Daldionin,an Unprecedented Binaphthyl Derivative,and Diverse Polyketide Congeners from a Fungal Orchid Endophyte

Thailand possesses a rich diversity of orchid species that, in turn, live in symbiosis with a wide variety of fungi. Such endophytes have the potential to produce secondary metabolites with bioactivity against orchid and/or human pathogens. The orchid‐associated fungal strain Daldinia eschscholtzii was found to produce a diverse range of aromatic polyketides including the new naphthalene derivatives daldionin, nodulones B and C, and daldinones F and G along with eight known compounds. Daldionin possesses an unprecedented oxane‐linked binaphthyl ring system. These compounds demonstrate the high diversity of structural variations that are constructed during fungal biosynthesis, and the results include important observations concerning the biosynthesis of binaphthyl derivatives. Daldionin was found to have weak antiproliferative activity against HUVEC and K‐562 cell lines. All but one of the isolated compounds showed moderate antimicrobial activity towards at least one of the four tested microbial strains.     

Characterization and identification of the mucilage extracted from orchid bulbs (Bletia campanulata) by high temperature capillary gas chromatography (HT-CGC)

The aim of this work was to develop an analytical method by High Temperature Capillary Gas Chromatography (HT-CGC) to characterize and identify the presence of tzauhtli, orchid mucilage, in works of art. During the pre-Hispanic and colonial period, tzauhtli was used as an adhesive for paper and feathers, as well as paint binder, and was one of the components of the paste used to model corn stalk sculptures. The mucilage was extracted with hot water from orchid bulbs (Bletia campanulata) and lyophilized. The free sugars from the mucilage were analyzed by CGC after derivatization. The polysaccharide of the mucilage was characterized after its partial acid hydrolysis by HT-CGC analysis of the oligosaccharides obtained. The proposed chromatographic method allows the identification of different mucilages in works of art. This contribution is the first report of the oligosaccharides from the hydrolysis of the mucilage extracted from orchid bulbs (Bletia campanulata).     

Identification of hydroxymethylpyrazines using mass spectrometry

Pyrazines are well‐known natural products that are present in bacterial odours and food flavouring agents and are used as insect pheromones. Recently, a number of hydroxymethylpyrazines have been identified as thynnine wasp pheromones and orchid semiochemicals that are essential for pollination in sexually deceptive plants. These compounds are present in low amounts in complex blends, making GC–MS (including high‐resolution techniques) the method of choice for their structure elucidation. We report the EI mass spectra for 14 representative compounds and have found that based on characteristic fragmentations, it is possible to distinguish between different positional isomers of hydroxymethylpyrazines. The presence or absence of either [M ? 17]⁺, [M ? 18]^+· or [M ? 19]⁺ fragment species provides characteristic information to allow the distinction between the different isomers. Considering the importance of pyrazines as a group of bioactive natural products, and the recent findings of biological activity for hydroxymethylpyrazines, our results presented here will aid the identification of these compounds in other biological systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Bioinorganic Chemistry of Vanadium

Vanadium is a trace element that plays an important, perhaps essential and general role in the regulation of enzymatic phosphorylations. Several forms of life, including the fly agaric toadstool (Amanita muscaria) and certain sea squirts (ascidians), are able to concentrate vanadium. In other organisms vanadium is part of the active site of some enzymes. Well-studied examples are the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter and various seaweeds that use vanadate-dependent peroxidases to synthesize halogenated organic compounds. Despite its importance as a “biometal” both in primitive, prokaryotic organisms (Azotobacter) and in the highly organized ascidians, which represent an early stage in the evolution of vertebrates, the bioinorganic chemistry of vanadium is still in its infancy. Just as young, but undergoing explosive development, is the chemistry of model compounds for vanadium-containing biomolecules, a domain of the bioinorganic coordination chemist, who almost daily discovers compounds with new and surprising structural features. This article reviews this fascinating area of bioinorganic chemistry.     

