Identification of Human Kinin-Forming Enzyme Inhibitors from Medicinal Herbs

The goal of this study was to assess the pharmacological effects of black tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) water extract on human kinin-forming enzymes in vitro. Tea is a highly consumed beverage in the world. Factor XII (FXII, Hageman factor)-independent- and -dependent activation of prekallikrein to kallikrein leads to the liberation of bradykinin (BK) from high-molecular-weight kininogen (HK). The excessive BK production causes vascular endothelial and nonvascular smooth muscle cell permeability, leading to angioedema. The prevalence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)-induced angioedema appears to be through BK. Both histamine and BK are potent inflammatory mediators. However, the treatments for histamine-mediated angioedema are unsuitable for BK-mediated angioedema. We hypothesized that long-term consumption of tea would reduce bradykinin-dependent processes within the systemic and pulmonary vasculature, independent of the anti-inflammatory actions of polyphenols. A purified fraction of the black tea water extract inhibited both kallikrein and activated FXII. The black tea water extracts inhibited factor XII-induced cell migration and inhibited the production of kallikrein on the endothelial cell line. We compared the inhibitory effects of the black tea water extract and twenty-three well-known anti-inflammatory medicinal herbs, in inhibiting both kallikrein and FXII. Surprisingly, arjunglucoside II specifically inhibited the activated factor XII (FXIIa), but not the kallikrein and the activated factor XI. Taken together, the black tea water extract exerts its anti-inflammatory effects, in part, by inhibiting kallikrein and activated FXII, which are part of the plasma kallikrein–kinin system (KKS), and by decreasing BK production. The inhibition of kallikrein and activated FXII represents a unique polyphenol-independent anti-inflammatory mechanism of action for the black tea.     

Pyridine-2,6-Dicarboxylic Acid (Dipic): Crystal Structure from Co-Crystal to a Mixed Ligand Nickel(II) Complex

Abstract  

Pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (dipic) was used for the synthesis of a co-crystal with 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (phen-dione) and a nickel(II) complex. The co-crystal dipic·phen-dione·4H₂O (1) has been synthesized and studied by X-ray crystallography. The structure is stabilized with hydrogen bonds between dipic, H₂O and phen-dione. It is surprising that there is no direct hydrogen bonding between phen-dione and dipic and yet the molecules co-crystallize in aqueous solution. A new complex of nickel(II), [Ni(phen)(dipic)(H₂O)]·4H₂O (2), (where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental and thermogravimetric analyses, FT-IR, UV–Vis and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The structure of (2) has been studied by X-ray crystallography. The coordination around Ni(II) is a distorted octahedron. The crystal packing shows that the dimensionality of (2) is enlarged to 3D, through hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions. Cyclic voltammetry of (2) shows that the Ni(II/I) couple is irreversible.     

Phlomisamide and Phlomisteriod: A New Ceramide and a New Stigmasterol Derivative from Phlomis cashmeriana

Phlomisamide ( 1 ), a new ceramide, and a new stigmasterol derivative, phlomisteriod ( 2 ), have been isolated from Phlomis cashmeriana. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of their 1D‐ (¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR) and 2D‐NMR (COSY, HMQC, HMBC), and HR‐EI‐MS data.     

SmI2-mediated radical cyclizations directed by a C-Si bond

The use of a silicon stereocontrol element in cyclobutanol and cyclopentanol-forming cyclizations mediated by SmI(2) results in excellent diastereocontrol. The C-Si bond in the products of cyclization provides a versatile handle for further manipulation. An asymmetric route to cyclization substrates involving copper-catalyzed silyl transfer has also been developed.     

Synthesis and spectroscopic studies of the charge transfer complexes of 2- and 3-aminopyridine

The interactions of the electron donors 2-aminopyridine (2APY) and 3-aminopyridine (3APY) with the π-acceptors tetracyanoethylene (TCNE), 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ), 2-chloro-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (picryl chloride, PC), and 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (chloranil) were studied spectrophotometrically in chloroform at room temperature. The electronic and infrared spectra of the formed molecular charge transfer (CT) complexes were recorded. Photometric titration showed that the stoichiometries of the reactions were fixed and depended on the nature of both the donor and the acceptor. The molecular structures of the CT-complexes were, however, independent of the position of the amino group on the pyridine ring and were formulated as [(APY)(TCNE)], [(APY)(DDQ)], [(APY)(PC)], and [(APY) (chloranil)]. The formation constants (K_CT), charge transfer energy (E_CT) and molar extinction coefficients (_CT) of the formed CT-complexes were obtained.     

