Two new triterpenoids from Gardenia jasminoides fruits

A new cycloartane triterpenoid, named gardenolic acid C (1), a new ursane triterpenoid, named 3β,16β,21β,23,24-pentahydroxy urs-12,18,20-trien-28-oic acid γ-lactone (2), together with three know triterpenoids, gardenolic acid A (3), gardenolic acid B (4), and 3α,16β,23,24-tetrahydroxy-28-nor-ursane-12,17,19,21-tetraen (5) were isolated from the fruits of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by analyses of spectroscopic data. All isolates were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects in vitro.

     

Myristigranol,a new diarylpropane derivative from the wood of Myristica fragrans

Myristigranol, a new diarylpropane derivative, was isolated from the methanol extract of Myristica fragrans wood along with one diarylpropanoid and three stilbenoids. The isolated constituents were exhaustingly identified using the analyses of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques and comparison of the literatures reported as well. The antioxidant activity was also determined.

     

New aurone epoxide and auronolignan from the heartwood of Cotinus coggygria Scop

New aurone epoxide, 2,10-oxy-10-methoxysulfuretin (14), and new auronolignan (15), named cotinignan A, were isolated by silica gel column and semipreparative HPLC chromatography from the methylene chloride/methanol extract of Cotinus coggygria Scop. heartwood. In addition, thirteen known secondary metabolites namely sulfuretin, 2,3-trans-fustin, fisetin, butin, butein, taxifolin, eriodictyol, 3',5,5',7–tetrahydroxyflavanone, 3',4',7-trihydroxyflavone, 3-O-methyl-2,3-trans-fustin, 3-O-galloyl-2,3-trans-fustin, β-resorcylic acid and 3-O-β-sitosterol glucoside were isolated as well. Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, IR and UV. Ten out of eleven isolated flavonoids possess 7, 3' and 4' hydroxy groups. These structural features could be considered as chemotaxonomic characteristic of flavonoids from C. coggygria. Cotinignan A (15) represents new subclass of secondary metabolites - auronolignans.

     

Susceptibly of Alphitobius diaperinus to Beauveria bassiana extracts

Alphitobius diaperinus is an important pathogen with worldwide distribution that causes severe economic loss of efficiency in broilers. This study evaluates the potential of organic extracts of two strains entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (CG71 and UNI40) as a biocontrol agent on A. diaperinus and promotes the phytochemical investigation. The effective percentages of mortalities were 95.97% (UNI40 methanolic extract), 69.23, 64.64, and 50.39% (CG 71 methanolic, ethyl acetate and butanol extracts). However, there was a decrease in the lesser mealworms susceptibility in relation to the use of insecticides and extracts. The metabolites 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furanoic acid, dipicolinic acid and monomethyl dipicolinate were isolated from ethyl acetate extract, and β-adenosine of butanolic extract of B. bassiana CG 71. In addition, the cyclodepsipeptides were identified in methanolic extracts of the two strains. The insecticide activity results indicated that the B. bassiana extracts are an alternative to A. diaperinus control.

     

GC-MS and LC-MS Identification of the Phenolic Compounds Present in the ethyl Acetate Fraction Obtained from Senna tora,L. Roxb. seeds

The aim of this work is to characterize the active constituents present in the ethyl acetate fraction of Senna tora, L. Roxb. seeds. Due to the fact that the main biological activity of S. tora, L seeds is attributed to its phenolic compounds which are mainly isolated from Ethyl acetate fraction, to avoid repetition of work and to save time, it was deemed necessary to confirm the identity of these phenolic compounds. This was done by GC-MS and LC-MS analysis of the ethyl acetate fraction where the structures of the isolated compounds were established on the basis of molecular ion peak and their fragmentation pattern. They were identified as Chrysophanol, Chrysarobin, 10-hydroxy-5-methoxy-2-methyl-1, 4-anthracenedione, Rubrofusarin, Parietin, Griseoxanthone-B, Isotorachrysone, and Cumbiasin B.

