Potentiometric,spectral characterization,and antioxidant activity studies of ternary complexes involving Cu(II) and carbamoylcholine chloride drug with amino acids

A potentiometric method was used to determine the stability constants for the various complexes of copper(II) with carbamoylcholine chloride (C) drug as a ligand in the presence of some biorelevant amino acid constituents like glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), valine (Val), proline (Pro), β-phenylalanine (Phe), S-methylcysteine (Met), threonine (Thr), ornithine (Orn), lysine (Lys), histidine (Hisd), histamine (Hist), and imidazole (Imz) as ligands (L). Stability constants of complexes were determined at 25°C and I = 0.10 mol/L NaNO₃. The relative stability of each ternary complex was compared with that of the corresponding binary complexes in terms of Δlog K and % R.S. values. Cu(II) complexes of drug C were synthesized in 1:1 and 1:1:1 M ratios of copper to drug [Cu(C)(NO₃)₂] (1) and copper to drug to glycine[Cu(C)(Gly)(NO₃)].NO₃ (2), respectively. Glycine ternary complex with drug and copper [Cu(C)(Gly)(NO₃)].NO₃ was considered as representative amino acid. The complexes 1 and 2 were isolated and characterized using various physicochemical and spectral techniques. Both complexes 1 and 2 were found to have magnetic moments corresponding to one unpaired electron. The possible square planar and square-pyramidal geometries of the copper (II) complexes were assigned on the basis of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and infrared (IR) spectral studies, and the discrete Fourier transform method from DMOL3 calculations. Antioxidant activities of all the synthesized compounds were also investigated.     

Sugar amino acids and related molecules: Some recent developments

To meet the growing demands for the development of new molecular entities for discovering new drugs and materials, organic chemists have started working on many new concepts that can help to assimilate knowledge-based structural diversities more efficiently than ever before. Emulating the basic principles followed by Nature to build its vast repertoire of biomolecules, organic chemists are developing many novel multifunctional building blocks and using them to create ‘nature-like’ and yet unnatural organic molecules. Sugar amino acids constitute an important class of such polyfunctional scaffolds where the carboxyl, amino and hydroxyl termini provide an excellent opportunity to organic chemists to create structural diversities akin to Nature’s molecular arsenal. In recent years, sugar amino acids have been used extensively in the area of peptidomimetic studies. Advances made in the area of combinatorial chemistry can provide the necessary technological support for rapid compilations of sugar amino acidbased libraries exploiting the diversities of their carbohydrate frameworks and well-developed solid-phase peptide synthesis methods. This perspective article chronicles some of the recent applications of various sugar amino acids, furan amino acids, pyrrole amino acids etc. and many other related building blocks in wide-ranging peptidomimetic studies     

Improved synthesis of unnatural amino acids for peptide stapling

The procedures for the synthesis of various α-alkenyl and alkyne amino acids were systematically optimized in light of enhancing atom economy, reducing hazardous reagent usage, and simplifying workup. By starting with Boc-Pro-OH and coupling with EDCI/DMAP followed by alkylation, chiral auxiliary was synthesized with high yield and enantioselectivity. For alkylation of the chiral complex, tBuONa was found and proved by quantitative calculation to be superior to tBuOK in generating more nucleophilic enolate salt, thereby can significantly enhance yield under room temperature. Final Fmoc protection was also dramatically facilitated in one-pot sequential manner by adding EDTA-2Na as the nickel chelator. Synthesis of α-bisalkenyl amino acid was also accomplished by achiral complex approach with high yield and efficacy. Accordingly, five most commonly used N-Fmoc protected α-alkenyl and alkynyl amino acids were synthesized and characterized.     

Chromatography of amino acids and short peptides. New advances

The newest results in the application of various chromatographic methods (gas-liquid chromatography, liquid chromatographic techniques, electrically driven systems) for the separation and quantitative determination of amino acids and short peptides in pure state and in complicated matrices are compiled. The results are concisely described and critically evaluated. The future trends of the chromatographic analysis of amino acids and short peptides are briefly discussed.     

