Chemical Constituents of Ligusticum sinensis Oliv.

The new phenylpropanoid diglycoside ligusinenoside A ( 1 ), and the two new 8,4′‐oxyneolignan(‘8‐O‐4′‐neolignan’) diglycosides ligusinenosides B ( 2 ) and C ( 3 ), together with nine known compounds, were isolated from the rhizomes of Ligusticum sinensis Oliv. The structures of 1 – 3 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses.     

Flavones and Cytotoxic Constituents from the Stem Bark of Muntingia Calabura

Two new flavones, 8‐hydroxy‐7,3′,4′,5′‐tetramethoxyflavone and 8,4′‐dihydroxy‐7,3′,5′‐trimethoxyflavone, together with thirteen known compounds have been isolated from the stem bark of Muntingia calabura. The structures of two new compounds were determined through spectral analyses. Among the isolates, 8‐hydroxy‐7,3′,4′,5′‐tetramethoxyflavone, 8,4′‐dihydroxy‐7,3′,5′‐trimethoxyflavone, and 3‐hydroxy‐1‐(3,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)propan‐1‐one exhibited effective cytotoxicities (ED₅₀ values = 3.56, 3.71, and 3.27 μg/mL, respectively) against the P‐388 cell line in vitro.     

Ultra‐fast adenosine 5′‐triphosphate,adenosine 5′‐diphosphate and adenosine 5′‐monophosphate detection by pressure‐assisted capillary electrophoresis UV detection

Herein, we report a new CE method to measure adenine nucleotides adenosine 5′‐triphosphate, adenosine 5′‐diphosphate, and adenosine 5′‐monophosphate in red blood cells. For this purpose, 20 mmol/L sodium acetate buffer at pH 3.80 was used as running electrolyte, and the separation was performed by the simultaneous application of a CE voltage of 25 kV and an overimposed pressure of 0.2 psi from inlet to outlet. A rapid separation of these analytes in less than 1.5 min was obtained with a good reproducibility for intra‐ and inter‐assay (CV<4 and 8%, respectively) and an excellent analytical recovery (from 98.3 to 99%). The applicability of our method was proved by measuring adenine nucleotides in red blood cells.     

The Reaction of 3-Arylsydnone-4-Carbohydroximic Acid Chlorides with Active Methylene Compounds (II)

In the presence of triethylamine, 3-arylsydnone-4-carbohydroximic acid chlorides react not only with active methylene compounds containing keto groups to give 3-aryl-4-(4′,5′-disubstituted-isoxazol-3′-yl)sydnones, but also with compounds containing cyano groups to produce 3-aryl-4-(4′-substituted-5′-aminoisoxazol-3′-yl)sydnones or 3-aryl-4-(4′-cyano-5′-substituted-isoxazol-3′-yl)sydnones.     

Acid?Base Properties of Adenosine 5′‐Monophosphate,Guanosine 5′‐Monophosphate,and Inosine 5′‐Monophosphate in Aqueous Solutions of Methanol

The protonation constants of adenosine 5′‐monophosphate, guanosine 5′‐monophosphate, and inosine 5′‐monophosphate were determined in binary mixtures of H₂O containing 0, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50% MeOH, using a combination of potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods at a constant temperature (25°) and constant ionic strength (0.1 mol?dm^?3 NaClO₄). The protonation constants were analyzed using the normalized polarity parameter (E ), and Kamlet, Abboud, and Taft (KAT) parameters. A linear correlation of log K vs. the normalized polarity parameter was obtained. Dual‐parameter correlation of log K vs. π* (dipolarity/polarizability) and α (H‐bond‐donor acidity), as well as π* and β (H‐bond‐acceptor basicity) also gives good results in various aqueous organic solvent mixtures. Finally, the results are discussed in terms of the effect of solvent on the protonation equilibria.     

