Optically Active Tetra‐tert‐butyl‐P5‐deltacyclene Epimers: Preparation,Spectroscopy, Dynamic Equilibriums,H/D Exchange,and Transition‐Metal Complex Chemistry

On the basis of isolated diastereomeric triorganylstannyl‐P₅‐deltacyclenes 7′ and 7′′ , almost pure enantiomers of their destannylation products 8′ and 8′′ are now available. These stereochemically inert cage chiral species contain a configurationally labile P1?H1 group that defines two epimers 8 a and 8 b of each of the enantiomers, which are connected by a rapid equilibrium. Mirror‐symmetric circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the enantiomeric cages are compatible with the identification of epimers. A simulation of the CD spectrum of the major epimer 8′a relates the cage chirality of the system to the observed chiroptical effects. Both cage epimers and two of the phosphorus cage atoms are active as ligands with respect to [M(CO)₅] fragments of Cr, Mo, and W. Four almost isoenergetic regio‐ and stereoisomers of the resulting mononuclear complexes are formed for these metals, but only one of the isomers per metal crystallized in the case of the racemic series of the complexes. The enantiopure versions of cages and cage complexes, however, did not crystallize at all, a well‐known phenomenon for chiral compounds. CD spectra of the optically active complex isomer mixtures are close to identical with the CD spectra of the related free cages and point again to the chiral cages as the dominant source of the CD effects of the complexes. [(Benzene)RuCl₂] complexes of the cage ligand 8 behave totally differently. Only a single species 12 =[(benzene)RuCl₂ ?8 b ] is formed in almost quantitative yield and the minor epimer 8 b plays the role of the ligand exclusively. The reaction works as well for the separated enantiomeric cage versions to yield the highly enriched enantiomers 12′ and 12′′ separately. An efficient kinetic resolution process was identified as the main reason for this finding. It is based on a high stereo‐ and regiochemical flexibility of the P?C cage ligand that is capable of adjusting to the specific requirements of a suitable transition‐metal complex fragment. Such ligand flexibility is regularly observed in metalloenzymes, but is a very rare case in classical and organometallic complex chemistry.     

Enantiopure Laterally Functionalized Alleno–Acetylenic Macrocycles: Synthesis,Chiroptical Properties,and Self‐Assembly in Aqueous Media

A family of shape‐persistent alleno–acetylenic macrocycles (SPAAMs), peripherally decorated with structurally diverse pendant groups, has been synthesized and characterized in enantiomerically pure form. Their electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra feature a strong chiroptical response, which is more than two times higher than for open‐chain tetrameric analogues. A water‐soluble oligo(ethylene glycol)‐appended SPAAM undergoes self‐assembly in aqueous solution. Morphology studies by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo‐TEM) revealed the formation of aggregates with fibrous fine structures that correspond to tubular, macrocyclic stacks.     

Synthesis, characterisation, and in vitro evaluation of Pro2-Ile3-S-deoxo-amaninamide and Pro2-D-allo-Ile3-S-deoxo-amaninamide: implications for structure-activity relationships in amanitin conformation and toxicity

The amatoxins are a family of toxic bicyclic peptides that inhibit RNA polymerase II. Herein we discuss an improved synthesis of these compounds from easily obtainable amino acids by means of a solid-phase methodology. Interestingly, we obtained two products of the same mass following our final macrocyclisation, relating to a similar distribution of products described in some previous reports. One of these products was the desired amatoxin; Pro(2)-Ile(3)-S-deoxo-amaninamide 1 b. The other compound, after thorough investigation, was confirmed to be the epimer Pro(2)-D-allo-Ile(3)-S-deoxo-amaninamide 1 a, not an atropisomer structure as previously suggested in syntheses of related amanitin analogues. Crystallographic data of 1 a confirms the presence of a betaII-turn, rather than a betaI-turn common to the natural toxin and 1 b. This difference explains the large variation in CD spectra, although it seems to have relatively little effect on the bioactivity in vitro. These data provide new insights into the bicyclic amatoxin structure.     

