New building blocks for peptide and depsipeptide modification N-glycosylated l-malic and l-citramalic acid derivatives

Neoglycoconjugates have been synthesized from l-malic acid/L-citramalic acid and β-d-Ac₄Glc-NH₂/β-d-Bzl₄Glc-NH₂ using hexafluoroacetone as protecting and activating agent.     

Synthesis of l-α-phosphatidyl-d-myo-inositol 3,5-bisphosphate from d-glucose

Efficient synthesis of l-α-phosphatidyl-d-myo-inositol 3,5-bisphosphate was achieved from 1,2,5,6-diisopropylidene-d-glucose by utilizing ring-closing metathesis and catalytic OsO₄ dihydroxylation.     

Epimeric N-substituted l-proline derivatives as chiral selectors for ligand-exchange chromatography

Mainly N-alkyl derivatives of l-proline have proved useful as chiral selectors, particularly in the field of chiral ligand-exchange chromatography (CLEC). This paper describes the synthesis of new N-alkyl derivatives of l-proline, containing a second centre of chirality, and their immobilization on silica gel. The applicability of these chiral stationary phases in CLEC with either copper(II) or nickel(II) as complexing ion was investigated. Particular attention was paid to the effects of the organic modifier, buffer concentration and pH on stereoselectivity and retention. The aim of this study was also to elucidate the influence of the second centre of chirality, which contains a π-basic, space-filling phenyl group and a polar amide function, on enantioseparation and elution order. Based on simple molecular modelling studies, recognition mechanisms and the possibility of the amide oxygen coordinating with either copper(II) or nickel (II) are discussed. Both epimeric chiral selectors (either R,S- or S,S-configuration) resolved the enantiomers of various amino acids and derivatives thereof.     

Synthesis of l,l-puromycin

l,l-Puromycin, a diastereomer of the natural peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic puromycin, has been synthesized from l-xylose in 13 steps.     

Intermolecular/interionic interactions in l-isoleucine-, l-proline-, and l-glutamine-aqueous electrolyte systems

Speed of sound and density values for ternary systems (amino acid + salt + water): l-isoleucine/l-proline/l-glutamine in aqueous solutions of 1.5 M KCl, 1 M KNO₃, and 0.5 M K₂SO₄ have been measured for several concentrations of amino acids at different temperatures (303.15, 308.15, 313.15, 318.15, and 323.15 K). Using speed of sound and density data, the thermodynamic parameters such as isentropic compressibility (κ_s), change in isentropic compressibility (Δκ_s) and relative change (Δκ_s/κ₀) in isentropic compressibility have been computed. The isentropic compressibility values decrease with increase in the amino acid concentration as well as with temperature. The decrease in κ_s values with increase in concentration of l-isoleucine/l-proline/l-glutamine in 1.5 M KCl, 1 M KNO₃, and 0.5 M K₂SO₄ has been ascribed to an increase in the number of incompressible zwitterions in solutions, and the formation of ‘zwitterions-ions’ and ‘zwitterions-water dipole’ entities in solutions. The decrease in κ_s values with increase in temperature has been attributed to the corresponding decrease of κ_relax (a relaxational part of compressibility), which is dominant over the corresponding increase of κ_∞ (an instantaneous part of compressibility). The trends of variation of Δκ_s and Δκ_s/κ₀ with variations in solute concentration and temperature have also been discussed in terms of solute-solute and solute-solvent intermolecular/interionic interactions operative in the systems.     

Synthesis of tadalafil (Cialis) from l-tryptophan

The first synthesis of tadalafil 1 (Cialis) from l-tryptophan is described. The title compound 1 was synthesized via seven steps from l-tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride in 42.3% overall yield. Two characteristic steps involved in this synthesis are the base-catalyzed epimerization of the C-3 position of (1S,3S)-1,2,3-trisubstituted-tetrahydro-β-carboline 3a and the acid-catalyzed epimerization of the C-1 position of (1S,3R)-1,3-disubstituted-tetrahydro-β-carboline 5. The (S)-configurations at C-1 and C-3 were inverted to (R)-configurations during the epimerization reactions. The base-catalyzed epimerization of C-3 of (1S,3S)-1,2,3-trisubstituted-tetrahydro-β-carbolines 3a–3e was also studied in detail.     

