Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated butenolides from allenic acids

The electrophile-initiated cyclisation of allenic acids and esters provides a general route for the synthesis of β-substituted α,β-unsaturated butenolides.     

Synthesis of butenolides as seed germination stimulants

Syntheses of a series of novel butenolides as seed germination stimulants are described. The key steps include the cyclization reaction of enamine 4 to form a pyran ring, the efficient halogenating reaction and the selective lithiation reaction of butenolides.     

Synthesis of chiral butenolides using amino-thiocarbamate-catalyzed asymmetric bromolactonization

The asymmetric cyclization of 4,4-disubstituted 3-butenoic acids is studied. Amino-thiocarbamates are used as the catalysts and N-bromosuccinimide is used as the stoichiometric halogen source. The resulting γ-butanolide products are readily converted into the corresponding γ-butenolides (up to 58% ee) derivatives in one-pot.     

Synthesis of spirocyclic butenolides by ring closing metathesis

Spirocyclic butenolides were efficiently prepared by a ring closing metathesis strategy.     

Synthesis of enones and butenolides using organomanganese pentacarbonyl complexes.

Sequential insertion of carbon monoxide and alkynes into alkylmanganese pentacarbonyl complexes at pressures of 6 kbar provides unsaturated manganacycles in a regioselective manner. The manganacycles can be transformed under acidic conditions into a mixture of enone and furanone. Alternatively, themanganacycle can be reduced with DIBAL-ate complex to furnish the butenolide.     

Facile synthesis of 4-substituted butenolides from furan

A variety of 4-substituted butenolides were prepared utilizing 2-acetoxyfuran as a key intermediate which can be easily synthesized by anodic oxidation of furan.     

Synthesis of (±)-halipanicine, a marine sesquiterpene isothiocyanate isolated from an Okinawan marine sponge Halichondria panicea

(±)-Halipanicine, 4-isothiocyanato-1-cadinene, isolated from an Okinawan marine sponge Halichondria panicea was synthesized from (±)-cryptone in 21 steps in 7.7% total yield. The regio- and stereospecific synthesis esablished the relative stereochemistry of halipanicine.     

The furan approach to carbocyclic systems. Synthesis of cyclohexane derivatives from butenolides through an intramolecular Michael addition

We describe an efficient new approach for the synthesis of highly substituted cyclohexane derivatives that is based on the oxidation of a furan ring with singlet oxygen followed by an intramolecular Michael addition of the resulting butenolide containing an acidic methine group.     

Synthesis of bioactive nitrogen heterocycles from marine organisms

Recently many bioactive indole alkaloids have been isolated from marine organisms. Many of them have novel ring systems which are not found in the indole alkaloids isolated from higher plants and molds on the land. We have chosen β-carboline alkaloids, eudistomins and manzamines, as targets for total synthesis.     

The chemistry of recently isolated naturally occurring quinazolinone alkaloids

The present review portrays a concise account of the isolation, bioactivity, and synthesis of bioactive quinazolinone-based natural products for the period 1983-2005 and the recent developments in the area of complex quinazolinone natural products with a special emphasis on new synthetic routes and strategies.     

A new peptide isolated from a marine derived Streptomyces bacillaris

A new peptide, L-O-Lac-L-Val-D-O-Hiv-D-Val (1), consisting of D-valine, L-valine, L-lactic acid, and 3-D-hydroxyisovaleric acid, was isolated from the culture of the marine sediment derived Streptomyces bacillaris. The planar structure of compound 1 was assigned by 1D, 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic analyses. Following acid and base hydrolysis, the absolute configuration of the valine residues in 1 were determined by application of the advanced Marfey's method and the absolute configurations of hydroxy acids units were determined by a HPLC method based on Mosher's reagents.     

Comparative study of biosurfactant produced by microorganisms isolated from formation water of petroleum reservoir

Biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Rhodococcus erythropolis that isolated from the formation water of Chinese petroleum reservoir has been compared in surface abilities and oil recovery. Maximum biosurfactant production reached to about 2.66 g/l and the surface tension of liquid decreased from 71.2 to 22.56 mN/m using P. aeruginosa. Three strains exhibited a good ability to emulsify the crude oil, and biosurfactant of P. aeruginosa attained an emulsion index of 80% for crude oil which was greater than other strains. Stability studies were carried out under the extreme environmental conditions, such as high temperature, pH, salinity and metal ions. Results showed an excellent resistance of all biosurfactants to retain their surface-active properties at extreme conditions. It was found that the biosurfactants from three isolated bacteria showed a good stability above pH of 5, but at lower pH (from 1 to 5) they will harmfully be affected. They were able to support the condition up to 20 g/l salinity. P. aeruginosa biosurfactant was even stable at the higher salinity. Regarding temperature, all produced biosurfactants demonstrated a good stability in the temperature up to 120 °C. But stability of three biosurfactants was affected by monovalent and trivalent ions. Oil recovery experiments in physical simulation showed 7.2-14.3% recovery of residual oil after water flooding when the biosurfactant of three strains was added. These results suggest that biosurfactants of these indigenous isolated strains are appropriate candidates for enhanced oil recovery with a preference to biosurfactant of P. aeruginosa.     

Synthesis of polyacetylenic acids isolated from Heisteria acuminata

Four linear polyacetylenic compounds were synthesized. Pentadeca-6,8,10-triynoic acid 1 and octadeca-8,10,12-triynoic acid 2 were synthesized by using acetylene coupling reactions. The syntheses of (Z)-hexadec-11-en-7,9-diynoic acid 3 and (Z)-octadec-12-en-7,9-diynoic acid 4 by using vinylic telluride coupling reactions were accomplished.     

Antifungal effects of secondary metabolites isolated from marine organisms collected from the Tunisian coast

Phallusides 1,2,3 (1), Fasciculatin (2), Acanthelline (3), Axisonitrile (4), Oroïdin (5) and the Novel bromopyrolimidazolic compound Axinellizine (6) were evaluated for their antifungal effects against several phytopatogenic fungi and were found to possess considerable activities. Insecticidal effect of only Acanthellin (3) against the major pest of stored products Tribolium confusum Duv has been carried out using direct contact application method showing a significant inhibitory effect of the test material on the T. confusum Duv larvae growth. Forty-five percent mortality of the adults was achieved 8 days after treatment.