LEAPS-MPS: Innovative Platform to Access Hexocannabitriol and Analogs for Biological & Antioxidant Evaluation

In this project, funded by the MPS-LEAPS (Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways) Program and managed by the Division of Chemistry (CHE), Professor Camelio and her students at the University of Michigan-Flint will perform studies focused on the development of a chemical synthesis strategy to access a newly isolated natural product, hexocannabitriol. To address gaps in fundamental knowledge regarding the activity of this newly isolated, biologically relevant natural compound, Professor Camelio and her students will synthesize hexocannabitriol and analogs with varying structural differences. The synthesized natural product and corresponding analogs will then be evaluated for biological activity through interdepartmental collaborations. This will expand the current understanding of hexocannabitriol and analogs potentially uncover novel modes of activity. In addition, undergraduate students will be trained in synthetic organic chemistry and biological studies providing students the opportunity to participate in a collaborative interdepartmental research program covering different areas of chemistry. Professor Camelio and her students will synthesize hexocannabitriol and related analogs in a modular approach. This project will investigate a one-pot protocol to install multiple critical functional groups within a single operation, and enables the potential to rapidly synthesize a library of molecules related to hexocannabitriol. Ultimately, the natural product, hexocannabitriol, and relevant analogs will be evaluated to 1) determine the ability to induce the Nrf2 pathway; 2) determine the efficacy as potential antioxidants; and 3) evaluate the potential for use as antimicrobial agents. This project involves interdepartmental collaborations to further the understanding on a new class of natural compounds, and to generate key fundamental knowledge. The research into this new natural product, and its novel synthetic analogs, could have broader impact in development of innovative bioactive compounds. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.