An efficient one‐pot enzymatic synthesis of cardiac glycosides with varied sugar chain lengths (average yield >80%) was carried out through sequential glycosylation using a steroid glycosyltransferase UGT74AN3 from Catharanthus roseus and a cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Bacillus licheniformis. A series of cardiac glycosides were obtained and showed enhanced affinity and selectivity for inhibition of the α2 isoform of Na+/K+‐ATPase. These findings demonstrate the significant potential of the one‐pot biocatalytic approach in the synthesis of diverse cardiac glycosides as potentially safer cardiotonic agents.

Contributing to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) clinical treatment, a drug library encompassing approximately 3,142 clinical-stage or FDA-approved small molecules is profiled to identify the candidate therapeutic inhibitors targeting nucleocapsid protein (N) and spike protein (S) of SARS-CoV-2. 16 screened candidates with higher binding affinity are evaluated via virtual screening. Comparing to those under trial/temporarily used antivirus drugs (i.e., umifenovir, lopinavir), ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and cefuroxime show higher binding affinities to the N-terminal domain of N protein (N-NTD), C-terminal domain of N protein (N-CTD), and receptor-binding domain of S protein (S-RBD). Cefotaxime and cefuroxime have high binding affinities towards S-RBD with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) complex via influence the critical interface sites at the interface of S-RBD (Arg 403 , Tyr 453 , Trp 495 , Gly 496 , Phe 497 , Asn 501 and Tyr 505 ) and ACE2 (Asn 33 , His 34 , Glu 37 , Asp 38 , Lys 353 , Ala 386 , Ala 387 , Gln 388 , Pro 389 , Phe 390 and Arg 393 ) complex.

Puerarin (PU) is the most abundant isoflavone from the root of Pueraria lobata and exhibits a broad range of pharmacological activities. However, poor water solubility and low bioavailability limit its use. Enzymatic transglycosylation is emerging as a new strategy to improve the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of natural products for drug development. In this study, three PU glucosides (PU-G, PU-2G, and PU-3G) were synthesized by using a cyclodextrin glucanotransferase from Bacillus licheniformis with PU as the acceptor and α-cyclodextrin as the sugar donor. The transglycosylation products were isolated and structurally identified by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. The water solubilities of PU-G, PU-2G, and PU-3G were 15.6, 100.9, and 179.1 times higher than that of PU, respectively. Moreover, the antiosteoporosis activities of these glucosides were tested, and PU-G was found to show much more potent antiosteoporosis activity as compared to the original PU.

To enhance the structural diversity of isoflavonoids and provide more derivatives for the biological screening, a semisynthetic mixture was generated by diversification of the crude extract of Radix puerariae (Pueraria montana var. lobata) through the chemical reaction with hydrazine hydrate. Eleven 3,4‐diarylpyrazoles (1–11) and two 5‐phenyl‐6‐benzyldihydropyridazinones (12 and 13) were isolated from the semisynthetic mixture, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods in combination with X‐ray crystallographic analysis. Among them, nine compounds (5–13) were new derivatives. All the compounds were evaluated on the inhibitory activities against the prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC3. Compounds 12 and 13 were found to exhibit much more potent inhibitory activities against the androgen dependent LNCaP cells than the androgen independent PC3 cells. Rapid synthesis of new 3,4‐diarylpyrazoles and two 5‐phenyl‐6‐benzyldihydropyridazinones with significant biological activity highlights the great potential of one‐pot combinatorial modification for the diversification of natural products.