Contribution à la phytochimie du genre Gentiana,VI. Etude des xanthones dans les feuilles de Gentiana bavarica L.

Ten tetraoxygenated xanthones (1-hydroxy-3, 7, 8-trimethoxyxanthone I; 1, 7-dihydroxy-3, 8-dimethoxyxanthone II; 1, 7, 8-trihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone III; 1, 3, 7, 8-tetrahydroxyxanthone IV; 3, 7, 8-trimethoxyxanthone-1-O-primeveroside V; 7-hydroxy-3, 8-dimethoxyxanthone-1-O-primeveroside VI; 1, 8-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone-7-O-acetylrutinoside VII; 7, 8-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone-1-O-primeveroside VIII; 3, 7, 8-trihydroxyxanthone-1-O-primeveroside IX; 3, 7, 8-trihydroxyxanthone-1-O-glucoside X) have been isolated from leaves of Gentiana bavarica L . by means of column chromatography on polyamid. Among these xanthones, VI, VII, VIII and IX were not encountered before in nature.     

Ratiometric direct detection of nitric oxide based on a novel signal-switching mechanism

A novel fluorescent probe, which could be the first example of a ratiometric molecular probe for direct monitoring of NO production, has been developed using a 'spin-exchange' mechanism.     

Concanavalin a immobilized affinity adsorbents for reversible use in yeast invertase adsorption

Concanavalin A (Con A) immobilized poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) beads were investigated for specific adsorption of yeast invertase from aqueous solutions. PHEMA beads were prepared by a suspension polymerization technique with an average size of 150-200 microm, and activated by epichlorohydrin. Con A was then immobilized by covalent binding onto these beads. The maximum Con A immobilization was found to be 10 mg/g. The invertase-loading capability of the PHEMA/Con A beads was 107 mg/g. The maximum invertase adsorption capacity on the PHEMA/Con A adsorbents was observed at pH 5.0. The values of the Michaelis constant K(m) of invertase were significantly larger upon adsorption, indicating decreased affinity by the enzyme for its substrate, whereas V(max) was smaller for the adsorbed invertase. Adsorption improved the pH stability of the enzyme as well as its temperature stability. Thermal stability was found to increase with adsorption. The adsorbed enzyme activity was found to be quite stable in repeated experiments. Storage stability of adsorbed invertase.     

Regioselective homogeneous hydrogenation of heteroaromatic nitrogen compounds by use of [RuH(CO)(NCMe)2(PPh3)2]BF4 as the precatalyst

Summary The complex [RuH(CO)(NCMe)₂(PPh₃)₂]BF₄ (1) is an efficient and regioselective catalyst precursor for the hydrogenation of polyaromatic nitrogen compounds such as quinoline (Q), isoquinoline (iQ), indole (ln), 5,6- and 7,8-benzoquinoline (BQ) and acridine (A) under relatively mild reaction conditions (125 °C, 4 atm H₂). The order of individual initial rates was: A > Q > 5,6-BQ > 7,8-BQ > ln > iQ, reflecting both steric and electronic effects. For the regioselective homogeneous hydrogenation of A to 9,10-dihydroacridine (DHA) catalysed by complex (1), a kinetic study was carried out; the experimentally determined rate law was r = k ₁ [Ru] [H₂]. These findings are consistent with a mechanism involving the hydrogenation of [RuH(CO)(A)(NCMe)(PPh₃)₂]BF₄ to yield DHA and the unsaturated species [RuH(CO)(NCMe)(PPh₃)₂]BF₄ in the rate-determining step.     

Use of the tubulin bound paclitaxel conformation for structure-based rational drug design

A new computational docking protocol has been developed and used in combination with conformational information inferred from REDOR-NMR experiments on microtubule bound 2-(p-fluorobenzoyl)paclitaxel to delineate a unique tubulin binding structure of paclitaxel. A conformationally constrained macrocyclic taxoid bearing a linker between the C-14 and C-3'N positions has been designed and synthesized to enforce this "REDOR-taxol" conformation. The novel taxoid SB-T-2053 inhibits the growth of MCF-7 and LCC-6 human breast cancer cells (wild-type and drug resistant) on the same order of magnitude as paclitaxel. Moreover, SB-T-2053 induces in vitro tubulin polymerization at least as well as paclitaxel, which directly validates our drug design process. These results open a new avenue for drug design of next generation taxoids and other microtubule-stabilizing agents based on the refined structural information of drug-tubulin complexes, in accordance with typical enzyme-inhibitor medicinal chemistry precepts.     

