Determination of Naphthazarin Derivatives in 16 Alkanna Species by RP-LC Using UV and MS for Detection

As part of our ongoing studies, a new and validated method for analysis of isohexenyl-naphthazarines in Turkish Alkanna species was developed. By using reversed phase material (Synergi MAX RP) it was possible to determine four known isohexenylnaphthazarin-derivatives, namely alkannin, acetylalkannin, deoxyalkannin, and β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin within 25 min in n-hexane extracts of the roots. The quantification of these compounds in 16 Anatolian Alkanna species is described for the first time. In order to assure peak identity LC-MS experiments were performed. Quantitative results revealed that the most dominant compound in the extracts was β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin.     

Study on the enantiomeric ratio of the pharmaceutical substances alkannin and shikonin

The chiral pair alkannin and shikonin (A/S) are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological activity; their enantiomeric ratio does not influence the major biological activity studied hitherto. Nevertheless, in pharmaceutical development and approval of chiral drugs from the Health and Regulatory Authorities, full documentation of methods of analysis of enantiomeric drugs, is required in order to evaluate the enantiomeric purity of starting materials and final products and to control the stability of enantiomers in pharmaceutical formulations under several experimental conditions. In the present study, the enantiomeric ratio of A/S was determined in several commercial samples of alkannin and shikonin and also the proportion of A/S derivatives in several Alkanna root samples, which are all used as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals. Light and air proved not to influence the enantiomeric ratio of A/S on a shikonin commercial sample, and temperature also did not alter the A/S ratio on shikonin and alkannin commercial samples. Microencapsulation of alkannin and shikonin commercial samples in ethylcellulose microspheres and also molecular inclusion of a shikonin commercial sample in beta-hydroxypropyl-cyclodextrin, which are used as drug delivery systems, did not alter the A/S enantiomeric ratio.     

Preparative isolation and purification of alkannin/shikonin derivatives from natural products by high-speed counter-current chromatography

Alkannin and shikonin (A/S) and their derivatives have been found in the roots of several Boraginaceous species and are also produced through plant tissue cultures. The chiral compounds A/S are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities like wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant activity. High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied for the first time to the separation, preparative isolation and purification of A/S and their esters from extracts of Alkanna tinctoria roots, as well as commercial samples. The constituents of HSCCC fractions and their purity were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS), since DAD cannot detect oligomeric A/S derivatives that are present in most of the samples containing the respective monomeric derivatives. The purity of HSCCC fractions was compared with the one of fractions isolated by column chromatography (CC) using as stationary phases silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. As shown, the purity of monomeric alkannin/shikonin was greater by HSCCC than CC separation of commercial A/S samples.     

Analysis of alkannin derivatives from Alkanna species by high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array/mass spectrometry

Alkannin, shikonin (A/S) and their derivatives are enantiomeric hydroxynaphthoquinone red pigments found in the roots of almost 150 species of the Boraginaceae family. A/S have been shown to exhibit strong wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and recent extensive research has well established their antitumor properties. A/S and their derivatives comprise the active ingredients of several pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations. Although A/S have been efficiently synthesized and have been produced by cell tissue cultures in high yield, most of the pharmaceutical preparations worldwide contain A/S extracted from the roots of Boraginaceous species, found in nature. In the present study, a high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array/mass spectrometry (HPLC/PDA/MS) method was established to identify monomeric hydroxynaphthoquinones of the alkannin series and other metabolites from Boraginaceous root extracts. This method can be applied for the identification of alkannin derivatives and other metabolites from Boraginaceous cell cultures, and also to determine active ingredients in pharmaceutical preparations containing A/S derivatives. A phytochemical investigation of the Alkanna genus grown in Greece was also performed. Fifty-three root samples belonging to 10 species of the genus Alkanna (A. calliensis, A. corcyrensis, A. graeca, A. methanaea, A. orientalis, A. pindicola, A. primuliflora, A. sieberi, A. stribrnyi and A. tinctoria) were collected from several regions of the Greek flora and analyzed for their constituent hydroxynaphthoquinones and other metabolites. In most of the above Alkanna samples tested, the main hydroxynaphthoquinones were determined to be beta,beta-dimethylacrylalkannin, isovalerylalkannin + alpha-methyl-n-butylalkannin and acetylalkannin. The hydroxynaphthoquinone constituents and their proportions were found to vary among Alkanna species. Unknown metabolites (not monomeric hydroxynaphthoquinones) were detected by HPLC-PDA-MS, while in several Alkanna species hydroxynaphthoquinones were detected for the first time.     

