To study the biosynthesis of the pseudotrisaccharide antibiotic, validamycin A (1), a number of potential precursors of the antibiotic were synthesized in (2)H-, (3)H-, or (13)C-labeled form and fed to cultures of Streptomyces hygroscopicus var. limoneus. The resulting validamycin A from each of these feeding experiments was isolated, purified and analyzed by liquid scintillation counting, (2)H- or (13)C NMR or selective ion monitoring mass spectrometry (SIM-MS) techniques. The results demonstrate that 2-epi-5-epi-valiolone (9) is specifically incorporated into 1 and labels both cyclitol moieties. This suggests that 9 is the initial cyclization product generated from an open-chain C(7) precursor, D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate (5), by a DHQ synthase-like cyclization mechanism. A more proximate precursor of 1 is valienone (11), which is also incorporated into both cyclitol moieties. The conversion of 9 into 11 involves first epimerization to 5-epi-valiolone (10), which is efficiently incorporated into 1, followed by dehydration, although a low level of incorporation of 2-epi-valienone (15) is also observed. Reduction of 11 affords validone (12), which is also incorporated specifically into 1, but labels only the reduced cyclitol moiety. The mode of introduction of the nitrogen atom linking the two pseudosaccharide moieties is not clear yet. 7-Tritiated valiolamine (8), valienamine (2), and validamine (3) were all not incorporated into 1, although each of these amines has been isolated from the fermentation, with 3 being most prevalent. Demonstration of in vivo formation of [7-(3)H]validamine ([7-(3)H]-3) from [7-(3)H]-12 suggests that 3 may be a pathway intermediate and that the nonincorporation of [7-(3)H]-3 into 1 is due to a lack of cellular uptake. We thus propose that 3, formed by amination of 12, and 11 condense to form a Schiff base, which is reduced to the pseudodisaccharide unit, validoxylamine A (13). Transfer of a D-glucose unit to the 4'-position of 13 then completes the biosynthesis of 1. Other possibilities for the mechanism of formation of the nitrogen bridge between the two pseudosaccharide units are also discussed.

A simple, rapid, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to quantify troxerutin in human plasma. The analyte and rutin, used as the internal standard, were analyzed on a Phenomenex Synergi Fusion RP column interfaced with a triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer using positive electrospray ionization. Acetonitrile/water (20:80 v/v) was used as the isocratic mobile phase, with 0.1% formic acid in water. A simple sample preparation method of protein precipitation with perchloric acid was employed. The assay was linear over the concentration range 31.25-4000 pg/mL. Correlation coefficients generated by linear regression with a 1/x(2) weighting factor ranged from 0.9991 to 0.9996. The intra- and inter-day precision over the entire concentration range were less than 12.28%. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of a 300 mg troxerutin drop pill to 18 healthy volunteers.

To investigate the biosynthetic pathway to the cyclitol moieties of acarbose and validamycin A, [7‐3H]valienamine, [7‐3H]valienone, [7‐3H]valiolamine and [7‐3H]valiolone were synthesized as plausible precursors. Valienamine together with validamine was isolated from the degradation of validamycin A by Flavobacterium saccharophilum and served as starting material for the synthesis. Validamine was removed partially at the stage of tritylation and completely after the oxidation of the primary hydroxy group at C‐7 to the aldehyde. The resulting valienamine aldehyde was reduced with tritiated sodium borohydride to produce [7‐3H]valienamine. The latter was converted to [7‐3H]valiolamine by a synthetic route described in the literature. The 3H‐labeled amines were oxidized to [7‐3H]valienone and [7‐3H]valiolone, respectively, using 3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐1,2‐bezoquinone (DBQ) followed by hydrolysis with oxalic acid. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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