Stereoselective synthesis of biologically active tetronic acids

(4R)-3-Amino-4-trimethylsilyloxy-2-alkenoates (R)-3, obtained from O-trimethylsilyl protected optically active cyanohydrins (R)-1 via the Blaise reaction, are hydrolyzed under mildly acidic conditions to give optically active tetronic acids (R)-4 without racemization. From the follow-up reactions of (R)-4 investigated, only methylation with diazomethane afforded the biologically active tetronic acid derivative (R)-5a without racemization whereas acylation and reductive alkylation, respectively, resulted in partial racemization or failed on the whole.     

Triethanolammonium salts of biologically active carboxylic acids

Triethanolammonium salts (protatranes) of biologically active carboxylic acids (nicotinic, cinnamic, benzoic, salicylic, oxalic, malonic, succinic, malic, citric) were synthesized in yields exceeding 90%. The structure of the synthesized compounds was studied by IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Simultaneous analysis of biologically active pyridines in pharmaceutical formulations by capillary zone electrophoresis

A capillary zone electrophoretic method using UV detection is developed for the analysis of four biological active pyridines [i.e., nicotine (NIC), cotinine (COT), nicotinic acid (NA), and nicotinamide (NM)]. The separation of the pyridines is achieved in 25 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 2.1) using a fused-silica capillary with an effective length of 56 cm and an inner diameter of 50 μm (extended light path), hydrodynamic injection at 50 mbar for 10 s, a temperature of 25°C, applied voltage of 30 kV, and UV detection at 260 nm. These conditions provide baseline separation of all the analytes [resolution (R(s)) > 3.6] in 9.4 min with good linearity (r(2) > 0.998, in ranges of 50-600 μg/mL for NIC, 8-160 μg/mL for NM, and 10-200 μg/mL for COT and NA), precision (relative standard deviation <2.04%), recovery (96.4-101.6%), limits of detection (<3.0 μg/mL), and quantitation (<10 μg/mL). The method is robust upon the alterations of pH of BGE, separating voltage, and injection time [the RSDs of the relative migration time (migration time of the analyte/migration time of the internal standard) and resolution <3.26%]. The method is efficient, reliable, and simple for the routine analysis of NIC, NA, and NM in various products such as gum and tablets and can be applied to determine COT in thermal degradation of NIC gum.     

Mechanocomposites of biologically active acids on the basis of a natural biopolymer

Mechanical activation of the natural biopolymer arabinogalactan with organic acids (succinic, aminoacetic) was studied by IR spectroscopy and X-ray phase analysis. Evidence was obtained for the formation of mechanocomposites with a chemical bond between the natural biopolymer and organic acids. The nature of this bond depends on the nature of the acid. The composites obtained by mechanical activation of such mixtures are stable disperse systems with a uniformly distributed active ingrediaent.     

Simultaneous quantification of five major biologically active ingredients of saffron by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A simple, sensitive and specific high-performance liquid chromatography-UV (HPLC-UV) method has been developed for the first time to simultaneously quantify the five major biologically active ingredients of saffron, namely crocin 1, crocin 2, crocin 3, crocin 4 and crocetin. Calibration curves were derived by spiking authentic compounds and internal standard, 13-cis-retinoic acid, into herbal samples prior to extraction. Extraction was conducted simply by stirring dried herb (20 mg) with 80% aqueous methanol (5 ml) at ambient temperature in the dark for 2 h. The HPLC assay was performed on a reversed-phase C18 column with linear gradient elution using methanol and 1% aqueous acetic acid. Calibrations were linear (r2 = 0.999) for all five analytes, with overall intra- and inter-day RSDs of less than 11%. The assay was successfully applied to the determination of four crocins and crocetin in three saffron samples and two Zhizi, another crocin-containing herb. Results indicate that the developed HPLC assay can be readily utilized as a quality control method for crocin-containing medicinal herbs.     

Simultaneous determination of eight biologically active thiol compounds using gradient elution-liquid chromatography with Coul-Array detection

The most active form of sulfur in biomolecules is the thiol group, present in a number of biologically active compounds. Here we present a comprehensive study of thiol analysis using flow injection analysis/HPLC with electrochemical detection. The effect of different potentials of working electrodes, of organic solvent contents in the mobile phase, and of isocratic and gradient elution on simultaneous determination of thiol compounds (cysteine, cystine, N-acetylcysteine, homocysteine, reduced and oxidised glutathione, desglycinephytochelatin, and phytochelatins) are described and discussed. These thiol compounds were well separated and detected under optimised HPLC-electrochemical detection conditions (mobile phase: 80 mM trifluoroacetic acid and methanol with a gradient profile starting at 97:3 (TFA:methanol), kept constant for the first 8 min, then decreasing to 85:15 during one minute, kept constant for 8 min, and finally increasing linearly up to 97:3 from 17 to 18 min; the flow rate was 0.8 mL/min, column and detector temperature 25 degrees C, and the electrode potential 900 mV). We were able to determine tens of femtomoles (3 S/N) of the thiols per injection (5 microL), except for phytochelatin5 whose detection limit was 2.1 pmole. This technique was consequently used for simultaneous determination of compounds of interest in biological samples (maize tissue and human blood serum).     

