Efficient Synthesis of Frutinone A and Its Derivatives through Palladium-Catalyzed CH Activation/Carbonylation

Frutinone A, a biologically active ingredient of an antimicrobial herbal extract, demonstrates potent inhibitory activity towards the CYP1A2 enzyme. A three-step total synthesis of frutinone A with an overall yield of 44 % is presented. The construction of the chromone-annelated coumarin core was achieved through palladium-catalyzed CH carbonylation of 2-phenolchromones. The straightforward synthetic route allowed facile substitutions around the frutinone A core and thus rapid exploration of the structure–activity relationship (SAR) profile of the derivatives. The inhibitory activity of the synthesized frutinone A derivatives were determined for CYP1A2, and ten compounds exhibited one-to-two digit nanomolar inhibitory activity towards the CYP1A2 enzyme.