Bio-Guided Fractionation of Stem Bark Extracts from Phyllanthus muellarianus: Identification of Phytocomponents with Anti-Cholinesterase Activity

A combination of flash chromatography, solid phase extraction, high-performance liquid chromatography, and in vitro bioassays was used to isolate phytocomponents endowed with anticholinesterase activity in extract from Phyllanthus muellarianus. Phytocomponents responsible for the anti-cholinesterase activity of subfractions PMF1 and PMF4 were identified and re-assayed to confirm their activity. Magnoflorine was identified as an active phytocomponent from PMF1 while nitidine was isolated from PMF4. Magnoflorine was shown to be a selective inhibitor of human butyrylcholinesterase—hBChE (IC₅₀ = 131 ± 9 μM and IC₅₀ = 1120 ± 83 μM, for hBuChE and human acetylcholinesterase—hAChE, respectively), while nitidine showed comparable inhibitory potencies against both enzymes (IC₅₀ = 6.68 ± 0.13 μM and IC₅₀ = 5.31 ± 0.50 μM, for hBChE and hAChE, respectively). When compared with the commercial anti-Alzheimer drug galanthamine, nitidine was as potent as galanthamine against hAChE and one order of magnitude more potent against hBuChE. Furthermore, nitidine also showed significant, although weak, antiaggregating activity towards amyloid-β self-aggregation.     

Penicillin G acylase as chiral selector in CE using a pullulan-coated capillary

In the present study, penicillin G acylase (PGA), an enzyme belonging to the family of hydrolases, has been investigated as chiral selector in CE using the partial filling technique. Owing to the strong disposition of PGA to be adsorbed by the inner capillary wall, permanently coated capillaries were used to diminish both the protein-wall interactions and the EOF. In particular, the silica surface of the capillary was chemically coated by an antiadhesive and an hydrophilic layer of pullulan, a high-molecular-mass homopolysaccharide. The coating procedure consisted in the silanization with glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and the subsequent coupling of the hydroxyl groups of pullulan onto the silanized capillary. Using this approach, a significant EOF suppression was obtained within a wide pH range (pH 3.0-9.0); this result was very important in order to find the suitable conditions for the application of partial filling technique. The optimization of partial filling was carried out by considering the effects of different experimental conditions (buffer pH, PGA concentration, and loading duration), on the migration time and enantioresolution of rac-ketoprofen. Under the selected conditions as: 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 5.5) containing 240 microM of PGA (partial filling of 120 s at a pressure of 50 mbar), a series of acidic compounds resulted to be enantioresolved in about 10 min. The long-term stability of the proposed coating was evaluated; more than 100 injections were performed without significant loss of reproducibility.     

Synthesis and Anti‐HIV‐1 Evaluation of New Sonogashira‐Modified Emivirine (MKC‐442) Analogues

The MKC‐442 analogue 6‐(3,5‐dimethylbenzyl)‐5‐ethyluracil substituted with a (propargyloxo)methyl group at N(1) has previously been found highly active against HIV‐1. The C?C bond in the substituent at N(1) is here utilized in a series of chemical reactions in order to develop new agents with higher activity against HIV‐1‐resistant mutants. The syntheses involved Pd‐catalyzed C,C‐coupling reactions, addition of disulfides, and click chemistry on the terminal C?C bond as well as addition of bromine to the so formed internal C?C bonds. Sonogashira coupling were performed with silyl‐derivatized iodobenzyl alcohols which, after deprotection, were oxidized to aldehydes by means of IBX. The isomeric alcohol 37 was obtained in the Sonogashira reaction of propargyl alcohol with the N(1)‐substituted (4‐iodobenzyloxy)methyl derivative of the above mentioned uracil. Compound 37 turned out to be the most effective compound against problematic HIV‐1 mutants. The general observation in the present work is that a combination of alkyne and aryl in the substituent at N(1) leads to highly active compounds against HIV‐1.     

Mathematical analysis for an epidemic model with spatial and age structure

A system of parabolic–hyperbolic equations with a non-local boundary condition, arising in mathematical theory of epidemics, is analyzed. For such a system, well–posedness as well as Sobolev regularity with respect to the space variables is proved. Asymptotic behavior of the solutions is also investigated.     

Artemia swarm dynamics and path tracking

Artemia larvae may show swarming organization under the presence of a light spot, while being insensitive to several other external stimuli. In this paper, the dynamics of the Artemia population in response to this kind of stimuli has been exploited to design a robot moving inside the water and able to lead the direction of the group. The robot therefore implements external leadership, by driving the Artemia population along a set of desired trajectories. Experimental results and simulations based on a model of Artemia motion confirmed the suitability of the approach.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of 4,4′-bipyridinium and 2,2′-bipyridinium pentachloro complexes containing the polynuclear anions [Bi2Cl10]4− and [Bi4Cl20]8−

