(Azido‐κN)bis­(di‐2‐pyridylamine)­copper(II) hexa­fluoro­phosphate and (azido‐κN)bis­(di‐2‐pyridylamine)­copper(II) chloride tetra­hydrate

The two new title complexes, [Cu(N₃)(dpyam)₂]PF₆ (dpyam is di‐2‐pyridylamine, C₁₀H₁₁N₃), (I), and [Cu(N₃)(dpyam)₂]Cl·4H₂O, (II), respectively, have been characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Both complexes display a distorted square‐pyramidal geometry. Each Cu atom is coordinated in the basal plane by three dpyam N atoms and one azide N atom in equatorial positions, and by another N atom from the dpyam group in the apical position. In complex (I), the one‐dimensional supra­molecular architecture is assembled via hydrogen‐bonding inter­actions between the amine N atom and terminal azide N atoms and the F atoms of the PF₆⁻ anion. For complex (II), hydrogen‐bonding inter­actions between the amine N atom, the Cl⁻ anion and water O atoms result in a two‐dimensional lattice.     

Bis-spiro-azaphilones and azaphilones from the fungi Chaetomium cochliodes VTh01 and C. cochliodes CTh05

Four new dimeric spiro-azaplilones, cochliodones A-D (1-4), two new azaphliones, chaetoviridines E and F (5 and 6), a new epi-chaetoviridin A (7), together with five known compounds, chaetoviridin A (8), ergosterol (9), chaetochalasin A (10), 24(R)-5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6-22-diene-3β-ol (11), and ergosterol-β-d-glucoside (12) were isolated from the fungi Chaetomium cochliodes VTh01 and C. cochliodes CTh05. Structures and stereochemistry of the atropisomers 1-3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 5, 10, and 11 exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, while 3, 5, 6, 10, and 11 showed antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, 5 and 6 also showed cytotoxicity against the KB, BC1, and NCI-H187 cell lines.     

Mechanical characteristics of hydrogenated natural rubber vulcanizates

Mechanical properties of partially hydrogenated natural rubber (HNR) vulcanizates were evaluated regarding their chemical structure and crystallizable nature of HNR, and are reported here, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time. HNRs of three levels of hydrogenation (20.6, 29.0, and 40.6 mol%) were successfully prepared by the chemical modification of natural rubber (NR) latex using N₂H₄ and H₂O₂ as reagents, in a sufficient amount for preparing sulfur‐crosslinked samples to be subjected to mechanical and structural measurements. The three HNR vulcanizates were found to be crystallizable upon stretching; it is noted that even 40.6 mol% hydrogenation did not prevent HNR vulcanizates from crystallization upon stretching, while their onset strain of crystallization was higher than that of NR vulcanizate. The hysteresis loss and residual strain up to a stretching ratio of 2 for the HNR vulcanizates tended to become larger with the increase in the degree of the hydrogenation. Tensile and dynamic mechanical properties of 20.6 mol% hydrogenated HNR vulcanizate were comparable to those of NR vulcanizate. From differential scanning calorimetry and temperature dispersion of dynamic modulus or loss, the glass transition temperatures of HNR vulcanizates were found to be almost the same as that of NR vulcanizate, which is also notable. The thermal stability of HNR vulcanizates was better than that of NR vulcanizate. Thus, this chemical modification seems to give a promising NR derivative whose properties can be equivalent or even better than the mother polymer. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Terpenoids with potent antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Trigonostemon reidioides roots

Phytochemical investigation of Trigonostemon reidioides roots led to the isolation of fourteen compounds. These included six new diterpenoids, trigonoreidons A?F (1?6), together with eight known diterpenoids 7?14. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques and the absolute configuration at the asymmetric carbon was determined by the modified Mosher's method. The structure of trigonoreidon B (2) was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The known compounds were identified by comparison of the spectroscopic and physical data with those of reported values. The isolated compounds were evaluated for antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Among the compounds that exhibited antimycobacterial activity, the diterpenoids rediocide C (12) and rediocide G (14) were the most active compounds, with the MIC value of 3.84 μM.     