From amino acids to heteroaromatics--thiopeptide antibiotics, nature's heterocyclic peptides

Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, also serve as precursors to a wide range of other naturally occurring substances including alkaloids, antibiotics, and, the subject of this Review, heterocyclic peptides. Simple alpha-amino acids are converted into complex arrays of heteroaromatic rings that display interesting and potent biological activity. The thiopeptide antibiotics, with their complex molecular architectures, are wonderful examples. In this Review we show how organic chemists have developed innovative methods for the synthesis of the heterocyclic ring systems, including routes inspired by the likely biosynthetic processes, and successfully assembled such building blocks into the final target molecule by application of orthogonal protecting groups and coupling methodologies.     

Unnatural benz-X-azolyl asparagine derivatives as novel fluorescent amino acids: synthesis and photophysical characterization

A family of new asparagine derivatives bearing benzothiazole and benzimidazole units, functionalised with electron donor or acceptor groups, were synthesized in good to excellent yields. The photophysical characterization of these new heterocyclic amino acids was performed by UV-visible absorption and fluorescence emission studies and revealed that the compounds displayed remarkably high fluorescence quantum yields and Stokes' shifts, making them good candidates for application as fluorescent probes by incorporation into peptidic frameworks.     

Improved solid-phase peptide synthesis method utilizing alpha-azide-protected amino acids

[structure: see text]. Pure alpha-azido acids were prepared using an efficient diazo transfer method followed by buffered workup. These building blocks were used to prepare small peptides on Wang resin by two approaches. Peptides prone to diketopiperazine formation were prepared in good yields by coupling acids to resin bound iminophosphoranes during Fmoc-Wang synthesis. The iminophosphoranes can also be hydrolyzed under neutral conditions to provide unprotected amines ready for further coupling.     

Enhanced epimerization of glycosylated amino acids during solid-phase peptide synthesis

Glycopeptides are extremely useful for basic research and clinical applications, but access to structurally defined glycopeptides is limited by the difficulties in synthesizing this class of compounds. In this study, we demonstrate that many common peptide coupling conditions used to prepare O-linked glycopeptides result in substantial amounts of epimerization at the α position. In fact, epimerization resulted in up to 80% of the non-natural epimer, indicating that it can be the major product in some reactions. Through a series of mechanistic studies, we demonstrate that the enhanced epimerization relative to nonglycosylated amino acids is due to a combination of factors, including a faster rate of epimerization, an energetic preference for the unnatural epimer over the natural epimer, and a slower overall rate of peptide coupling. In addition, we demonstrate that use of 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (TMP) as the base in peptide couplings produces glycopeptides with high efficiency and low epimerization. The information and improved reaction conditions will facilitate the preparation of glycopeptides as therapeutic compounds and vaccine antigens.     

Extraction and composition characterisation of amino acids from tung meal

The most desirable content of amino acids (AAs) in the extracted products from tung (Aleurites fordii) meal was 93.88%, which was obtained from shelled tung meal at a hydrolysis temperature of 45°C and a isoelectric precipitation pH value of 4.4. Furthermore, the cytotoxic activity of extracted AAs was also evaluated by MTT assay. Antioxidant activity of extracted AAs was also measured by the DPPH assay. As a result, the high yield of extracted AAs exhibited so low cytotoxic and high antioxidant activity that had the potential use as a functional ingredient.     

Optically active nitroalkenes—synthesis, addition reactions and transformation into amino acids

Optically active nitroalkenes 4 were synthesized via Henry reaction. Conjugate addition of vinylmagnesium bromide to 4 gave nitroalkane syn-5 while cyclopropanation with sulfur ylides or dibromocarbene afforded nitrocyclopropanes 8, 10 and 11 in a diastereoselective manner. These products were used to synthesize optically active β-amino acids 7 and 16 as well as cyclopropane γ-amino acids 19 and 20 by reduction of the nitro group and oxidative cleavage of the dioxolane substituent.     

