Effect of titanium dioxide on photostability of solid-state mequitazine

TiO(2) has been widely used in pharmaceutical products, and it also has been used as a photocatalyst. In this study, the influence of photocatalytic activity on the stability of solid-state mequitazine, an H(1)-blocker, was investigated. The photo-degradation of mequitazine with TiO(2) occurred under irradiation with both light sources. The degree of degradation of mequitazine with anatase was higher than that of rutile. The degradation was significantly enhanced with increasing relative humidity. The relationship between the apparent degradation rate constant and water vapor pressure could be clearly described by a simple power law. The major photo-degradation products of mequitazine, resulting from photocatalytic activity of TiO(2), were mequitazine-S-oxide and mequitazine-sulphone. A remarkable degradation of mequitadine occurred with addition of TiO(2), and its photocatalytic activity was controlled by water vapor pressure. The photo-degradation of mequitazine with TiO(2) is a different process from mequitazine without TiO(2), because mequitazine-S-oxide and mequitazine-sulphone are not formed with normal photo-degradation of mequitazine.     

Amphotericin B covalent dimers forming sterol-dependent ion-permeable membrane channels

Polyenemacrolides such as amphotericin B (AmB) were thought to assemble together and form an ion channel across plasma membranes. Their antimicrobial activity has been accounted for by this assemblage, whose stability and activity are dependent on sterol constituents of lipid bilayer membranes. The structure of this channel-like assemblage formed in biomembranes has been a target of extensive investigations for a long time. For the first step to this goal, we prepared several AmB dimers with various linkers and tested for their channel-forming activity. Among these, AmB dimers that bore an aminoalkyl-dicarboxylate tether covalently linked between amino groups of AmB showed potent hemolytic activity. Furthermore, K+ influx actions monitored by measuring the pH of the liposome lumen by 31P NMR revealed that the dimers formed the molecular assemblage similar to that of AmB in phospholipid membrane. Judging from changes in 31P NMR spectra, the dimers appeared to induce "all-or-none"-type ion flux across the liposome membrane in the presence of ergosterol, which suggested that the ion channel formed by ergosterol/dimer is similar to that of AmB. With these data in hand, we are now trying to elucidate the structure of the ion-channel complex by making the labeled conjugates of AmB for NMR measurements.     

Mycosamine orientation of amphotericin B controlling interaction with ergosterol: sterol-dependent activity of conformation-restricted derivatives with an amino-carbonyl bridge

Amphotericin B (AmB 1) is known to assemble together and form an ion channel across biomembranes. The antibiotic consists of mycosamine and macrolactone moieties, whose relative geometry is speculated to be determinant for the drug's channel activity and sterol selectivity. To better understand the relationship between the amino-sugar orientation and drug's activity, we prepared conformation-restricted derivatives 2-4, in which the amino and carboxyl groups were bridged together with various lengths of alkyl chains. K+ influx assays across the lipid-bilayer membrane revealed that ergosterol selectivity was markedly different among derivatives; short-bridged derivative 2 almost lost the selectivity, while 3 showed higher ergosterol preference than AmB itself. Monte Carlo conformational analysis of 2-4 based on NOE-derived distances indicated that the amino-sugar moiety of 2 comes close to C41 because of the short bridge, whereas those of 3 and 4 are pointing outward. The mutual orientation of the amino-sugar moiety and macrolide ring is so rigid in derivatives 2 and 3 that these conformations should be unchanged upon complex formation in lipid membranes. These results strongly suggest that the large difference in sterol preference between derivatives 2 and 3 is ascribed to the different orientation of amino-sugar moieties. These findings allowed us to propose a simple model accounting for AmB-sterol interactions, in which hydrogen bonding between 2'-OH of AmB and 3beta-OH of ergosterol plays an important role.     

Ni-catalyzed alkylative dimerization of vinyl grignard reagents using alkyl fluorides

Alkyl halides underwent unique cross-coupling reaction with vinylmagnesium chloride in the presence of Ni catalyst to give 2-alkyl-3-butenyl Grignard reagent (1) in high yields. This reaction proceeded efficiently at 25 degrees C in THF using primary and secondary alkyl fluorides. On the other hand, PhCH=CHMgBr gave double alkylative vinyl coupling product 4 in good yield as the sole coupling product. Alkyl fluorides react as the most suitable alkylating reagent in comparison to the corresponding chlorides, bromides, and iodides.     

Titanocene-catalyzed formation of allylsilanes from allyl ethers and chlorosilanes

A new method for silylation of allyl ethers with chlorosilanes has been developed by the use of Cp₂TiCl₂ as a catalyst. This reaction proceeds efficiently at −20 °C in THF using ⁿBuMgCl. A plausible reaction pathway via allyltitanocene intermediate was proposed.     

Synthesis and characterization of flavylium salts having three types color depending on recrystallization conditions

Three types of flavylium salts (FVs, yellow, green and red) have been synthesized and the colors depended on recrystallization conditions. The existence of these color states was confirmed by diffuse reflectance spectra. The spectra were almost the same as the absorption spectra in ethanol solution. The molecular state of FVs in crystals will be the same as that in solutions. The crystal colors of the FVs are controlled by the recrystallization conditions.     

Biphotonic ionization of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate in polar solvents

The photoionization of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate in polar solvents occurs through a biphotonic process, as proved by nanosecond flash photolysis. A transient absorption of a charge transfer to solvent (CTTS) state is found with ≈10 ns life-time. The state is shown to be an intermediate of the photoionization process.     

13C-NMR studies on the cevanine alkaloids : the application of 13C-NMR spectrum for structure elucidation of new alkaloids,baimonidine and isoverticine

The ¹³C-NMR spectra of seven cavanine alkaloids isolated from Veratrum and Fritillaria plants were measured and their signals were assigned, and these results were applicated for structure elucidation of two new cevanine alkaloids, baimonidine and isoverticine, isolated from mature Fritillaria verticillata.     

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over cobalt catalysts supported on modified SiO2 with mesoporous silica

SiO₂ was modified by hexagonal mesoporous silica to form a mixture with meso-/macroporous sizes and used as support of Co catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a slurry phase. A synergistic effect on the activity of Co catalyst was found. The catalytic properties are related to the state of surface Co and the character of support.