Spectroscopic Study of Di-Imide Hydrogenation of Natural Rubber

The diimide hydrogenation of natural rubber (NR) was studied by using p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide (TSH) as a diimide-releasing agent. The microstructure and the percentage of hydrogenation were studied by Raman, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopic techniques. Quantitative measurements on fraction of hydrogenated part gave the results in good agreement by using these techniques. The results indicated that percent hydrogenation increased with increasing of reaction time and about 80-85 % hydrogenation was achieved when a two-fold excess of TSH was used. The vibrational characteristic of C=C bond of NR is strongly Raman active and noted at 1663 cm⁻¹. The decrease of this signal was clearly observed during the progress of hydrogenation but the vibrational frequency of the cis and trans structures of the trisubstituted olefin unit of NR can not be differentiated by this technique. While ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR analysis showed that cis-trans isomerization of carbon-carbon unsaturation of NR occurred during hydrogenation.     

Lanostane triterpenoids from the edible mushroom Astraeus asiaticus

Seven new lanostane triterpenoids, astraeusins M–Q (1–5), 26-epi-artabotryol C1 (6), and 26-epi-astrasiaone (7), together with seventeen known compounds (8–24), were isolated from the food mushroom Astraeus asiaticus. The C-26 configuration of artabotriol C1 and astrasiaone, originally reported as 26R (6 and 7, respectively), was revised to be 26S (16 and 17, respectively). Astraeusin M (1) exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum K1 with an IC₅₀ value of 3.0 μg/mL.     

Poly-N-methylated alpha-peptides: synthesis and X-ray structure determination of beta-strand forming foldamers

The first high resolution X-ray structure determination of poly-N-methylated alpha-peptides, a class of peptides widely used in biomedical research, is described; it shows that these molecules adopt a beta-strand conformation.     

Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Enniatins L,M1, M2, and N: Novel Hydroxy Analogs

Four new cyclohexadepsipeptides, enniatins L ( 1 ), M₁ ( 2 ), M₂ ( 3 ), and N ( 4 ), have been isolated from an unidentified fungus (BCC 2629), together with the known enniatins B ( 5 ), H ( 6 ), and I ( 7 ), MK1688 ( 8 ), and enniatin B₄ ( 9 ). Compounds 1 – 4 are the first enniatin analogs with an OH group at the side chain of one of the 2‐hydroxycarboxylic acid residues. The structures of 1 – 4 were elucidated by spectroscopic means and by X‐ray crystallography.     

Cyclic beta-tetra- and pentapeptides: synthesis through on-resin cyclization and conformational studies by X-ray, NMR and CD spectroscopy and theoretical calculations

The solution-phase synthesis of the simplest cyclic beta-tetrapeptide, cyclo(beta-Ala)4 (4), as well as the solid-phase syntheses through side chain anchoring and on-resin cyclization of the cyclic beta3-tetrapeptide cyclo(-beta3hPhe-beta3hLeu-beta3hLys-beta3hGln-) (14) and the first cyclic beta3-pentapeptide cyclo(-beta3hVal-beta3hPhe-beta3hLeu-beta3hLys-beta3hLys-) (19) are reported. Extensive computational as well as spectroscopic studies, including X-ray and NMR spectroscopy, were undertaken to determine the preferred conformations of these unnatural oligomers in solution and in the solid state. cyclo(beta-Ala)4 (4) with no chiral side chains is shown to exist as a mixture of rapidly interchanging conformers in solution, whereas inclusion of chiral side chains in the cyclo-beta3-tetrapeptide causes stabilization of one dominating conformer. The cyclic beta3-pentapeptide on the other hand shows larger conformational freedom. The X-ray structure of achiral cyclo(beta-Ala)4 (4) displays a Ci-symmetrical 16-membered ring with adjacent C=O and N-H atoms pointing pair wise up and down with respect to the ring plane. CD spectroscopic examinations of all cyclic beta-peptides were undertaken and revealed results valuable as starting point for further structural investigations of these entities.     

Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of masked 5-alkylidene-2-cyclopentenones: general entry to 5-alkylidene-2-(hydroxyalkyl)- 2-cyclopentenones

The reaction of masked 5-alkylidene-2-cyclopentenones with aldehydes catalyzed by tributylphosphine in the presence of phenol provided the corresponding Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts, which were subjected to flash vacuum pyrolysis to afford 5-alkylidene-2-(hydroxyalkyl)-2-cyclopentenones.