Flavonoid Constituents from Spiraea brahuica

Sparins A–C ( 1 – 3 , resp.), three new flavonoids, were isolated from the CHCl₃ subfraction of the EtOH extract of the whole plant of Spiraea brahuica, along with 3′,7‐di‐O‐methylquercetin ( 4 ) and luteolin 7‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 5 ), reported for the first time from this species. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques including MS and 2D‐NMR spectroscopy.     

New Biphenyl Constituents from Garcinia oblongifolia

Four new biphenyl derivatives, oblongifoliagarcinines A–D ( 1 – 4 ), were isolated on the chemical investigation of the stems and leaves of Garcinia oblongifolia. The structures of 1 – 4 were established on the basis of 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR and other spectroscopic analyses.     

The Reaction of 3-Arylsydnone-4-Carbohydroximic Acid Chlorides with Active Methylene Compounds

3-Arylsydnone-4-carbohydroximic acid chlorides react with compounds containing activated methylene groups in the presence of bases to give 3-aryl-4-(4′,5′-disubstituted-iso-xazol-3′-yl)sydnones which have not been reported in the literature. All the products were obtained in good yields, and their structures were confirmed by spectral analysis and elemental analysis.     

反相离子对色谱法分析3′, 5′反向寡核苷酸

3′,5′反向寡核苷酸是碱基组成和长度完全相同、碱基顺序相反的两个寡核苷酸序列。以三乙胺为离子对试剂,研究了缓冲液浓度(0.025～0.15 mol/L)、pH (5.0～6.8)、柱温(25～45 ℃)、流速(0.3～0.7 mL/min)以及不同初始洗脱强度和洗脱梯度条件下,6个3′,5′反向寡核苷酸模拟样品保留和分离的变化特点。三组反向序列在缓冲液浓度为0.05 mol/L,pH 6.8和流速0.4 mL/min条件下获得最大分离,温度对分离的影响不大,而初始洗脱强度对反向序列的影响远大于洗脱梯度。实验结果表明3′,5′反向寡核苷酸的分离和保留趋势不完全一致,色谱条件的优化应有利于实现样品在柱上的弱保留。研究结果还显示寡核苷酸序列中5′末端的保留强于3′末端。     

Synthesis and Crystal Structures of O‐2′,3′‐Cyclic Cyclopentanone and Cyclohexanone Ketals of the Cytostatic 5‐Fluorouridine

The synthesis of two O‐2′,3′‐cyclic ketals, i.e., 5 and 6 , of the cytostatic 5‐fluorouridine ( 2 ), carrying a cyclopentane and/or a cyclohexane ring, respectively, is described. The novel compounds were characterized by ¹H‐, ¹⁹F‐, and ¹³C‐NMR, and UV spectroscopy, as well as by elemental analyses. Their crystal structures were determined by X‐ray analysis. Both compounds 5 and 6 show an anti‐conformation at the N‐glycosidic bond which is biased from +ac to +ap compared to the parent nucleoside 2 . The sugar puckering is changed from ^2′E to _3′E going along with a reduction of the puckering amplitude τ_m by ca. 10–13° due to the ketalization. The conformation about the sugar exocyclic bond C(4′)? C(5′) of 5 and 6 remains unchanged, i.e., g⁺, compared with compound 2 .     

Tissue distribution and metabolism of the putative cancer chemopreventive agent 3′,4′,5′‐trimethoxyflavonol (TMFol) in mice