Synthesis of biologically active pyridazinoquinoxalines

The 2‐(1‐methylhydrazino)quinoxaline 4‐oxides 9a,b were converted into the pyridazino[3,4‐b]‐quinoxalines 10a,b,15a,b,22 and 1,2‐diazepino[3,4‐b]quinoxalines 29a‐c , which were further transformed into the 3‐substituted 1‐methylpyridazino[3,4‐b]quinoxalin‐4(1H)‐ones 5–8 .     

Mass spectrometry of biologically active substances

The mass spectra of 2- and 4-iminobarbituric acid derivatives were studied in relation to the mass spectra of their oxygen analogs. It is shown that the pathways of fragmentation of the investigated compounds depend on the type of substituent attached to the C₅ atom, the position of the imino and oxo groups in the ring, and the specific mass-spectral properties. The fragmentation was studied by means of low-voltage mass spectrometry and deuterium labeling.See [1] for communication I.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 813–817, June, 1978.     

Electrochemical studies of biologically active indolizines

The electrochemical behavior of indolizine ethers, esters, tosylates, sulfonates and other indolizine and azaindolizine derivatives has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and preparative electrolysis. The cyclic voltammetric data show that the E° values, taken as the midpoints between the anodic and cathodic peak potentials, are sensitive to the identities of the substituents at C-1, C-2 and C-7 positions. The E° values have been correlated with the Hammett substituent parameters. As expected, low E° values are seen for electron donating substituents and higher E° values are seen for electron withdrawing substituents. The cyclic voltammograms of indolizine derivatives with an oxygen atom connected to the C-1 position exhibit a one-electron reversible oxidation and a further, less well-defined, one-electron irreversible oxidation at higher E° values. The cyclic voltammograms of indolizines with hydrogen atom or thienyl substituents connected to the C-1 position exhibit only a one-electron irreversible oxidation. Electrochemical bulk oxidations of indolizines with an oxygen atom at the C-1 position afforded oxoindolizinium salts in decent yields, whereas indolizines with a hydrogen atom at C-1 afforded 1,1′ dimers of indolizines as products in good yields. Bulk oxidation of 1-(α-hydroxybenzyl)-2,3-diphenylindolizine-7-carbonitrile afforded an unexpected ketone product in which the carbonyl group of the indolizine is connected at C-8 instead of at the C-1 position of the starting material. The findings described herein support our hypothesis that certain indolizine derivatives may inhibit lipid peroxidation by an electron transfer mechanism.     

Syntheses of biologically active sialosylglycerol derivatives

New sialosylglycerol derivatives were synthesized and found to inhibit the phospholipase A2 and C activities.     

Silyl modification of biologically active compounds

A series of derivatives of (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-quinolyl)-, (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-isoquinolyl)-, and (1,2,3,4-tetrahydrosila-2-isoquinolyl)acetic acid, which are structural analogs of glycine, were synthesized. The psychotropic activity and the acute toxicity of the compounds were studied.For Communication 3, see [6].Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 270–274, February, 1997.     

Synthesis of new biologically active O-hydrometalatranes

Russian Journal of General Chemistry -     

Screening and analysis of biologically active compounds inAngelica sinensis by molecular biochromatography

Summary A novel strategy for the screening and analysis of biologically active compounds in traditional Chinese medicine by molecular biochromatography is proposed. Molecular biochromatography with human serum albumin (HSA) immobilized on silica as stationary phase was used to screen and analyse the bioactive compounds in the typical Chinese medicine ofAngelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. Ten peaks showed retention on this column, which is based on their affinity for HSA. Ferulic acid and liguistilide were identified as the principal active components, which agrees very well with the results in the literature. A quality control method was also developed based on the simultaneous determination the concentrations of ferulic acid and liguistilide in solutions ofAngelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels extracted with water and methanol. It was observed that the concentrations of ferulic acid and liguistilide in solution extracted with methanol were 2 and 53 times higher, respectively, than those with water. It was shown that molecular biochromatography is an effective way of analysing and screening biologically active compounds in traditional Chinese medicine.     

Selective membranes with biologically active surface

Composite membranes have been developed for media where accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms on the membrane surface is possible. It has been proposed to use as membrane skin layer a polymer nanocomposite modified with detonation nanodiamonds containing surface-bound dibutyltin dilaurate as biologically active substance, which should ensure self-cleaning of the membrane surface.     

Magnetically and biologically active bead-patterned hydrogels

We present a new approach to the direct patterning of biologically and magnetically active microbeads in nonbiofouling polymer scaffolds for use in microfluidic devices. Briefly, the process involves treatment of a glass substrate, conformal contact bonding of a PDMS microchannel on the substrate, filling of the channel with beads and prepolymer solution, and UV-initiated photopolymerization of a mask-defined pattern using a standard inverted microscope. This versatile and simple method allows for the rapid fabrication of dispersed or packed bead patterns in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels that are covalently linked to glass surfaces. By exploiting the relative opacity of the microbeads used, we are able to create both partially exposed and fully encapsulated bead patterns. To demonstrate the utility of this new technology, we separated magnetic bead-bound B lymphocytes from T lymphocytes on a PEG-encapsulated magnetic filtration platform and also captured B cells directly on patterned, protein-decorated beads in a flow-through microfluidic device. Beyond cell sorting, the accurate patterning of industrially standardized, chemically diverse microbeads may have significant implications for microchip-based analyte detection.