Zinc-catalyzed oxidation of 5-S-cysteinyldopa to 2,2'-bi(2H-1,4-benzothiazine): tracking the biosynthetic pathway of trichochromes, the characteristic pigments of red hair

Trichochromes, the peculiar pigments of red human hair, featuring the Delta(2,2)(')-bi(2H-1,4-benzothiazine) skeleton, are known to arise from cysteinyldopas, mainly the 5-S-isomer (5). However, the mode of formation and the direct precursors have remained largely undefined. To fill this gap, we investigated the oxidation of 5 in air or with chemical and enzymatic agents under biomimetic conditions. In the presence of zinc ions, which occur in epidermal tissues at significant concentrations, the reaction course is diverted toward the formation of a labile 3-carboxy-2H-1,4-benzothiazine intermediate (11), which was identified by direct NMR analysis. Structural formulation was supported by characterization of the analogous compound 13 isolated from oxidation of the model 5-methyl-3-S-cysteinylcatechol (12) after methylation. In the further stages of the oxidation, diastereomeric 2,2'-bi(2H-1,4-benzothiazine) 15 and 14 were obtained from 5 and 12, respectively, the reaction proceeding at a higher rate and to a greater extent in the presence of acids. The dimers were shown to readily convert to each other in the presence of acids. In the case of the methylated dimers 14, a 2,2'-bi(4H-1,4-benzothiazine) intermediate (16) was isolated and characterized. In acidic media, trichochrome C (1a), the most abundant in red human hair, was smoothly formed from aerial oxidation of 15, and under similar conditions, trichochrome-related products (17 and 18) were obtained from 14 prior to or after methylation. The presence of 1a and precursors 5 and 15 was investigated by HPLC analysis of red hair samples following mild proteolytic digestion. On the basis of these data, a likely biosynthetic route to trichochrome pigments of red human hair is depicted.     

Preparation and self-assembly of chiral porphyrin diads on the gold electrodes of quartz crystal microbalances: a novel potential approach to the development of enantioselective chemical sensors

Porphyrin diad 1 was synthesized by reaction of the acyl chloride of porphyrin 2 and trans-1,2-dithiane-4,5-diol. The Co complex of this diad was studied as a potential enantioselective receptor for chiral recognition in solution and in the solid state. In solution both enantiomers of limonene induce significant changes in the visible and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of [Co2(1)], while a different behavior is observed in the case of the enantiomeric pair of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane. A different efficiency of [Co2(1)] chiral recognition is obtained for these compounds, with a remarkable degree of enantiodiscrimination observed in the case of limonene. Self-assembled monolayers of [Co2(1)] were deposited onto the gold electrodes of quartz crystal microbalances to be used as sensing materials of nanogravimetric sensors operating in the gas phase. The enantiodiscrimination properties of these sensors towards the enantiomeric pairs of chiral analytes have been studied. While in the case of analytes bearing donor ligand atoms we did not observe a remarkable enantioselectivity, a significant degree of chiral discrimination was observed in the case of limonene; this result is particularly encouraging for the potential development of enantioselective chemical sensors for use in an array configuration.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 1-substituted-1-(pyridin-2-yl)methylamines by diastereoselective reduction of enantiopure N-p-toluenesulfinyl ketimines

Reduction of enantiopure N-p-toluenesulfinyl ketimines derived from 2-pyridyl ketones affords N-p-toluenesulfinyl amines with good yields and diastereoselectivities.     

A NEW ONE-STEP REDUCTIVE N-ALKYLATION OF AMINO ACIDS AND THEIR ESTERS

The reductive alkylation of amine with carbonyl compounds usingsodium hydrogen telluride has been investigated in recent years.Application of this method to the synthesis of N-alkyl derivativesof biologically important amino acids and their esters is described.     

Enantiomeric separation of acidic compounds of pharmaceutical interest by capillary electrochromatography employing glycopeptide antibiotic stationary phases

Enantiomeric separation of some selected acidic compounds of pharmaceutical interest belonging to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were separated by capillary electrochromatography employing silica based glycopeptide antibiotic stationary phases, namely vancomycin or a teicoplanin derivatives (Hepta-Tyr). The vancomycin stationary phase allowed to achieve the chiral resolution of some racemic studied compounds only using mobile phases containing ammonium formate at a relatively low pH 2.5-3.5 and acetonitrile. Employing the teicoplanin derivative stationary phase, good enantiomeric resolution was achieved eluting with mobile phases containing sodium phosphate pH 6-acetonitrile. Enantiomers were moved to the detector because a relatively high reversed electroosmotic flow (due to the positive charge of the stationary phase) and to the electrophoretic mobility of analytes.     

One-pot enantioselective formation of eight-membered rings from alkenyl Fischer carbene complexes and ketone enolates

Eight-membered carbocycles with up to five new stereogenic centers are enantioselectively obtained following a one-pot procedure that involves the coupling of three components: an alkenyl Fischer carbene complex, a ketone enolate, and allyl lithium.     

On the biological importance of the hydrogen bond breaking potency of fluorocarbons

Fluorocarbons containing higher halogens have the potency of breaking certain hydrogen bonds in solutions. The relative strength of this potency varies in the series F < Cl < Br < I and the presence of hydrogen atoms in the fluorocarbon increases it. There is a striking parallelism between the hydrogen bond breaking and the anaesthetic potency of these molecules. It is suggested that the breaking of hydrogen bonds is an important step in the mechanism of anaesthesia.     

Stereospecific uncatalyzed alpha-O-glycosylation and alpha-C-glycosidation by means of a new D-Gulal-derived alpha vinyl oxirane

The reaction of alpha vinyl oxirane 5, prepared through a new route to the d-gulal system, with O-nucleophiles (alcohols and di-O-isopropylidene-alpha-d-monosaccharides) and C-nucleophiles (lithium alkyls) affords, in a completely stereoselective way, the corresponding 2-unsaturated alpha O- and C-glycosides having the same configuration as the starting epoxide.     

氢化物发生—分光光度法测定染发剂中的微量铅

本文提出了用铁氰化钾将铅氧化至高价,再用氢化物发生-分光光度法测定铅的一种新方法。该法灵敏度高,简便快速,用于分析染发剂中的铅,取得了较好的效果。     

OH radical oxidation of the sorbitylfurfural furanic ring to sugar derivatives induced by radiolysis in aerobic environment

Chemical radiolytic oxidation induced by OH addition on 1-(2-furan-2-yl-5-hydroxy-6-hydroxymethyl-[1,3]dioxan-4-yl)-ethan-1,2-diol (sorbitylfurfural, SF) leads, in the presence of controlled amounts of oxygen, to a permanent functional modification of the target molecule. The yield of conversion reaches 60% of the starting material. LC-MS analysis allowed the identification, as final products, of carboxylic acids, butenal and hydroxy-furan derivatives in which the sugar chain remains unbroken, while the furanic ring is attacked first by OH and then by oxygen, giving in succession an intra-/inter-molecular rearrangement of the allylperoxyl radicals thus formed. The proposed oxidation of the furanic ring envisages the peroxyl intermediates undergoing mono- and/or bi-molecular reactions; a reaction path has been outlined and is reported here. The presence of unsaturated bonds in the final products could provide a further site for radical scavenger activity. Therefore, the fast reaction with O₂ and the rearrangement of the produced peroxyl radicals to species, which are likely to be effective OH-capturers, reinforces the antioxidant ability of SF.