3′,4′,5′‐Trimethoxyflavonol (TMFol) is a synthetic flavonol with preclinical cancer chemopreventive properties. The hypothesis was tested that, in mice, p.o. administration of TMFol results in measureable levels of the parent in target tissues. A single oral dose (240 mg/kg) was administered to mice (n = 4 per time point) with time points ranging from 5 to 1440 min. TMFol and its metabolites were identified and quantitated in all tissues by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Plasma levels of TMFol were at the limit of quantification or below, although metabolites were identified. Peak levels of TMFol in the gastrointestinal tract and the prostate averaged 1671 ± 265 µg/g (5.3 µmol/g) and 6.0 ± 1.6 µg/g (18.4 nmol/g), and occurred 20 and 360 min post‐dose, respectively. The area under the tissue concentration–time curve (AUC) for TMFol was greater than those of the metabolites, indicating that TMFol is relatively metabolically stable. Micromolar TMFol levels are easily achieved in the prostate and gastrointestinal tract, suggesting that TMFol might exert chemopreventive efficacy at these tissue sites. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the potential chemopreventive potency of TMFol. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical Constituents from the Leaves of Litsea Acutivena

Continuous investigation of the CHCl₃‐soluble and n‐hexane fractions of the leaves of Litsea acutivena Hayata (Lauraceae) led to the isolation of one new butanolide, acutilactone ( 1 ), one new lactone, 4‐nonacosyl‐dihydrofuran‐2‐one ( 2 ), together with 15 known compounds. The known compounds included one butanolide, one norisoprenoid, one quinone, two steroids, one triterpenoid, one coumarin, two fatty acids, one amide, and five other compounds. The structures of these compounds were determined by means of spectral analyses.     

Identification of Three New Flavonoids from the Peels of Citrus unshiu

Three new flavonoids, 5,6,7,8,3′,4′‐hexamethoxyhomoflavone ( 1 ), 5,6,7,8,4′‐pentamethoxyhomoflavone ( 2 ) and 3,6,7,8,2′,5′‐hexamethoxyflavone ( 3 ) were isolated from the peels of mature fruits of Citrus unshiu Marcow (Rutaceae), together with the three known compounds 6,7,8,4′‐tetramethoxyflavone (=6,7,8‐trimethoxy‐2‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐4H‐1‐benzopyran‐4‐one), 3,5,7,8,2′,5′‐hexamethoxyflavone (=2‐(2,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐3,5,7,8‐tetramethoxy‐4H‐1‐benzopyran‐4‐one), and scopoletin (=7‐hydroxy‐6‐methoxy‐2H‐1‐benzopyran‐2‐one) of which the former two have never been isolated from natural resources, although they have been reported as synthetic compounds. The structures of 1 – 3 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence, including 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR analysis.     

Simultaneous Determination of Adenosine and Adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate at Nanogold Modified Indium Tin Oxide Electrode by Osteryoung Square‐Wave Voltammetry

Simultaneous determination of adenosine and adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate has been described using nanogold modified indium tin oxide electrode. Gold nanoparticles catalyze adenosine oxidation which results in increasing separation of oxidation peaks of adenosine and ATP, making it possible to determine adenosine and adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate simultaneously. The detection limits for adenosine and ATP were found as 0.07 μM and 0.10 μM respectively with sensitivity 22.9 nA μM^?1 and 20.9 nA μM^?1. The proposed method was also used for sensing the compounds in biological samples. Influence of various square‐wave parameters and different pH conditions on peak current has also been reported.     

Chemical Constituents from Alafia Barteri Oliv. Leaves with Cytotoxic Activity

Methanol extract of Alafia barteri leaves showed cytotoxic activity on leukaemia carcinoma K562, and hepatic liver cancer cells WRL (IC₅₀ values 193.1 and 225.0 μM respectively). Isolation of the extract gave ursane triterpenoid, 28‐acety‐urs‐5,20‐dien‐2β,3β,24α‐triol, 1 , together with undecanol, 2 , stigmasterol, 3 and octadecanoic acid, 4 . The structures of these compounds were identified by spectroscopic analysis, including MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and supported with literature data. Compound 1 exhibited cytotoxic activity against K‐562 at 50 and 100 μM concentrations with IC₅₀ 74.22 μM, while compounds 2 , 3 and 4 showed low inhibition of WRL, MCF‐7 and COLO cell lines.     