Determination of naturally occurring hydroxynaphthoquinone polymers by size-exclusion chromatography

Summary Polymerization of alkannin, shikonin, and their derivatives, potent pharmaceutical substances, crucially affects their use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and as food colorants, because it leads to loss of their antimicrobial activity, reduction of the lustre of their red coloration, and a decrease in their solubility. In this study size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) has been used for the first time for qualitative and quantitative analysis of monomeric and polymeric hydroxynaphthoquinone alkannin and shikonin derivatives. The purity and degree of polymerization has been determined to evaluate severalAlkanna tinctoria root samples from different geographical sources, and commercial samples of alkannin and shikonin, as pharmaceutical raw materials. Conditions for extraction of hydroxynaphthoquinones fromAlkanna tinctoria roots with olive oil were optimized in terms of polimerization, aiming to improve the biological activity of the final pharmaceutical product, Helixderm.     

Divergent Synthesis of All Possible Optically Active Regioisomers of Myo‐Inositol Mono‐ and Bisphosphates

All possible optically active regioisomers of myo‐inositol mono‐ and bisphosphates were synthesized using inositol derivatives suitably protected with various protecting groups (IR_ns) as key intermediates. A series of procedures including Novozym 435 catalyzed enzymatic resolution of (3aR,4S,7S,7aR)‐rel‐3a,4,7,7a‐tetrahydro‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐benzodioxole‐4,7‐diol diacetate, several protection and deprotection reactions, and acyl migration afforded two enantiomeric pairs of IR₅ and six enantiomeric pairs of IR₄. Phosphorylation of these key intermediates by the phosphitylation and oxidation procedure gave the target products after removal of the protecting groups.      

Simultaneous determination of monomeric and oligomeric alkannins and shikonins by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry

Alkannin and shikonin (A/S) derivatives have been found in the roots of several Boraginaceous species and are produced through plant tissue cultures. The chiral compounds alkannins and shikonins are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities such as wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant. Although oligomeric A/S derivatives have been detected in root extracts and commercial samples their detection and determination through high-performance liquid chromatography has not been reported. Therefore, in the present study a rapid, simple high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) method was developed to detect, separate and determine monomeric and oligomeric/polymeric derivatives of alkannin/shikonin simultaneously for the first time. An optimization of HPLC-DAD parameters was performed. Both atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) modes were applied, in order to compare detection of monomeric and oligomeric A/S. Additionally, oligomeric A/S constituents in several samples were identified and the mode of A/S polymerization was proposed.     

HPLC/QTOF‐MS/MS application to investigate phenolic constituents from Ficus pandurata H. aerial roots

Ficus pandurata H. aerial roots are used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of uarthritis, indigestion and hyperuricemia. However, the bioactive constituents responsible for the pharmacological effects of F. pandurata H. are unclear. A simple and efficient HPLC/QTOF‐MS/MS (high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry) method was established to detect and identify active constituents in the n‐butanol extract of F. pandurata H. aerial roots. Chemical constituents were separated and investigated by HPLC/QTOF‐MS/MS in the negative‐ion mode. Thirty‐seven compounds, including hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, hydroquinone glycosides, flavonoid glycosides, etc., were identified or tentatively characterized in the n‐butanol extract of F. pandurata H. aerial roots by comparing the UV spectra, accurate mass spectra and fragmentation pathways and retrieving the reference literatures. Moreover, the flavonoid trisaccharides and hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives were tentatively characterized in F. pandurata H. for the first time. The analytical tool used here is very valuable in the rapid separation and identification of the multiple and minor constituents in the n‐butanol extract of F. pandurata H. aerial roots. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two pseudo‐enantiomeric forms of N‐benzyl‐4‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2,2‐dioxo‐1H‐2λ6,1‐benzothiazine‐3‐carboxamide and their analgesic properties

The fact that molecular crystals exist as different polymorphic modifications and the identification of as many polymorphs as possible are important considerations for the pharmaceutic industry. The molecule of N‐benzyl‐4‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2,2‐dioxo‐1H‐2λ⁶,1‐benzothiazine‐3‐carboxamide, C₁₇H₁₆N₂O₄S, does not contain a stereogenic atom, but intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions engender enantiomeric chiral conformations as a labile racemic mixture. The title compound crystallized in a solvent‐dependent single chiral conformation within one of two conformationally polymorphic P2₁2₁2₁ orthorhombic chiral crystals (denoted forms A and B). Each of these pseudo‐enantiomorphic crystals contains one of two pseudo‐enantiomeric diastereomers. Form A was obtained from methylene chloride and form B can be crystallized from N,N‐dimethylformamide, ethanol, ethyl acetate or xylene. Pharmacological studies with solid–particulate suspensions have shown that crystalline form A exhibits an almost fourfold higher antinociceptive activity compared to form B.     

