Antimalarial 20-membered macrolides from Streptomyces sp. BCC33756

Two new natural products, samroiyotmycins A (1) and B (2), along with two naturally new novclobiocin 101 (3) and 4-hydroxy-3-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)benzamide (5), and five known substances including neoantimycin, clorobiocin (4), 29-O-methylabierixin, daidzein, and 1-(3-indolyl)-2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-one have been isolated from Streptomyces sp. BCC33756. Their chemical structures were determined based on NMR spectral information and the relative stereochemistry of compound 1 was determined by X-ray crystallographic data. Both samroiyotmycins A and B exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum K1—multi-drug resistant strain, with IC₅₀ values of 3.65 and 3.16 μg/mL, respectively. Compound 1 was inactive against both cancerous (MCF-7, KB) and non-cancerous (Vero) cells, while compound 2 displayed cytotoxicity against Vero cell with IC₅₀ value of 29.57 μg/mL.     

New reference material for analysis of elements in glutinous rice produced at the National Institute of Metrology (Thailand)

Reference materials play an important role for evaluating the accuracy of analytical results, and are essential parts of good laboratory practice. They represent a key tool for quality control of chemical analyses. In Thailand, the demand of food and environmental reference materials is constantly increasing, and the National Institute of Metrology (NIMT, Thailand) is responding to the urgent needs for affordable materials, which require collaborative efforts at the national level. This paper describes the preparation of a new glutinous rice reference material, along with homogeneity and stability studies and the analytical work carried out for the certification of the contents of inorganic elements. The incurred material was collected from an actual rice paddy field. Material preparation along with homogeneity and stability testing were carried out at the Environmental Research Training Centre (ERTC). The homogeneity study was designed to have three experimental conditions; (A) 10 bottles of candidate materials being analyzed each with 2 replicates, (B) 20 bottles with 2 replicates, (C) 10 bottles with 7 replicates, in order to study the suitable treatments for homogeneity testing in the reference material production. It was shown that a minimum number of 10 bottles with duplicate analyses are enough to demonstrate the homogeneity of candidate reference material. Certification of a candidate reference material in a single laboratory using reference method was confirmed with an interlaboratory comparison participated by a certain number of well recognized testing laboratories in Thailand. Further elaborative results will be discussed.     

Bioactive polyketides from the fungus Astrocystis sp. BCC 22166

Five new compounds, phthalide 1, dihydroisocoumarin 2, and 3, pyrone 4, and benzophenone 5, together with nine known compounds, 3,4-dihydro-4,5,8-trihydroxy-3-methylisocoumarin, sclerotinin A, methyl-8-hydroxy-6-methylxanthone-1-carboxylate, sydowinin A, conioxanthone A, 1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylxanthone, 1,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-6-methylxanthone, coniochaetone B, and xylaranol B, were isolated from the fungus Astrocystis sp. BCC 22166. Structures of these compounds were elucidated using NMR spectroscopic and MS spectrometric analyses. Compound 1 exhibited antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus (IC₅₀=12.5 μg/mL) while compound 2 showed cytotoxicity to KB and Vero cells (IC₅₀=22.6 and 48.2 μg/mL).     

Highly Conjugated Ergostane‐Type Steroids and Aranotin‐Type Diketopiperazines from the Fungus Aspergillus terreus BCC 4651

Two new ergostane derivatives, 12β,15α,25,26‐tetrahydroxyergosta‐4,6,8(14),22‐tetraen‐3‐one ( 1 ) and 12β,15α,25,28‐tetrahydroxyergosta‐4,6,8(14),22‐tetraen‐3‐one ( 2 ), and a new aranotin‐type diketopiperazine, bisdethiobis(methylsulfanyl)apoaranotin ( 3 ), were isolated from the fungus Aspergillus terreus BCC 4651. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by means of NMR spectroscopic and MS analyses.     

Dihydronaphthalenones from endophytic fungus Fusarium sp. BCC14842

Eleven new dihydronaphthalenones 1-11, together with five known compounds; 5-hydroxydihydrofusarubin C (12), javanicin, bostrycoidin, anhydrofusarubin, and 3-O-methylfusarubin, were isolated from the endophytic fungus Fusarium sp. BCC14842. Structures were elucidated by analyses of the NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometry data. Javanicin, 3-O-methylfusarubin, compounds 3 and 7 exhibited antimycobacterial and cytotoxic activities. Javanicin also displayed antifungal activity with IC₅₀ of 6.16 μg/mL, while compounds 2, 4, 5, 8, and 12 showed only cytotoxic activity.     

High‐Strain Shape Memory Behavior of PLA–PEG Multiblock Copolymers and Its Microstructural Origin

Shape memory properties of two thermoplastic multiblock copolymers composed of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) having different PEG‐segment lengths of 6 and 11 kDa were studied. The performance as a shape memory polymer at high strain level (600%) and its interrelations with shape‐programming conditions, molecular orientation, and microstructural changes are elucidated. A significant contribution of strain‐induced crystallization of PLA segments to the improvement of temporary shape fixation was evidenced upon increasing draw ratio and/or shape‐holding duration as well as programming temperature (within certain range) without largely sacrificing the shape recoverability. Series of microstructural characterizations reveal the occurrence of fibrillar‐to‐lamellar transformation upon shape recovery (at 60 °C) of the samples programmed at 40 °C, generating shish–kebab crystalline morphology. Such phenomenon is responsible for the high‐strain shape memory effect of these materials. The unprecedented formation of shish–kebab structure at such relatively low temperature (instead of the melting temperature range) in solid state observed in these copolymers as well as their high‐strain shape memory functionality would bestow the promising future for their practicability in diverse areas. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 241–256     

Preparation of surfactant-free nanoparticles of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-poly(D,L-lactide-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-glycolide-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-ɛ-caprolactone)

Surfactant-free nanoparticles of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide-co-ɛ-caprolactone) diblock copolymers (MPEG-b-PDLLGCL) with different DLL:G:CL ratios were prepared by modified-spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method. Sizes of resulted colloidal nanoparticles obtained from light-scattering analysis were in the range of 121–132 nm with narrow size distribution. The nanoparticle sizes depended on the composition of the PDLLGCL block. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the nanoparticles were aggregated after drying process, suggested they were soft nanoparticles. However, their initial aggregates can be observed and it was shown that the nanoparticles have spherical shape with smooth surface. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Unique diketopiperazine dimers from the insect pathogenic fungus Verticillium hemipterigenum BCC 1449

[structure: see text]. Vertihemiptellides A (1) and B (2), unique diketopiperazine dimers, were isolated from the insect pathogenic fungus Verticillium hemipterigenum BCC 1449. Structures of these compounds were elucidated by NMR and mass spectral analysis, and the stereochemistry of 1 was determined by X-ray crystallography. The absolute stereochemistry of bisdethiodi(methylthio)-1-demethylhyalodendrin (3), previously isolated from the same fungus, was revised to the (3R,6R) configuration.     

Intramolecular acylation of α-sulfinyl carbanion: A new general route to 5-substituted Δ2 cyclopentenones

A general method for the preparation of 5-substituted Δ²-cyclopentenones $\text{via}$ the intramolecular acylation of $\text{αot}$-sulfinyl carbanions has been demonstrated.