Zirconocene-mediated route to enantiopure 9-oxabicyclononanes functionalized on both carbon bridges

[reaction: see text] A zirconocene-mediated ring contraction of 4-vinylfuranosides generated either from d-arabinose or d-glucose is followed by sequential oxidation to the ketone and alkynyl Grignard addition. The resulting cis-cyclobutanediols are subjected in turn to thermal rearrangement and intramolecular oxymercuration-demercuration. The regiochemistry of the final ring closure is controlled by the nature of R.     

Synthesis of 4-acetylisocoumarin: first total syntheses of AGI-7 and sescandelin

A practical synthetic route to 4-acetylisocoumarins and the first total synthesis of AGI-7 (5) and sescandelin (4) are described. The readily available homophthalate 8 was transformed to the vinylogous amide ester 13 in high overall yield. Upon treatment of 13 with refluxing aqueous formic acid, the desired 4-acetylisocoumarin (5) and its regioisomer 3-methyl-4-formylisocoumarin (17) were produced in a 3:1 ratio. After separation of the desired product (5) from the unwanted minor isomer, the enantioselective reduction of AGI-7 by borane in the presence of Corey's (S)-oxazaborolidine reagent afforded (+)-sescandelin (4) with a 93% ee.     

Syntheses of polyurethanes derived from oximes and their photodegradation

Polyoxime-urethanes have been synthesized from dioximes and diisocyanates, and their structures have been ascertained by elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy. They can be represented by the general formula: These polymer films were photolyzed by using a high-pressure 100-W mercury lamp, and the rate of decomposition of the N? O bond was determined by use of ultraviolet and infrared spectra, or comparing the photochemical behavior with that of corresponding model compounds. Upon irradiating these polymers in the presence or absence of sensitizers or a hydrogen donor, there were obtained photolyzed polymers of low molecular weight, of which the molecular weights were estimated by observing the viscosity changes. To deduce the mechanism of photodegradation of polyoxime-urethane, photolysis of benzophenone oxime-phenyl urethane was investigated as a model compound.     

Isolation of essential oils from tobacco by gas co-distillation/solvent extraction

Summary The essential oils have been isolated from tobacco leaves using a simple gas co-distillation apparatus. The method involves co-distillation with water under the continuous stream of an inert gas with subsequent single solvent extraction of the distillate. The extract is analysed on GC and GC/MS in splitless injection mode without further concentration. The method was evaluated for reproducibility using n-octadecane as an internal standard. The distillation-extraction procedure was reporducible with an average deviation of ±3% for the major constituents. The present method was applied to the analyses of the essential oils of other agricultural products.Dedicated to Dr. L. S. Ettre on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

A Ca2+-phospholipid-dependent protein kinase from cottonplant shoots

The Ca²⁺-phospholipid-dependent protein kinase from cottonplant shoots was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, and then on phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B. According to electrophoresis in PAAG, the enzyme was practically homogeneous and had a molecular mass of 57 kDa. In the presence of Ca²⁺ alone, the enzyme was activated to only a slight degree. Under the combined action of Ca²⁺ and a phospholipid the action of the enzyme rose severalfold. A determination of amino acid specificity showed that the protein kinase isolated was a serine- and threonine-specific protein kinase.A. S. Sadykov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, fax 627071. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 100–105, January–February, 1994.