HPLC‐DAD and HPLC‐ESI‐MS separation,determination and identification of the spin‐labeled diastereoisomers of podophyllotoxin

Spin‐labeled nitroxide derivatives of podophyllotoxin had better antitumor activity and less toxicity than that of the parent compounds. However, the 2‐H configurations of these spin‐labeled derivatives cannot be determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods. In the present paper, a high‐performance liquid chromatography‐diode array detection (HPLC‐DAD) and a high‐performance liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC‐ESI/MS/MS) method were developed and validated for the separation, identification of four pairs of diastereoisomers of spin‐labeled derivatives of podophyllotoxin at C‐2 position. In the HPLC‐ESI/MS spectra, each pair of diastereoisomers of the spin‐labeled derivatives in the mixture was directly confirmed and identified by [M+H]⁺ ions and ion ratios of relative abundance of [M‐ROH+H]⁺ (ion 397) to [M+H]⁺. When the [M‐ROH+H]⁺ ions (at m/z 397) were selected as the precursor ions to perform the MS/MS product ion scan. The product ions at m/z 313, 282, and 229 were the common diagnostic ions. The ion ratios of relative abundance of the [M‐ROH+H]⁺ (ion 397) to [M+H]⁺, [A+H]⁺ (ion 313) to [M‐ROH+H]⁺, [A+H‐OCH₃]⁺ (ion 282) to [M‐ROH+H]⁺ and [M‐ROH‐ArH+H]⁺ (ion 229) to [M‐ROH+H]⁺ of each pair of diastereoisomers of the derivatives specifically exhibited a stereochemical effect. Thus, by using identical chromatographic conditions, the combination of DAD and MS/MS data permitted the separation and identification of the four pairs of diastereoisomers of spin‐labeled derivatives of podophyllotoxin at C‐2 in the mixture.     

Anti-skin ageing activity of napthoquinones from Arnebia nobilis Reichb.f.

The present isolation and identification of napthoquinones from roots of Arnebia nobilis Reichb.f. can lead to the discovery of new anti-skin ageing ingredient in colour cosmetics. Four compounds have been isolated and purified by rigorous column chromatography. The compounds are identified as β, β-dimethylacryl alkannin (AN-I), acetoxyisovaleryl alkannin (AAN-II), acetyl alkannin (AN-III) and alkannin (AN-IV) by interpretation of spectroscopic data. This study is the first to report the isolation of Acetoxyisovaleryl alkannin (AAN-II) from A. nobilis. The IC₅₀ values of the compounds, determined in human skin cells (human dermal fibroblasts and human keratinocytes) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (NIH3T3) varied significantly among the four alkannins. Among the four compounds, β-acetoxyisovaleryl alkannin (AAN-II) significantly inhibited hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced red blood corpuscle haemolysis and cellular senescence in human dermal fibroblasts. Collagen-I, elastin and involucrin syntheses in human dermal fibroblasts or keratinocytes were up regulated by AAN-II. These results support the potential utility of alkannins as novel anti-ageing ingredients.     

Total Synthesis of Neuroprotective Dictyoquinazol A,B, and C

A new protective compound, dictyoquinazol A, was synthesized starting from 5‐methoxy‐2‐nitrobenzoic acid in six‐steps in 36% overall yield. Two derivatives B and C, isolated from the mushroom Dictyophora indusiata, were also synthesized from Dictyoquinazole A.     