Changes in the Leaf Surface Chemistry of Apium graveolens (Apiaceae) stimulated by jasmonic acid and perceived by a specialist insect

Treatment of celery leaves (Apium graveolens, cv. secalinum) with Jasmonic acid (JA, 1 ) or analogues of amino-acid conjugates of Jasmonic acid such as the leucine conjugate with 1-oxoindan-4-carboxylic acid (IN-ILE, 2 ) stimulated the biosynthesis of the furanocoumarins psoralen ( 6 ), xanthotoxin ( 8 ), bergapten ( 7 ), and isopimpinellin ( 9 ). Besides the increase of the compounds within the leaf, a significant amount (ca. 20%) of the total furanocoumarins was deposited on the surface of the leaf. The two monomethoxy furanocoumarins, 7 and 8 , began to increase steadily and simultaneously within the leaf and on the leaf surface ca. 40 h after the onset of the jasmonic-acid stimulus. Within the leaf, the ratio 7/8 was ca. 1.3:1.0, while among the surface lipids 8 dominated ( 7/8 0.8:1.0), indicating that the export of the compounds to the surface is not a simple diffusive translocation along the oil-ducts. Females of the carrot fly (Diptera, Psilidae) responded with an increased oviposition to the altered leaf surface chemistry of the JA-treated celery plants. The effect shown for total leaves was corroborated by surrogate leaves treated with leaf-surface extracts of JA-induced leaves. Based on the known stimulation of oviposition by furanocoumarins, we conclude that the enhanced amount of furanocoumarins on the surface can explain the insects' preference for the JA-stimulated plants. This is the first report of a JA-induced change of the surface chemistry of a plant and an increase of the acceptability of treated leaves for a specialist insect, like the carrot fly.     

The History of Ozone. Part III

The introduction of ozone into organic chemistry is due to the work of C. D. Harries, first in Berlin but mainly in Kiel, during the period 1903–1916. He established experimental procedures for ozonolysis, demonstrated the generality of the reaction of unsaturated compounds with ozone, and showed that ozone could be used for the synthesis of a variety of sensitive compounds. Most important for the future development of organic chemistry, he established that ozonolysis could be an important tool for determining the structures of organic compounds. He also initiated investigations into the mechanism of ozone reactions with alkenes, which culminated about forty years later in the Criegee mechanism for ozonolysis.     

Bulky Amido Ligands in Rare Earth Chemistry — Syntheses,Structures, and Catalysis

The amido metal chemistry of the rare earth elements is a rapid developing area in coordination chemistry. Especially bulky mono and bidentate amido and amidinates have been introduced as ligands in rare earth chemistry. Due to these sterically demanding ligands, the coordination numbers of the rare earth elements are significantly reduced. This article focuses on two of these bulky ligand systems: bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and aminotroponiminates. The homoleptic bis(trimethylsilyl)amides of rare earth elements, [Ln{N(SiMe₃)₂}₃], are well established compounds in synthetic chemistry. Therefore, this article reviews recent progress in the catalytic application of these compounds. In the second part of this research report, it is shown that N, N′‐disubstituted aminotroponiminates and mono bridged bisaminotroponiminates can be used as cyclopentadienyl alternatives. Achiral and chiral aminotroponiminates have been used. The structural properties, reactivities as well as the catalytic and synthetic applications of the aminotroponiminates complexes will be outlined in this article.     

Hypervalent‐Iodine(III)‐Mediated Oxidative Methodology for the Synthesis of Fused Triazoles

The organic chemistry of hypervalent organoiodine compounds has been an area of unprecedented development. This surge in interest in the use of hypervalent iodine compounds has mainly been owing to their highly selective oxidizing properties, environmentally benign character and commercial availability. Hypervalent iodine reagents have also been used as an alternative to toxic heavy metals, owing to their low toxicity and ease of handling. Hypervalent organoiodine(III) reagents are versatile oxidants that have been successfully employed to extend the scope of selective oxidative transformations of complex organic molecules in synthetic chemistry. This Focus Review concerns the tandem in situ generation and 1,5‐electrocyclization of N‐heteroaryl nitrilimines into fused triazoles. We describe the importance of recently developed hypervalent‐organoiodine(III)‐catalyzed oxidative cyclization reactions, building towards the conclusion that hypervalent iodine chemistry is a promising frontier for oxidative cyclization, in particular of hydrazones, for the synthesis of fused triazoles.     