Synthesis of l-aminohomohistidine (l-Ahh)

A short synthesis of l-aminohomohistidine (l-Ahh), which starts from readily available δ-hydroxy-l-lysine is described. The embedding of the basic guanidino moiety in the aromatic imidazole lowers the basicity of the side chain to a pK_a of 8.3. It is proposed that l-Ahh may be employed as an arginine-mimetic in medicinal chemistry.     

Rapid controlled hydrolytic degradation of poly(l-lactic acid) by blending with poly(aspartic acid-co-l-lactide)

Although poly(lactic acid) is known as a biodegradable polymer, its hydrolytic degradation is extremely slow, taking years in water and in the human body. In this study the effects of blending oligomeric poly(aspartic acid-co-lactide) (PALs) on the hydrolytic degradation of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) were studied in detail. It was found that the addition of PAL did not accelerate the hydrolysis of the PLLA in air (25 °C, 60% relative humidity), but significantly accelerated it in a phosphate buffer solution. The degradation rate becomes higher for the blends containing PAL with higher molar ratios of lactide to aspartic acid units, [LA]/[Asp], when PLLA/PAL blends prepared with different PALs are compared at the same PAL concentration. TEM results, in which the distribution of PALs with higher [LA]/[Asp] occurs at a smaller scale in blends, imply that higher miscibility of the PAL with PLLA results in higher contact area between the components, thereby accelerating the degradation efficiently.     

Syntheses of l-glucosamine donors for 1,2-trans-glycosylation reactions

Two new l-glucosamine donors, that is pent-4-enyl 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-allyloxycarbonylamino-2-deoxy-β-l-glucopyranoside 16 and ethyl 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-allyloxycarbonylamino-2-deoxy-1-thio-β-l-glucopyranoside 21 were prepared in 12 steps from l-arabinose. The reaction pathway uses 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-l-glucal 5, and then 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-2-iodo-α-l-mannopyranosyl azide 8 as intermediates. The latter, together with donors 16 and 21, were used for preparing l-glucosamine neoglycolipids.     

Racemization behavior of l,l-lactide during heating

To control the depolymerization process of poly(l-lactic acid) into l,l-lactide for feedstock recycling, the racemization of l,l-lactide as a post-depolymerization reaction was investigated. In the absence of a catalyst, the conversion to meso-lactide increased with increase in the heating temperature and time at a higher rate than the conversion into oligomers. The resulting high composition of meso-lactide suggests that the direct racemization of l,l-lactide had occurred in addition to the known racemization mechanism that occurs on the oligomer chains. In the presence of MgO, the oligomerization rapidly proceeded to reach an equilibrium state between monomers and oligomers. The equilibrium among l,l-, meso-, and d,d-lactides was found to be a convergent composition ratio l,l-:meso-:d,d-lactides = 1:1.22:0.99 (wt/wt/wt) after 120 min at 300 °C. This composition ratio also indicates that in addition to the known racemization reaction on the oligomer chains, direct racemization among the lactides is also a frequent occurrence.     

Syntheses and structural comparisons of two copper(II) complexes with the same formula having d-(+)- and d,l-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane-1,3-diamine ligands

Two five-coordinate copper(II) complexes, formulated as [Cu(L_a)₂Cl]BF₄ (1) and [Cu(L_b)₂Cl]BF₄ (2) having d-(+)-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane-1,3-diamine (L_a) and d,l-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane-1,3-diamine (L_b) ligands, have been synthesized and characterized. X-ray diffraction studies of 1 and 2 demonstrate that they crystallize in the different space groups (P2₁2₁2₁ for 1 and Pnma for 2), although they have identical unit cell volumes, due to the use of enantiomeric and racemic diamine ligands. One dimensional (1D) hydrogen-bond-sustained dimeric zigzag chains are formed by means of eight-membered N₂H₂CuBF₂ as well as 10-membered N₂H₄ClBF₂ hydrogen-bonded cycles. Thermal analyses for 1 and 2 are also described herein.     