The Application of Ultrasound in Honey: Antioxidant Activity,Inhibitory Effect on α-amylase and α-glucosidase,and In Vitro Digestibility Assessment

In the present study, the effects of ultrasound (10, 20, and 30 min) on the bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, enzymatic inhibition, and in vitro digestion of six honey extracts from the Oaxaca state, Mexico, were analyzed. Significant differences were found in each honey extract with respect to the ultrasonic treatment applied (p < 0.05). In the honey extract P-A1 treated with 20 min of ultrasound, the phenols reached a maximum concentration of 29.91 ± 1.56 mg EQ/100 g, and the flavonoids of 1.92 ± 0.01 mg EQ/100 g; in addition, an inhibition of α-amylase of 37.14 ± 0.09% was noted. There were also differences in the phases of intestinal and gastric digestion, presenting a decrease in phenols (3.92 ± 0.042 mg EQ/100 g), flavonoids (0.61 ± 0.17 mg EAG/100 mg), antioxidant capacity (8.89 ± 0.56 mg EAG/100 mg), and amylase inhibition (9.59 ± 1.38%). The results obtained from this study indicate that, in some honeys, the processing method could increase the concentration of bioactive compounds, the antioxidant capacity, and the enzymatic inhibition; however, when subjected to in vitro digestion, the properties of honey are modified. The results obtained could aid in the development of these compounds for use in traditional medicine as a natural source of bioactive compounds.     

Outlining In Vitro and In Silico Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Twenty-Four Natural Products of Various Chemical Classes: Smilagenin,Kokusaginine, and Methyl Rosmarinate as Emboldening Inhibitors

Cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition is an important treatment strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are involved in the pathology of AD. In the current work, ChE inhibitory potential of twenty-four natural products from different chemical classes (i.e., diosgenin, hecogenin, rockogenin, smilagenin, tigogenin, astrasieversianins II and X, astragalosides I, IV, and VI, cyclocanthosides E and G, macrophyllosaponins A-D, kokusaginin, lamiide, forsythoside B, verbascoside, alyssonoside, ipolamide, methyl rosmarinate, and luteolin-7-O-glucuronide) was examined using ELISA microtiter assay. Among them, only smilagenin and kokusaginine displayed inhibitory action against AChE (IC₅₀ = 43.29 ± 1.38 and 70.24 ± 2.87 µg/mL, respectively). BChE was inhibited by only methyl rosmarinate and kokusaginine (IC₅₀ = 41.46 ± 2.83 and 61.40 ± 3.67 µg/mL, respectively). IC₅₀ values for galantamine as the reference drug were 1.33 ± 0.11 µg/mL for AChE and 52.31 ± 3.04 µg/mL for BChE. Molecular docking experiments showed that the orientation of smilagenin and kokusaginine was mainly driven by the interactions with the peripheral anionic site (PAS) comprising residues of hAChE, while kokusaginine and methyl rosmarinate were able to access deeper into the active gorge in hBChE. Our data indicate that similagenin, kokusaginine, and methyl rosmarinate could be hit compounds for designing novel anti-Alzheimer agents.     

Self-Assembly of Chiral Cyclohexanohemicucurbit[n]urils with Bis(Zn Porphyrin): Size,Shape, and Time-Dependent Binding

In order to investigate the ability of bis(zinc octaethylporphyrin) (bis–ZnOEP) to discriminate cyclohexanohemicucurbit[n]urils (cycHC[n]) of different shapes and sizes, the self-assembly of barrel-shaped chiral cycHC[n] with bis–ZnOEP was studied by various spectroscopic methods (absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and NMR). While the binding of 6-membered cycHC[6] induced a tweezer-like conformation followed by the formation of anti-form of bis–ZnOEP upon further addition of cycHC[6], the interaction of 8-membered cycHC[8] is more complex and proceeds through the featured syn-to-anti conformational change of bis–ZnOEP and further intermolecular self-assembly via multiple noncovalent associations between cycHC[8] and bis–ZnOEP. Whilst bis–porphyrins are known to be effective chemical sensors able to differentiate various guests based on their chirality via induced CD, their ability to sense small differences in the shape and size of relatively large macrocycles, such as chiral cycHC[6] and cycHC[8], is scarcely examined. Both studied complexes exhibited characteristic induced CD signals in the region of porphyrin absorption upon complexation.     

