Conformational analysis and complete assignment of the proton and carbon NMR spectra of ouabain and ouabagenin

Abstract

The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of the cardenolide ouabain and its aglycon ouabagenin have been completely assigned by two-dimensional NMR techniques, including phase-sensitive COSY and carbon–proton correlation (HETCOR, HMQC, and COLOC) spectra. The major conformer of these two compounds in solution is all-chair as determined from proton–proton coupling constants and is similar to that in the crystal lattice as previously determined by X-ray diffraction. The conformations of the A and D rings of ouabain in water are somewhat different than in DMSO/CDCl3 (2:1). At lower temperatures (−20 °C) signals from two conformers in slow exchange were readily observed in the 13C spectra, with an approximate ratio of 1:7. Molecular mechanics and dynamics calculations indicate that the conformational process responsible for this involves a chair/twist-boat interconversion of the A ring, with the all-chair conformer highly preferred. Keywords: ouabain, conformational analysis, 2-D NMR, molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics.