15.0 Hz), 2.58 (1 H, brd, J=15.7 Hz).

Example 3

[0024] A soft drink TM Longevity Challenge of 50 ml is pH3.9 and mainly composed of Indigestible dextrin, N-acetyl-glucosamine, dextrin, chitin oligosaccharides, chitosan olgosaccharldes, lactic acid, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C): soled by International Medical Institute Corporation. So, iso-liquiritigenin of about 100-2000 times of the dose:(effective amount for a mouse) was added to the soft drink as shown in the suppression action on liquiritigenin of cancer cells. Table 2 described in the patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,394 to form a supplement for immune enhancement.

[0025] According to Table 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,394, the pharmacological effect at the amount of liquiritigenin () of 10 g/ml, will be predicted as shown in 96.08% against human liver cancer cells SMMC7721, 73.76% against human poorly differentiated gastric cancer line BOC-823, 64.40% against human early young grain cell leukemia cells HL-60, although somewhat less 35.06% against human lung cancer cells A549.