Facile synthesis and antimicrobial evaluations of some novel pyrazolo[3,4-b]selenolo[3,2-e]pyrazines and their related heterocycles

A new series of pyrazolopyrazinoselenolotriazolopyrimidines was synthesized by a facile method based on condensation of 5-amino-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]selenolo[3,2-e]pyrazine-6-carbonitrile ( 3 ) with triethyl orthoformate followed by intramolecular cyclization with hydrazine to afford 7-amino-8-imino-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1,8-dihydro-7H-pyrazolo[3″,4″:5′,6′]pyrazino[2′,3′:4,5] selenolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine ( 5 ). The latter compound was utilized as a multipurpose precursor for the construction of other new triazoles fused to the pyrazolopyrazino- selenolopyrimidine moiety. Alternatively, acetylation and chloro-acetylation of compound 3 using acetic anhydride and chloroacetyl chloride yielded the acetyl amino 11 and chloroacetamido 12 derivatives, respectively. Compound 12 underwent nucleophilic substitution upon reaction with morpholine to provide the morpholinyl acetamide 13 . Furthermore, the pyrazolopyridoselenolopyrazine ring system 14 was synthesized by the reaction of the o-amino-carbonitrile 3 with malononitrile. Assignment of the chemical structures for the new compounds was confirmed depending on elemental and spectral techniques. On the other hand, most of the synthesized compounds revealed promising results against various bacterial and fungal strains.     

Plasmonic Pollen Grain Nanostructures: A Three-Dimensional Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)-Active Substrate

A new route has been developed to design plasmonic pollen grain-like nanostructures (PGNSs) as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrate. The nanostructures consisting of silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles along with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoclusters as spacers were found highly SERS-active. The morphology of PGNSs and those obtained in the intermediate stage along with each elemental evolution has been investigated by a high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy. The optical band gaps and crystal structure have been identified by UV-vis absorption and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) measurements, respectively. For PGNSs specimen, three distinct absorption bands related to constituent elements Ag, Au, and ZnO were observed, whereas XRD peaks confirmed the existence of Ag, Au, and ZnO within the composition of PGNSs. SERS-activity of PGNSs was confirmed using Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as Raman-active dyes. Air-cooled solid-state laser kits of 532 nm were used as excitation sources in SERS measurements. SERS enhancement factor was estimated for PGNSs specimen and was found as high as 3.5×10⁶. Finite difference time domain analysis was carried out to correlate the electromagnetic (EM) near-field distributions with the experiment results achieved under this investigation. EM near-field distributions at different planes were extracted for s-, p- and 45° of incident polarizations. EM near-field distributions for such nanostructures as well as current density distributions under different circumstances were demonstrated and plausible scenarios were elucidated given SERS enhancements. Such generic fabrication route as well as correlated investigation is not only indispensable to realize the potential of SERS applications but also unveil the underneath plasmonic characteristics of complex SERS-active nanostructures.     

Beneficial Effects of Green Tea Catechins on Female Reproductive Disorders: A Review

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide after water, and green tea accounts for 20% of the total tea consumption. The health benefits of green tea are attributed to its natural antioxidants, namely, catechins, which are phenolic compounds with diverse beneficial effects on human health. The beneficial effects of green tea and its major bioactive component, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on health include high antioxidative, osteoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-diabetic effects. However, the review of green tea’s benefits on female reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and dysmenorrhea, remains scarce. Thus, this review summarises current knowledge on the beneficial effects of green tea catechins on selected female reproductive disorders. Green tea or its derivative, EGCG, improves endometriosis mainly through anti-angiogenic, anti-fibrotic, anti-proliferative and proapoptotic mechanisms. Moreover, green tea enhances ovulation and reduces cyst formation in PCOS while improving generalised hyperalgesia, and reduces plasma corticosterone levels and uterine contractility in dysmenorrhea. However, information on clinical trials is inadequate for translating excellent findings on green tea benefits in animal endometriosis models. Thus, future clinical intervention studies are needed to provide clear evidence of the green tea benefits with regard to these diseases.     