Polysulfonylamine. CLIV [1] Kristallstrukturen von Metall‐di(methansulfonyl)amiden. 7 [2] Ein dreidimensionales Koordinationspolymer aus Schichten und Pfeilern: Kristallstruktur von Ba[(CH3SO2)2N]2·2H2O

Polysulfonylamines. CLIV. Crystal Structures of Metal Di(methanesulfonyl)amides. 7. A Three‐Dimensional Coordination Polymer Built up from Layers and Pillars: Crystal Structure of Ba[(CH₃SO₂)₂N]₂·2H₂O The barium compound BaA₂·2H₂O, derived from HA = di(methanesulfonyl)amine, has been characterized by single crystal X‐ray diffraction at —95 °C (monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, Z = 4). Despite numerous metal‐ligand bonds, the independent anions A^— and A′^— retain the pseudo‐C₂ symmetric conformation that commonly occurs in organic onium salts BH⁺A^—. The large cation attains ninefold coordination via interactions with one (O, N)‐chelating A^—, three κ¹O‐bonding A^—, two κ¹O‐bonding A′^— and two monodentate water molecules; if a distinctly longer barium‐water distance is included, the coordination number may alternatively be viewed as 9 + 1 and one water molecule regarded as an asymmetrically μ₂‐bridging ligand. In contrast to the previously reported layer structures of SrA₂ and PbA₂, the present crystal displays a three‐dimensional coordination assembly consisting of layers formed by the cations, the water molecules and the pentadentate A^— ligands, and of interlayer pillars provided by the bidentate A′^— ligands; however, the Ba²⁺/A^— substructure turns out to be topologically and crystallographically congruent with the corresponding M²⁺/A^— substructures in SrA₂ and PbA₂. The crystal cohesion of the barium complex is reinforced by four O(W)—H···O=S hydrogen bonds and several non‐classical C—H···O=S hydrogen bonds.     

Quality assessment of Cortex Phellodendri by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A simple method based on liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC‐DAD‐ESI‐MS) was developed for the quality assessment of Cortex Phellodendri (CP), which was mainly derived from two species of Phellodendron chinense Schneid and Phellodendron amurense Rupr. Total 41 compounds, including 14 phenols, 24 alkaloids and three liminoidal triterpenes were identified or tentatively characterized from the 75% methanol extract of CP samples by online ESI‐MSⁿ fragmentation and UV spectra analysis. Among them, two phenols and six alkaloids were simultaneously quantified using HPLC‐DAD method. The validated HPLC‐DAD method showed a good linearity, precision, repeatability and accuracy for the quantification of eight marker compounds. Furthermore, the plausible fragmentation pathway of the representative compounds were proposed in the present study. The differences of the chemical constituents content and the comprehensive HPLC profiles between the two CP species using LC‐DAD‐ESI‐MS method are reported for the first time, indicating that the CP drugs from different resources should be used separately in the clinic. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Helix to Super‐Helix Transition in the Self‐Assembly of π‐Systems: Superseding of Molecular Chirality at Hierarchical Level

Higher‐order super‐helical structures derived from biological molecules are known to evolve through opposite coiling of the initial helical fibers, as seen in collagen protein. A similar phenomenon is observed in a π‐system self‐assembly of chiral oligo(phenyleneethylene) derivatives (S )‐ 1 and (R )‐ 1 that explains the unequal formation of both left‐ and right‐handed helices from molecule having a specific chiral center. Concentration‐ and temperature‐dependent circular dichroism (CD) and UV/Vis spectroscopic studies revealed that the initial formation of helical aggregates is in accordance with the molecular chirality. At the next level of hierarchical self‐assembly, coiling of the fibers occurs with opposite handedness, thereby superseding the command of the molecular chirality. This was confirmed by solvent‐dependent decoiling of super‐helical structures and concentration‐dependent morphological analysis.     

Cytotoxic naphthoquinones from Arnebia densiflora (Nordm.) Ledeb and determining new apoptosis inducers

Abstract

In this study, phytochemical composition of Arnebia densiflora (AD) was determined and cytotoxic effects of the n-hexane extract and compounds isolated from this species on various cell lines were investigated. By means of serial chromatographic studies, 6 naphthoquinone derivatives were yielded, which are isovalerylalkannin, α-methyl-n-butyl alkannin, acetylalkannin, β-acetoxy isovalerylalkannin, alkannin and a new compound: 4-hydroxy 4-methyl valeryl alkannin. Structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using UV, IR, 1D-2D NMR, MS and CD methods. Cytotoxic effects of the extract and isolated alkannins were investigated on L929, HeLa, HEp-2 cells. AD and the isolated compounds demonstrated moderate to strong cytotoxic effects (IC₅₀ range: 4.92-172.35?µg/ml). The results of DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity studies on HeLa cells exhibited that AD and the naphthoquinones isolated from it caused cytotoxicity through induction of apoptosis.

