Design,Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel N‐(4‐([2,2′:5′,2′′‐Terthiophen]‐5‐yl)‐2‐methylbut‐3‐yn‐2‐yl) Benzamide Derivatives

On the basis of the principle of combination of active groups, a series of novel N‐(4‐([2,2′:5′,2′′‐terthiophen]‐5‐yl)‐2‐methylbut‐3‐yn‐2‐yl) benzamide derivatives were designed, synthesized and systematically evaluated for their antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The bioassay results showed that most of these compounds displayed good anti‐TMV activity, and some of them exhibited higher antiviral activity than commercial Ningnanmycin. Especially, compound 8e with excellent anti‐TMV activity (inactivation activity, 92.3%/500 µg·mL^?1; curative activity, 85.7%/500 µg·mL^?1 and protection activity, 64.7%/500 µg·mL^?1) emerged as a potential inhibitor of plant virus TMV. Quantitative structure‐activity relationship studies proved that the van der Waals volume (V) and electronic parameter (∑(∑σ_o+σ_p) and ∑σ_m) for the substituent R¹ were very important for antiviral activities in this class of compounds.     

Synthesis,characterization and α‐amylase and α‐glucosidase inhibition studies of novel vanadyl chalcone complexes

A series of chalcone ligands and their corresponding vanadyl complexes of composition [VO (L^I–IV)₂(H₂O)₂]SO₄ (where L^I = 1,3‐Diphenylprop‐2‐en‐1‐one, L^II = 3‐(2‐Hydroxy‐phenyl)‐1‐phenyl‐propenone, L^III = 3‐(3‐Nitro‐phenyl)‐1‐phenyl‐propenone, L^IV = 3‐(4‐Methoxy‐phenyl)‐1‐phenyl‐propenone) have been synthesized and characterized using various spectroscopic (Fourier‐transform infrared, electrospray ionization mass, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer) and physico‐analytic techniques. Antidiabetic activities of synthesized complexes along with chalcones were evaluated by performing in vitro and in silico α‐amylase and α‐glucosidase inhibition studies. The obtained results displayed moderate to significant inhibition activity against both the enzymes by vanadyl chalcone complexes. The most potent complexes were further investigated for the enzyme kinetic studies and displayed the mixed inhibition for both the enzymes. Further, antioxidant activity of vanadyl chalcone complexes was evaluated for their efficiency to release oxidative stress using 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl‐hydrate assay, and two complexes (Complexes 2 and 4 ) have demonstrated remarkable antioxidant activity. All the complexes were found to possess promising antidiabetic and antioxidant potential.     

Homonuclear Decoupling in 1H NMR of Solids by Remote Correlation

The typical linewidths of ¹H NMR spectra of powdered organic solids at 111 kHz magic‐angle spinning (MAS) are of the order of a few hundred Hz. While this is remarkable in comparison to the tens of kHz observed in spectra of static samples, it is still the key limit to the use of ¹H in solid‐state NMR, especially for complex systems. Here, we demonstrate a novel strategy to further improve the spectral resolution. We show that the anti‐z‐COSY experiment can be used to reduce the residual line broadening of ¹H NMR spectra of powdered organic solids. Results obtained with the anti‐z‐COSY sequence at 100 kHz MAS on thymol, β‐AspAla, and strychnine show an improvement in resolution of up to a factor of two compared to conventional spectra acquired at the same spinning rate.     

Concise Total Synthesis of Nannocystin A

Nannocystin A, a structurally unique 21‐membered macrocyclic depsipeptide with low nanomolar inhibitory activity against elongation factor 1A, was synthesized according to a strategy involving the vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction, Sharpless epoxidation, olefin metathesis, the Mitsunobu reaction, and a palladium‐catalyzed intramolecular Suzuki coupling of a highly complex cyclization substrate. The overall synthesis is efficient and paves the way for preparation of analogues for drug development efforts.     