Development and validation of a simple,sensitive and reproducible method for simultaneous determination of six polyphenolic bioactive markers in Dendrobium plants

Dendrobium is a large genus of orchid plants containing several bioactive polyphenols, including bibenzyls, phenanthrenes, and flavanones that have been used as antioxidants in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. Several polyphenols including (2S)-eriodictyol, (2S)-homoeriodictyol, moscatilin, gigantol, chrysotoxine and crepidatin are primarily found in Dendrobium species and can serve as bioactive markers of orchid plants. In the present study, a simple UPLC-UV method for the simultaneous determination of six polyphenols was developed for evaluating the distribution of bioactive phytochemicals in orchid plants and validated according to the ICH Q2 (R1) guidance. The sample was prepared by extracting dendrobium powder with methanol and the supernatant was analyzed using the Waters ACQUITY UPLC^TM H-Class system on an ACQUITY UPLC^TM BEH C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) with gradient elution of water and acetonitrile, containing 1% v/v trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) each, at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min and UV detection at 280 nm. The chromatographic condition provided good peak shape and resolution. The method was linear over the specific ranges with the coefficient of determination (r²) > 0.995. Accuracy of the method expressed as %recovery ranged from 80 to 110%. The precision of the method demonstrated as %CV was < 7.3%. The method is simple, accurate, precise and robust and is recommended for routine quality control analysis of orchid plants containing the six polyphenols as the main principles in the herb. The proposed method was successfully applied for simultaneous quantification of the 6 polyphenolic compounds in 11 samples from 3 Dendrobium species, suggesting that the method was suitable for quality assessment of orchid herbal raw materials.     

N ‐Formamido‐Containing Mono‐ and Diheterocyclic Pyrrole‐and Imidazole‐2‐carboxylic Acids as Building Blocks for Polyamide Synthesis

Four N‐formamido‐containing mono‐and diheterocyclic pyrrole‐ and imidazole‐2‐containing acids 1–4 were synthesized as intermediates for the preparation of polyamide molecules. The N‐formamido‐moiety forces the compounds to bind strongly as a stacked dimer, and in a staggered fashion, at specific sequences in the minor‐groove of DNA. The acid moiety at the C‐terminus of compounds enables these molecules to be coupled to amine‐containing intermediates to form the amide linkages of the target polyamide. This convergent approach increases the synthetic diversity in polyamide chemistry by enabling one acid to be used with a variety of different C‐terminus‐functionalized intermediates.     

SPME – A valuable tool for investigation of flower scent

A novel Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction (HS‐SPME) protocol is proposed for the analysis of floral scent. Volatile compounds emitted from the flower are collected on a Carboxen/PDMS fiber for 1 hour, transferred to the GC, and analyzed by GC/MS. The method completely eliminates the use of organic solvents, does not require special instrumentation, and may readily be performed in the field without access to mains electricity and other energy supplies. The method is robust, sensitive, and reduces the sampling stress on the investigated plant. Since enzymatic reactions in living flowers may cause changes in the composition of emitted fragrance, dried rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) was used as a stable standard for the method development and optimization. In addition, grape wine was also suggested as homogeneous, bio‐compatible, and relatively stable standard of pronounced and typical scent for the same purpose. The optimized method was used for the comparative investigation of the fragrances emitted by two different species – Lathyrus vernus (L.) and Orchis pallens (L.). Several monoterpenes (C10 compounds) were found as the main fragrance components of lathyrus, while sesquiterpenes (C15 compounds) were typical for the orchid.     

Developmental variation in floral volatiles composition of a fragrant orchid Zygopetalum maculatum (Kunth) Garay

Emitted scent volatile profile of an orchid species Zygopetalum maculatum was studied using dynamic headspace sampling technique with four different adsorbent matrices, namely Porapak Type Q polymer (mesh size: 80/100), Tenax (mesh size: 60/80), activated charcoal and graphite. In addition, developmental variations in scent emissions and endogenous volatile levels were also investigated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of 21 volatile compounds in the headspace, which was predominantly enriched with benzenoid compounds. Among these benzenoids, o-diethylbenzene and p-diethylbenzene were the major compounds followed by benzyl acetate and methyl salicylate. Among the phenylpropanoid compounds, 2-phenylethyl acetate was the major volatile. However, as compared to benzenoids, the quantity was much lesser, indicating the inclination of phenylalanine flux towards benzenoid pathway. The outcome of this study has the implications in enhancing fragrance and vase life of orchids of the Sikkim Himalaya region and thus may further help to meet the growing market demand.     