Ion sampling effects under conditions of total solvent consumption

The motivation of this work was to study some of the properties of nanoelectrospray operation under conditions where the entire sprayed liquid is vaporized and inhaled into the vacuum system. Under these conditions the desolvation requirements, sampling efficiency, concentration versus mass sensitivity, and molar response characteristics of various compounds were studied. The combined efficiency of ion production from solution and transfer into the vacuum system, referred to as sampling efficiency, is presented under various inlet conditions including different flow rates, solution compositions, and compound types. Under ideal solvent conditions the results for favorable compounds show sampling efficiencies of 70-85% at flows in the range of 50-500 nL/min. Efficiencies were lower for aqueous samples and compounds of different structures gave different molar response factors under these high sampling efficiency conditions. The relative molar response factors are presented in terms of those observed with higher flow rate sources which operate at significantly lower sampling efficiencies. In all cases, operating in this flow regime, the ion count rate was directly proportional to the absolute mass of analyte molecules entering the source. The experimental source used to carry out these studies included gas nebulization to stabilize the electrospray process, a heated laminar flow chamber to enhance desolvation and ion production, and various atmosphere-to-vacuum aperture diameters to maximize ion transfer.     

Spectral regression and correlation coefficients of some benzaldimines and salicylaldimines in different solvents

Sixteen Schiff bases obtained from the condensation of benzaldehyde or salicylaldehyde with various amines (aniline, 4-carboxyaniline, phenylhydrazine, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, ethylenediamine, hydrazine, o-phenylenediamine and 2,6-pyridinediamine) are studied with UV-vis spectroscopy to observe the effect of solvents, substituents and other structural factors on the spectra. The bands involving different electronic transitions are interpreted. Computerized analysis and multiple regression techniques were applied to calculate the regression and correlation coefficients based on the equation that relates peak position lambda(max) to the solvent parameters that depend on the H-bonding ability, refractive index and dielectric constant of solvents.     

Validated HPLC and HPTLC stability-indicating methods for determination of alfuzosin hydrochloride in bulk powder and pharmaceutical formulations

Two sensitive, selective, and precise stability-indicating, high-performance liquid chromatography and high-performance thin-layer chromatography methods have been developed for the determination of alfuzosin hydrochloride in the presence of its degradation products. Alfuzosin.HCl was subjected to stress alkaline, acidic, oxidative, thermal, and photo-degradation. The drug could be well separated from the degradation products upon applying the two methods. Separation by HPLC was achieved using an Xterra RP18 column and acetonitrile/0.02 M KH2PO4 (pH=3) in a ratio of 20:80 as mobile phase. The flow rate was 1 mL/min. The linearity range was 0.25 to 11 microg/mL with mean percentage recovery of 100.26 +/- 1.54. The HPTLC method used ALUGRAM Nano-SIL silica gel 60 F254 plates; the optimized mobile phase was methanol/ammonia (100:1.2). Quantitatively the spots were scanned densitometrically at 245 nm. A second order polynomial equation was used for the regression. The range was 0.5-7 microg/spot. The mean percentage recovery was 100.13 +/- 1.67. Two main degradation products were obtained in most stress conditions, separated, and identified by FT-IR and NMR spectral analysis, from which the degradation pathway was proposed. The two methods were validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization. In addition, the HPLC method was used to study the kinetics of alkaline and acid degradation of the drug.     

Total synthesis of (+)-roxaticin via C-C bond forming transfer hydrogenation: a departure from stoichiometric chiral reagents, auxiliaries, and premetalated nucleophiles in polyketide construction

A total synthesis of the oxo-polyene macrolide (+)-roxaticin is achieved in 20 steps from 1,3-propanediol. In this approach, 9 of 10 C-C bonds formed in the longest linear sequence are made via metal catalysis, including 7 C-C bonds formed by iridium catalyzed alcohol C-C coupling. Notably, the present synthesis, which represents the most concise preparation of any oxo-polyene macrolide reported to date, is achieved in the absence of chiral reagents and chiral auxiliaries with minimal use of premetalated C-nucleophiles.     

Microwave assisted synthesis of substituted furan-2-carboxaldehydes and their reactions

A series of 5-unsubstituted and 5-substituted furfurylidenes have been prepared, under thermal and non-thermal microwave irradiation methods, via condensation of furfural and its derivatives with some of active methylene compounds. Furthermore, various condensate products from these furfurylidenes, which contain halogen or sulpher atoms, were also prepared. Structural elucidation of the synthesized compounds were determined on the basis of various spectroscopic methods.