1,3‐Diazasilabicyclo[1.1.0]butane with a Long Bridging N−N Bond

A 1,3‐diazasilabicyclo[1.1.0]butane ( 1 ) is synthesized as thermally stable crystals by using the cycloaddition reaction of an isolable dialkylsilylene with aziadamantane. The bridge N?N bond length of 1 (1.70 Å) is the longest among those of known N?N singly‐bonded compounds, including side‐on bridged transition‐metal dinitrogen complexes. The compound 1 is intact in air but moisture sensitive. No reaction occurs with hydrogen, even under pressure at 0.5 MPa. Irradiation of 1 with light gives an isomer quantitatively by N?N and adamantyl C?C bond cleavage. The origin of the remarkable N?N bond elongation is ascribed to significant interaction between a Si?C σ* and Ν?Ν π and σ orbitals as determined by DFT calculations of model compounds.     

Rationally Developed Organic Salts of Tolfenamic Acid and Its β‐Alanine Derivatives for Dual Purposes as an Anti‐Inflammatory Topical Gel and Anticancer Agent

A new series of primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM) salts of a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID), namely, tolfenamic acid ( TA ), and its β‐alanine derivatives were generated. Nearly 67 % of the salts in the series showed gelling abilities with various solvents, including water (biogenic solvent) and methyl salicylate (typically used for topical gel formulations). Gels were characterized by rheology, electron microscopy, and so forth. Structure–property correlations based on single‐crystal and powder XRD data of several gelator and nongelator salts revealed intriguing insights. Studies (in vitro) on an aggressive human breast cancer cell line (MDA‐MB‐231) with the l ‐tyrosine methyl ester salt of TA ( S7 ) revealed that the hydrogelator salt was more effective at killing cancer cells than the mother drug TA (3‐(4,5‐ di methyl thiazol ‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay); displayed better anti‐inflammatory activity compared with that of TA (prostaglandin E₂ assay); could be internalized within the cancer cells, as revealed by fluorescence microscopy; and inhibited effectively migration of the cancer cells. Thus, the easily accessible ambidextrous gelator salt S7 can be used for two purposes: as an anti‐inflammatory topical gel and as an anticancer agent.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 3‐(4‐Chlorophenyl)‐2‐(substituted)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one Derivatives as Multi‐target Anti‐inflammatory Agents

A novel class of 3‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐2‐(substituted)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives were synthesized, and the structure of synthesized compounds was characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The newly synthesized compounds ( 4a–g and 6a–g ) were tested for their in vitro cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition activity. The compounds have inhibitory profile against both COX‐1 and COX‐2, and some of the compounds are found to be selective against COX‐2. The compound 6g showed distinct inhibitory activity on COXs. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their potential anti‐inflammatory activity as inhibitors of the proinflammatory cytokines IL‐6. Compounds 4d – g showed the highest level of inhibition among all the tested compounds. Thus, our data suggested that these compounds may represent a new class of potent anti‐inflammatory agents.     

A Macrocyclic Ruthenium(III) Complex Inhibits Angiogenesis with Down‐Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor‐2 and Suppresses Tumor Growth In Vivo

A macrocyclic ruthenium(III) complex [Ru^III(N₂O₂)Cl₂]Cl ( Ru‐1 ) is reported as an inhibitor of angiogenesis and an anti‐tumor compound. The complex is relatively non‐cytotoxic towards endothelial and cancer cell lines in vitro, but specifically inhibited the processes of angiogenic endothelial cell tube formation and cancer cell invasion. Moreover, compared with known anti‐cancer ruthenium complexes, Ru‐1 is distinct in that it suppressed the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2 (VEGFR2), and the associated downstream signaling that is crucial to tumor angiogenesis. In addition, in vivo studies showed that Ru‐1 inhibited angiogenesis in a zebrafish model and suppressed tumor growth in nude mice bearing cancer xenografts.     

