Horse chestnut (Aesculus chinensis) is an important medicinal tree that contains various bioactive compounds, such as aescin, barrigenol-type triterpenoid saponins (BAT), and aesculin, a glycosylated coumarin. Herein, we report a 470.02 Mb genome assembly and characterize an Aesculus-specific whole-genome duplication event, which leads to the formation and duplication of two triterpenoid biosynthesis-related gene clusters (BGCs). We also show that AcOCS6, AcCYP716A278, AcCYP716A275, and AcCSL1 genes within these two BGCs along with a seed-specific expressed AcBAHD6 are responsible for the formation of aescin. Furthermore, we identify seven Aesculus-originated coumarin glycoside biosynthetic genes and achieve the de novo synthesis of aesculin in E. coli. Collinearity analysis shows that the collinear BGC segments can be traced back to early-diverging angiosperms, and the essential gene-encoding enzymes necessary for BAT biosynthesis are recruited before the splitting of Aesculus, Acer, and Xanthoceras. These findings provide insight on the evolution of gene clusters associated with medicinal tree metabolites.

An environmentally benign decarboxylative cyclization in water has been developed to synthesize 4-quinolones from readily available isatoic anhydrides and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. Isatins are also compatible for the reaction to generate 4-quinolones in the presence of TBHP in DMSO. This protocol provides excellent yields under mild conditions for a broad scope of 4-quinolones, and has good functional group tolerance. Only un-harmful carbon dioxide and water are released in this procedure. Moreover, the newly synthesized products have also been selected for anti-malarial examination against the chloroquine drug-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain. 3u is found to display excellent anti-malarial activity with an IC₅₀ value of 33 nM.

Polycyclic quinazolinones and rutaecarpine were synthesized from isatoic anhydrides and cyclic amines through an electrochemical method without an external oxidant and transition-metal-catalyst.