Synthesis of Proposed Structure of Aaptoline A,a Marine Sponge-Derived 7,8-Dihydroxyquinoline,and Its Neuroprotective Properties in C. elegans

A concise and efficient synthesis of the proposed structure of aaptoline A, a 7,8-dihydroxyquinoline derived from a marine sponge, was accomplished in seven steps with a 52% overall yield. A key feature of the synthesis is the high-yielding Ag(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of the N-propargylaniline precursor to afford the quinoline carboxylate skeleton from acid-labile methyl aminobenzoate. However, the spectral data of the synthesized aaptoline A were not consistent with those of previous studies. The structure of the synthesized aaptoline A was confirmed by combined 2D NMR analysis. Additional studies on the bioactivity of the synthesized aaptoline A revealed that it has the ability to protect dopaminergic neurons against MPP⁺-induced neurotoxicity in C. elegans. In addition, impaired food-sensing ability and travel distance capability in C. elegans were significantly ameliorated by aaptoline A treatment, suggesting that aaptoline A can protect dopaminergic neurons both morphologically and functionally.     

A Journey through Diastereomeric Space: The Design,Synthesis, In Vitro and In Vivo Pharmacological Activity,and Molecular Modeling of Novel Potent Diastereomeric MOR Agonists and Antagonists

Four sets of diastereomeric C9-alkenyl 5-phenylmorphans, varying in the length of the C9-alkenyl chain, were designed to examine the effect of these spatially distinct ligands on opioid receptors. Functional activity was obtained by forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation assays and several compounds were examined in the [³⁵S]GTPgS assay and in an assay for respiratory depression. In each of the four sets, similarities and differences were observed dependent on the length of their C9-alkenyl chain and, most importantly, their stereochemistry. Three MOR antagonists were found to be as or more potent than naltrexone and, unlike naltrexone, none had MOR, KOR, or DOR agonist activity. Several potent MOR full agonists were obtained, and, of particular interest partial agonists were found that exhibited less respiratory depression than that caused by morphine. The effect of stereochemistry and the length of the C9-alkenyl chain was also explored using molecular modeling. The MOR antagonists were found to interact with the inactive (4DKL) MOR crystal structures and agonists were found to interact with the active (6DDF) MOR crystal structures. The comparison of their binding modes at the mouse MOR was used to gain insight into the structural basis for their stereochemically induced pharmacological differences.     

Lipid-Based Nanoparticle Formulation of Diallyl Trisulfide Chemosensitizes the Growth Inhibitory Activity of Doxorubicin in Colorectal Cancer Model: A Novel In Vitro,In Vivo and In Silico Analysis

Garlic’s main bioactive organosulfur component, diallyl trisulfide (DATS), has been widely investigated in cancer models. However, DATS is not suitable for clinical use due to its low solubility. The current study seeks to improve DATS bioavailability and assess its chemopreventive and chemosensitizing properties in an AOM-induced colorectal cancer model. The polyethylene glycol coated Distearoylphosphatidylcholine/Cholesterol (DSPC/Chol) comprising DATS-loaded DATSL and doxorubicin (DOXO)-encapsulated DOXL liposomes was prepared and characterized. The changes in the sensitivity of DATS and DOXO by DATSL and DOXL were evaluated in RKO and HT-29 colon cancer cells. The synergistic effect of DATSL and DOXL was studied by cell proliferation assay in the combinations of IC₁₀, IC₂₅, and IC₃₅ of DATSL with the IC₁₀ of DOXL. AOM, DATSL, and DOXL were administered to different groups of mice for a period of 21 weeks. The data exhibited ~93% and ~46% entrapment efficiency of DATSL and DOXL, respectively. The size of sham liposomes was 110.5 nm, whereas DATSL and DOXL were 135.5 nm and 169 nm, respectively. DATSL and DOXL exhibited significant sensitivity in the cell proliferation experiment, lowering their IC₅₀ doses by more than 8- and 14-fold, respectively. However, the DATSL IC₁₀, IC₂₅, and IC₃₅ showed escalating chemosensitivity, and treated the cells in combination with DOXL IC₁₀. Analysis of histopathological, cancer marker enzymes, and antioxidant enzymes revealed that the high dose of DATSL pretreatment and DOXL chemotherapy is highly effective in inhibiting AOM-induced colon cancer promotion. The combination of DATSL and DOXL indicated promise as a colorectal cancer treatment in this study. Intermolecular interactions of DATS and DOXO against numerous cancer targets by molecular docking indicated MMP-9 as the most favourable target for DATS exhibiting binding energy of −4.6 kcal/mol. So far, this is the first research to demonstrate the chemopreventive as well as chemosensitizing potential of DATSL in an animal model of colorectal cancer.     