     

Phytotoxic metabolites by nine species of Botryosphaeriaceae involved in grapevine dieback in Australia and identification of those produced by Diplodia mutila,Diplodia seriata,Neofusicoccum australe and Neofusicoccum luteum

Botryosphaeria dieback is one of the main trunk diseases of grapevine caused by several species of Botryosphaeriaceae. Twenty-four fungal isolates representing the eight most widespread and most virulent Botryosphaeriaceae were tested for their ability to produce phytotoxic metabolites. The chromatographic profiles of their culture filtrates organic extracts showed the ability of all isolates to produce several and different metabolites. When tested on grapevine leaves and tomato cuttings the organic extracts phytotoxicity varied among isolates and species. To our knowledge, this is the first study on phytotoxic compounds produced by Botryosphaeriaceae species found in Australian vineyards. The phytotoxic metabolites produced by Diplodia seriata, Diplodia mutila, Neofusicoccum australe and, for the first time, by Neofusicoccum luteum were isolated and chemically identified essentially by spectroscopic methods.

     

Gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the screening of adulterants in seized captagon™ tablets

Background: Amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) are the second most popular illegal drugs used worldwide, after cannabis. The production of ATS has increased across the world, including the Middle East. Fenethylline (Captagon?), amphetamine derivative, sold as a street drug usually contains several adulterants and diluents. In Saudi Arabia, like other countries, samples of illicit ATS are submitted to laboratories to test for the adulterated compounds.

Objective: The objective of the proposed study was to apply gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for fenethylline profiling of seized samples collected from the Saudi market (n?=?55).

Methodology: The GC/MS analysis was performed on a general purpose column (30?m?×?0.25?mm i.d) coated with 0.25?µm cross bond, 5% diphenyl dimethyl polysiloxane (Rtx-5MS). The mass was operated in the electron impact mode.

Results and discussion: Analyzed samples gave positive results for amphetamine in the concentration range between 1.35% and 37.32% of the powder, caffeine in the range between 22.74 and 44.92%, in addition to different concentrations of levoglucosenone, theophylline, D-allose, lidocaine, methamphetamine, dextromethorphan, and other adulterants. Finally, the presence of other substances in fenethylline street samples could result in intoxication. This significantly contributes to the potential risk of drug addiction among public.     

Development of new and robust LC-MS method for simultaneous quantification of polyphenols from Sambucus ebulus fruits

A new and simple LC-MS method for analysis of flavonoids from Sambucus ebulus berry extracts was developed and validated. Successfully were quantitated seven polyphenols: epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, rutin, resveratrol, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol.

Two detectors, working in parallel, were used: photodiode-array and single quadrupole mass-detector. The mass detection was used for identification and quantification of the analytes, while the diode-array detector was as confirmation tool. The following m/z were tracked: 457.15 (epigallocatechin gallate); 289.06 (epicatechin); 609.13 (rutin); 227.05 (resveratrol); 317.0 (myricetin); 301.02 (quercetin); 285.02 (kaempferol). For optimization the chromatographic separation three wavelengths 205?nm, 305?nm, 272?nm were monitored. The method was capable to detect in one run compounds with no UV or fluorescence chromophore and with very similar structures, such as plant polyphenols. The linearity was from 0.05?mg/L to 50?mg/L (R² 0.9962–0.9987). The recoveries for all tested analytes were between 81.6% and 104.7%.

The method was applied for analysis of crude extract of Sambucus ebulus ripe fruits. Three major polyphenols – epicatechin (0.84?mg/100gFW), quercetin (0.15?mg/100gFW) and kaempferol (0.05?mg/100gFW) were identified and quantified.

The proposed method could be successfully used for routine analysis of epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin, rutin, resveratrol, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol in Sambucus ebulus extracts.     

Review: Inverse coordination. Inorganic open and cyclic nitrogen heteroatom molecules as coordination centers. A survey of molecular topologies

This review is a follow up to a previous article [I. Haiduc J. Coord. Chem. (2018) doi:10.1080/00958972.2018.1515429.] which illustrated the concept of inverse coordination with structures in which the coordination center is nitrogen alone (mono- and poly-nitrogen moieties). Here the open and cyclic heteroatom molecules with inorganic skeletons and nitrogen donor sites are presented. Organic nitrogen heterocycles will be treated in a further review.

