Lignans and anthraquinones from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia

Two new anthraquinones, 1,6-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone (1) and 1,5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone (2), and one new lignan isoamericanoic acid A (3) were isolated from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia along with 11 known compounds scopoletin, luteolin, americanin A, americanin D, 3,3'-bisdemethylpinoresinol, p-cresol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamaldehyde, and 2,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde. The structures of all compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis.     

Kinetic study of chitosan‐tripolyphosphate complex reaction and acid‐resistive properties of the chitosan‐tripolyphosphate gel beads prepared by in‐liquid curing method

Chitosan gel beads were prepared using an in‐liquid curing method by the ionotropic crosslinking with sodium tripolyphosphate. Crosslinking characteristics of the chitosan‐TPP beads were improved by the modification of in‐liquid curing mechanism of the beads in TPP solution. Chitosan gel beads cured in pH value lower than 6 were really ionic‐crosslinking controlled, whereas chitosan gel beads cured in pH values higher than 7 were coacervation‐phase inversion controlled accompanied with slightly ionic‐crosslinking dependence. According to the result, significantly increasing the ionic‐crosslinking density of chitosan beads could be achieved by transferring the pH value of the curing agent, TPP, from basic to acidic. The swelling behavior of various chitosan beads in acid appeared to depend on the ionic‐crosslinking density of the chitosan‐TPP beads that were deeply affected by the curing mechanism of the beads. The mechanism of chitosan‐TPP beads swollen in weak acid was chain‐relaxation controlled, while the mechanism of chitosan‐TPP beads swollen in strong acid seem to be not only chain‐relaxation but also chain‐scission controlled. Chitosan‐TPP beads prepared in acidic TPP solution decreased the chain‐scission ability due to the increase of ionic crosslinking density of the beads. By the transition of curing mechanism, the swelling degree of chitosan‐TPP beads was depressed, and the disintegration of chitosan‐TPP beads would not occur in strong acid. The mechanism of ionic‐crosslinking reaction of chitosan beads could be investigated by an unreacted core model, and the curing mechanism of the chitosan beads is mainly diffusion controlled when higher than 5% of chitosan was employed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1551–1564, 1999     

Versatile 2,5‐Pyridinedicarboxylate in Linking Transition‐Metal Atoms into 1D and 2D Coordination Polymers and Concomitant Polymorphs

By employing one bridging ligand, 2,5‐pyridinedicarboxylate (2,5‐pda^2?), in the presence or absence of another bridging ligand, 4,4′‐bipyridine (4,4′‐bpy), one one‐dimensional (1D) {[Co₂(2,5‐pda)(2,5‐Hpda)₂(4,4′‐bpy)(H₂O)₃]·6H₂O}_∞ ( 1 ) and two two‐dimensional (2D) coordination polymers, {[Cu₃(2,5‐pda)₃(H₂O)₃]·6H₂O}_∞ ( 2 ) and {[Co(2,5‐pda)(H₂O)]·2H₂O}_∞ ( 3 ) were synthesized. Complexes 2 and 3 are characterized as concomitant polymorphs from a one‐pot reaction at ambient temperature. A comparison of the coordination geometries of all neutral and anionic coordination polymers containing {M_x(2,5‐pda)_y(H₂O)_z}_∞ available to date is presented.     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel chitosan‐based network prepared using naturally occurring crosslinker

Novel chitosan‐based polymeric networks were synthesized and characterized by FTIR, UV and C¹³ NMR. A naturally occurring crosslinking reagent—genipin, which has been used in herbal medicine and in the fabrication of food dyes, was used to prepare crosslinked chitosan hydrogel. The heterocyclic compound of genipin crosslinked chitosan was formed by a nucleophilic attack by amino group on the olefinic carbon atom at C‐3 of deoxyloganin aglycone, followed by opening of the dihydropyran ring and attack by the secondary amine group on the intermediate aldehyde group. Additional, secondary amide linkages could be established in the genipin crosslinked chitosan network by the reaction of ester group of genipin with amino group of chitosan. This bifunctional linkages of genipin with amino group of chitosan leads to form crosslinked networks. Genipin reacted with nucleophilic reagent such as chitosan could further go through a polymerization to form oligomer‐bridge in the crosslinked network. The finally formed chitosan networks are blue color, elastic and exhibits pH‐dependent swelling characteristics. The swelling ratio of the chitosan hydrogel increased at pH lower than 3 and higher than 11 due to the hydrolysis of amide linkage in the genipin crosslinked chitosan network by acid or alkaline, followed by the protonation of amine group or ionization of carboxyl acid group in the network. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2804–2814, 2000