Stereoselective 1,2-cis glycosylation of 2-O-allyl protected thioglycosides

The technique of intramolecular aglycon delivery (IAD), whereby a glycosyl acceptor is temporarily appended to a hydroxyl group of a glycosyl donor is an attractive method that can allow the synthesis of 1,2-cis glycosides in an entirely stereoselective fashion. 2-O-Allyl protected thioglycoside donors are excellent substrates for IAD, and may be glycosylated stereoselectively through a three-step reaction sequence. This sequence consists of quantitative yielding allyl bond isomerisation, to produce vinyl ethers that can then undergo N-iodosuccinimide mediated tethering of the desired glycosyl acceptor, and subsequent intramolecular glycosylation, to yield either alpha-glucosides or beta-mannosides accordingly. Although attempted one-pot tethering and glycosylation is hampered by competitive intermolecular reaction with excess glycosyl acceptor, this problem can be simply overcome by the use of excess glycosyl donor. Allyl mediated IAD is a widely applicable practical alternative to other IAD approaches for the synthesis of beta-mannosides, that is equally applicable for alpha-gluco linkages. It is advantageous in terms of both simplicity of application and yield, and in addition has no requirement for cyclic 4,6-protection of the glycosyl donor.     

Macrocyclic ligands with potential axial interactions. The preparation of copper(II), nickel(II) and cobalt(III) complexes of 7,14-o-hydroxyphenyl-5,12-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,11-diene

Summary The new macrocyclic ligand 7,14-o-hydroxyphenyl-5,12-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,11-diene (1=L) has been prepared and complexes with copper(II), nickel(II) and cobalt(III) characterised. The nickel(II) complex is a yellow square-planar species, while the purple-red copper(II) complex is probably tetragonal in both the solid state and solution. The complexes appear to have an N-meso arrangement of the chiral nitrogen centres with the HOC₆H₄ groups occupying equatorial sites so that axial interactions with the metal do not occur. A variety oftrans-[CoLX₂]ClO₄ complexes (X=Cl, Br, NO₂, or N₃) have been characterised.     

Determination of capsaicinoids in salsa by liquid chromatography and enzyme immunoassay

Two simple and rapid methods were developed to monitor pungency of salsa in production. Capsaicin (C) and dihydrocapsaicin (DHC) were quantitated in 17 commercially available tomato-based salsas by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescent detection. Samples were extracted with methanol and the extracts were subjected to solid-phase extraction (SPE) using polystyrene-divinylbenzene columns. Analysis of SPE eluates showed good correlation (r2 = 0.953) between LC and EIA, with a slightly high bias for EIA. Salsa fortified with C and DHC from 0.118 to 103.2 microg/g resulted in recoveries of 90-112% (C) and 76-97% (DHC). Limits of detection by LC were 0.1 microg/g for each capsaicinoid and 0.1 microg/g by EIA for total capsaicinoids. The LC on-column response was linear from 0.2 to 100 ng for both C and DHC, whereas the working range for EIA was 0.1-2.0 ppm. Pungency varied between different salsa brands labeled mild, medium, and hot.     

Synthesis,metal-exchange kinetics and X-ray structure of the nickel(II) complex of the diazacyclam ligand 1,3,6,10,12,15-hexa-azatricyclo [13.3.1.16,10]eicosane, [NiL] (ClO4)2

The preparation of the nickel(II) complex of the diazacyclam ligand 1,3,6,10,12,15-hexaazatricyclo [13.3.1.16,10]eicosane (2) by the reaction of the nickel(II) complex of N-(2-aminoethyl)-1,3-diaminopropane with formaldehyde in MeOH solution is described. The crystal structure of [NiL](ClO4)2 has been determined. The nickel atom is four coordinate and planar with Ni-N bond lengths of 1.969(4) and 1.928(3)Å in a centrosymmetric structure. The basic diazacyclam ring system has a trans III configuration with the two additional six-membered rings fused in a chair conformation.The kinetics of the metal exchange:for the nickel complexes (1) and (2) have been studied in detail. Under the experimental conditions employed, with copper(II) in at least a tenfold excess, the reaction is independent of the copper(II) concentration. The copper(II) effectively scavenges the free ligand as the nickel(II) complex dissociates. For the nickel complex (1) k = 2 × 10–4 s–1 at 60°C and H = 126 ± 5 kJmol–1 and S298 = 61 ± 15 JK–1mol–1. For the complex (2), k = 1.8 × 10–4 s–1 at 60°C and H = 99 ± 6 kJmol–1 and S298 = –21 ± 10 JK–1 mol–1.     

