A facile and one-pot synthesis of N-Fmoc/Bsmoc/Boc/Z-protected ureidopeptides and peptidyl ureas employing diphenylphosphoryl azide [DPPA]

Diphenylphosphoryl azide (DPPA) mediated one-pot synthesis of N^α-Fmoc/Bsmoc/Boc/Z-protected ureidopeptides and peptidyl ureas as well as phenyl/succinimidyl (N^α-urethane protected) methyl carbamates starting from N^α-protected amino acids is reported. The formation of an azide, its rearrangement and coupling with an amino component is accomplished in a sequence of one-pot operations. The protocol has incorporated urea linkages in a sterically hindered peptide.     

T-CAM, a fastatin-FIII 9-10 fusion protein, potently enhances anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activity via alphavbeta3 and alpha5beta1 integrins

We made fusion protein of fastatin and FIII 9-10, termed tetra-cell adhesion molecule (T-CAM) that can interact simultaneously with alphavbeta3 and alpha5beta1 integrins, both playing important roles in tumor angiogenesis. T-CAM can serve as a cell adhesion substrate mediating adhesion and migration of endothelial cells in alphavbeta3 and alpha5beta1 integrin-dependent manner. T-CAM showed pronounced anti-angiogenic activities such as inhibition of endothelial cell tube formation, endothelial cell proliferation, and induction of endothelial cell apoptosis. T-CAM also inhibited angiogenesis and tumor growth in mouse xenograft model. The anti-angiogenic and anti-tumoral activity of molecule like fastatin could be improved by fusing it with integrin-recognizing cell adhesion domain from other distinct proteins. The strategy of combining two distinct anti-angiogenic molecules or cell adhesion domains could facilitate designing improved anticancer agent of therapeutic value.     

Synthesis and evaluation of novel N-substituted-6-methoxynaphthalene-2-carboxamides as potential chemosensitizing agents for cancer

A novel class of molecules with structure N-[3-(heteroaryl)propyl]-6-methoxynaphthalene-2-carboxamides 8-13 were synthesized by condensing 6-methoxy-2-naphthoyl chloride 1 with 3-(heteroaryl)propyl amines 2-7. Compounds 8-12 were evaluated in vitro, in P388 murine lymphocytic leukemia cell line (P388) using SRB assay for cytotoxicity and in adriamycin resistant P388 murine lymphocytic leukemia cell line (P388/ADR) using MTT assay for resistant reversal activity. Compounds 8-12 were non-toxic at lower dose of 20 microg/ml, and effectively reversed adriamycin resistance. However, at higher doses (40, 80 microg/ml) they showed significant cytotxicity and hence reversal potency was not determined at these concentrations.     

Prediction of cyclohexane-water distribution coefficient for SAMPL5 drug-like compounds with the QMPFF3 and ARROW polarizable force fields

We present the performance of blind predictions of water—cyclohexane distribution coefficients for 53 drug-like compounds in the SAMPL5 challenge by three methods currently in use within our group. Two of them utilize QMPFF3 and ARROW, polarizable force-fields of varying complexity, and the third uses the General Amber Force-Field (GAFF). The polarizable FF’s are implemented in an in-house MD package, Arbalest. We find that when we had time to parametrize the functional groups with care (batch 0), the polarizable force-fields outperformed the non-polarizable one. Conversely, on the full set of 53 compounds, GAFF performed better than both QMPFF3 and ARROW. We also describe the torsion-restrain method we used to improve sampling of molecular conformational space and thus the overall accuracy of prediction. The SAMPL5 challenge highlighted several drawbacks of our force-fields, such as our significant systematic over-estimation of hydrophobic interactions, specifically for alkanes and aromatic rings.     

Review of synthesis and various biological activities of spiro heterocyclic compounds comprising oxindole and pyrrolidine moities

Spirocyclic compounds isolated from plant and animal origins have important applications in medicinal chemistry. Spiro compounds having cyclic structures fused at a central carbon are of recent interest because of their interesting conformational features and their structural implications for biological systems. Spiro heterocycles like spiropyrrolidines and oxindole moieties have been found to play fundamental roles in biological processes and have exhibited diversified biological activity and pharmacological and therapeutical properties. In view of these facts we decided to present a representative synthetic scheme and various biological activities of the heterocycles like spiropyrrolidines and oxindole moieties derivatives, especially in relation to microbial infections like cancer and tubercular, viral, HIV, bacterial, and fungal infections.     

