1,3‐Dimethyl‐2‐oxo‐4,6‐diphenyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydropyridine‐3‐carbonitrile

The crystal structure of the title compound, C₂₀H₁₈N₂O, reveals a distorted half‐chair conformation of the central tetra­hydro­pyridine (THP) ring, with the cyano‐ and adjacent phenyl‐substituted C atoms displaced by 0.329 (1) and ?0.315 (1) Å, respectively, from the THP best plane. Steric interactions force the phenyl rings out of the THP plane by 49.21 (9) and 65.76 (5)°. The cyano moiety is coplanar with the THP plane.     

Bifunctional Lewis acid-nucleophile-based asymmetric catalysis: mechanistic evidence for imine activation working in tandem with chiral enolate formation in the synthesis of beta-lactams

We report a mechanistically based study of bifunctional catalyst systems in which chiral nucleophiles work in conjunction with Lewis acids to produce beta-lactams in high chemical yield, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity. Chiral cinchona alkaloid derivatives work best when paired with Lewis acids based on Al(III), Zn(II), Sc(III), and, most notably, In(III). Homogeneous bifunctional catalysts, in which the catalyst contains both Lewis acidic and Lewis basic sites, were also studied in detail. Mechanistic evidence allows us to conclude that the chiral nucleophiles form zwitterionic enolates that react with metal-coordinated imines. Alternative scenarios, which postulated metal-bound enolates, were disfavored on the basis of our observations.     

The potential of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric detection for capillary electrophoretic analysis of pesticides

In this work, the potential of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled to capillary electrophoresis (CE) to determine organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) is demonstrated. Element specific detection of (31)P with ICP-MS is performed for the detection of OPPs. Three common OPPs, including glyphosate, glufosinate, and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), were analyzed by CE-ICP-MS to demonstrate its applicability for the analysis of OPPs. The advantages of using ICP-MS with respect to other common detectors, such as flame photometric detection (FPD), for CE analysis of OPPs are shown. Additionally, different CE separation conditions were studied to achieve complete baseline separation of the pesticide compounds in short migration times. Two CE buffer systems were evaluated for the separation of OPPs using ICP-MS detection. A buffer solution containing 40 mmol.L(-1) ammonium acetate at pH 9.0 and an applied voltage of +20 kV were finally selected leading to a separation time of 10.0 min. Both migration time and area relative standard deviations (%RSD) were evaluated and their respective values were in the intervals of 1.1-3.3% and 2.7-5.3%. Detection limits obtained with the CE-ICP-MS system were in the range of 0.11-0.19 mg.L(-1) (as compound) yielding an enhancement of 130- to 230-fold with respect to FPD. The proposed methodology was finally applied for the determination of the OPPs mentioned above in natural river water samples.     

Synthesis and pharmacological activity of 4-(4'-(chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxypiperidine) derivatives

A new series of 4-(4'-chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxypiperidine derivatives (2-5), substituted at nitrogen, were synthesized and tested as potential analgesic compounds as well as evaluated for their effect on hypotensive activity. Results showed that all the derivatives exhibit significant analgesic activity in male Wistar rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg of body weight after intramuscular injection, when tested by thermal stimuli (tail flick test). Pethidine was used as reference drug. Compounds 2, 3 and 5 produced reduction in blood pressure in normotensive rat.     

A Novel Anti-Inflammatory d-Peptide Inhibits Disease Phenotype Progression in an ALS Mouse Model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by selective neuronal death in the brain stem and spinal cord. The cause is unknown, but an increasing amount of evidence has firmly certified that neuroinflammation plays a key role in ALS pathogenesis. Neuroinflammation is a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders and has been implicated as driver of disease progression. Here, we describe a treatment study demonstrating the therapeutic potential of a tandem version of the well-known all-d-peptide RD2 (RD2RD2) in a transgenic mouse model of ALS (SOD1*G93A). Mice were treated intraperitoneally for four weeks with RD2RD2 vs. placebo. SOD1*G93A mice were tested longitudinally during treatment in various behavioural and motor coordination tests. Brain and spinal cord samples were investigated immunohistochemically for gliosis and neurodegeneration. RD2RD2 treatment in SOD1*G93A mice resulted not only in a reduction of activated astrocytes and microglia in both the brain stem and lumbar spinal cord, but also in a rescue of neurons in the motor cortex. RD2RD2 treatment was able to slow progression of the disease phenotype, especially the motor deficits, to an extent that during the four weeks treatment duration, no significant progression was observed in any of the motor experiments. Based on the presented results, we conclude that RD2RD2 is a potential therapeutic candidate against ALS.     