Reglucosylation of the Benzoxazinoid DIMBOA with Inversion of Stereochemical Configuration is a Detoxification Strategy in Lepidopteran Herbivores

Benzoxazinoids are chemical defenses against herbivores and are produced by many members of the grass family. These compounds are stored as stable glucosides in plant cells and require the activity of glucosidases to release the corresponding toxic aglucones. In maize leaves, the most abundant benzoxazinoid is (2R)‐DIMBOA‐Glc, which is converted into the toxic DIMBOA upon herbivory. The ways in which three Spodoptera species metabolize this toxin were investigated. (2S)‐DIMBOA‐Glc, an epimer of the initial plant compound, was observed in the insect frass, and the associated glucosyltransferase activity was detected in the insect gut tissue. The epimeric glucoside produced by the insect was found to be no longer reactive towards plant glucosidases and thus cannot be converted into a toxin. Stereoselective reglucosylation thus represents a detoxification strategy in Spodoptera species that might help to explain their success as agricultural pests on benzoxazinoid‐containing crops.     

Coordination Chemistry of Aluminum,Gallium, and Indium at Transition Metals

The current upswing in the interest in organoelement chemistry of Group 13 metals is attributed not least to the establishment of the coordination chemistry of R_aE fragments (E=Al, Ga, In; a=1, 2) at d-block metals (M). Recently the availability of low-valent organoelement compounds as building blocks for synthesis has substantially enriched the structure chemistry of this class of compounds. The M–E bonding conditions and the question of the significance of M(d_π)-E(p_π) backbonding as well as potential applications in materials science, for example, as single-source precursors for the deposition of thin intermetallic films by chemical vapor deposition, are discussed.     

The Isolated System of Quantifiable Experiences in the 1783 "Mémoire sur la chaleur" of Lavoisier and Laplace

Abstract

The thesis of the present paper is that the famous memoir of Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Pierre Simon Laplace of 1783 inaugurated the study of a new unit of experimentation, the isolated system of quantifiable experiences. It was defined by a linear equation, ruled by a principle of thermal reversibility and realised experimentally by a calorimetric apparatus. This notion took its origins from a specific context of studies of heat and its quantification that involved the two scientists from 1777: attempts to verify the mechanisms of combustion and animal respiration. Born from an original interpretation of the principle of conservation of vires vivae, the concept of system is deeply connected with the formulation of a new way to quantify chemical reactions. This method leaves nonquantifiable entities out of consideration and is the basis of the subsequent principle of conservation of matter. This paper argues that the Lavoisierian concept of system arises from the eighteenth-century studies on heat and from an experimental approach different from that of the quantitative chemistry of the Scottish tradition. Following this new logic, the transformation of vital air into fixed air was proved to be the effect of combinations between specific basis and heat, not determined by the addition/subtraction of matter: the combustion of bodies and animal respiration could never be considered mere inflammatory processes.     

One‐Pot Multicomponent Synthesis of Glycopolymers through a Combination of Host–Guest Interaction,Thiol‐ene,and Copper‐Catalyzed Click Reaction in Water

There is a common phenomenon that the heterogeneity of natural oligosaccharides contains various sugar units, which can be used to enhance affinity and selectivity toward a specific receptor, so the synthesis of heterogeneous glycopolymers is always an important issue in the glycopolymer field. Herein, this study conducts a one‐pot method to prepare polyrotaxane‐based heteroglycopolymers anchored with different sugar units and fluorescent moieties via the combination of host–guest interaction, thiol‐ene, and copper‐catalyzed click chemistry in water. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, X‐ray diffraction, and Ellman's assay test are used in the paper to characterize the compounds. Quartz crystal microbalance‐dissipation (QCD‐D) experiments and bacterial adhesion assay are utilized to study the interactions of polyrotaxane‐based heteroglycopolymers with Con A and Escherichia coli . The results reveal that polyrotaxanes (PRs) with mannose and glucose present better specificity toward Con A and E. coli than PRs with glucose due to synergistic effects.     