Suppression of the reversible thermal behavior of the layered double hydroxide (LDH) of Mg with Al: stabilization of nanoparticulate oxides

The layered double hydroxide of Mg with Al decomposes below 600 degrees C with the loss of nearly 48% mass, resulting in the formation of an oxide residue having the rock salt structure and nanoparticulate morphology. However, this product reconstructs back into the parent LDH, owing to its compositional and morphological metastability. The oxide can be kinetically stabilized within an amorphous phosphate network built up through an ex situ reaction with a suitable phosphate source such as (NH4)H2PO4. This oxide transforms into a thermodynamically more stable phase with a spinel structure on soaking in an aqueous medium. The oxide residue has a nanoparticulate morphology as revealed by the Scherrer broadening of the Bragg reflections as well as by electron microscopy. This work shows that the hydroxide reconstruction reaction and spinel formation are competing reactions. Suppression of the former catalyzes spinel formation as the excess free energy of the metastable oxide residue is unlocked to promote the diffusion of Mg2+ ions from octahedral to tetrahedral sites, which is the essential precondition to the formation of a normal spinel. This reaction taking place as it does at ambient temperature and in solution helps in the retention of a nanostructured morphology for the spinel. Another way of stabilizing the oxide is by incorporating the thermally stable borate anion into the LDH. This paves the way for an in situ reaction between the cations of the host LDH and the borate guest. The in situ reaction directly leads to the formation of an oxide with a spinel structure.     

Metal-free decarboxylative acylation of isoquinolines using α-keto acids in water

An efficient method for acylation of isoquinolines has been developed using α-ketoacids under metal- and additive-free conditions in water. The protocol involves C(sp²)H functionalization of isoquinolines providing an easy access to C1-benzoylated isoquinolines, which constitute the core structure of a number of biological active compounds and serve as key intermediate in the synthesis of many alkaloids.     

Fabrication of newly developed pectin –GeO2 nanocomposite using extreme biomimetics route and its antibacterial activities

The combination of pectins and germanium dioxide may generate novel materials with excellent and unique properties combining the advantages of macromolecules, derived from renewable resources and metal oxide nanoparticles. Pectin–GeO₂ nanocomposite was prepared by hydrothermal method at room temperature. Structural morphology and chemical interactions between GeO₂ and pectin were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Equipped with Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR), AC impedance spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrophotometer (SEM-EDS) Thermo gravimetric analysis (TG) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). According to the TEM observation, the average composite granules size was about 70 nm and the embedded GeO₂ nanoparticles were uniform with an average diameter of 20 nm. The pectin-germanium dioxide degradation was observed in one single DSC endoderm peak at 100°C (Area swept 276.4 mJ and enthalpy change 48.1 J/g) and three DTG peaks in the temperature range between 165 and 570°C. All the results suggest the pectin–GeO₂ nanocomposite as a promising candidate for biomedical and environmental applications.     

DFT Study of Polymorphism in Al(OH)3: A Structural Synthon Approach

All the known polymorphs of Al(OH)₃ comprise a stacking of charge neutral layers having the composition [Al_2/3□_1/3(OH)₂] (□: cation vacancy) and designated by the symbol P. Employing a single Al(OH)₃ layer (layer group p12₁/a1) as a structural synthon, the energy profile computed for the translations of P and $\bar{P}$ ($\bar{P}$ : mirror image of P) layers relative to each other within a bilayer model, not only show minima corresponding to the four known polymorphs of Al(OH)₃ but also predict three new polymorphs with energy minima at the stacking vectors (7/10, 5/18, 1) (polymorph B1), (1/2, 0, 1) (polymorph B2) and (2/5, 1/9, 1) (polymorph B4). Of these B1 and B2 are 0.30 eV and 0.23 eV below the energy of bayerite (B3), but 0.30 eV and 0.37 eV above the global minimum which corresponds to gibbsite. B4 is only 0.08 eV above the energy of bayerite. This quantitative structural synthon approach offers B1, B2, and B4 as legitimate targets for future synthetic efforts.     

Synthesis of Ag/AgCl-mesoporous silica nanocomposites using a simple aqueous solution-based chemical method and a study of their antibacterial activity on E. coli

Simple aqueous solution-based chemical methods have been developed for the synthesis of Ag/AgCl nanoparticle-mesoporous silica nanocomposites. Ag loading in the mesoporous silica was accomplished using a wet-impregnation method. The AgCl-mesoporous silica nanocomposite material(AgCl-mSi) was synthesized by using a 'one pot' method. Synthesized materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction,N2 adsorption-desorption analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Antibacterial activity of...