C—H⋯N and C—H⋯π interactions in 2‐ethoxy‐4,6‐diphenylpyridine‐3‐carbonitrile

The title compound, C₂₀H₁₆N₂O, has two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit and the crystal structure shows that the central pyridine ring of each mol­ecule has a flat boat conformation. The terminal C atom in one of the mol­ecules is disordered over two positions, with relative occupancies of 0.594 (14) and 0.398 (14). Intermolecular C—H?N and C—H?π interactions and π–π stacking, along with intramolecular C—H?N and C—H?π interactions, help to stabilize the structure.     

Mixed-ligand complexes of copper with some amino-acids and malonate

The mixed-ligand complexes formed by copper(II) with an amino-acid (valine, threonine, isoleucine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine) and malonic acid have been investigated polarographically and their stability constants determined. The complexes are less stable than the corresponding complexes with oxalic acid instead of malonic, but also exhibit less disproportionation into the simple complexes, because the simple oxalate complexes are more stable than the malonate complexes.     

Speciation of cationic selenium compounds in Brassica juncea leaves by strong cation-exchange chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Strong cation-exchange chromatography (SCX-HPLC) was used in conjunction with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to investigate cationic selenium species present in leaf extract of wild-type Brassica juncea supplemented with selenite. Total amount of Se accumulated by the leaves was found to be 352 microg g(-1). Cation-exchange solid-phase extraction (SCX-SPE) was used to pre-concentrate the cationic species present in the leaf extract. Methylselenomethionine (MeSeMet) and dimethylselenoniumproprionate (DMSeP) were synthesized and characterized by electrospray quadrupole time-of-flight MS (ESI-QTOF-MS). Laboratory synthesized and commercially available standards were used in chromatographic studies to identify the Se species in the leaf extract through retention time comparisons and standard addition method. Major cationic selenium species identified in the present study were MeSeMet and methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys) while selenomethionine (SeMet) was found in minor quantities.     

Synthesis and S-methylation of 2-thioxopyrido[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]-pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones with and without a phase transfer catalyst

A number of 2-thioxopyrido[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-H]pyrimdin-4(3H-ones (5) have been synthesized by cyclocondensation of 2-carbethoxy-3-amino-4-phenyl-6-substituted-thieno[2,3-b]pyridines (3) with various isothiocyanates. Compounds 5 were S-methylated routinely and the reactions compared under solid-liquid phase transfer conditions to obtain 2-methylthiopyrido[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-^ones (6). The new triheterocyclic pyridothienopyrimidines were prepared with the objective to study their pharmacological properties.     

High performance liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric assay for the quantitation of BMS-204352 in dog K(3)EDTA plasma

A high performance liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric (LC/MS) assay was developed and validated for the determination of BMS-204352 in dog K(3)EDTA plasma. A 0.5 mL aliquot of control plasma was spiked with BMS-204352 and internal standard (IS) and buffered with 1 mL of 5 mM ammonium acetate. The mixture was then extracted with 3 mL of toluene. After separation and evaporation of the organic phase to dryness using nitrogen at 40 degrees C, the residue was reconstituted in the mobile phase and 25 microL of the sample were injected onto a Hypersil C(18) column (2 x 50 mm; 3 microm) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The mobile phase was consisted of two solvent mixtures (A and B). Solvent A was composed of 5 mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% triethylamine in 75:25 v/v water:methanol, pH adjusted to 5.5 with glacial acetic acid, and solvent B was 5 mM ammonium acetate in methanol. A linear gradient system was used to elute the analytes. The mass spectrometer was programmed to admit the de-protonated molecules at m/z 352.7 (IS) and m/z 357.9 (BMS-204352). Standard curves of BMS-204352 were linear (r(2) > or = 0.998) over the concentration range of 0.5-1000 ng/mL. The mean predicted quality control (QC) concentrations deviated less than 5.1% from the corresponding nominal values (ie 4, 80, 400 and 2000 ng/mL); the within- and between-assay precision of the assay were within 5.5% relative standard deviation. Stability of BMS-204352 was confirmed after at least three freeze/thaw cycles and BMS-204532 was stable in dog plasma when stored frozen at or below -20 degrees C for at least 16 weeks in spiked QC samples and for at least 4 1/2 weeks for in vivo study samples. BMS-204352 and IS were stable in the injection solvent at room temperature for at least 24 h. The assay was applied to delineate the pharmacokinetic disposition of BMS-204352 in dogs following a single intravenous dose administration. In conclusion, the assay is accurate, precise, specific, sensitive and reproducible for the pharmacokinetic analysis of BMS-204532 in dog plasma.