Biosynthetic pathway for high structural diversity of a common dilactone core in antimycin production

We herein report comparative analysis of two versions of the biosynthetic gene clusters of antimycins, a natural product family possessing up to 44 distinct entities. The biosynthetic pathway of antimycins is amenable to the high structural variation of the substrates, supported by successes in heterologous expression of the ant cluster and in fluorine incorporation. The latter facilitated the investigation of the structure-activity relationship into the usually invariable 3-formamidosalicylic acid moiety of the molecules.     

A Novel Spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Levodopa with the Detection System of Potassium Ferricyanide‐Fe(III)

In this paper, a novel method has been established to determine levodopa with the detection system of potassium ferricyanide‐Fe(III). In the presence of potassium ferricyanide, it has been demonstrated that Fe(III) is reduced to Fe(II) by levodopa at pH 4.0. In addition, the in situ formed Fe(II) reacts with potassium ferricyanide to form soluble prussian blue (KFe^III[Fe^II(CN)₆]). Beer's law is obeyed in the range of levodopa concentrations of 0.01–4.00 μg mL^?1 at the maximal absorption wavelength of 735 nm. The linear regression equation is A = 0.0082 + 0.61365 C (μg mL^?1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996. The detection limit (3σ/k) is 9 ng mL^?1, and R.S.D. is 0.73% (n = 11). Moreover, the apparent molar absorption coefficient of indirect determination of levodopa is 1.2 × 10⁵ Lmol^?1cm^?1. The parameters with regard to determination are optimized, and the reaction mechanism is discussed. This method has been successfully applied to determine levodopa in pharmaceutical, serum and urine samples. Analytical results obtained with this novel assay are satisfactory.     

Microbial transformation of deoxyandrographolide by Alternaria alternata AS 3.4578

Biotransformation of deoxyandrographolide (1) by Alternaria alternata AS 3.4578 gave five derivatives identified by spectral methods including 2D NMR as the known dehydroandrographolide (2) and 9beta-hydroxy-dehydroandrographolide (3) and the new compounds 9beta-hydroxy-deoxyandrographolide (4), 3alpha,17,19-trihydroxy-8,13-ent-labdadien-15,16-olide (5) and 3-oxo-9beta-hydroxy-deoxyandrographolide (6).     

A graphene oxide-based AIE biosensor with high selectivity toward bovine serum albumin

Graphene oxide (GO) was found to effectively enhance the selectivity of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) biosensors, and a new method based on GO and AIE molecules was proposed to detect bovine serum albumin (BSA) with high sensitivity and selectivity.     

Interaction of the main components from the traditional Chinese drug pair Chaihu-Shaoyao based on rat intestinal absorption

The Chaihu-Shaoyao drug pair (Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Radix Alba) which is a traditional Chinese drug pair, has been widely used for anti-inflammatory purposes. Saikosaponin a (SSA), saikosaponin d (SSD) and paeoniflorin are identified as the main components in the pair. The present study focused on the interaction of the main components based on investigating their intestinal absorption using a four-site perfused rat intestinal model in order to clarify the mechanism of the compatibility of Chaihu-Shaoyao. The concentrations of SSA, SSD and paeoniflorin in the intestinal perfusate were determined by LC/MS or UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) methods, followed by P*(eff) (effective permeability) and 10% ABS (the percent absorption of 10 cm of intestine) calculations. The results showed that all of the three main components displayed very low permeabilities (P*(eff) < 0.4), which implied their poor absorption in the rat intestine. The absorption levels of SSA and SSD were similar in intestine and higher in ileum than those in other intestinal regions in the decreasing order: colon, jejunum and duodenum. However, there is no significant difference in the absorption of paeoniflorin in the four segments (P < 0.05). The P*(eff) values of paeoniflorin exhibited an almost 2.11-fold or 1.90-fold increase in ileum when it was co-administrated with SSA and SSD, as well as 2.42-, 2.18-fold increase in colon, respectively, whereas the absorptions of SSA and SSD were not influenced by paeoniflorin. In conclusion, SSA and SSD could promote the absorption of paeoniflorin. To some extent this might explain the nature of the compatibility mechanisms of composite formulae in TCMs.     

Two new triterpene glycosides with monomethyl malonate groups from the rhizome of Cimifuga foetida L

Two new 9,19-cycloartane triterpene glycosides 1-2, together with four known compounds--26-deoxyactein (3), actein (4), 7,8-didehydro-26-deoxyactein (5) and cimiaceroside B (6)--were isolated from the rhizome of Cimicifuga foetida. The new triterpene glycosides were identified as 23-O-methyl-24-deoxy-2'-O-(3'-methylmalonyl)-cimiaceroside B (1) and 2'-O-(3'-methylmalonyl)actein (2) based on analysis of their spectral data and chemical reactions.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric conjugate addition of α-substituted cyanoacetates to maleimides

The asymmetric conjugate addition of α-substituted cyanoacetates to N-substituted maleimides has been developed. A number of cinchona alkaloids and amine thioureas were evaluated as catalysts. Takemoto’s catalyst was found to be the most efficient for the transformation. Chiral succinimides with two adjacent quaternary and tertiary stereogenic carbon centers were obtained in good yields, enantioselectivities, and diastereoselectivities. The products were converted to chiral γ-lactams conveniently without a loss in the enantioselectivity.     

The molecular diversity of three-component reactions of 4-dimethylamino- or 4-methoxypyridine with acetylenedicarboxylates and arylidene cyanoacetates

The three-component reactions of 4-dimethylamino- or 4-methoxypyridine with acetylenedicarboxylates and arylidene cyanoacetates showed very interesting molecular diversity. The polysubstituted 1,8,9,9a-tetrahydro-4H-1,4-ethanoquinolizines, 2H-pyran-2,3-dicarboxylates, and buta-1,3-diene-1,2,4-tricarboxylates derivatives can be formed in high yields and with good diastereoselectivity depending on the substrates and reaction conditions.     

A New Synthetic Approach to Elvucitabine

A new synthetic approach to elvucitabine started from L-xylose via the reactions of 10 steps in an overall yield of 20% was developed. The key steps included trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate(TMSOTf)-mediated stereocontrolled β-glycosidation and exquisite choice of chloroacetyl group for the protection of hydroxyl groups as well as the corresponding deprotection under notably mild conditions. The structure of elvucitabine, in particular, the stereochemistry thereof, was unambiguously determined by comparison of the physical properties, such as ¹H NMR data and the specific rotation, of the synthesized sample with those reported.