     

A novel self-assembly based on double-layer zinc porphyrin sensitizers in supramolecular solar cell

Two new self-assemblies based on zinc porphyrin dyes ZnPx-ZnPA (x?=?1, 2) were synthesized and used for dye-sensitized solar cells. Capping layer dyes consist of zinc porphyrin (ZnP) as core unit and carbazole (P1), phenothiazine (P2) as electron-donating group. The dye ZnPA contains carboxylic group as an anchor porphyrin with upper dyes (denoted as ZnP1 and ZnP2) formed dyads by coordination bonds of Zn-to-ligand self-assembled devices. The assembly modes were also verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The influence of the upper porphyrins on molecular structure as well as photovoltaic performance was investigated via photophysical and electrochemical studies and calculations. With addition of the phenothiazine unit, the ZnP2-ZnPA possesses better light-harvesting capability with a significantly red-shifted Q-band. The photoelectrochemical efficiencies for ZnP2-ZnPA are better than those of ZnP1-ZnPA ascribed to larger J_sc and V_oc.

     

HPTLC coupled to ESI-Tandem MS for identifying phospholipids associated to membrane proteins in photosynthetic purple bacteria

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)-densitometry was directly combined with electrospray (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry for obtaining rapid and relevant structural identification of phospholipids (PL) species associated to membrane proteins (MP), in non-sulfur, purple bacteria having photosynthetic activity. Thus, species belonging to phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), cardiolipins (CL) and phosphatidylglycerols (PG) associated to MP were investigated in bacterial membrane extracts from Rhodobacter (Rb.) blasticus, Rhodospirillum (R.) rubrum and Rhodobaca (Rbc.) bogoriensis, as well as those which are bound to a purified MP-photosynthetic complex from Rbc. bogoriensis.

PL-classes were separated using a 7-step gradient-solvent sequence with a previous acid plate preconditioning, using Automated Multiple Development. Band zones of the plate corresponding to PL classes were selected to ensure their direct transfer to ion-trap MS equipment through an elution-based interface.

Under the studied conditions, ESI⁺-MS spectra of PC and CL mostly showed sodium adducts ([M?+?Na]⁺) and [M-2H?+?3Na]⁺, respectively, when recorded from the plate. The respective sodium adducts were fragmented in the ion-trap, and sodium remained as the charge of the fragment ions, thus being useful for their structural identification through MS/MS. ESI^--MS and MS/MS spectra of CL were also obtained as [M-2H]^2?, as well as those of PE and PG species as [M-H]^- and [M]^?, respectively.

In this way, relative composition profiles of each studied PL-class by ESI-MS, and further identification of individual PL and the molecular species belonging to each of them by MS/MS were obtained.     

An Expedient Approach for the Synthesis of 1-Alkyl-4-propionylpyrrolidin-2-ones

A simple and useful tandem addition–cyclization reaction of primary amines on a prepared α-functionalized propylvinyl ketone 3 in methanol at reflux is a promising route for the synthesis of a new family of 1-alkyl-4-propionylpyrrolidin-2-ones 4.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

Kinetic Study on Alpha-Form Crystallization of Mixed-Acid Triacylglycerols POP,PPO, and Their Mixture

The crystallization behavior of the metastable α form of triacylglycerols (TAGs) plays a critical role as a precursor for the crystallization of more stable β′ and β forms for various applications in food and pharmaceutical products. However, precise analysis of the crystallization kinetics of α has not been performed, likely due to its rapid and complex behavior. This paper presents the observation results of the initial stages of the isothermal crystallization kinetics of α forms of 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol (POP), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-3-oleoyl-rac-glycerol (rac-PPO), and molecular compound (MC) crystals of a POP/rac-PPO (1/1) mixture (MCPOP/PPO) using synchrotron radiation time-resolved X-ray diffraction and polarized optical microscopy. In all the TAGs, α crystals with a worm-like morphology started to grow rapidly in the first stage. Then, the α crystals slowly transformed into more stable forms in different manners for different TAG samples. In POP, the conversion was simple, as the α-2 form transformed into γ-3, whereas in rac-PPO, the lamellar distance values of the α-2 form continuously decreased with time and changed into the α-3 form. In the MCPOP/PPO crystals, in contrast, separate crystallization of α-2 of a rac-PPO fraction initially occurred, followed by the crystallization of α-2 of POP, and the two α forms merged into α-2 of MCPOP/PPO. This separate crystallization was caused by large differences in the crystallization kinetics of the α forms of POP and rac-PPO.     

