Novel Strategy for Non-Aqueous Bioconjugation of Substituted Phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione Analogues

A novel 4-[4-(pentafluoro-λ⁶-sulfanyl)phenyl]-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione (5a) was synthesised as a potential [¹⁸F]radio-prosthetic group for radiolabelling peptides and proteins via selective bioconjugation with the phenolic side chains of tyrosine residues. Preliminary conjugation tests revealed the rapid hydrolysis of 5a under semi-aqueous conditions; these results led to further investigation into the electronic substituent effects of PTAD derivatives and corresponding hydrolytic stabilities. Five derivatives of 5a with para substituents of varying electron donating and withdrawing effects were synthesised for the investigation. The bioconjugation of these derivatives with model tyrosine was monitored in both aqueous and organic media in the presence of a variety of catalysts. From these investigations, we have found HFIP to be an effective catalyst when used in tandem with DCM as a solvent to give PTAD-tyrosine conjugate products (6a–f) in satisfactory to good yields (54–79%), whereas analogous reactions performed in acetonitrile were unsuccessful. The discovery of this system has allowed for the successful conjugation of electron-deficient PTAD derivatives to tyrosine, which would otherwise be unachievable under aqueous reaction conditions. The inclusion of these electron-deficient, fluorinated PTAD derivatives for use in the PTAD-tyrosine conjugation will hopefully broaden their applicability within fields such as ¹⁹F-MRI and PET imaging.     

The Role and Regulation of Thromboxane A2 Signaling in Cancer-Trojan Horses and Misdirection

Over the last two decades, there has been an increasing awareness of the role of eicosanoids in the development and progression of several types of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers. Several processes involved in cancer development, such as cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis, are regulated by the arachidonic acid derivative thromboxane A₂ (TXA₂). Higher levels of circulating TXA₂ are observed in patients with multiple cancers, and this is accompanied by overexpression of TXA₂ synthase (TBXAS1, TXA₂S) and/or TXA₂ receptors (TBXA2R, TP). Overexpression of TXA₂S or TP in tumor cells is generally associated with poor prognosis, reduced survival, and metastatic disease. However, the role of TXA₂ signaling in the stroma during oncogenesis has been underappreciated. TXA₂ signaling regulates the tumor microenvironment by modulating angiogenic potential, tumor ECM stiffness, and host immune response. Moreover, the by-products of TXA₂S are highly mutagenic and oncogenic, adding to the overall phenotype where TXA₂ synthesis promotes tumor formation at various levels. The stability of synthetic enzymes and receptors in this pathway in most cancers (with few mutations reported) suggests that TXA₂ signaling is a viable target for adjunct therapy in various tumors to reduce immune evasion, primary tumor growth, and metastasis.     

Triflamidation of Allyl-Containing Substances:Unusual Dehydrobromination vs. Intramolecular Heterocyclization

Allyl halides with triflamide under oxidative conditions form halogen-substituted amidines. Allyl cyanide reacts with triflamide in acetonitrile or THF solutions in the presence of NBS to give the products of bromotriflamidation with a solvent interception, whereas in CH₂Cl₂ two regioisomers of the bromotriflamidation product without a solvent interception were obtained. The formed products undergo base-induced dehydrobromination to give linear isomers with the new C=C bond conjugated either with the nitrile group or the amidine moiety or alkoxy group. Under the same conditions, the reaction of allyl alcohol with triflamide gives rise to amidine, which was prepared earlier by the reaction of diallyl formal with triflamide. Unlike their iodo-substituted analogs, bromo-substituted amidines successfully transform into imidazolidines under the action of potassium carbonate.     

Dual-State Emission of 2-(Butylamino)Cinchomeronic Dinitrile Derivatives

New representatives of 2-(butylamino)cinchomeronic dinitrile derivatives were synthesized as promising fluorophores showing dual-state emission. To characterize the influence of the length (from methyl to butyl) and the structure (both linear and branched) of the alkyl substituent at the amino nitrogen atom, the spectral fluorescence properties of all synthesized compounds were carefully studied both in solution and in solid state. The highest photoluminescence quantum yield values of 63% were noted for solutions of 2-(butylamino)-6-phenylpyridine-3,4-dicarbonitrile in DCM and 2-(butylamino)-5-methyl-6-phenylpyridine-3,4-dicarbonitrile in toluene.     

Synthesis,Characterization and DFT Study of a New Family of High-Energy Compounds Based on s-Triazine,Carborane and Tetrazoles

An efficient one-pot synthesis of carborane-containing high-energy compounds was developed via the exploration of carbon–halogen bond functionalization strategies in commercially available 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine. The synthetic pathway first included the substitution of two chlorine atoms in s-triazine with 5-R-tetrazoles (R = H, Me, Et) units to form disubstituted tetrazolyl 1,3,5-triazines followed by the sequential substitution of the remaining chlorine atom in 1,3,5-triazine with carborane N- or S-nucleophiles. All new compounds were characterized by IR- and NMR spectroscopy. The structure of four new compounds was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The density functional theory method (DFT B3LYP/6-311 + G*) was used to study the geometrical structures, enthalpies of formation (EOFs), energetic properties and highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO and LUMO) energies and the detonation properties of synthesized compounds. The DFT calculation revealed compounds processing the maximum value of the detonation velocity or the maximum value of the detonation pressure. Theoretical terahertz frequencies for potential high-energy density materials (HEDMs) were computed, which allow the opportunity for the remote detection of these compounds.     

