Synthesis of aurachin D and isoprenoid analogues from the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca

Aurachins, a family of isoprenoid quinoline alkaloids isolated from the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca, possess multiple interesting bioactivities and were subject of intensive studies of biosynthesis. In this Letter, we describe the efficient few step total synthesis of the parent compound aurachin D and two isoprenoid analogues via Conrad–Limpach cyclization. The main antimicrobial and cytotoxic profiles of these derivatives were explored.     

Novel antifungal polyene amides from the myxobacterium Cystobacter fuscus: isolation, antifungal activity and absolute structure determination

Three new unstable metabolites, (6E,10Z)-2′-O-methylmyxalamide D (1), 2′-O-methylmyxalamide D (2) and (6E)-2′-O-methylmyxalamide D (3) were isolated from the myxobacterium Cystobacter fuscus. The planar structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses to be geometrical isomers of a polyene amide related to a myxobacterial metabolite, myxalamide D (4). Their absolute stereochemistry was determined by synthesis of degradation products. Antifungal activities of 1-3 as well as their acetates were evaluated against the phythopathogenic fungus Phythopthora capsici.     

Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular 5-endo-trig oxidative Heck cyclization: a facile pathway for the synthesis of some sesquiterpene precursors

An efficient and convenient method for the construction of substituted cyclopentenones via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular 5-endo-trig oxidative cyclization has been introduced as a powerful new strategy for the synthesis of sesquiterpenes.     

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids and Bisabolane Sesquiterpenes from the Roots of Ligularia cymbulifera

The new pyrrolizidine alkaloid glycoside 1 , and the three new highly oxygenated bisabolane sesquiterpenes 4 – 6 , together with the two known pyrrolizidine alkaloids 2 and 3 , were isolated from the roots of Ligularia cymbulifera (W. W. Smith ) Hand .‐Mazz . Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, especially 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR data. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1, 2 , and 4 – 6 were evaluated against hepatoma (BEL‐7402), human leukemia (HL‐60), human ovarian carcinoma (HO‐8910), and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KB) cell lines (Tables 1–3). Compound 6 s howed weak cell‐growth inhibition of BEL‐7402 cell.     

Dynamic headspace enrichment system for CGC analysis of volatiles released by plants

The aim of the present study is to develop a method for following the changes in the chemical composition of volatile substances released by plants. Dynamic headspace enrichment, followed by on-line thermal desorption and cryotrapping was coupled with capillary gas chromatography. The technique was optimized by adjusting the sampling and desorption parameters and by designing a special condensing device to avoid the transfer of excessive amounts of water into the analytical column. Details are given for the characterization of volatiles compounds released by mosses.     

Cellulose-SO3H: an efficient and biodegradable solid acid for the synthesis of quinazolin-4(1H)-ones

The condensation of 2-aminobenzamide with aldehydes or ketones has been achieved using cellulosesulfonic acid under mild reaction conditions to furnish 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones in good yields with a high selectivity. The use of biodegradable solid acid catalyst, cellulosesulfonic acid makes this method quite simple, more convenient, and practical. This catalyst was also found to be very active for the synthesis of hydroxyalkylquinazolin-4-ones from cyclic enol ethers.     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of (S)-oxybutynin and a versatile intermediate for antimuscarinic agents

A practical synthesis of (S)-oxybutynin, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, using catalytic enantioselective cyanosilylation of cyclohexyl phenyl ketone (9a) as a key step is described. The key reaction proceeded with 94% ee using 1 mol% of Gd-1 catalyst, and was performed on a 100 g-scale. In addition, a short catalytic enantioselective synthesis of the versatile intermediate for Scios Nova analogues of antimuscarinic agents (7) is described. Application of the catalytic enantioselective cyanosilylation to ketones containing two sterically similar substituents on the carbonyl group is also discussed.     

New cytotoxic sesquiterpenes from the red algae Laurencia obtusa and Laurencia microcladia

Three new sesquiterpenes (1-3), along with five known (5-9), were isolated from the organic extract of the red alga Laurencia obtusa, collected from the coastal rocks of Serifos in the Aegean Sea. A new dimeric sesquiterpene of the cyclolaurane-type (4) along with four previously reported (7, 10-12) metabolites, were isolated from the extract of Laurencia microcladia, collected at Chios island in the North Aegean Sea. The structures and the relative stereochemistry of the compounds are proposed on the basis of their spectral data. The cytotoxicity of the isolated metabolites was evaluated against several cell lines including human tumor cell lines.     

