The phenylspirodrimanes (PSDs) from Stachybotrys
chartarum represent a structurally diverse group of
meroterpenoids, which, on the one hand, exhibit a structural exclusivity
since their occurrence is not known for any other species and, on
the other hand, offer access to chemically and biologically active
compounds. In this study, phenylspirodrimanes 1–3 were isolated from S. chartarum and their water-mediated Cannizzaro-type transformation was investigated
using quantum chemical DFT calculations substantiated by LC-MS and
NMR experiments. Considering the inhibitory activity of PSDs against
proteolytic enzymes and their modulatory effect on plasminogen, PSDs 1–3 were used as a starting material for
the synthesis of their corresponding biologically active lactams.
To access the library of the PSD derivatives and screen them against
physiologically relevant serine proteases, a microscale semisynthetic
approach was developed. This allowed us to generate the library of
35 lactams, some of which showed the inhibitory activity against physiologically
relevant serine proteases such as thrombin, FXIIa, FXa, and trypsin.
Among them, the agmatine-derived lactam 16 showed the
highest inhibitory activity against plasma coagulation factors and
demonstrated the anticoagulant activity in two plasma coagulation
tests. The semisynthetic lactams were significantly less toxic compared
to their parental natural PSDs.