A New and Facile Synthesis of Novel Pyrazolothienopyrimidines and Imidazopyrazolothienopyrimidines

4‐Amino‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐thieno[2,3‐c]pyrazole‐5‐carboxamide ( 5 ), which was synthesized by an innovative method, was used as a versatile precursor for synthesizing pyrazolothienopyrimidines and imidazopyrazolothienopyrimidines compounds. Reaction of amino thienopyrazole carboxamide 5 with triethyl orthoformate afforded thienopyrazolopyrimidine 6 . Chlorination of the latter compound, using phosphorus oxychloride afforded the chloro pyrazolothienopyrimidine 7 , which underwent nucleophilic substitution reactions with various primary and secondary amines to give the alkyl (aryl) amino pyrimidine compounds 8a–d . On the other hand, the reaction of chloropyrimidine 7 with thiourea afforded the pyrimidine thione compound 9 , which was alkylated with α‐halogentaed compounds to afford the S‐alkylated derivatives 10a–c . Also, chloroacetylation of the amino carboxamide 5 using chloroacetyl chloride yielded the chloromethyl pyrazolothienopyrimidine 12 , which underwent nucleophilic substitu‐ tion reactions with various primary and secondary amines to afford the alkyl (aryl) aminomethyl compounds 13a–f . The latter Compounds underwent Mannich reaction to give imidazopyrimidothieno‐ pyrazoles 14a–c . The newly synthesized compounds and their derivatives were fully characterized by elemental and spectral analysis.     

Exploiting the 1,2,3‐Triazole Moiety to Generate Carbazole Molecular Architectures through Click Approach

Reaction of 3,6‐dichlorocarbazole with propargyl bromide in the presence of a basic medium gave an N‐propargylated carbazole. The latter compound was converted into molecular architectures containing 1,2,3‐triazole moiety through Cu(I)‐catalyzed 1,3‐cycloaddition reaction with different azides. Similarly, 2‐azidomethyl benzothiazole was cliched with N‐Boc‐protected N´‐propargyl glutamate to give the biomolecule 2‐triazolylmethyl product.     

Biology‐Oriented Synthesis of a Withanolide‐Inspired Compound Collection Reveals Novel Modulators of Hedgehog Signaling

Biology‐oriented synthesis employs the structural information encoded in complex natural products to guide the synthesis of compound collections enriched in bioactivity. The trans‐hydrindane dehydro‐δ‐lactone motif defines the characteristic scaffold of the steroid‐like withanolides, a plant‐derived natural product class with a diverse pattern of bioactivity. A withanolide‐inspired compound collection was synthesized by making use of three key intermediates that contain this characteristic framework derivatized with different reactive functional groups. Biological evaluation of the compound collection in cell‐based assays that monitored biological signal‐transduction processes revealed a novel class of Hedgehog signaling inhibitors that target the protein Smoothened.     

Correlation of size and oxygen bonding at the interface of Si nanocrystal in Si–SiO2 nanocomposite: A Raman mapping study

Raman spectroscopy/mapping is used to investigate the variation of Si phonon wavenumbers, i.e., lower wavenumber (LW ~ 495–510 cm⁻¹) and higher wavenumber (HW ~ 515–519 cm⁻¹) phonons, observed in Si–SiO₂ multilayer nanocomposite (NCp) grown using pulsed laser deposition. Sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy as a local probe to surface/interface is effectively used to show that LW and HW phonons originate at surface (Si–SiO₂ interface) and core of Si nanocrystals, respectively. The consistent picture of this understanding is developed using Raman spectroscopy monitored laser heating/annealing and cooling experiment at the site of the desired wavenumber, chosen with the help of Raman mapping. Raman spectra calculations for Si₄₁ cluster with oxygen and hydrogen termination show strong mode at 512 cm⁻¹ for oxygen terminated cluster corresponding to the vibration of surface Si atoms. This supports our attribution of LW phonons to be originating at the Si–SiO₂ surface/interface. These results along with XPS show that nature of interface (oxygen bonding) in turn depends on the size of nanocrystals and LW phonons originate at the surface of smaller Si nanocrystals. The understanding developed can conclude the ongoing debate on large variation in Si phonon wavenumbers of Si–SiO₂ NCps in the literature. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unexpected dimerization of 1,3‐dimethyl‐5‐methylenebarbituric acid revealed by a combined experimental and computational study

A comparison of experimental and calculated ¹³C‐nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shifts reveals the molecular structure of a dimer that was obtained by an unexpected dimerization of 1,3‐dimethyl‐5‐methylenebarbituric acid. Furthermore, the puckering angle of the cyclobutane unit linking the six‐membered rings is discussed in detail. The influence of substituents on 1,3‐position of the cyclobutane ring on the puckering angle is demonstrated based on 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylcyclobutane. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.