Quantification of major grape polysaccharides (Tempranillo v.) released by maceration enzymes during the fermentation process

The influence of commercial enzymes on wine polysaccharide content was studied. Tempranillo wines were made using commercial maceration enzyme preparations along with controls. The analytical method for the quantification of wine polysaccharides was carried out by a multistep procedure. Wine-soluble polysaccharides were isolated by wine concentration polysaccharides precipitation with an acid-alcohol medium and separation of each polysaccharide family by high resolution size-exclusion chromatography on a Superdex-75 HR column. The glycosyl-residue compositions of the fractions obtained were determined by gas chromatography with flame ionisation and mass spectrometry of their trimethylsilyl-ester O-methyl glycosides after acidic methanolysis and derivatization. The content of each fraction was estimated from the concentration of individual glycosyl residues that are characteristic of well-defined wine polysaccharides. The analytical method proposed had good sensitivity, repeatability, reproducibility and accuracy. Soluble polysaccharides in wine were essentially composed of grape cell wall polysaccharides: arabinogalactans and arabinogalactan-proteins (38-41%), and rhamnogalacturonans-II (38-46%). Yeast mannans and mannoproteins were also present but in smaller proportions (14-19%). Wines treated with commercial enzymes had larger concentrations of arabinogalactans, arabinogalactan-proteins and rhamnogalacturonans-II than control wines, but the content of mannans and mannoproteins was similar in both wines. This indicated that the commercial enzymes hydrolysed grape pectic polysaccharides during the maceration-fermentation stage but had no influence on yeast parietal polysaccharides.     

Iodine/MeOH as a novel and versatile reagent system for the synthesis of α-ketothiocyanates

Ketones possessing α-hydrogens undergo smooth thiocyanation with ammonium thiocyanate in the presence of molecular iodine in refluxing methanol to produce the corresponding α-ketothiocyanates in excellent yields with high selectivity. The use of iodine makes this procedure simple, convenient and cost effective.     

Terpenoid metabolites of the nudibranch Hexabranchus sanguineus from the South China Sea

Chemical analysis of the secondary metabolite pattern of the nudibranch Hexabranchus sanguineus collected from the South China Sea revealed the presence of both sesquiterpenoids and diterpenoids, exhibiting very different structural features. Two new molecules, compounds 1 and 4, were isolated together with known compounds 2 and 3, and chemically characterized. This is the first report of terpenoids from H. sanguineus. The remarkable diversity of metabolites possessed by H. sanguineus supports some recent phylogenetic studies that place the mollusc near the steam of the dorid nudibranch tree.     

Isolation and structure elucidation of new sesquiterpenes of protoilludane origin from the fungus Clavicorona divaricata

Four novel sesquiterpenes of protoilludane origin, divaricatines A 3a and B 3b, 7-epitsugicoline H 4a and tsugicoline M 5a have been isolated from agar cultures of the fungus Clavicorona divaricata (Basidiomycetes). Their structures were elucidated by means of NMR studies and chemical correlations. All the metabolites are weakly active on bacteria but inhibited the germination of the water cress Lepidium sativum. A possible mechanism of their formation from the protoilludane tsugicoline A 1 is suggested. A fifth metabolite, the norsesquiterpene tsugicoline L 2b, was also isolated from the same fungus together with the known tsugicoline I 2a.     

Total synthesis of (+)-massarinolin B and (+)-4-epi-massarinolin B, fungal metabolites from Massarina tunicata

The Cr(II)- and Ni(II)-mediated coupling of several tricyclic chiral aldehydes with (E)-β-iodomethacrylates (Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction) was successfully applied to the preparation of some valuable key intermediates of our synthetic strategy to the fungal metabolites (+)-massarinolin B, (+)-4-epi-massarinolin B and (+)-massarinolin C.     