Pyridine Carboxamides Based on Sulfobetaines: Design,Reactivity, and Biological Activity

The synthesis of the products of the 1,3-propanesultone ring opening during its interaction with amides of pyridinecarboxylic acids has been carried out. The dependence of the yield of the reaction products on the position (ortho-, meta-, para-) of the substituent in the heteroaromatic fragment and temperature condition was revealed. In contrast to the meta- and para-substituted substrates, the reaction involving ortho-derivatives at the boiling point of methanol unexpectedly led to the formation of a salt. On the basis of spectroscopic, X-Ray, and quantum-chemical calculation data, a model of the transition-state, as well as a mechanism for this alkylation reaction of pyridine carboxamides with sultone were proposed in order to explain the higher yields obtained with the nicotinamide and its N-methyl analog compared to ortho or meta parents. Based on the analysis of ESP maps, the positions of the binding sites of reagents with a potential complexing agent in space were determined. The in silico evaluation of possible biological activity showed that the synthetized compounds revealed some promising pharmacological effects and low acute toxicity.     

Antihypothyroid Effect of Salidroside

In terms of prevalence, thyroid pathology, associated both with a violation of the gland function and changes in its structure, occupies one of the main places in clinical endocrinology. The problem of developing low-toxic and highly effective herbal preparations for the correction of thyroid hypofunction and its complications is urgent. Salidroside is a glucoside of tyrosol, found mostly in the roots of Rhodiola spp., and has various positive biological activities. The purpose of this study was to study the antihypothyroid potential of salidrosid-containing extract from R. semenovii roots, which was evaluated on a mercazolyl hypothyroidism model. We showed that extract containing salidroside is a safe and effective means of hypothyroidism correction, significantly reducing (p ≤ 0.001) the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone and increasing the level of thyroid hormones. The combined use of R. semenovii extract with potassium iodide enhances the therapeutic effect of the extract by 1.3-times.     

Push-Pull Structures Based on 2-Aryl/thienyl Substituted Quinazolin-4(3H)-ones and 4-Cyanoquinazolines

Design and synthesis of 2-(aryl/thiophen-2-yl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones and 4-cyano-2-arylquinazolines with Et₂N-, Ph₂N- or carbazol-9-yl- electron donating fragment are described. The key photophysical properties of these compounds have been studied by UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy in solvents of different polarity (toluene and MeCN). 2-(Aryl/thiophen-2-yl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones show fluorescence in blue-green region in toluene solution with quantum yields up to 89% in the case of 2-(4’-N,N-diphenylamino[1,1’-biphenyl]-4-yl)-quinazolin-4(3H)-one. Moreover, triphenylamino derivative based on quinazolin-4(3H)-one with para-phenylene linker displays the highest quantum yield of 40% in powder. The fluorescence QY of Et₂N and Ph₂N derivatives decrease when going from toluene to MeCN solution, whereas carbazol-9-yl counterparts demonstrate strengthening of intensity that emphasizes the strong influence of donor fragment nature on photophysical properties. 4-Cyanoquinazolines are less emissive in both solvents, as well as, in solid state. The introduction of cyano group into position 4 leads to orange/red colored powder and dual emission bands. Some molecules demonstrate the increase in emission intensity upon addition of water to MeCN solution. According to frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO, LUMO) calculations, the energy gap of 4-cyanoquinazoline decreases by more than 1 eV compared to quinazolin-4-one, that is consistent with experimental data.     

Nanocellulose: A Fundamental Material for Science and Technology Applications

Recently, considerable interest has been focused on developing greener and biodegradable materials due to growing environmental concerns. Owing to their low cost, biodegradability, and good mechanical properties, plant fibers have substituted synthetic fibers in the preparation of composites. However, the poor interfacial adhesion due to the hydrophilic nature and high-water absorption limits the use of plant fibers as a reinforcing agent in polymer matrices. The hydrophilic nature of the plant fibers can be overcome by chemical treatments. Cellulose the most abundant natural polymer obtained from sources such as plants, wood, and bacteria has gained wider attention these days. Different methods, such as mechanical, chemical, and chemical treatments in combination with mechanical treatments, have been adopted by researchers for the extraction of cellulose from plants, bacteria, algae, etc. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) have been extracted and used for different applications such as food packaging, water purification, drug delivery, and in composites. In this review, updated information on the methods of isolation of nanocellulose, classification, characterization, and application of nanocellulose has been highlighted. The characteristics and the current status of cellulose-based fiber-reinforced polymer composites in the industry have also been discussed in detail.     

Synthesis,Self-Assembly in Crystalline Phase and Anti-Tumor Activity of 2-(2-/4-Hydroxybenzylidene)thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines

A series of new thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines different by aryl substituents in 2 and 5 positions are synthesized and characterized in solution as well as in the crystalline phase using ¹H and ¹³C NMR-, IR-spectroscopies, mass-spectrometry methods, and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). The SCXRD study revealed the role of intermolecular H-bonding in the formation of supramolecular architectures (racemic monomers, centrosymmetric racematic dimers, or homochiral 1D chains) of obtained thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines derivatives depending on solvents (aprotic DMSO or protic EtOH) used upon the crystallization process. Moreover, the in vitro study of cytotoxicity toward different tumor cells showed their high or moderate efficiency with moderate cytotoxicity against normal liver cells which allows to consider the obtained thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine derivatives as promising candidates for application as antitumor agents.