Synthesis of Bis‐acridine Derivatives Exhibiting Anticancer and Anti‐inflammatory Activity

A series of bis‐acridine derivatives 3a – j and 5a – j have been synthesized by condensation of 9‐chloro‐2,4‐(un)substituted acridines (1a – e) and 9‐isothiocyanato‐2,4‐(un)substituted acridines (4a – e) with diamine 2a and 2b , respectively. These bis‐acridines were evaluated in vitro for activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines of lung (NCI H‐522), ovary (PA1), breast (T47D), colon (HCT‐15), and liver (HepG2). Several bis‐acridines were found to possess good anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines. Of these, compound 3h exhibited good anticancer activity against all cancer cell lines tested except liver (HepG2) cell line. In addition to this, these compounds were screened for anti‐inflammatory activity at a dose of 50 mg/kg p.o. Compound 3g exhibited 41% anti‐inflammatory activity, which is better than most commonly used standard drug ibuprofen, which showed 39% anti‐inflammatory (at 50 mg/kg p. o.) activity.     

Total Chemical Synthesis of the Enzyme Sortase AΔN59 with Full Catalytic Activity

The enzyme sortase A is a ligase which catalyzes transpeptidation reactions. 1 , 2 Surface proteins, including virulence factors, that have a C terminal recognition sequence are attached to Gly₅ on the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls by sortase A. 1 The enzyme is an important anti‐virulence and anti‐infective drug target for resistant strains of Gram‐positive bacteria. 2 In addition, because sortase A enables the splicing of polypeptide chains, the transpeptidation reaction catalyzed by sortase A is a potentially valuable tool for protein science. 3 Here we describe the total chemical synthesis of enzymatically active sortase A. The target 148 residue polypeptide chain of sortase A_ΔN59 was synthesized by the convergent chemical ligation of four unprotected synthetic peptide segments. The folded protein molecule was isolated by size‐exclusion chromatography and had full enzymatic activity in a transpeptidation assay. Total synthesis of sortase A will enable more sophisticated engineering of this important enzyme molecule.     

Thiazole‐Based γ‐Building Blocks as Reverse‐Turn Mimetic to Design a Gramicidin S Analogue: Conformational and Biological Evaluation

This paper describes the ability of a new class of heterocyclic γ‐amino acids named ATCs (4‐amino(methyl)‐1,3‐thiazole‐5‐carboxylic acids) to induce turns when included in a tetrapeptide template. Both hybrid Ac‐Val‐(R or S)‐ATC‐Ile‐Ala‐NH₂ sequences were synthesized and their conformations were studied by circular dichroism, NMR spectroscopy, MD simulations, and DFT calculations. It was demonstrated that the ATCs induced highly stable C₉ pseudocycles in both compounds promoting a twist turn and a reverse turn conformation depending on their absolute configurations. As a proof of concept, a bioactive analogue of gramicidin S was successfully designed using an ATC building block as a turn inducer. The NMR solution structure of the analogue adopted an antiparallel β‐pleated sheet conformation similar to that of the natural compound. The hybrid α,γ‐cyclopeptide exhibited significant reduced haemotoxicity compared to gramicidin S, while maintaining strong antibacterial activity.     

Synthesis and Anti‐tumor Evaluation of Novel C‐37 Modified Derivatives of Gambogic Acid

Gambogic acid (GA, 1 ), the most prominent representative of Garcinia natural products, has been reported to be a promising anti‐tumor agent. In order to further explore the structure‐activity relationship of GA and discover novel GA derivatives as anti‐tumor agents, 17 novel C‐37 modified derivatives of GA were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anti‐tumor activities against A549, HCT‐116, BGC‐823, HepG2 and MCF‐7 cancer cell lines. Among them, 11 compounds were found to be more potent than GA against some cancer cell lines. Notably, compound 8 was almost 5–10 folds more active than GA against A549 and BGC‐823 cell lines with the IC₅₀ values of 0.12 µmol·L^?1 and 0.57 µmol·L^?1, respectively. Chemical modification at C‐37 position of GA by introducing of hydrophilic amines could lead to increased activity and improved drug‐like properties. These findings will enhance our understanding of the structure‐activity relationship (SAR) of GA and lead to the discovery of novel GA derivatives as potential anti‐tumor agents.     