     

Technische Verfahren zur Synthese von Carotinoiden und verwandten Verbindungen aus 6-Oxo-isophoron. III. Ein neues Konzept für die Synthese der enantiomeren Astaxanthine

Technical Procedures for the Synthesis of Carotenoids and Related Compounds from 6-Oxo-isophorone. III. A New Concept for the Synthesis of the Enantiomeric Astaxanthins A new and efficient concept for the total synthesis of (3S, 3'S)- and (3R, 3'R)-astaxanthin ( 1a and 1c , resp.) in high overall yield and up to 99,2% enantiomeric purity is described. Key intermediates are the (S)- and (R)-acetals 10 and 17 , respectively (Scheme 2). These chiral building blocks were synthesized via three different routes: a) functionalization of the enantiomeric 3-hydroxy-6-oxo-isophorons⁴) 2 and 11 , respectively (Scheme 2); b) optical resolution of 3,4-dihydroxy-compound⁴) 19 (Scheme 3), and c) fermentative reductions of 6-oxo-isophorone derivatives (Schemes 4 and 5). - The absolute configurations of the two intermediates 12 and 13 (Scheme 2) have been confirmed by X-ray analysis. - The final steps leading to the enantiomeric astaxanthins are identical with those described for optically inactive astaxanthin [1].     

Structure determination of oligomeric alkannin and shikonin derivatives

Monomeric alkannin and shikonin (A/S) are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological activity and comprise the active ingredients for several pharmaceutical preparations. Therefore, the determination of the impurities, degradation products or byproducts in alkannin and shikonin samples is of great importance. Oligomeric alkannin and shikonin are formed during biosynthesis of these bioactive secondary metabolites in Boraginaceaous root plants, during tissue culture production of A/S, during alkaline hydrolysis of A/S esters and also thermal treatment of A/S. In the present study, a dimeric alkannin/shikonin compound was isolated by size exclusion chromatography from alkannin and shikonin commercial samples and its structure was determined by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the most abundant oligomeric species in these samples, a dimeric naphthoquinone, was established for the fi rst time, indicating that coupling of the side chain of one naphthoquinone unit with the aromatic ring of a second naphthoquinone leads to dimer formation. This type of coupling allows further oligomerization by leaving one isohexenyl side chain available at the second monomer unit.     

Liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of (RS)‐etodolac using (S)‐levofloxacin and determination of absolute configuration of the diastereomeric derivatives

(RS)‐Etodolac was isolated from commercial tablets and was purified and characterized to be used as racemic standard. A pair of diastereomeric derivatives was synthesized using (S)‐levofloxacin as a chiral derivatizing reagent. The derivatization reaction was carried out under conditions of stirring at room temperature (30°C for 1.5 h) as well as under microwave irradiation; the derivatives obtained by the two methods were compared. Reaction conditions for derivatization were optimized with respect to mole ratio of chiral derivatizing reagent and (RS)‐etodolac. No racemization was observed throughout the study. Separation of diastereomeric derivatives was successful using C₁₈ column and a binary mixture of methanol and triethyl ammonium phosphate buffer of pH 4.5 (80:20, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL min^?1 and UV detection at 223 nm. An efficient approach for recognizing chirality and determining the absolute configuration of the diastereomeric derivatives of (RS)‐etodolac is described, which in turn is a measure of the enantiomeric purity of (RS)‐etodolac since the diastereomeric derivatives were separated and isolated using preparative thin‐layer chromatography.     

Characterization of phenolic compounds in Helichrysum melaleucum by high‐performance liquid chromatography with on‐line ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detection

Helicrysum melaleucum is a medicinal plant traditionally used in the islands of the Macaronesia region for the treatment of respiratory diseases. In this work, the phenolic compounds of Helicrysum melaleucum plants collected in different geographical locations of Madeira Island and their morphological parts (total aerial parts, leaves, flowers and stems) were extracted and analyzed separately by high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC‐DAD/ESI‐MSⁿ). A total of 68 compounds were characterized based mainly on their UV and mass spectra. These included derivatives of O‐glycosylated flavonoids (flavonol and flavones type), quinic acid, caffeic acid, lignans and polyphenols. The flowers were found to be the morphological part with higher variety of phenolic compounds. The large differences in the phenolic composition of plants collected from different geographical locations allowed the identification of a few components, such as pinoresinol and methoxylated flavone derivatives, likely to be useful as geographical markers. Also, these results promote further comparison of the bioactivities of the different samples analyzed. This paper marks the first report on the chemical analysis of Helichrysum melaleucum species. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.