Pd-catalysed asymmetric mono- and bis-alkoxycarbonylation of vinylarenes

The asymmetric alkoxycarbonylation of vinylarenes catalysed by palladium complexes bearing chiral phosphine ligands has attracted much attention over the last decades. The products of both mono- and bis(alkoxycarbonylation) reactions are important intermediates in the syntheses of pharmaceuticals such as 2-arylpropionic acids, the most important class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In this article, a general overview of the topics will be presented and the recent advances in this field will be particularly detailed. Besides the term alkoxycarbonylation, hydroesterification and hydroalkoxycarbonylation are also used in the literature to describe this reaction. Furthermore, more specific terms such as methoxycarbonylation can be found. In this report, the term alkoxycarbonylation will be used as the general term, and specific terms will be used to unambiguously define which reaction is meant.     

Iron-catalyzed hydroxylation of β-ketoesters with hydrogen peroxide as oxidant

The hydroxylation of β-ketoesters was studied using simple iron catalysts and 30 wt % hydrogen peroxide as the terminal oxidant. The highest activity and yield were achieved in the presence of iron(III) chloride. Cyclic β-ketoesters could be smoothly hydroxylated in 75-90% yield. For linear β-ketoester and β-ketoamide, the chloro-substituted products were obtained.     

Voltammetric sensor based on magnetic particles modified composite electrode for determination of triamterene in biological sample

Some diuretic substances are controlled and monitored by the World Anti-Doping Agency as prohibited substances for use by athletes, such as triamterene (TRT). Thus, this work describes a voltammetric method based on graphite-epoxy composite electrode modified by tosyl-functionalized magnetic particles (GECE/MPs-To) for determination of TRT diuretic in urine sample. The TRT presented an oxidation peak at +1.24 V at GECE/MPs-To with irreversible behavior. Controlled potential electrolysis of the TRT at +1.26 V indicated the two electrons are transferred during amine group oxidation and the main product was identified by LC-MS/MS. The anodic peak current is 25 % higher at the modified electrode, suggesting that TRT is adsorbed on the magnetic particles. Using optimized conditions by using multivariate optimization of the parameters inherent of the square wave voltammetry, a calibration curve was constructed with a linear relationship for TRT from 0.500 to 99.8 μmol L^?1. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.47 and 4.91?×?10^?7 mol L^?1, respectively. The proposed method was applied to urine sample and validated by LC-MS/MS technique where the values found and compared between the two techniques showed no significant difference at 95 % confidence.     

Propanediol (and) Caprylic Acid (and) Xylitol as a New Single Topical Active Ingredient against Acne: In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy Assays

In addition to dermatological complications, acne can affect the quality of life of individuals in numerous ways, such as employment, social habits and body dissatisfaction. According to our expertise, caprylic acid and propanediol would not have a direct action on Cutibacterium acnes. Despite this, we investigated the existence of a synergistic effect among xylitol, caprylic acid and propanediol as a mixture of compounds representing a single topical active ingredient that could benefit the treatment against acne. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to challenge and to prove the efficacy of propanediol, xylitol and caprylic acid (PXCA) against acne. PXCA had its MIC challenged against C. acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) and Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in concentrations of 0.125% and 0.25%, respectively, and it also developed antimicrobial activity against C. acnes (time-kill test). PXCA was able to reduce the 5-alpha reductase expression in 24% (p < 0.01) in comparison with the testosterone group. By the end of 28 days of treatment, the compound reduced the skin oiliness, porphyrin amount and the quantity of inflammatory lesions in participants. According to the dermatologist evaluation, PXCA improved the skin’s general appearance, acne presence and size.     

Non-Toxic Dimeric Peptides Derived from the Bothropstoxin-I Are Potent SARS-CoV-2 and Papain-like Protease Inhibitors

The COVID-19 outbreak has rapidly spread on a global scale, affecting the economy and public health systems throughout the world. In recent years, peptide-based therapeutics have been widely studied and developed to treat infectious diseases, including viral infections. Herein, the antiviral effects of the lysine linked dimer des-Cys¹¹, Lys¹²,Lys¹³-(pBthTX-I)₂K ((pBthTX-I)₂K)) and derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 are reported. The lead peptide (pBthTX-I)₂K and derivatives showed attractive inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV-2 (EC₅₀ = 28–65 µM) and mostly low cytotoxic effect (CC₅₀ > 100 µM). To shed light on the mechanism of action underlying the peptides’ antiviral activity, the Main Protease (M^pro) and Papain-Like protease (PL^pro) inhibitory activities of the peptides were assessed. The synthetic peptides showed PL^pro inhibition potencies (IC₅₀s = 1.0–3.5 µM) and binding affinities (K_d = 0.9–7 µM) at the low micromolar range but poor inhibitory activity against M^pro (IC₅₀ > 10 µM). The modeled binding mode of a representative peptide of the series indicated that the compound blocked the entry of the PL^pro substrate toward the protease catalytic cleft. Our findings indicated that non-toxic dimeric peptides derived from the Bothropstoxin-I have attractive cellular and enzymatic inhibitory activities, thereby suggesting that they are promising prototypes for the discovery and development of new drugs against SARS-CoV-2 infection.     

Poly(alkylene-H-phosphonate)s obtained by direct esterification and oxidation of hypophosphorous acid with ethylene glycol

This paper presents for the first time the synthesis of poly(alkylene-H-phosphonate)s by one-pot tandem reaction of hypophosphorous acid and ethylene glycol. Zirconium oxychloride was used as esterification catalyst, Nickel vinylphosphonate, Nickel sulfate, Nickel chloride hexahydrate were used as transfer hydrogenation catalyst. Nickel vinylphosphonate was synthesized in our laboratory and used for the first time as catalyst in this process. The compounds were characterized by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy. Molar masses were determined by SEC-MALLS technique and depend on the catalyst used. The obtained poly(alkylene-H-phosphonate)s have molar masses between 1.50 and 11.85 kDa, higher than those obtained by other methods mentioned in the literature.