The compounds 4,4-bipyridinium(2+) pentachloro-bismuthate(III) (1), [4,4-(C₁₀H₈N₂)BiCl₅] and 2,2-bipyridinium(2+) pentachloro-bismuthate(III) (2), [2,2-(C₁₀H₈N₂)Bi₂Cl₁₀] have been obtained by reacting bismuthate oxide and 4,4-bipyridine or 2,2-bipyridine in HCl acid medium. They have been characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis. (1) crystallizes in the triclinic space group with a = 9.776(2), b = 11.009(3),c = 8.346(1) Å, = 101.58(2), = 98.63(2), and = 112.86(2)°. (2) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 14.239(2), b = 14.226(2), c = 16.275(3) Å, and = 110.15(2)°. The crystal structure of (1) consists of 4,4-bipyridinium(2+) cations interacting through hydrogen bonding with [Bi₂Cl₁₀]^2– dimers giving rise to endless double chains, while that of (2) is formed by 2,2-bipyridinium(2+) cations and [Bi₄Cl₂₀]^8– tetramers extensively interacting through hydrogen bonding. The different polynuclearity of the anions seems related to the different directions along which each cation can form hydrogen bond interactions.     

6-alkyl- and 5,6-dialkyl-2-methoxy-4(3H)-pyrimidinones in the transformations of pyrimidines. Regiospecific 1-N-acylation of pyrimidines.

Transformation of 6- and 5,6-dialkyl-2-methoxy-4(3H)-pyrimidinones (1a and 1b) into 1-$\text{N}$-acylated-pyrimidine derivatives 3($\text{a}$-$\text{f}$) under Friedel-Craft like conditions is presented. In different acylation conditions 4-O-acylated-pyrimidines (5a and 5b) are also obtained. Compounds (3c) and (3f) can be directly converted into 1-$\text{N}$-acyl-protected-isouridine analogues (8a and 8b).     

Mononuclear heterocyclic rearrangements. Part 12. Rearrangement of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles into indazoles

The first example of a mononuclear heterocyclic rearrangement involving an XYZ = CCN side-chain sequence is reported. The 3-(o-aminophenyl)-, and 3-(o-methylaminophenyl)-5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles ( 3a,b ) gave a thermally induced rearrangement into 3-acylaminoindazoles ( 4a,b ). On the other hand, the 3-(o-acetylaminophenyl)-5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole ( 3c ) produced a base induced rearrangement into 3-acetylaminoindazole ( 4a ).     

Catalysis of oxo transfer to prochiral sulfides by oxovanadium(v) compounds that model the active center of haloperoxidases

The catalytic properties of a new class of chiral vanadium compounds--[(S,S,S)-VO(OMe)L1] (5), [(S,S)-VO(OMe)L2] (6), [(S,S)-VO(OMe)L3] (7), and [(R,R,R)-VO(OMe)L4] (8), as well as the system VO(OiPr)(3)/(R,R,R)-H(2)L4 [H(2)L1=(S,S)-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)-(S)-1-phenylethylamine, 1; H(2)L2=(S,S)-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)benzylamine, 2; H(2)L3=(S,S)-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)isopropylamine), 3; (H(2)L4)=(R,R)-bis(2-phenylethanol)-(R)-1-phenylethylamine, 4]--in the asymmetric oxidation of prochiral sulfides by organic hydroperoxides have been investigated. Particular attention has been paid to the factors that guide the discrimination between the two prochiral faces of the sulfides (methyl p-tolyl sulfide and benzyl phenyl sulfide), to steric implications stemming from the oxidant (cumyl hydroperoxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide), and to the specific complex used. As an example, (S)-methyl p-tolyl sulfoxide was obtained in a 31 % enantiomeric excess by use of cumyl hydroperoxide as oxidant and complex 5 as the catalyst, after 150 min at 0 degrees C and with 100 % conversion of the sulfide. The crystal and molecular structures of 5 and 6 reveal the close relationship between these complexes and the active center of vanadate-dependent haloperoxidases: the vanadium is in a slightly distorted trigonal-bipyramidal environment with the nitrogen and the methoxy group in the axial positions, and the oxo and alkoxide functions of L2 and L3 are the plane. The presence and equilibrium situation of isomers of the catalysts in solution has been investigated by (51)V EXSY and variable-temperature multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. An intermediately formed peroxo (ROO(-)) vanadium complex was detected by (51)V NMR spectroscopy.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Pyrrolpigmente, 77. Mitt. Synthese und Struktur vonb-Nor-bilatrienen-abc undb-Nor-biladienen-ac bzw. Bi-9,9′-dipyrrinonylidenen und Bi-9,9′-dipyrrinonylenen

B-Nor-biladienes-ac are prepared by oxidative coupling of dipyrrinones in nearly quantitative yields. Further oxidation of these derivatives yieldsb-nor-bilatrienes-abc. Constitutions, tautomerism, configurations at exocyclic double bonds, and conformations at exocyclic chromophore single bonds are determined for the crystalline state and their states of solution using X-ray structural analysis and spectroscopic methods, respectively.B-nor-biladienes-ac are found to be of (4Z,15Z)5sp,9sc,14sp geometry,b-nor-bilatrienes-abc are planar systems of (4Z,9E,15Z) configuration in the crystal, whereas in solutions there are indications of a more twisted conformation at their exocyclic chromophore single bonds.

Herr Dipl.-Ing.Heinz Flödl hat uns am 11. April 1988 für immer verlassen — wir trauern um ihn.