Control of impurities in l-aspartic acid and l-alanine by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a corona charged aerosol detector

In this study a reversed phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using charged aerosol detection (CAD) was developed and fully validated for the pharmaceutical quality control of l-aspartic acid (Asp). With a slight modification, the method also allows the evaluation of related substances in l-alanine (Ala). The method enables simultaneous control of related amino acids and of possibly occurring organic acids contaminants. A minimum limit of quantification of 0.03% could be achieved for all occurring related substances. Moreover, the detector sensitivity of the CAD was compared with an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD). Depending on the analyte the CAD was found to be 3.6–42 times more sensitive than the ELSD. The HPLC method was applied to the purity testing of 8 samples of pharmaceutical grade and reagent grade Asp and of 12 samples of Ala supplied by various manufacturers. Both substances were found to be of high purity (greater than 99.8% for Asp and greater than 99.9% for Ala). Malic acid and Ala were the major impurities in Asp. Asp and glutamic acid (Glu) were the only detectable impurities in Ala.     

Supramolecular hydrogels and organogels based on novel l-valine and l-isoleucine amphiphiles

New low-molecular-weight gelators based on l-valine and l-isoleucine gelators, which have a positively charged terminal group, can gel not only pure water and aqueous solutions containing inorganic acids and salts but also some organic solvents and oils.     

The first chemical conversion of l-proline to l-glutamic acid

The ruthenium tetroxide oxidation of N-acyl-l-proline esters gave the corresponding l-pyroglutamic acid derivatives in good yields with no appreciable racemization, which led to the first chemical conversion of l-proline to l-glutamic acid.     

Comparison of the separation of lactic acid and l-leucine by liquid emulsion membranes

A mass transfer model originally proposed for the permeation of zinc and l-phenylalanine was slightly modified and used for calculating the mass transfer resistances in lactic acid permeation (using the secondary amine Amberlite LA-2 as a carrier) and l-leucine permeation (using the quaternary ammoniumchloride Aliquat 336 as a carrier). The results show that under optimized conditions lactic acid permeation is controlled by the rate of reaction and that l-leucine permeation is controlled by the rate of reaction and the diffusion through the emulsion globule. The model results were compared with batch experiments separating lactic acid and l-leucine from real fermentation broths. The comparison shows that the separation rate is affected by co-transport of pH regulating agents and to a smaller extent by the co-transport of water.     

Large scale synthesis of the acetonides of l-glucuronolactone and of l-glucose: easy access to l-sugar chirons

1,2-O-Isopropylidene-α-l-glucurono-3,6-lactone may be synthesized on a 100-200 g scale from cheaply available d-glucoheptonolactone in an overall yield of 94% in four steps via l-glucuronolactone. Subsequent elaboration to l-glucose, diacetone-l-glucose (1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-l-glucofuranose), and monoacetone-l-glucose (1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-l-glucofuranose) allows easy access to a range of l-sugar chirons.     

Stereo-controlled approach to pyrrolidine iminosugar C-glycosides and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-allitol using a d-mannose-derived cyclic nitrone

Intramolecular N-alkylation of 2,3-O-isopropylidene-5-O-methanesulfonyl-6-O-t-butyldimethylsilyl-d-mannofuranose-oxime 7 afforded a five-membered cyclic nitrone 9, which on N–O bond reductive cleavage followed by deprotection of –OTBS and acetonide functionalities gave 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-allitol (DIA) 3. Addition of allylmagnesium chloride to nitrone 9 afforded α-allylated product 10a in high diastereoselectivity providing an easy entry to N-hydroxy-C1-α-allyl-substituted pyrrolidine iminosugar 4a after removal of protecting group, while N–O bond reductive cleavage in 10a afforded C1-α-allyl-pyrrolidine iminosugar 4b.