Gallotannins and Tannic Acid: First Chemical Syntheses and In Vitro Inhibitory Activity on Alzheimer’s Amyloid β‐Peptide Aggregation

The screening of natural products in the search for new lead compounds against Alzheimer’s disease has unveiled several plant polyphenols that are capable of inhibiting the formation of toxic β‐amyloid fibrils. Gallic acid based gallotannins are among these polyphenols, but their antifibrillogenic activity has thus far been examined using “tannic acid”, a commercial mixture of gallotannins and other galloylated glucopyranoses. The first total syntheses of two true gallotannins, a hexagalloylglucopyranose and a decagalloylated compound whose structure is commonly used to depict “tannic acid”, are now described. These depsidic gallotannins and simpler galloylated glucose derivatives all inhibit amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ) aggregation in vitro, and monogalloylated α‐glucogallin and a natural β‐hexagalloylglucose are shown to be the strongest inhibitors.     

Antitumor Potential of Annona muricata Linn. An Edible and Medicinal Plant in Mexico: In Vitro,In Vivo,and Toxicological Studies

Annona muricata (Am) is a plant used in traditional Mexican medicine to treat cancer. In this study, ethanol extracts of Am collected in Acapulco and Tecpan from Guerrero state were evaluated orally on Balb/c mice inoculated with 4T1 cells, for cytotoxic activity (CA) on 4T1 cells, in brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA), and for acute oral toxicity in mice. In addition, ethanol extracts were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection. Results showed that the extracts collected in December in Acapulco (AcDe) and Tecpan (TeDe) exhibited the most significant antitumor and cytotoxic activity. In the BSLA, the most important effect was observed in the extracts from Acapulco and Tecpan collected in June (AcJu) and August (TeAg), respectively. The samples from Acapulco (AcJu, and AcAg) and Tecpan (TeJu and TeAg) showed the highest toxicity. The analysis of the extracts, AcDe and TeDe, by HPLC revealed that flavonoids, rutin, narcissin, and nicotinflorin were the major components. These findings suggest that extracts from Am collected in Acapulco and Tecpan in the month of December may be an important source to obtain flavonoid glycosides with anticancer potential specifically against breast cancer. This also supports the use of Am to treat cancer in Mexican traditional medicine.     

Synthesis of a New Chiral Source, (1R,2S)‐1‐Phenylphospholane‐2‐carboxylic Acid,via a Key Intermediate α‐Phenylphospholanyllithium Borane Complex: Configurational Stability and X‐ray Crystal Structure of an α‐Monophosphinoalkyllithium Borane Complex

A synthetic route to enantiomerically pure (1R,2S)‐1‐phenylphospholane‐2‐carboxylic acid ( 1 ), which is a phosphorus analogue of proline, has been established. A key step is the deprotonation–carboxylation of the 1‐phenylphospholane borane complex 3 by using sBuLi/1,2‐dipiperidinoethane (DPE). Configurational stability of the key intermediate, the amine‐coordinated α‐phosphinoalkyllithium borane complex 4 , was investigated by employing lithiodestannylation–carboxylation of both diastereomers of the 1‐phenyl‐2‐trimethylstannylphospholane borane complex 7 in the presence of several kinds of amines, and as a result, 4 was found to be configurationally labile even at ?100 °C. The key intermediate, the DPE‐coordinated trans‐1‐phenyl‐2‐phospholanyllithium borane complex 9 , was isolated, and the structure was identified by X‐ray crystal structure analysis. This is the first X‐ray crystal structure determined for an α‐monophosphinoalkyllithium borane complex. Remarkably, the alkyllithium complex is monomeric and tricoordinate at the lithium center with a slightly pyramidalized environment, and the existence of a Li? C bond (2.170 Å) has been confirmed. Moreover, ¹H–⁷Li HOESY and ⁶Li NMR analyses suggested the structure of 9 in solution as well as the existence of an equilibrium between 9 , its cis isomer, and the ion pair 8 at room temperature, which was extremely biased towards 9 at ?100 °C. Finally, 1 was used as a chiral ligand in a palladium‐catalyzed allylic substitution, and the desired product was obtained in high yield with good enantioselectivity.     

