L’addition nucléophile des réactifs de Grignard sur les nitriles conduit généralement aux cétones après hydrolyse acide. La double addition, menant à des carbinamines tertiaires après traitement, est beaucoup plus difficile et ne s’effectue habituellement qu’avec les organomagnésiens allyliques. Dans ce contexte, nous avons découvert que les organomagnésiens peuvent effectuer une double addition sur la fonction nitrile des acylcyanhydrines, pour fournir des hydroxyamides. Cette réaction est originale par le fait qu’une large gamme d’organomagnésiens peut être utilisée, dans des conditions particulièrement douces. Cette réaction a été appliquée à la synthèse de différents acides α-aminés α,α-disubstitués, par oxydation de la fonction alcool et hydrolyse du motif amide. La divinylglycine a notamment pu être préparée avec un bon rendement. L’addition successive de deux organomagnésiens différents a aussi pu être réalisée, après optimisation des conditions de réaction, pour accéder à des hydroxyamides disymétriques, précurseurs d’acides aminés quaternaires chiraux. Enfin, l’addition des réactifs de Grignard sur les 3-cyano iminocoumarines N-éthoxycarbonylées a été étudiée. Malgré la présence de nombreux sites électrophiles, la réaction est très chimiosélective, et des chromènes originaux substitués en position 4 ont été obtenus. Les propriétés antifongiques et antibactériennes de ces derniers ont été évaluées. / The nucleophilic addition of Grignard reagents on nitriles generally leads to ketones after acidic hydrolysis. The double addition, providing tertiary carbinamines after work-up, is more difficult and usually occurs only with allylic Grignard reagents. In this context, we discovered that Grignard reagents can perform a double addition on the nitrile function of acyl cyanohydrins, to provide hydroxyamides. This reaction is original by the fact that a wide range of Grignard reagents can be used, in particularly mild conditions. This reaction has been applied to the synthesis of different α,α-disubstituted α-aminoacids, by oxidation of the alcohol functionality and hydrolysis of the amide moiety. Especially, divinylglycine has been prepared in good yield. The successive addition of two different Grignard reagents was also carried out, after optimization of reaction conditions, to access unsymmetrical hydroxyamides, which are precursors of chiral quaternary aminoacids. Finally, the addition of the Grignard reagents on N-ethoxycarbonyl 3-cyano-iminocoumarines was studied. Despite the presence of several electrophilic centers, the reaction is highly chemoselective, and novel chromenes displaying substituent on position 4 were obtained. The antifungal and antibacterial properties of these compounds have been evaluated.

As a part of the continuing search for bioactive compounds with the Madagascar International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG), and in collaboration with the Natural Products Discovery Institute of the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research (IHVR), thirteen plant extracts were investigated for antiplasmodial activity, thirteen plant extracts were investigated for antiproliferative activity, and one extract was investigated for inhibitors of the shikimate pathway in Plasmodium falciparum. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the extracts led to the identification of nineteen compounds with both antiplasmodial and antiproliferative activity, and thirteen compounds with only antiproliferative activity. Thirteen of these compounds (2.1 – 2.9, 3.3, 3.4, 4.5, and 5.1) were previously unknown. In addition total synthesis was used to confirm the structure of one new compound (4.5) and two other new natural-product like compounds (4.6 and 4.7) were also synthesized and investigated for antiplasmodial activity. / Ph. D. / Plants have a long history of producing compounds (Natural Products) that have been used as medicines. This dissertation focuses on the isolation of potential anticancer and antimalarial natural products from plants and their structure determination. The isolation of compounds was aided by the use of cell-based bioassays to determine the inhibition of cell growth. Growth inhibition of human ovarian cancer cells (the A2780 cell line) was used to test for potential anticancer activity, and growth inhibition of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum was used to test for potential antimalarial activity. Twenty-seven plant extracts from two different plant libraries were found to have biological activity in one of these bioassays, and bioassay-guided isolation performed on nine of these extracts led to the isolation of thirteen new compounds and fourteen known compounds. The isolation, structure determination, and biological evaluation of all isolated compounds are discussed in this work.

