Ptesculentoside, a novel norsesquiterpene glucoside from the Australian bracken fern Pteridium esculentum

A novel norsesquiterpene glucoside ptesculentoside has been isolated from the Australian bracken Pteridium esculentum, together with the known bracken carcinogen ptaquiloside and lesser amounts of caudatoside. The structure of ptesculentoside is determined by analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and via its conversion into previously known pterosin G.     

Application of a process friendly morpholine synthesis to (S,S)-Reboxetine

We report our results on the construction of a morpholine ring system from the corresponding epoxide and amino alcohol. From this study, we were able to convert a previous four-step synthesis into a more efficient two-step process.     

An efficient furan synthesis using heterogeneous catalysis

A wide variety of 3-alkyne-1,2-diols have been found to undergo exceptionally clean 5-endo-dig cyclisations followed by dehydration at ambient temperature to give the corresponding furans in essentially quantitative yields when exposed to 10 mol % of 10% w/w silver(I) nitrate absorbed on silica gel.     

Determination of 77Se-77Se and 77Se-13C J-coupling parameters for the clusters [Re5OsSe8(CN)6]3- and [Re4Os2Se8(CN)6]2-

We have investigated rarely observed 77Se J-couplings (spin-spin couplings) in the mixed-metal face-capped octahedral clusters [Re5OsSe8(CN)6]3- and [Re4Os2Se8(CN)6]2- at natural abundance. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first observations of Se-Se spin-spin interactions between mu3-Se sites, important for stereochemical assignments in hexarhenium analogues, Chevrel phase materials, and similar cluster materials. NMR techniques such as COSY, INADEQUATE, and 2D J-resolved spectroscopy have been used in conjunction to study these interactions. The two isomers (cis and trans) of [Re4Os2Se8(CN)6]2- were distinguishable, and selective isotopic labeling of [Re5OsSe8(CN)6]3- with 13CN ligands enabled resonances to be assigned by observing the 2J (Se-M-C) couplings. For [Re5OsSe8(CN)6]3-, two different 2J (Se-M-Se) couplings were measurable on a single cluster, and these are related to one another through spin-spin interactions across a face diagonal or along an edge of the cube of inner selenium ligands. A rigorous analysis based on combinatorial math has been invoked to assign the couplings on the basis of the probability of multiple-spin interactions. The face diagonal association is found to result in a J-coupling interaction larger in magnitude than that from coupling along an edge of the cube-information critical for making stereochemical assignments of selenium sites.     

Synthesis and absolute configuration of a constitutionally-new [5.6] spiroacetal from B. tryoni (Queensland fruit fly)

A novel spiroacetal, (2S,6R,8S)-2-methyl-8-ethyl-1,7-dioxaspiro[5.6]dodecane (1), has been identified from the volatile secretions of female B. tryoni by mass spectral analysis and synthesis of an authentic, enantioenriched sample.     

Determination of N-methyl-4-isoleucine-cyclosporin (NIM811) in human whole blood by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic method with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS) for the determination of N-methyl-4-isoleucine-cyclosporin (NIM811) was developed and validated over the concentration range 1-2500 ng/mL in human whole blood using a 0.05 mL sample volume. NIM811 and the internal standard, d(12)-cyclosporin A (d(12)-CsA), were extracted from blood using MTBE via liquid-liquid extraction. After evaporation of the organic solvent and reconstitution, a 10 microL aliquot of the resulting extract was injected onto the LC-MS/MS system. Chromatographic separation of NIM811 and internal standard was performed using a Waters Symmetry RP-8 (50 x 4.6 mm, 3 microm particle size) column. The mobile phase consists of 10 mm ammonium acetate in water (A) and acetonitrile (B), with 45% B from 0 to 0.2 min, 45 to 85% B from 0.2 to 0.8 min and 85% B from 0.8 to 2.2 min. The total run time was 3.5 min with a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The method was validated for sensitivity, linearity, reproducibility, stability, dilution integrity and recovery. The precision and accuracy of quality control samples at low (2.00 ng/mL), medium (20.0 and 400 ng/mL) and high (2000 ng/mL) concentrations were in the range 1.1-4.3% relative standard deviation (RSD) and -2.5-10.0% (bias), respectively, from three validation runs. The method has been used to measure the exposure of NIM811 in human subjects.     