Nootkatone,a Dietary Fragrant Bioactive Compound,Attenuates Dyslipidemia and Intramyocardial Lipid Accumulation and Favorably Alters Lipid Metabolism in a Rat Model of Myocardial Injury: An In Vivo and In Vitro Study

In the present study, we assessed whether nootkatone (NKT), a sesquiterpene in edible plants, can provide protection against dyslipidemia, intramyocardial lipid accumulation, and altered lipid metabolism in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI) induced by subcutaneous injections of isoproterenol (ISO, 85 mg/kg) on days 9 and 10. The rats were pre- and co-treated with NKT (10 mg/kg, p.o.) administered daily for 11 days. A significant reduction in the activities of myocardial creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as non-enzymatic antioxidants, and alterations in lipids and lipoproteins, along with a rise in plasma lipid peroxidation and intramyocardial lipid accumulation, were observed in ISO-treated rats. ISO administration induced alterations in the activities of enzymes/expressions that played a significant role in altering lipid metabolism. However, NKT treatment favorably modulated all biochemical and molecular parameters altered by ISO and showed protective effects against oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and altered lipid metabolism, attributed to its free-radical-scavenging and antihyperlipidemic activities in rats with ISO-induced MI. Additionally, NKT decreased the accumulation of lipids in the myocardium as evidenced from Oil red O staining. Furthermore, the in vitro observations demonstrate the potent antioxidant property of NKT. The present study findings are suggestive of the protective effects of NKT on dyslipidemia and the underlying mechanisms. Based on our findings, it can be suggested that NKT or plants rich in NKT can be promising for use as a phytopharmaceutical or nutraceutical in protecting the heart and correcting lipid abnormalities and dyslipidemia, which are risk factors for ischemic heart diseases.     

From brain to food: analysis of phosphatidylcholins, lyso-phosphatidylcholins and phosphatidylcholin-plasmalogens derivates in Alzheimer's disease human post mortem brains and mice model via mass spectrometry

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extracellular senile plaques mainly consisting of Aβ, a 40-42 amino acid long peptide, and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, accompanied by an excessive loss of synapses. Recently evidence accumulated that nutrition, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, influences AD pathogenesis. Especially mid-life food habits with the consumption of specific fatty acids (FA) appear to influence the disease risk. The timely separation between food intake and disease makes a direct correlation with detailed analysis of eating habits combined with accurate food analysis nearly unattainable. A possible solution to circumvent these difficulties is to investigate the FA composition in human post mortem brain. In this study we focused on the main phospholipids phosphatidylcholin (PC), phosphatidylcholin-plasmalogen (PC-PL) and lyso-phosphatidylcholin (lyso-PC) in AD brains compared to control brains. Frontal cortices, temporal cortices and cerebellum of 30 AD (mean 78 years) and 14 control aged matched brains (mean 77.4 years) as well as APP transgenic mice compared to control mice were analyzed using an AB Sciex 4000 Qtrap mass spectrometer utilizing a FIA MS/MS method. PC, PC-PL and lyso-PC metabolites were analyzed in respect to saturation level and FA composition. As expected, the majority of the lipid species showed no significant differences, but interestingly a few species revealed a highly significant reduction in AD brains. These FAs are potential candidates for further food analysis in respect to AD pathology. Additionally, we show that the method applied with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) used for this study is suitable for semi quantitative analysis of small amounts (10 μl) of brain tissue.     

Diorgano, Dichloro-tin (IV) Complexes of 4-X-Benzohydroxamic Acid (X=Cl, OCH_3): Synthesis, Characterization, Antitumor Activity in Vitro and the Crystal Structure of trans- [Me_2Sn (L_2) _2]

Diorganotin (IV) complexes constitute a class of potential antitumor agents, which were active against P388 lymphocytic leukaemia and MCF-7 mammary tumor1. Hydroxamic acids such as arylhydroxamic acid are strong bidentate O-donors with bioactivity2. A few years ago, we initiated an investigation on the interactions between diorganotin (IV) acceptors and benzohydroxamic acid and its derivatives3, 4, hoping that a synergic effect would occur. We found most of this type of diorganotin (IV) …