The Chemistry of Simple Phosphorus-Carbon Compounds

With the aid of selected examples an overview is given of the development trends in phosphoruscarbon chemistry over the past few years. An attempt is made to demonstrate the relationships between various parameters and properties such as constitution, basicity, substitution by functional groups, reaction behavior etc. of the compounds. In the case of basis compounds containing methylphosphorus groups the state of development of industrially interesting processes is also outlined. In addition, the synthesis of a few bifunctional phosphorus-carbon compounds which can be employed as comonomers in the production of polymers is described.     

Aristolochic Acids as a Defensive Substance for the Aristolochiaceous Plant‐Feeding Swallowtail Butterfly,Pachliopta aristolochiae interpositus

The chemical constituents isolated from every stage of the Taiwanese swallowtail butterfly, Pachliopta aristolochiae interpositus, were studied and compared with the constituents of the insect feeding plant, A. cucurbitifolia. Two aristolochic acid derivatives ( 1 and 4 ) and three aristolactam analogues ( 5, 6 , and 7 ) were isolated from the larval osmeterial fluid and larvae of the insect. In addition, four purines ( 2, 3, 13 , and 14 ), one indole alkaloid ( 11 ), one steroid ( 10 ), two benzenoids ( 8 and 9 ) and allantoin ( 12 ) were also isolated from the insect. Among these compounds, aristolochic acid ‐I (AA‐I, 1 ) was detected in all life stages of the insect, especially in the larval osmeterial fluid. The studies confirm that the toxic AAs are used as larval feeding stimulants and deterrent allomones against birds.     

Metabolomic variation in wild and cultured cordyceps and mycelia of Isaria cicadae

Isaria cicadae is one of the fungi used in traditional Chinese medicine with the longest tradition. It is used not only as a herbal medicine but also as a health food in Asia, together with cultured cordyceps and mycelia of the fungus used as substitute. However, the differences in their metabolite are unknown. Using a high‐performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS)‐based metabolomic method, we found that the fungus varies in its metabolism during growth on wild insects, artificially raised insects and artificial medium. There were 109 discriminatory metabolites detected in the samples by orthogonal projection to latent structure discriminant analysis and one‐way ANOVA. High level of nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) only existed in the insect portions of the wild cordyceps (WI) and cultured cordyceps (CI), revealing that immunostimulation of the host insects enhanced the synthesis of NRPs in the fungus. The finding of a significantly higher level of sphingolipids in both the insect portions (WI, CI) and the coremia of the wild cordyceps (WC) and cultured cordyceps (CC) but not in cultured mycelia (CM) of I. cicadae implies that the immunostimulation of the live insects can induce the fungus to produce more sphingolipids, and this enhanced ability is probably heritable. Apart from NRPs and sphingolipids, the insect portions also contained higher levels of bioactive compounds such as lateritin, anisomycin, streptimidone and ustiloxins. In contrast, the coremium groups (WC, CC) and CM contained 10‐fold less NRP but much higher levels of sanative metabolites such as tocotrienol, 3′‐deoxy‐hanasanagin, γ‐aminobutyric acid and phospholipids than the insect portions. The significantly higher content of antioxidants in WC, CC and CM than in WI and CI suggests that environmental oxygen has a significant effect on the metabolites. The temperature stress which the wild cordyceps encounters during growth is responsible for the relatively high content of trehalose. These findings indicate that the immunity of the host insect and growth environment have a strong impact on the metabolomic variation in Isaria cicadae. The variation in metabolites suggests differential utilization value for the insect portions, coremia and mycelia of the fungus.     

Metallophosphaalkenes—from Exotics to Versatile Building Blocks in Preparative Chemistry

The chemistry of low-valent organophosphorus compounds such as phosphaalkenes and phosphaalkynes has undergone rapid development in the last two decades. This development also includes the coordination chemistry of these species, which can act as versatile ligands in metal complexes. Metallophosphaalkenes are compounds in which one or more of the organic substituents on the P?C unit is replaced by a transition metal complex fragment. Metallophosphaalkenes have emerged from an existence as laboratory curiosities to become a link between main group and organometallic complex chemistry. The great richness of their chemistry not only mirrors the specific properties of the individual building block, but also shows novel and individual traits. Particular examples are cycloadditions of these electron-rich heteroalkenes with electron-deficient alkenes, alkynes, azo, and diazo compounds. These often lead to novel types of reaction and compounds. Metallophosphaalkenes are also important as intermediates in all metal-assisted cyclooligomerizations of phosphaalkynes.