Identification of in vivo nitrosylated phytochelatins in Arabidopsis thaliana cells by liquid chromatography-direct electrospray-linear ion trap-mass spectrometry

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and electrospray (ESI)-linear ion trap (LIT) mass spectrometry was applied to the direct characterization of in vivo S-nitrosylated (SNO) phytochelatins (PCs) expressed in cadmium-stressed Arabidopsis thaliana cells. Cys-nitrosylation is under discussion as in vivo redox-based post-translational modification of proteins and peptides in plants in which the –NO group is involved as signal molecule in different biological functions. The gas-phase ion chemistry of in vivo and in vitro generated SNO-PC_s was compared with the aim of evaluating NO binding stability and improving MS knowledge about peptide nitrosation. Using RPLC separation and ESI-LIT-MS, mono-nitrosylated PCs were identified in in vivo cadmium treated A. thaliana cells without derivatization. The in vivo binding of the NO group to PC₂, PC₃ and PC₄ resulted to occur selectively on only one cystein residue. The fragmentation pathway energies of the in vitro GSNO-generated NO-PCs with respect to the in vivo NO-PCs were investigated, suggesting the presence of a different internal stability for these molecules. By carrying out MS² experiments on these quasi-symmetric peptides, the different stability degree of the NO group was demonstrated to be correlated with the PC chain length. In addition, the data obtained highlight a putative role of the adjacent Glu/Cys motif in the gas-phase stability of the NO-containing molecule.     

Aliphatic sulfates released from Daphnia induce morphological defense of phytoplankton: isolation and synthesis of kairomones

Six aliphatic sulfates, kairomones released from a crustacean Daphnia pulex induce morphological changes of phytoplankton Scenedesmus gutwinskii at ppb (10⁻⁹ g/mL) concentrations.     

On the nucleophilic tele-substitution of dichloropyrazines by metallated dithianes

The reaction of dichloropyrazines with a dithiane anion gave isomers of the expected formylated chloropyrazines after deprotection with methyl iodide. A tele-substitution mechanism accounts for these observations and is supported by deuterium labelling studies.     

Application of silica gel-supported polyphosphoric acid (PPA/SiO2) as a reusable solid acid catalyst to the synthesis of 3-benzoylisoxazoles and isoxazolines

3-Benzoylisoxazoles were synthesized by the reaction of alkynes and benzoylnitromethane using silica gel-supported polyphosphoric acid (PPA/SiO₂). This reaction provides a convenient, efficient, and reusable synthetic method of isoxazole derivatives.     

Fusopoltide A and fusosterede A,A polyketide with a pentaleno[1,2-c]pyran ring system and A degraded steride,from the fungus Fusarium solani

Fusopoltide A (1), a novel polyketide featured a pentaleno[1,2-c]pyran ring, and fusosteride A (2), a new steride with A/B-ring degraded, together with a known ergosterol peroxide (3), were isolated from a solid culture extract of Fusarium solani. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by detailed interpretation of their HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopic data and their absolute configurations were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis and the electronic circular dichroic (ECD) method, respectively. The postulated biogenetic pathways of 1 and 2 were also discussed. Compound 1 exhibits inhibitory activity against cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with an IC₅₀ value of 3.45?μM.     

Identification of the biosynthetic units of Cypridina luciferin in Cypridina (Vargula) hilgendorfii by LC/ESI-TOF-MS

In a luminous ostracod Cypridina (Vargula) hilgendorfii, Cypridina luciferin with an imidazopyrazinone structure (3,7-dihydroimidazopyrazin-3-one) is utilized for the luminescence reaction. To identify the biosynthetic units of Cypridina luciferin, the stable isotope labeled compounds were examined by feeding experiments with living Cypridina specimens. The incorporation of the labeled compounds into Cypridina luciferin was identified by the method of LC/ESI-TOF-MS analyses and these results suggested that l-tryptophan, l-arginine and l-isoleucine are structural units of Cypridina luciferin.     

Diterpenes and sesquiterpenes with anti-Coxsackie virus B3 activity from the stems of Illicium jiadifengpi

Seven new diterpenes, jiadifenoic acids J–P (1–7), two new sesquicarane sesquiterpenes, sesquicaranoic acids A and B (8 and 9), and four known compounds, were isolated from the stems of Illicium jiadifengpi. The trans-fused A/B ring junction in diterpenes was deduced from NMR data analysis and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography of 3. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 5 were determined using the Mo₂(OAc)₄-induced circular dichroism (ICD) method. Compounds 8 and 9 are a pair of C-10 epimers, and their absolute configurations were confirmed by analyzing their CD and ICD data. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antiviral activities against Coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3). Among the isolated compounds, 4, 5, 7, 10, and 11 exhibited reasonable activity against CVB3, with IC₅₀ values of 7.0–22.2 μmol/mL and selective index values (SI=TC₅₀/IC₅₀) of 49.3, 37.1, 31.3, 45.6 and 40.9, respectively.