Rationalising the Geometric Variation between the A and B Monomers in the 1.9 Å Crystal Structure of Photosystem II

Density functional theory calculations are reported on a set of models of the water‐oxidising complex (WOC) of photosystem II (PSII), exploring structural features revealed in the most recent (1.9 Å resolution) X‐ray crystallographic studies of PSII. Crucially, we find that the variation in the Mn–Mn distances seen between the A and B monomers of this crystal structure can be entirely accounted for, in the low oxidation state (LOS) paradigm, by consideration of the interplay between two hydrogen‐bonding interactions involving proximate amino acid residues with the oxo bridges of the WOC, that is, His337 with O3 (which leads to a general elongation in the Mn–Mn distances between Mn1, Mn2 and Mn3) and Arg357 with O2 (which results in a specific elongation of the Mn2?Mn3 distance).     

Flavonoids Isolated from Heat‐Processed Epimedium koreanum and Their Anti‐HIV‐1 Activities

Systematic phytochemical investigation on heat‐processed Epimedium koreanum led to the isolation of 13 flavonoids, including five new prenyl‐flavonol glycosides, koreanosides A–E ( 1 – 5 , resp.). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed analysis of the 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopic data and chemical reactions. Apigenin ( 11 ) exhibited moderate anti‐HIV‐1 activity with an EC₅₀ value of 12.8±3.27 μg/ml.     

Screening and determination for potential α‐glucosidase inhibitory constituents from Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen using ultrafiltration‐LC/ESI‐MSn

In the present study, it was demonstrated that ethyl acetate soluble fraction partitioned from heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen (HEF) had a remarkable inhibitory effect on α‐glucosidase. Therefore HEF was selected as a starting material for screening the potential α‐glucosidase inhibitors using ultrafiltration liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UF‐LC/MS). Twenty‐six compounds were identified with analysis of LC/MS. UF assay indicated that 18 compositions might be α‐glucosidase inhibitors in HEF; eight of them were estimated for their α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity, and the results showed that (2S)‐liquiritigenin, (2S)‐4′,6‐dihydroxy‐ 7‐methoxyflavanone and isoliquiritigenin displayed obvious inhibition of yeast α‐glucosidase. In addition, in order to control the quality of HEF, the content of five compounds in HEF was simultaneously determined for the first time. These results provide an important theoretical base for the further application of HEF to treat type 2 diabetes in the clinic and development of natural α‐glucosidase inhibitors with low toxicity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A New Peroxy‐multiflorane Triterpene Ester from the Processed Seeds of Trichosanthes kirilowii

A new peroxy‐multiflorane triterpene ester, (3α,5α,8α,20α)‐5,8‐epidioxymultiflora‐6,9(11)‐diene‐3,29‐diol 3,29‐dibenzoate ( 1 ), was isolated from the processed seeds of Trichosanthes kirilowii, together with the two known related derivatives 2 and 3 , and the two known steroids 4 and 5 . Compounds 2, 4 , and 5 were isolated from the genus Trichosanthes for the first time. The structure of compound 1 was established by NMR, HR‐MS, and CD analyses. Compounds 1 – 3 were tested for their in vitro cytotoxicity against human‐tumor cell lines (Hela, HL‐60, and MCF‐7) and anti‐inflammatory activity (LPS‐induced B lymphocyte cells) with the MTT method.     

