Ishigadine A,a new canthin-6-one alkaloid from an Okinawan marine sponge Hyrtios sp.

A new indole alkaloid with the canthin-6-one skeleton, ishigadine A, has been isolated from an Okinawan marine sponge Hyrtios sp. The structure of ishigadine A was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. Ishigadine A is a new canthin-6-one alkaloid possessing a hydroxy group, a 1,3-dimethyl-4-methylthioimidazolium, and a 1-propylguanidine. Ishigadine A is the third canthin-6-one alkaloid from sponges. Ishigadine A might be generated from l-arginine, l-histidine, and l-tryptophan. Ishigadine A exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against L1210 murine leukemia cells.     

Synthesis of ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles for liquid scintillators used in the detection of neutrinoless double beta decay

We synthesized liquid scintillators incorporating ZrO₂ nanoparticles for application in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. ZrO₂ nanoparticles of less than 10 nm in size were synthesized with sub- and supercritical hydrothermal methods. The Zr concentrations in the liquid scintillators were determined to be up to 1.4 wt% with inductively coupled plasma analysis, and the liquid scintillators were transparent to scintillation. These results indicate that these methods are applicable for the preparation of liquid scintillators for neutrinoless double beta decay experiments.     

Synthesis and crosslinking reaction of a novel polymer containing benzoxazine and phenyleneethynylene moieties in the main chain

A novel polymer, poly( 1 ) containing benzoxazine and phenyleneethynylene moieties in the main chain with number‐average molecular weights ranging from 1400 to 9800 was obtained quantitatively by the Sonogashira–Hagihara coupling polymerization of the corresponding iodophenyl‐ and ethynylphenyl‐substituted monomer 1 . Poly( 1 ) was heated at 200 °C under N₂ for 2 h to obtain the cured polymer, poly( 1 )′ via the ring‐opening polymerization of the benzoxazine moieties. The structures of the polymer before and after curing were confirmed by ¹H‐NMR, IR, and UV–vis absorption and reflectance spectroscopies. Poly( 1 )′ was thermally more stable than monomer 1 and poly( 1 ). A specimen was prepared from a mixture of poly( 1 ) and phenol‐diaminodiphenylmethane type benzoxazine 2 by heating at 200 °C for 2 h under N₂. The poly( 1 )/ 2 resin was thermally stable than bisphenol‐A type benzoxazine resin 3 . Poly( 1 ) exhibited XRD peaks corresponding to the d‐spacings of 1.26–0.98 and 0.40 nm, assignable to the repeating monomer unit and alignment of polymer molecules, respectively. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 2581–2589     

Upgrade of the nuclear resonant scattering beamline, BL09XU in SPring-8

An Upgrade of the nuclear resonant scattering beamline, BL09XU in SPring-8 has been conducted. A liquid nitrogen cooled high-heat load monochromator was installed and a 2nd experimental hutch was constructed. The instruments installed in the hutch allow for a variety of sample conditions. Newly developed high-resolution monochromators with better stability including the back scattering geometry monochromator have opened up the easy access to more isotopes and more precise measurements.     

Decomposition of Insoluble and Hard-to-Degrade Animal Proteins by Enzyme E77 and Its Potential Applications

Insoluble and hard-to-degrade animal proteins are group of troublesome proteins, such as collagen, elastin, keratin, and prion proteins that are largely generated by the meat industry and ultimately converted to industrial wastes. We analyzed the ability of the abnormal prion protein-degrading enzyme E77 to degrade insoluble and hard-to-degrade animal proteins including keratin, collagen, and elastin. The results indicate that E77 has a much higher keratinolytic activity than proteinase K and subtilisin. Maximal E77 keratinolytic activity was observed at pH 12.0 and 65 °C. E77 was also adsorbed by keratin in a pH-independent manner. E77 showed lower collagenolytic and elastinolytic specificities than proteinase K and subtilisin. Moreover, E77 treatment did not damage collagens in ovine small intestines but did almost completely remove the muscles. We consider that E77 has the potential ability for application in the processing of animal feedstuffs and sausages.     

Total Synthesis of the 7,10‐Epimer of the Proposed Structure of Amphidinolide N,Part II: Synthesis of C17–C29 Subunit and Completion of the Synthesis

The total synthesis of 7,10‐epimer of the proposed structure of amphidinolide N was accomplished. The requisite chiral C17–C29 subunit was assembled stereoselectively via Keck allylation, Shi epoxidation, diastereoselective 1,3‐reduction, and a later oxidative synthesis of the THF framework. The C1–C13 and C17–C29 subunits were successfully coupled using a Enders RAMP “linchpin” as the C14–C16 three carbon unit, thereby controlling the chirality at C14 and C16. The labile allyl epoxy moiety was successfully constructed by Grieco–Nishizawa olefination at a final stage of the synthesis.