Hydrangenone, a new isoprenoid with an unprecedented skeleton from Salvia hydrangea

Hydrangenone, a new heptacyclic isoprenoid with a 6/7/6/5/5 membered carbon ring skeleton, was isolated from the aerial parts of Salvia hydrangea. The structure was established by extensive NMR spectroscopic methods. The relative and absolute configuration of 1 was assigned by NOESY and X-ray crystallographic analysis and by comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compound 1 showed in vitro antiplasmodial activity, with an IC(50) value of 1.4 μM against P. falciparum. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of 1 was also proposed.     

Development of a novel approach for the production of dried genomic DNA for use as standards for qualitative PCR testing of food-borne pathogens

As part of a multi-centre European project, FOOD-PCR, the feasibility of a novel approach for production of dried bacterial DNA that could be used as certified reference materials (CRM) was assessed. Selected strains of Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica were used to produce genomic DNA (gDNA). These preparations gave support to method development for qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection methods for food-borne pathogens. Purified gDNA was transformed into stable and dry gDNA by using polypropylene vials as carrier and applying a vacuum-drying technique. The gDNA preparations were shown to be sufficiently stable under ambient transport conditions without cooling and proved to have long-term stability at 5°C of at least 22 months. The dried DNA was easily reconstituted by addition of distilled water then gentle shaking. These studies have shown that production of stable and dry bacterial gDNA material is feasible and could help satisfy the increasing need for certified reference DNA positive control samples in the field of PCR testing for detection and verification of food-borne microbial pathogens.

     

Cyclization of Propargylic Amides: Mild Access to Oxazole Derivatives

The substrate scope, the mechanistic aspects of the gold‐catalyzed oxazole synthesis, and substrates with different aliphatic, aromatic, and functional groups in the side chain were investigated. Even molecules with several propargyl amide groups could easily be converted, delivering di‐ and trioxazoles with interesting optical properties. Furthermore, the scope of the gold(I)‐catalyzed alkylidene synthesis was investigated. Further functionalizations of these isolable intermediates of the oxazole synthesis were developed and chelate ligands can be obtained. The use of Barluenga’s reagent offers a new and mild access to the synthetically valuable iodoalkylideneoxazoles from propargylic amides, this reagent being superior to other sources of halogens.     

Stability and Conversion of Tin Zintl Anions in Liquid Ammonia Investigated by NMR Spectroscopy

Homoatomic polyanions of post‐transition main‐group metals, namely, Zintl anions, are precast in analogous Zintl phases and can react in solution to form new materials. Despite comprehensible reaction approaches, the formed products cannot be planned in advance, as hitherto undetected and therefore disregarded side reactions take place. The outcomes and interpretations of the reactions of Zintl anions are so far based mainly on crystal structures, which only allow characterization of the product that has the lowest solubility. Here we present the results of our investigation of the stability of highly charged tin Zintl anions in liquid ammonia, which is not exclusively based on solution effects but also on the oxidative influence of the solvent. This allows for a deeper understanding of the ongoing processes in solution and opens doors to the directed synthesis of transition metal complexes of Sn₄^4?, here shown by its reactivity towards MesCu.