Preparative isolation of (+)-beta-eudesmol fromAmyris balsamifera

Summary Optically pure (+)-beta-eudesmol is a possible starting material for the synthesis of several termite defense compounds. A two step procedure for the isolation of gram quantities of (+)-beta-eudesmol from commercially availableAmyris balsamifera oil (syn. West Indian sandalwood oil), containing 8% beta-eudesmol, was developed. Step one consisted of an efficient vacuum distillation of the total oil. Step two was a medium pressure LC separation with an AgNO₃ impregnated silica gel stationary phase. Several other separation procedures failed due to the presence of many closely related sesquiterpene alcohols (75% of the oil).     

Asymmetric Methods for the Synthesis of Flavanones, Chromanones, and Azaflavanones

Flavanones, chromanones, and related structures are privileged natural products that display a wide variety of biological activities. Although flavanoids are abundant in nature, there are a limited number of available general and efficient synthetic methods for accessing molecules of this class in a stereoselective manner. Their structurally simple architectures belie the difficulties involved in installation and maintenance of the stereogenic configuration at the C2 position, which can be sensitive and can undergo epimerization under mildly acidic, basic, and thermal reaction conditions. This review presents the methods currently used to access these related structures. The synthetic methods include manipulation of the flavone/flavanone core, carbon-carbon bond formation, and carbon-heteroatom bond formation.     

Investigations into beam monitors at the AEg ̄ IS experiment

Detailed diagnostic of antiproton beams at low energies is required for essentially all experiments at the Antiproton Decelerator (AD), but will be particularly important for the future Extra Low ENergy Antiproton ring (ELENA) and its keV beam lines to the different experiments. Many monitors have been successfully developed and operated at the AD, but in particular beam profile monitoring remains a challenge. A dedicated beam instrumentation and detector test stand has recently been setup at the AE \(\bar {g}\) IS experiment (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy). Located behind the actual experiment, it allows for parasitic use of the antiproton beam at different energies for testing and calibration. With the aim to explore and validate different candidate technologies for future low energy beam lines, as well as the downstream antihydrogen detector in AE \(\bar {g}\) IS, measurements have been carried out using Silicon strip and pixel detectors, a purpose-built secondary emission monitor and emulsions. Here, results from measurements and characterization of the different detector types with regard to their future use at the AD complex are presented.     

Flexibility in Proteins: Tuning the Sensitivity to O2 Diffusion by Varying the Lifetime of a Phosphorescent Sensor in Horseradish Peroxidase¶

The heme in horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was replaced by phosphorescent Pt‐mesoporphyrin IX (PtMP), which acted as a phosphorescent marker of oxygen quenching and allowed comparison with another probe, Pd‐mesoporphyrin IX (Khajehpour et al. (2003) Proteins 53, 656–666). Benzohydroxamic acid (BHA), a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme, was also used to monitor its effects on phosphorescence quenching. With the addition of BHA, in the presence of oxygen, the phosphorescence intensity of the protein increased. In contrast, the addition of BHA, in the absence of oxygen, reduced the phosphorescence intensity of the protein. K_d= 18 μM when BHA binds to PtMP‐HRP. The effect of BHA can be explained by two factors: ( 1 ) BHA reduces the accessibility of O₂ to the protein interior and ( 2 ) BHA itself quenches the phosphorescence. Consistent with this, the oxygen quenching of the phosphorescence of PtMP‐HRP gave a quenching constant of k_q= 234 mm Hg^?1 s^?1 in the absence of BHA and k_q= 28.7 mm Hg^?1 s^?1 in the presence of BHA. The quenching rate of BHA is 4000 s^?1. The relative quantum yield of the phosphorescence of the Pt derivative is about six times that of the Pd derivative, whereas the phosphorescence lifetime is approximately eight times shorter. The high quantum yield and suitable lifetime make Pt‐porphyrins appropriate as sensors of O₂ diffusion and flexibility in heme proteins.