Bismuth compounds in organic synthesis. A one-pot synthesis of homoallyl ethers and homoallyl acetates from aldehydes catalyzed by bismuth triflate

[reaction: see text] Three one-pot methods for the conversion of aldehydes to homoallyl ethers catalyzed by Bi(OTf)(3).xH(2)O (1 < x < 4) have been developed. The one-pot synthesis of homoallyl ethers can be achieved either by in situ generation of the acetal followed by its reaction with allyltrialkylsilane or by a three-component synthesis in which the aldehyde, trimethylorthoformate or an alkoxytrimethylsilane and allyltrimethylsilane are mixed together in the presence of bismuth triflate (0.1-1.0 mol %). In addition, a three-component synthesis of homoallyl acetates, which is achieved by reacting the aldehyde, acetic anhydride, and allyltrimethylsilane in the presence of bismuth triflate (3.0-5.0 mol %), has been developed. The use of a relatively nontoxic, easy to handle, and inexpensive catalyst adds to the versatility of these methods.     

Complete (1)H and (13)C assignments of the four major saponins from Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)

Complete (1)H and (13)C spectral assignments for the four major steroidal saponins isolated by methanolic extraction of the roots of Dioscorea villosa, collected in North Carolina, United States (in summer and autumn), are presented in this paper. The structures were determined by a combination of (1)H, (13)C and 2D NMR techniques and were found to be ((3beta,25R)-26-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-22-methoxyfurost-5-en-3-yl-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 3)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) (or methyl parvifloside), ((3beta,25R)-26-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-22 methoxyfurost-5-en-3-yl-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)-O-[beta-D-gluco- pyranosyl-(1 --> 4)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2) (or methyl protodeltonin), (3beta,25R)-spirost-5-en-3-yl-O-beta-D-glucopy ranosyl-(1 --> 3)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3) (or Zingiberensis saponin I) and (3beta,25R)-spirost-5-en-3-yl-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)-O-[beta-Ds-glucopyranosyl -(1 --> 4)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4) (or deltonin).     

Benchmark studies of the BCRLM reactive scattering code: Implications for accurate quantum calculations

Summary The Bending Corrected Rotating Linear Model (BCRLM), developed by Hayes and Walker, is a simple approximation to the true multidimensional scattering problem for reactions of the type: A + BC AB + C. While the BCRLM method is simpler than methods designed to obtain accurate three-dimensional quantum scattering results, this turns out to be a major advantage in terms of our benchmarking studies. The computer code used to obtain BCRLM scattering results is written for the most part in standard FORTRAN and has been ported to several scalar, vector, and parallel architecture computers including the IBM 3090-600J, the Cray XMP and YMP, the Ardent Titan, IBM RISC System/6000, Convex C-1 and the MIPS 2000. Benchmark results will be reported for each of these machines with an emphasis on comparing the scalar, vector, and parallel performance for the standard code with minimum modifications. Detailed analysis of the mapping of the BCRLM approach onto both shared and distributed memory parallel architecture machines indicates the importance of introducing several key changes in the basic strategy and algorithms used to calculate scattering results. This analysis of the BCRLM approach provides some insights into optimal strategies for mapping three-dimensional quantum scattering methods, such as the Parker-Pack method, onto shared or distributed memory parallel computers.     

Collision-Induced dissociations of deprotonated peptides. Dipeptides containing aspartic or glutamic acids

Deprotonated dipeptides, on collisional activation, fragment by the characteristic process NH₂CH(R¹) CONHCH(R²)CO₂^? → NH₂^?C(R¹)CONHCH(R²)CO₂H → ^?NHCH(R²)CO₂H + NH₂C(R¹)?C?O, when R¹ and R² = H or alkyl. However, when one of the constituent amino acids is either aspartic acid or glutamic acid, the standard cleavage becomes minor in comparison with fragmentation through the α-side-chain of Asp or Glu. For example, [Asp-Leu - H]^? and [Leu-Asp - H]^? both fragment principally by loss of water, a fragmentation not normally noted for peptides. In addition, [Leu-Asp - H]^? loses CO₂ and also forms HO₂CCH?CHCO₂^?˙. These fragmentations establish that Asp is the C-terminal amino acid. In contrast, isomeric Glu dipeptides, e.g. [Glu-Ala - H]^? and [Ala-Glu - H]^? undergo similar fragmentation, both competitively losing H₂O and CO₂. Both spectra also contain a product ion at m/z 128, identified as the pyroglutamate anion. Product ion and deuterium-labelling studies have been used in an attempt to elucidate the complex fragmentation mechanisms in these systems.