Cleavage of the peptide bond of beta-alanyl-L-histidine (carnosine) induced by a Co(III)-amine complexes: reaction, structure and mechanism

Cleavage of the peptide bond occurs when beta]-alanyl-L-histidine (carnosine) reacts with [Co(tren)Cl2]+ (tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine) to give [Co(tren)(histidine)](2+) 1 and [Co(tren)(beta-alanine)](2+) 2. [Co(tren)(histidine)](2+) 1 crystallizes in the enantiomorphic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and 2 crystallizes in the P2(1)/c space group. The mechanism of the cleavage reactions were studied in detail for the precursor [Co(tren)Cl2]+ and [Co(trien)Cl2]+, which convert into [Co(tren)(OH)2]+/[Co(tren)(OH)(OH2)]2+ and [Co(trien)(OH)2]+/[Co(trien)(OH)(OH2)]2+ in water at basic pH (trien = 1,4,7,10-tetraazadecane). At a slightly basic pH, the initial coordination of the substrate (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) is by the carboxylate group for the reaction with [Co(tren)Cl2]+. This is followed by a rate-limiting nucleophilic attack of the hydroxide group at the beta-alanyl-L-histidine carbonyl group. In a strongly basic reaction medium substrate, binding of the metal was through carboxylate and amine terminals. On the other hand, for the reaction between [cis-beta-Co(trien)Cl2]+ and beta-alanyl-L-histidine, the initial coordination of the substrate takes place via an imidazole ring nitrogen, independently, and followed by a nucleophilic attack of the hydroxide group at the beta-alanyl-L-histidine carbonyl group. The circular dichroism spectrum for 1 suggests that a very small extent of racemization of the amino acid (L-histidine) takes place during the cleavage reaction between [Co(tren)Cl2]+ and beta-alanyl-L-histidine. Reaction between [cis-beta-Co(trien)Cl2]+ and beta-alanyl-L-histidine also causes cleavage of the peptide bond, producing a free beta-alanyl molecule and a cationic fragment [cis-alpha-Co(trien)(histidine)](2+) 3 that crystallizes in the optically active space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). Unlike the previous case an appreciable degree of racemization of the L-histidine takes place during the reaction between [cis-beta-Co(trien)Cl2]+ and beta-alanyl-L-histidine. Crystals containing L-histidine and D-histidine fragments in the [cis-alpha-Co(trien)(histidine)]2+ moiety were crystallographically documented by mounting a number of randomly selected crystals.     

Energies of Charge Transfer for the Supramolecular Complexes of [60]- and [70]Fullerenes with a Series of meso-Tetraphenylporphyrins in the Solution State

Supramolecular complexes of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with various meso-tetraphenylporphyrins in toluene solutions have been studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. Charge transfer (CT) absorption bands are observed in the visible region. Vertical ionization potentials (I _D ^V) of the meso-tetraphenylporphyrins are reported from a study of EDA interaction of these porphyrins with a number of electron acceptors like o-chloranil, p-chloranil, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) and vitamin K. The dependence of the CT transition energy on the donor ionization potential has been utilized to estimate the vertical electron affinities (E _A ^V) of [60]- and [70]fullerenes in solution. The value of E _A ^V for [60]fullerene is found to be 0.10 eV lower in magnitude than that of [70]fullerene. We have extracted degrees of CT, and oscillator and transition dipole strengths of the fullerenes/meso-tetraphenylporphyrins complexes. The experimental results show that the CT complexes studied here have a neutral character in their ground states. Electronic coupling elements have been determined for fullerene/meso-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes. Values of the solvent reorganization energy indicate that the electron transfer process takes place at a faster rate in the case of [70]fullerene/meso-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes.     

An Expedient Synthesis of 5,11-Dimethylindolo[3,2-b]-carbazole,A Potent Ligand for the Receptor for TCDD

A new and efficient synthesis has been developed for the title indolocarbazole which has been indicated by a recent computer-aided study to be a potent ligand for the receptor for the naturally occurring carcinogen, TCDD.     

