Oxidative transformations of betulinol

Starting from commercially available betulinol by a combination of several selective oxidation procedures betutinal, betulinic acid, betulonal as well as betulonic acid were obtained in high yields on a multi-gram scale.     

A Comparison of Three Different Biodegradable Aliphatic Oligoesters (PGA,PLLA, and PCL) with Similar Linear Alkyl End Groups by DSC and SAXS

The biodegradable aliphatic oligoesters polyglycolide (PGA), poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), and poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) with similar number-average molecular weight M_n values but different linear alkyl end groups [CH₃?[CH₂?CH₂]_m?CH₂?] were compared in terms of their physical properties, parameters such as melting temperature (T_m), crystallinity (x_i), long period (L), and lamella thickness (D). They were analyzed by DSC and SAXS. The effect of a longer and nonpolar alkyl end group such as docosyl [CH₃?[CH₂?CH₂]₁₀?CH₂?] on the long period (L) was more evident for PCL because it was the most nonpolar species in the family of oligoesters analyzed.     

Polymers from intermediates obtained from hydrogen cyanide

The recent demonstration of an easy synthesis of diiminosuccinonitrile (DISN) from hydrogen cyanide and cyanogen, the reduction of DISN to diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN), and the use of these compounds to form difunctional heterocycles has made several new polyamide intermediates accessible. The 1- and 2-methyl-1,2,3-triazole-4,5-dicarbonyl chlorides have been polymerized interfacially to form high-melting polyamides of good heat stability. Interfacial polymerization of 1-methylimidazole-4,5-dicarbonyl chloride and trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine has given a polyamide that is water-soluble. The 2,6- and 2,3-pyrazinedicarbonyl chlorides have been similarly converted to high-melting polyamides. 2,6-Dicyano-3,5-dipiperazinylpyrazine has been prepared from tetracyanopyrazine and piperazine and reacted with toluene diisocyanate to form a strong, stiff polyurea. Polyamides were also made from 2,3-diaminoquinoxaline, 1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-5,6-dioxo-2,3-pyrazinedicarbonitrile, and DAMN.     

Fish attractants from marine invertebrates: Arcamine from Arca Zebra and strombine from Strombus Gigas

The isolation and characterisation of two fish attractants, a new dipeptide (Arcamine, hypotauryl-2-carboxyglycine),1 and Strombine (C-methyl-imino diacetic acid),2 are described.     

Engineers are from PDMS-land, Biologists are from Polystyrenia

As the integration of microfluidics into cell biology research proceeds at an ever-increasing pace, a critical question for those working at the interface of both disciplines is which device material to use for a given application. While PDMS and soft lithography methods offer the engineer rapid prototyping capabilities, PDMS as a material has characteristics that have known adverse effects on cell-based experiments. In contrast, while polystyrene (PS), the most commonly used thermoplastic for laboratory cultureware, has provided decades of grounded and validated research conclusions in cell behavior and function, PS as a material has posed significant challenges in microfabrication. These competing issues have forced microfluidics engineers and biologists to make compromises in how they approach specific research questions, and furthermore, have attenuated the impact of microfluidics on biological research. In this review, we provide a comparison of the attributes of PDMS and PS, and discuss reasons for their popularity in their respective fields. We provide a critical evaluation of the strengths and limitations of PDMS and PS in relation to the advancement and future impact on microfluidic cell-based studies and applications. We believe that engineers have a responsibility to overcome any challenges associated with microfabrication, whether with PS or other materials, and that engineers should provide options and solutions that assist biologists in their experimental design. Our goal is not to advocate for any specific material, but provide guidelines for researchers who desire to choose the most suitable material for their application, and suggest important research directions for engineers working at the interface between microfabrication technology and biological application.     

Alkaloids from the Tunicate Polycarpa aurata from Chuuk Atoll

Two new alkaloids, polycarpine (1) and N,N-didesmethylgrossularine-1 (4), have been isolated from extracts of the ascidian Polycarpa aurata collected in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia. Three degradation products of 1 were also isolated. The structures of 1, 2, and 4 were determined by X-ray crystallography. The dimeric disulfide 1 inhibited the enzyme inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, but the inhibition could be reversed by addition of excess dithiothreitol suggesting that 1 reacts with sulfhydryl groups on the enzyme.     