Malyngamide X: The First (7R)‐Lyngbic Acid that Connects to a New Tripeptide Backbone from the Thai Sea Hare Bursatella leachii

Malyngamide X ( 1 ), the first (7R)‐lyngbic acid connected to a new tripeptide backbone, was isolated from the Thai sea hare Bursatella leachii. The gross structure of 1 was established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic data. Combination of the NMR spectroscopic experiments with α‐methoxy‐α‐(trifluoromethyl)phenylacetic acid esters, 2,2,2‐trifluoro‐1‐(9‐anthryl)ethanol chiral solvating agent, and molecular mechanics of 1 and the synthetic molecular fragments allowed us to determine the absolute stereochemistry of all six stereogenic centers without hydrolytic degradation of the compound. Compound 1 displayed moderate cytotoxic, antitubercular, and antimalarial properties.     

A Multitarget Gold(I) Complex Induces Cytotoxicity Related to Aneuploidy in HCT‐116 Colorectal Carcinoma Cells

A novel alkynyl phosphane gold(I) complex (trimethylphosphane)(3‐(1,3‐dimethylxanthine‐7‐yl)prop‐1‐yn‐1‐yl)gold(I) 1 displayed mutiple biological activites including selective proliferation inhibitory, anti‐metastatic, and anti‐angiogenic effects. The complex also induced effects related to aneuploidy in HCT‐116 colon carcinoma cells, which might be mainly ascribed to the dysfunction of mitochondrial bioenergetics and downregulation of glycolysis. Induction of aneuploidy beyond a critical level can provide an effective strategy to target cancer, in particular colorectal tumours with a low tolerance of aneuploidy, and could be of relevance for 1 and other metallodrugs.     

Liposomal Antitumor Vaccines Targeting Mucin 1 Elicit a Lipid‐Dependent Immunodominant Response

The tumor‐associated antigen mucin 1 (MUC1) has been pursued as an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy, but the poor immunogenicity of the endogenous antigen hinders the development of vaccines capable of inducing effective anti‐MUC1 immunodominant responses. Herein, we prepared synthetic anti‐MUC1 vaccines in which the hydrophilic MUC1 antigen was N‐terminally conjugated to one or two palmitoyl lipid chains (to form amphiphilic Pam‐MUC1 or Pam₂‐MUC1). These amphiphilic lipid‐tailed MUC1 antigens were self‐assembled into liposomes containing the NKT cell agonist αGalCer as an adjuvant. The lipid‐conjugated antigens reshaped the physical and morphological properties of liposomal vaccines. Promising results showed that the anti‐MUC1 IgG antibody titers induced by the Pam₂‐MUC1 vaccine were more than 30‐ and 190‐fold higher than those induced by the Pam‐MUC1 vaccine and the MUC1 vaccine without lipid tails, respectively. Similarly, vaccines with the TLR1/2 agonist Pam₃CSK₄ as an adjuvant also induced conjugated lipid‐dependent immunological responses. Moreover, vaccines with the αGalCer adjuvant induced significantly higher titers of IgG antibodies than vaccines with the Pam₃CSK₄ adjuvant. Therefore, the non‐covalent assembly of the amphiphilic lipo‐MUC1 antigen and the NKT cell agonist αGalCer as a glycolipid adjuvant represent a synthetically simple but immunologically effective approach for the development of anti‐MUC1 cancer vaccines.     

Diastereoselective Total Synthesis of (±)‐Schindilactone A,Part 2: Construction of the Fully Functionalized CDEFGH Ring System

The successful synthesis of the highly complex model compound ( 2 ) of the CEFGH ring system of schindilactone A ( 1 ) is described. Several synthetic methodologies were developed and applied to achieve this goal, including ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) and Co–thiourea‐catalyzed Pauson–Khand reactions. Furthermore, two independent approaches were developed for the construction of the GH ring of model compound 2 , the key steps of which included Pd–thiourea‐catalyzed carbonylative annulation, methylation, and sequential RCM/oxa‐Michael‐addition reactions. The chemistry developed herein has provided a greater understanding of the synthesis of schindilactone A ( 1 ) and its analogous compounds of the same family.