Ru(II)‐based antineoplastic: A “wingtip” N‐heterocyclic carbene facilitates access to a new class of organometallics that are cytotoxic to common cancer cell lines

The syntheses, structures, and chemotherapeutic activities of Ag(I)‐, Au(I)‐, and Ru(II)‐complexes ligated to a novel N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand, 2‐(4‐nitrophenyl)imidazo[1,5‐a]pyridin‐2‐ylidene ( 1 ), are described. The corresponding complexes, [Ag( 1 )₂][PF₆], [Au( 1 )₂][PF₆] ( 3 ), and [Ru( 1 )(p‐cymene)Cl][PF₆] ( 4 ), were prepared using convenient transmetallation chemistry and characterized using a range of spectroscopic and analytical techniques. X‐ray crystallography revealed that complexes 2 and 3 adopted linear structures whereas 4 exhibited a prototypical “piano‐stool”‐like geometry; the structural assignments were further supported by DFT calculations. A series of in vitro studies revealed that while the aforementioned Ag(I), Au(I) and Ru(II) complexes exhibited significant cytotoxicities against the human colon adenocarcinoma (HCT 116), lung cancer (A549), and breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines, the Ru derivative was most prominent.     

Activation of Nucleotide-Binding Oligomerization Domain 1 (NOD1) Receptor Signaling in Labeo rohita by iE-DAP and Identification of Ligand-Binding Key Motifs in NOD1 by Molecular Modeling and Docking

The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) receptor recognizes various pattern-associated structures of microbes through its leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain and activates signaling cascades to induce innate immunity. This report describes the activation of NOD1 receptor signaling by gamma-d-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid (or γ-D-Glu-mDAP [iE-DAP]) in a commercially important fish species, rohu (Labeo rohita). It also described critical motifs in the NOD1-LRR domain that could be involved in binding iE-DAP, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C). The activation of NOD1 receptor signaling was studied by injecting iE-DAP, and analysis of tissue samples for NOD1 and receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase (RICK) expression was done by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. To identify ligand-binding motifs in NOD1, the 3D model of NOD1-LRR was generated, followed by a 6-ns molecular dynamics simulation. Molecular docking of LPS with NOD1-LRR was executed at the Hex and PatchDock servers, and iE-DAP and poly I:C in the AutoDock 4.2, FlexX 2.1, Glide 5.5, and GOLD 4.1 programs. The results of qRT-PCR revealed significant (p?<?0.05) upregulation of NOD1 and RICK expression. Molecular docking revealed that the amino acid residues at LRR1–2, LRR3–7, and LRR8–9 could be involved in poly I:C, LPS, and iE-DAP binding, respectively. In fish, this is the first report describing the 3D structure of NOD1-LRR and its critical ligand-binding motifs.     

A catalyst-free protocol for direct oxidative esterification of alcohols and aldehydes

A fast, simple, and efficient protocol for the direct conversion of alcohols and aldehydes to methyl ester has been developed using TsNBr₂ without any catalyst. The one pot reaction proceeds in the presence of a base at room temperature in methanol, to produce the corresponding methyl ester in high yield within a short time.     

Synthesis of an Alternated Heterobimetallic Supramolecular Polymer Based on Ru(II) and Fe(II)

A heterobimetallic supramolecular polymer (polyRuFe) with alternately complexed Ru(II) and Fe(II) is prepared following a stepwise synthetic route through harnessing first the strongly binding metal ion Ru(II) and then the weakly binding metal ion Fe(II). A high yield of product is achieved in each step. The heterometal ions are incorporated into the polymer chain in identical coordination environments formed by two 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine moieties. Characterization is accomplished by NMR spectroscopy, MALDI–TOF mass spectrometry, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. PolyRuFe shows a wide optical window (λ = 311–577 nm) and a broad distinct reversible redox nature of two types, originated from the coupling of the two heterometallic segments into the polymer chain. Such characteristics of polyRuFe suggest its potential for various electrochemical and electro-optical applications.     

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Sesamum indicum

Abstract

Effective extraction of phyto-biomolecules insures retaining maximum functionality along with higher recovery. In this study, ultrasound-solvent assisted extraction (USAE) was employed for optimal extraction of phyto-biomolecules from Sesamum indicum (sesame) leaves using the approach of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimized condition of 200?W power, 59% methanol concentration with 1:14?g/mL solid–liquid ratio and 15?min of extraction time yielded 367.39?±?1.85?mg GAE/100?g of total phenolic content, 96.72?±?3.27% of free radical scavenging activity and 81.20?±?2.87% of iron chelating activity respectively. The extract consist of essential phytocomponents like gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin with lipid peroxidation activities of >50% over incubation time of 48?h. Also, showed antimicrobial activity against various Gram’s negative and positive food borne pathogens. The results of this study implied the importance of USAE for effective and optimum recovery of phyto-biomolecules from Sesame leaves with retained functional properties.