Combined first-principles computational and experimental multinuclear solid-state NMR investigation of amino acids

13C, 14N, 15N, 17O, and 35Cl NMR parameters, including chemical shift tensors and quadrupolar tensors for 14N, 17O, and 35Cl, are calculated for the crystalline forms of various amino acids under periodic boundary conditions and complemented by experiment where necessary. The 13C shift tensors and 14N electric field gradient (EFG) tensors are in excellent agreement with experiment. Similarly, static 17O NMR spectra could be precisely simulated using the calculation of the full chemical shift (CS) tensors and their relative orientation with the EFG tensors. This study allows correlations to be found between hydrogen bonding in the crystal structures and the 17O NMR shielding parameters and the 35Cl quadrupolar parameters, respectively. Calculations using the two experimental structures for L-alanine have shown that, while the calculated isotropic chemical shift values of 13C and 15N are relatively insensitive to small differences in the experimental structure, the 17O shift is markedly affected.     

New chiral porphyrin-brucine gelator characterized by methods of circular dichroism

Herein, we report the first use of chiral alkaloid brucine to synthesize novel porphyrin-brucine conjugate capable of acting as a gelator of methanol and acetonitrile at extremely low level of concentration. The synthesis, characterization and spectral properties of gelator based on a novel structural motif, quaternized alkaloid conjugates, are described. Different spectroscopic methods (¹H NMR spectroscopy, Raman and infrared spectroscopy, and spectroscopy of electronic and vibrational circular dichroism) were used for characterization of the prepared organogel. The aggregation of the gelator studied by UV-vis spectroscopy and electronic circular dichroism showed the formation of chiral J-aggregates in water and water-methanol (1:1) mixture. A new methodology for the determination of functional groups involved in gel formation based on vibrational circular dichroism is presented.     

Thermometric determination and analytical application of the landolt effect

The thermometric determination of the Landolt effect applied to the hydrogen peroxide—iodide—ascorbic acid reaction is described. The appropriate kinetic equations are used to interpret the thermometric curve and the calibration curve of the indicator reaction catalysed by molybdenum. The effects of the iodide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydrogen ion concentrations on the shape of the thermometric curves are discussed. This thermometric method can be used to determine micro amounts of iron, zirconium, thorium, vanadium, molybdenum and tungsten, with satisfactory accuracy and precision.     

Quantum-mechanical exploration of the properties of the sugar rings

Theab initio SCF method is used for computing the main electronic properties of the ribose unit of the nucleic acids. The present study is devoted to the ribose in the C₃-endo,gg conformation. The properties investigated include the distribution of the electronic charges, the electrostatic molecular potential around the four oxygens of the unit, the hydration and the Na⁺ binding schemes studied in the supermolecule approximation. The possibilities of through-water binding of the cation to the sugar are also explored. The predictions of the computation in particular with regard to cation binding to the ribose ring are correlated with recent experimental results.     

Synthesis of 4-thia analogues of isoquinoline alkaloids

Summary (±)-4-Thiacarnegin (3) was synthesized by reaction of 6,7-dimethoxy-3-methyl-2H-1,3-benzothiazinium iodide (2) with methyl magnesium iodide, thereby opening a new synthetic route to 4-substituted dihydro-2H-1,3-benzothiazines. Compound3 was also obtained by reduction of 6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethyl-2H-1,3-benzothiazinium iodide (5). In a similar way, reduction of the quaternary salts9 a–c afforded the (±)-4-thia analogues of cryptostilin-I, -II and -III (10 a–c). The isomers of the former compounds (12 a–c) were also synthesized by reduction of the 4H-1,3-benzothiazinium salts11 a–c.

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Synthese von 4-Thiaanalogen von Alkaloiden mit Isochinolingerüst

Zusammenfassung Aus 6,7-Dimethoxy-3-methyl-2H-1,3-benzothiaziniumjodid (2) wurde mit Methylmagnesiumjodid (±)-Thiacarnegin (3) dargestellt. Diese Reaktion bietet ein neues Verfahren für die Synthese von 4-substituierten Dihydro-2H-1,3-benzothiazinen.3 wurde auch durch Reduktion von 6,7-Dimethoxy-3,4-dimethyl-2H-1,3-benzothiaziniumjodid (5) erhalten. Die Reduktion der quartären Ammoniumsalze9 a–c ergab ebenfalls die Cryptostillin I-, II-, III-(±)-4-thiaanalogen Verbindungen (10 a–c). Reduktion der 4H-1,3-Benzothiazinium-Salze11 a–c lieferte die entsprechenden Isomeren12 a–c der obengenannten Verbindungen.