Synthesis and antiphospholipase activity of 3,5-disubstituted thiotetronic acid derivatives

The condensation of 3-acetyltetrahydrothiophene-2,4-dione with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of piperidine as a catalyst gave a series of 5-arylmethylidene-3-acetyltetrahydrothiophene-2,4-diones. The reaction with excess aldehyde (2.5 equiv) led to the formation of bis-condensation products, 5-arylmethylidene-3-(3-aryl-1-oxoprop-2-enyl)tetrahydrothiophene-2,4-diones. Analogous 3,5-disubstituted tetrahydrothiophene-2,4-dione derivatives with different aryl groups in the ring and the side chain were synthesized by two-step condensation with the use of differently substituted aromatic aldehydes. Catalytic hydrogenation of both mono-and bis-adducts resulted in the reduction of the side-chain double C=C bond, while ionic hydrogenation with triethylsilane in trifluoroacetic acid in the presence of lithium perchlorate involved both the double C=C bond and carbonyl group in the side chain. The isolated products showed an appreciable effect on the activity of two secretory phospholipases A 2 from various sources.