Non-protein amino acids in peptide design

An overview of the use of non-protein amino acids in the design of conformationally well-defined peptides, based on work from the author’s laboratory, is discussed. The crystal structures of several designed oligopeptides illustrate the useα-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) in the construction of helices, D-amino acids in the design of helix termination segments and^DPro-Xxx segments for nucleating ofβ-hairpin structures.β- andγ-amino acid residues have been used to expand the range of designed polypeptide structures. Dedicated to Professor C N R Rao on his 70th birthday     

Chemo-, regio- and stereospecific addition of amino acids to acylacetylenes: a facile synthesis of new N-acylvinyl derivatives of amino acids

The one-pot reaction of natural amino acids (glycine, β-alanine, γ-aminobutyric and ?-aminocapronic acids, d,l-valine, d,l-leucine, anthranilic acid) with bielectrophilic acylacetylenes proceeds chemo-, regio- and stereospecifically in the presence of NaOH (45-50 °C, 4 h, EtOH-H₂O) to give (after treatment of the reaction mixture with aqueous HCl) Z-isomers of N-acylvinyl derivatives of amino acids in 87-94% yield.     

Hybrid peptide hairpins containing alpha- and omega-amino acids: conformational analysis of decapeptides with unsubstituted beta-, gamma-, and delta-residues at positions 3 and 8

The effects of inserting unsubstituted omega-amino acids into the strand segments of model beta-hairpin peptides was investigated by using four synthetic decapeptides, Boc-Leu-Val-Xxx-Val-D-Pro-Gly-Leu-Xxx-Val-Val-OMe: peptide 1 (Xxx=Gly), peptide 2 (Xxx=betaGly=betahGly=homoglycine, beta-glycine), peptide 3 (Xxx=gammaAbu=gamma-aminobutyric acid), peptide 4 (Xxx=deltaAva=delta-aminovaleric acid). 1H NMR studies (500 MHz, methanol) reveal several critical cross-strand NOEs, providing evidence for beta-hairpin conformations in peptides 2-4. In peptide 3, the NMR results support the formation of the nucleating turn, however, evidence for cross-strand registry is not detected. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of peptide 3 reveal a beta-hairpin conformation for both molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit, stabilized by four cross-strand hydrogen bonds, with the gammaAbu residues accommodated within the strands. The D-Pro-Gly segment in both molecules (A,B) adopts a type II' beta-turn conformation. The circular dichroism spectrum for peptide 3 is characterized by a negative CD band at 229 nm, whereas for peptides 2 and 4, the negative band is centered at 225 nm, suggesting a correlation between the orientation of the amide units in the strand segments and the observed CD pattern.     

Enantioselective synthesis of non-natural aromatic alpha-amino acids

We present two complementary methods for the stereoselective synthesis of non-natural alpha-amino acids with aromatic or heteroaromatic side chains. One approach is based on the chemical transformation of methionine, whereas the other applies the stereoselective Myers alkylation of glycine. The resulting product types differ in the linker length between glycine and the aromatic substituent. Since methionine and pseudoephedrine are available in both absolute configurations, R- or S-configured enantiopure amino acids with either C(2) or C(3) linkers can be obtained on gram scales. In each case the key step of the synthesis is hydroboration of the unsaturated building blocks 9 and 17, followed by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling with aryl halides. Attention must in certain cases be paid to the stereochemical integrity when basic Suzuki conditions are applied. Our initial difficulties are reported as well as the final "racemization-proof" procedures. The protecting groups chosen for the alpha-amino acids should be compatible with solid-phase peptide synthesis. This was confirmed by the successful synthesis of a series of tripeptides.     

Conformationally constrained amino acids: enantiodivergent synthesis of all four stereoisomers of 2-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)glycine

The first enantiodivergent synthesis of all four possible 2-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)glycine stereoisomers is described. The key step of the route is the highly stereocontrolled allylboration of the (S)- or (R)-Garner's aldehydes to give four chiral homoallylalcohols. Starting from them, the title compounds are obtained in five steps.