The preparation and characterization of novel cocylic(arylene disulfide) oligomers

A series of homo‐ and cocyclic(arylene disulfide) oligomers were synthesized under high dilution conditions by the catalytic oxidation of arylenedithiols with oxygen in the presence of a copper‐amine catalyst in DMAc. The aryl groups contained moieties such as sulfone, ether, and ketone. The free radical ring‐opening polymerization of these cyclic(arylene disulfide) oligomers led to the formation of linear poly(thio arylene)s. The homo‐ and cocyclic(arylene disulfide) oligomers were characterized by gradient high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), get permeation chromatography (GPC), ¹H‐NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods. These cocyclic(arylene disulfide) oligomers except those containing sulfone moiety had lower melt flow temperature as low as 140 °C and therefore could readily undergo free radical ring‐opening polymerization under mild conditions. The glass transition temperatures of these cocyclics ranged from 72.3 to 190.0 °C, while the glass transition temperatures of the polydisulfides derived from these cocyclics ranged from 78.4 to 194.5 °C. In this article, a new method of preparing arylene dithiols 4,4′‐oxybis(benzenethiol) and diphenylmethane‐4,4′‐dithiol is reported. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of vanadium bromoperoxidase in the biosynthesis of halogenated marine natural products

Halogenated natural products are frequently reported metabolites in marine seaweeds. These compounds span a range from halogenated indoles, terpenes, acetogenins, phenols, etc., to volatile halogenated hydrocarbons that are produced on a very large scale. In many cases these halogenated marine metabolites possess biological activities of pharmacological interest. Given the abundance of halogenated marine natural products found in marine organisms and their potentially important biological activities, the biogenesis of these compounds has intrigued marine natural product chemists for decades. Over a quarter of a century ago, a possible role for haloperoxidase enzymes was first suggested in the biogenesis of certain halogenated marine natural products, although this was long before haloperoxidases were discovered in marine organisms. Since that time, FeHeme- and Vanadium-haloperoxidases (V-HPO) have been discovered in many marine organisms. The structure and catalytic activity of vanadium haloperoxidases is reviewed herein, including the importance of V-HPO-catalyzed bromination and cyclization of terpene substrates.     

The use of comet assay data with a simple reaction mechanism to evaluate the relative effectiveness of free radical scavenging by quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate and N-acetylcysteine in UV-irradiated MRC5 lung fibroblasts

Comet assay data (tail DNA %) have been gathered for the concentration dependent role of three antioxidants (AOs); quercetin (Q), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in reducing UV-induced damage to DNA in normal fetal lung fibroblasts (MRC5). All three compounds demonstrate a concentration dependent reduction maximum with a pro-oxidant effect at higher (though not cytotoxic) concentrations. Manipulation of a simple 4-step reaction mechanism for free radical (FR) scavenging by AOs produced rate constant ratios which allowed the relative effectiveness (Q > EGCG > NAC) of the AOs to be evaluated.     

HostDesigner: a program for the de novo structure-based design of molecular receptors with binding sites that complement metal ion guests

This paper describes a novel approach to the discovery of host structures with binding sites that complement targeted metal ion guests. This approach uses a de novo structure-based design strategy that couples molecular building algorithms with scoring functions to prioritize candidate structures. The algorithms described herein have been implemented in a program called HostDesigner, the first structure-based design software specifically created for the discovery of metal ion receptors. HostDesigner generates and evaluates millions of candidate structures within minutes, rapidly identifying three-dimensional architectures that position binding sites to provide an optimal interaction with the metal ion.     

Dinuclear zinc(II) double-helicates of homochirally substituted bis(dipyrromethene)s

[structure: see text] A series of bis(dipyrromethene)s substituted with aromatic amide and aliphatic ester homochiral auxiliaries have been prepared and complexed with zinc(II) ions to form double-helical dinuclear complexes. CD analysis of the crude complexes revealed that the helicates formed in a diastereoselective manner. The helicates have been resolved into their constituent M and P helices by HPLC, indicating that the helical sense of the complexes is stable to racemization.