Stereocomplex Formation from Enantiomeric Polyamides Derived from Tartaric Acid

Summary: The formation of stereocomplexes from the pair of enantiomorphs of the chiral polyamide poly(hexamethylene di‐O‐methyl tartaramide) was investigated for a variety of experimental conditions. DSC and X‐ray diffraction data evidenced that efficiency in enantiomeric association is highly sensitive to the procedure used for preparing the complex. A comparative isothermal crystallization study revealed that the stereocomplex crystallized from the melt at a rate lower than the enantiomerically pure components. The radial growth of individual spherulites was also delayed in the crystallization of the complex. No evidence of stereocoupling was detected for other poly(alkylene di‐O‐methyl tartaramide)s with the alkylene unit length different from six. It was concluded that molecular interlocking of hydrogen bonds in the enantiomeric pair is highly selective in this family of polymers.

Spherulitic growth at 200 °C from the melt.     

Cytotoxic diterpenoids from Podocarpus madagascariensis from the Madagascar rainforest

Bioassay-directed fractionation of an extract of the root and bark of Podocarpus madagascariensis resulted in the isolation of a new totarol diterpenoid (1) in addition to the three known cytotoxic diterpenoids 19-hydroxytotarol (2), totaradiol (3), and 4beta-carboxy-19-nor-totarol (4). The structure of the new compound 1 was established as methyl-13-hydroxy-14-isopropyl-9(11),12,14(8)-podocarpatriene-19-oate on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic interpretation and methylation of 4. All the compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity against the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line.     

Synthesis of isoxazolines from nitrile N-oxides generated from nitroalkenes

In this review, information on the production of isoxazolines and condensed isoxazoline systems by the intramolecular 1,3-bipolar cycloaddition of unsaturated nitrile N-oxides generated in situ from nonconjugated nitroalkenes is generalized and systematized. The isoxazoline derivatives formed as the result of these reactions are promising synthons in the synthesis of various natural compounds and their analogues.Krakow Polytechnic Institute, Poland. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Nos. 3,4, pp. 291–305, May–August, 1992.     

Heterocycles from substituted amides. VII Oxazoles from 2-isocyanoacetamides

Certain heretofore unknown tertiary α-isocyanacetanilides 1 are reported for the first time, prepared by methods necessarily different from those employed to prepare the previously cited aliphatic α-isocyano-acetamides 2 . Like 2, 1 has been shown to readily undergo dialkylation with alkyl halides. Moreover, 1 also gives rise to oxazole and oxazoline derivatives upon reaction with acyl halides and aldehydes, respectively, resembling the similarly activated α-isocyano esters and sulfones. Further, in a demonstrable ring-chain tautomeric equilibration, apparently restricted to tertiary amides, 1 readily cyclizes, providing the only known synthesis of 5-amino-2,4-unsubstituted oxazoles 3 . In other examples 4-chloro and 4-alkyl-5-amino-oxazoles are produced. The materials and reactions are characterized, and compared with previous related studies.     

Products from dehydration of dicarboxylic acids derived from anthranilic acid

Treatment of N-(carboxymethyl)-anthranilic acids 1 with several dehydrating agents, gave the cyclic ortho amides 6, or the 7-membered anhydrides 7. After reaction of N-(carboxymethyl)-anthranilic acid (1a) with acetic anhydride, a diacetylated fused diketopiperazine indole dimer (18) could be isolated. Dehydrations of 2,2'-iminobis-benzoic acid led to the corresponding cyclic ortho amides 23. The dynamic behaviour of some of these compounds, and their precursors, was studied.     

Ceratoluteolin: A new flavonoid from Salvia ceratophylla from Jordan

Ceratoluteolin 1, a new luteolin derivative was isolated from Salvia Ceratophylla growing wild in Jordan along with other 14 known compounds including two sterols, two triterpenes, four flavonoids and six phenolic compounds, one of which is reported for the first time from Lamiaceae family. The isolated compounds were genkwanin-4′-methyl ether 2, β-sitosterol 3, oleanolic acid 4, ursolic acid 5, apigenin 6, β-sitosteryl glucoside 7, p-hydroxyphenyl caffeate 8, caffeic acid 9, shimobashiric acid B 10, methyl rosmarinate 11, butyl rosmarinate 12, luteolin 13, luteolin-7-O-glucoside 14 and rosmarinic acid 15. Complete structural verification of the isolated compounds was achieved by careful inspection of their spectral data including NMR (1D & 2D) and HREIMS.