Graphene Functionalized Graphite Electrode with Diphenylacetylene for Sensitive Electrochemical Determination of Adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate

In this paper a molecular wire modified carbon paste electrode (MW‐CPE) was firstly prepared by mixing graphite powder with diphenylacetylene (DPA). Then a graphene (GR) and chitosan (CTS) composite film was further modified on the surface of MW‐CPE to receive the graphene functionalized electrode (CTS‐GR/MW‐CPE), which was used for the sensitive electrochemical detection of adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate (ATP). The CTS‐GR/MW‐CPE exhibited excellent electrochemical performance and the electrochemical behavior of ATP on the CTS‐GR/MW‐CPE was carefully studied by cyclic voltammetry with an irreversible oxidation peak appearing at 1.369 V (vs. SCE). The electrochemical parameters such as charge transfer coefficient (α) and electrode reaction standard rate constant (k_s) were calculated with the results of 0.53 and 5.28×10^?6 s^?1, respectively. By using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) as detection technique, the oxidation peak current showed good linear relationship with ATP concentration in the range from 1.0 nM to 700.0 µM with a detection limit of 0.342 nM (3σ). The common coexisting substances, such as uric acid, ascorbic acid and guanosine‐5′‐triphosphate (GTP), showed no interferences and the modified electrode was successfully applied to injection sample detection.     

Cembranolides and Related Constituents from the Soft Coral Sarcophyton cinereum

In an attempt to explore the bioactive metabolites of the soft coral Sarcophyton cinereum, three new cembranolides, cinerenolides A–C (1–3), and 16 known compounds were isolated and identified from the EtOAc extract. The structures of the new cembranolides were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, and the NOE analysis of cinerenolide A (1) was performed with the assistance of the calculated lowest-energy molecular model. The relative configuration of cinerenolide C (3) was determined by the quantum chemical NMR calculation, followed by applying DP4+ analysis. In addition, the cytotoxic assays disclosed that some compounds exhibited moderate to potent activities in the proliferation of P388, DLD-1, HuCCT-1, and CCD966SK cell lines.     

Flavone Glycosides from Strobilanthes Formosanus

Two new flavone glycosides, 3′‐hydroxy‐5,7‐dimethoxyflavone 4′‐O‐β‐D‐apiofuranoside ( 1 ), and 5,7‐dimethoxyflavone 4′‐O‐[β‐D‐apiofuranosyl(1→5)‐ β‐D‐glucopyranoside] ( 2 ) along with four known compounds, 4′‐hydroxy‐5,7‐dimethoxyflavone ( 3 ), 2,6‐dimethoxy‐1,4‐benzoquinone ( 4 ), lupeol ( 5 ) and betulin ( 6 ) were isolated from the stem and roots of Strobilanthes formosanus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic evidence.     

Electrochemical Study and Direct Determination of Adenosine‐5′‐Monophosphate Coupled to 6‐Thioguanosine and a Glassy Carbon Modified Electrode with Gold Nanoparticles

The direct accumulation of 6‐thioguanosine (6‐TG) and its electrochemistry has been studied by cyclic voltammetry in different conditions physical and chemical. In a first moment the surface of electrode was modified with gold nanoparticles. This modification was realized by electrodeposition on the active surface of a glassy carbon electrode with a HAuCl₄ solution. The nucleotide 6‐thioguanosine was deposited in this gold nanoparticles monolayer. The study of accumulation of other nucleotide, adenosine 5′‐monophosphate (AMP), was realized by the direct reaction with 6‐TG deposited. The conditions of the reaction and its electrochemical response were tested to fix the ideal conditions of its determination. The ideal conditions of formation of the monolayer and its electrochemical response were studied; the possibility of preconcentration of 6‐TG nucleotide in gold nanoparticles, the possibility of catalysis and limits of identification and quantification were also determined. The method proposed can be applied in direct determination of oligonucleotides. In this respect we applied it in the determination of AMP in a commercial product of infantile nutrition.