TiCl4 Dissolved in Ionic Liquid Mixtures from Аb Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

To gain a deeper understanding of the TiCl4 solvation effects in multi-component ionic liquids, we performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium [C4C1Im]+, tetrafluoroborate [BF4]−, chloride [Cl]− both with and without water and titanium tetrachloride TiCl4. Complex interactions between cations and anions are observed in all investigated systems. By further addition of water and TiCl4 this complex interaction network is extended. Observations of the radial distribution functions and number integrals show that water and TiCl4 not only compete with each other to interact mainly with [Cl]−, which strongly influences the cation-[BF4]− interaction, but also interact with each other, which leads to the fact that in certain systems the cation-anion interaction is enhanced. Further investigations of the Voronoi polyhedra analysis have demonstrated that water has a greater impact on the nanosegregated system than TiCl4 which is also due to the fact of the shear amount of water relative to all other components and its higher mobility compared to TiCl4. Overall, the polar network of the IL mixture collapses by including water and TiCl4. In the case of [Cl]− chloride enters the water continuum, while [BF4]− remains largely unaffected, which deeply affects the interaction of the ionic liquid (IL) network.     

Synthesis of Supramolecular Organogels Derived from Urea and Bisurea Derivatives of Dehydroabietylamine

The gelation ability of diterpenes was investigated by applying aromatic linker steroid strategy. Four new mono (1) and bis-urea (2–4) derivatives of dehydroabietylamine (DAA) (a tricyclic diterpene amine) were synthesized on reaction of respective isocyanates with DAA and characterized through spectroscopic data. Three of these (1, 2, and 4) were obtained as low-molecular-weight organogelators that can form thermally reversible organogels.

Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for full experimental and spectral details.     

The role of 8-quinolinyl moieties in tuning the reactivity of palladium(II) complexes: a kinetic and mechanistic study

The rate and mechanism of chloride substitution from Pd(II) complexes, chlorobis-(2-pyridylmethyl)aminepalladium(II), 1, chloro-8-[(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]quinolinepalladium(II), 2, chloro-N-(2-pyridinylmethylene)-8-quinolinaminepalladium(II), 3, and chlorobis(8-quinolinyl)aminepalladium(II), 4, are reported. The labile chloride was substituted from the complexes by thiourea nucleophiles viz, thiourea (Tu), N,N′-dimethylthiourea (Dmtu) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylthiourea (Tmtu). The reactions were monitored under pseudo-first-order conditions in methanol using stopped-flow spectrophotometry as a function of concentration and temperature. All the reactions obeyed the rate law k_obs = k₂[Nu] following the order 1 > 3 > 2 > 4 with 4 exhibiting the slowest rate of substitution due to the stronger σ-donor effect of 8-quinolyl moiety of the coordinated ligand, which makes the Pd center more electron-rich. This slows the nucleophilic attack by the nucleophiles. The values of the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH^# and ΔS^#) support an associative substitution mechanism. The trends in the DFT calculated data support the experimentally observed order of the reactivity of the complexes.

     

ZnO–Bentonite nanocomposite: an efficient catalyst for discharge of dyes,phenol and Cr(VI) from water

The present work focused on application of ZnO-NPs@bentonite, as a catalyst, for disposal of different pollutants such as dyes, phenol compounds and Cr(VI) ions from water. The prepared ZnO–bentonite nanocomposite was characterized by using FT-IR, X-ray powder diffraction, and Scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results showed that the amount of zinc oxide influenced the catalytic performance of ZnO–bentonite nanocomposite. Small amounts of zinc oxide on bentonite have a positive effect whereas increase in weight ratios has a negative effect.