Synthesis of 2‐(Quinoxalin‐2‐ylamino‐benzotriazolyl) Pentanedioic Derivatives as Potential Anti‐Folate Agents

Anti‐folate agents had a significant impact on therapeutic treatment plans for diseases such as cancer, and bacterial and parasitic infections, notably malaria. Quinoxaline derivatives showed in vitro anticancer activity and were able to inhibit both the dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase. Here, we decided to combine the chemical properties of quinoxalines and quinoxaline 1,4‐dioxides with those of benzotriazole nucleus with the aim to evaluate the resulting biological properties. Two main new series, including more than 60 compounds, were prepared. In the first one, the benzotriazole moiety was linked through the nitrogen atoms 1, 2, or 3, to a glutaric acid substituent to simulate a glutamic moiety. In the second series, the glutaric acid was substituted with acetic acid moiety to evaluate the effects of steric hindrance. Here, we describe the multistep chemical processes to obtain all titled quinoxalines starting from commercially available diamines. The classical oxidation of selected quinoxalines was unsuccessful, and we have come to an independent synthetic pathway to obtain new derivatives linked to the benzotriazole moieties starting from synthons bearing N‐oxide functionality.     

Reaction of N1-acylacetamidrazones with trifluoroacetylvinyl ethers. Synthesis of new 4-trifluoromethyl- and 6-trifluoromethylpyridines

The reaction between N¹-acylacetamidrazones 1 and enol ether 2 is described. Depending on the reaction conditions and on the substitution pattern of amidrazones 2-acylhydrazino-4-methyl-6-trifluoro-methylpyridines 3 and/or 2-acylhydrazino-6-methyl-4-trifluoromethylpyridines 4 were obtained.     

Stereochemistry of decarbalkoxylation of arylmethylene-propanedioic acids dimethyl esters

Halide ions increase the rate of decarbalkoxylation of arylmethylene-propanedioic acids dimethyl esters.     

Stereospecific palladium(0)-catalyzed reduction of 2-cyclobutylidenepropyl esters. A versatile preparation of diastereomeric monoterpenoids: (±)-fragranol and (±)-grandisol

Mixtures of (E and Z)-2-cyclobutylidenepropyl sulfonates, readily available from α,α-disubstituted cyclobutanones arising from suitable cyclopropane derivatives ring expansion, underwent regioselective and stereospecific reduction by formate anion to offer, through π-1,1-trimethyleneallylpalladium complexes formed upon treatment with palladium(0), a new and convenient entry to the diastereomeric four-membered ring monoterpenoids (±)-fragranol and (±)-grandisol.     

Estimation of measurement uncertainty for the determination of aflatoxin M1 in milk using immunoaffinity clean-up procedures

A measurement uncertainty estimated for aflatoxin M₁ determination in milk sample has been calculated using data generated from analytical method validation studies. The protocol adopted is described in detail in document LGC/VAM/1998/088. The uncertainty budget was based on precision, trueness and ruggedness data. The individual contributions are described in detail. The expanded uncertainty for aflatoxin M ₁ at a concentration of 20 ng L⁻¹ was estimated as 2.81 ng L⁻¹. This was calculated using a coverage factor of two which gives a level of confidence of approximately 95%. Presented at AOAC Europe / Eurachem Symposium March 2005, Brussels, Belgium     

Novel 3‐benzoyl‐2‐piperazinylquinoxaline derivatives as potential antitumor agents

A series of new benzoylquinoxaline derivatives ( 7‐26 ) was synthesized and evaluated for antitumor activity against a panel of 60 human cell lines at the NCI of Bethesda. Among the compounds which have passed the preliminary screening, compound 23 exhibited the best profile and growth inhibition activity at 100 ‐ 10 μM. The compounds were then tested towards a folate‐dependent enzymes bio‐library including Thymidylate synthases enzymes and human Dihydrofolate reductase at 10 μM. The most of compounds exhibited a moderate inhibitory activity towards all or some of the enzymes tested with detectable inhibition constants (K_i) values in the range of 0.6‐70 μM. Compounds 21, 23, 24 showed K_i in the range of 10‐38 μM against both hDHFR and hTS.     

Synthesis of novel rhodium phosphite catalysts for efficient and selective isomerization-hydroformylation reactions

New modular H₈-BINOL-based phosphite ligands have been synthesized. High activity and regioselectivity has been achieved in the rhodium-catalyzed isomerization-hydroformylation of internal olefins. The active catalysts have been characterized by insitu NMR studies.     

Essential oils of Daucus carota subsp. carota of Tunisia obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction

The essential oils and supercritical CO2 extracts of wild Daucus carota L. subsp. carota from two different sites in Tunisia were investigated. The main components of the essential oil of the flowering and mature umbels with seeds from Sejnane were eudesm-7(11)-en-4-ol (8.2 - 8.5%), carotol (3.5 - 5.2%), sabinene (12.0 -14.5%), a-selinene (7.4 - 8.6) and 11-alpha-(H)-himachal-4-en-1-beta-ol (12.7 - 17.4%), whereas the oils from Tunis were predominantly composed of elemicin (31.5 - 35.3%) and carotol (48.0 - 55.7%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils were assayed by using the broth dilution method on Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300, and clinical strains of Candida albicans and C. tropicalis 1011 RM. The MIC values obtained were all > 2.5% (v/v).