O extrato bruto (DCM:MeOH 2:1) das raízes de Piper crassinervium foi submetido a fracionamentos cromatográficos resultando no isolamento e identificação de oito substâncias, sendo estas uma flavanona (5,4\'-diidroxi-7-metoxiflavanona [isosakuranetina]), duas hidroquinonas preniladas (1,4-diidroxi-2-[3\',7\'-dimetil-1\'-oxo-2\'-E-6\'-octadienil]-benzeno e 1,4-diidroxi-2-[3\',7\'-dimetil-1\'-oxo-2\'-Z-6\'-octadienil]-benzeno), um cromeno (ácido-2-metil-2-[4\'-metil-3\'-pentenil]2H-1-benzopirano-6-carboxílico), um derivado prenilado do ácido benzóico (ácido 4-hidroxi-3-[3\',7\'-dimetil-1\'-oxo-octa-2\'-E-6\'-dienil]-benzóico), uma amida isobutílica (piperlonguminina) e duas amidas piperidínicas (piperina e diidropiperina). As substâncias isoladas tiveram suas estruturas químicas determinadas por experimentos de espectrometria de massas, RMN de 1H e 13C e comparadas com os dados da literatura. / The crude extracts of the roots of Piper crassinervium was submitted to chromatographic steps yielding eight compounds including a flavanone (5,4\'-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone [isosakuranetin]), two prenylated hydroquinones (1,4-dihydroxy-2-[3\',7\'-dimethyl-1\'-oxo-2\'-E-6\'-octadienyl]-benzene and 1,4-dihydroxy-2-[3\',7\'-dimethyl-1\'-oxo-2\'-Z-6\'-octadienyl]-benzene), one chromene (2-methyl-2-[4\'-methyl-3\'-pentenyl]-2H-1-benzopyran-6-carboxylic acid), one prenylated derivative of benzoic acid (4-hydroxy-3-[3\',7\'-dimethil-1\'-oxo]2\'-E-6\'-octadienyl-benzoic acid), one isobutyl amide (piperlonguminine) and two piperidine amides (piperine and dihydropiperine). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR data by comparison with the literature data.

O extrato bruto (DCM:MeOH 2:1) das raízes de Piper crassinervium foi submetido a fracionamentos cromatográficos resultando no isolamento e identificação de oito substâncias, sendo estas uma flavanona (5,4\'-diidroxi-7-metoxiflavanona [isosakuranetina]), duas hidroquinonas preniladas (1,4-diidroxi-2-[3\',7\'-dimetil-1\'-oxo-2\'-E-6\'-octadienil]-benzeno e 1,4-diidroxi-2-[3\',7\'-dimetil-1\'-oxo-2\'-Z-6\'-octadienil]-benzeno), um cromeno (ácido-2-metil-2-[4\'-metil-3\'-pentenil]2H-1-benzopirano-6-carboxílico), um derivado prenilado do ácido benzóico (ácido 4-hidroxi-3-[3\',7\'-dimetil-1\'-oxo-octa-2\'-E-6\'-dienil]-benzóico), uma amida isobutílica (piperlonguminina) e duas amidas piperidínicas (piperina e diidropiperina). As substâncias isoladas tiveram suas estruturas químicas determinadas por experimentos de espectrometria de massas, RMN de 1H e 13C e comparadas com os dados da literatura. / The crude extracts of the roots of Piper crassinervium was submitted to chromatographic steps yielding eight compounds including a flavanone (5,4\'-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone [isosakuranetin]), two prenylated hydroquinones (1,4-dihydroxy-2-[3\',7\'-dimethyl-1\'-oxo-2\'-E-6\'-octadienyl]-benzene and 1,4-dihydroxy-2-[3\',7\'-dimethyl-1\'-oxo-2\'-Z-6\'-octadienyl]-benzene), one chromene (2-methyl-2-[4\'-methyl-3\'-pentenyl]-2H-1-benzopyran-6-carboxylic acid), one prenylated derivative of benzoic acid (4-hydroxy-3-[3\',7\'-dimethil-1\'-oxo]2\'-E-6\'-octadienyl-benzoic acid), one isobutyl amide (piperlonguminine) and two piperidine amides (piperine and dihydropiperine). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR data by comparison with the literature data.