Synthesis and crystal structure of ionic multicomponent complex: ([Cr(I)(PhH)(2)].+))(2)[Co(II)TPP(C(60)(CN)(2))]-[C(60)(CN)(2)](.-).3(o-C(6)H(4)Cl(2)) containing C(60)(CN)(2).- radical anion and sigma-bonded diamagnetic Co(II)TPP(C(60)(CN)(2)) -anion

The ionic multicomponent complex complex: ([Cr(I)(PhH)(2)].+))(2)[Co(II)TPP(C(60)(CN)(2))]-[C(60)(CN)(2)](.-).3(o-C(6)H(4)Cl(2)) (Co(II)TPP: cobalt (II) tetraphenylporphyrin; Cr(PhH)(2): bis(benzene)chromium; o-C(6)H(4)Cl(2): o-dichlorobenzene) containing CoTPP(C(60)(CN)(2)- anion and C(60)(CN)(2).- radical anion was obtained. The complex has the cage structure with channels, which accommodate Cr(I)(PhH)(2)(.+) and o-C(6)H(4)Cl(2) molecules. For the first time the sigma-bonding of Co(II)TPP to the fullerene radical anion with the essentially shortened Co.C(C(60)(CN)(2)) contact of 2.282 A is observed. The sigma-bonding results in the diamagnetism of Co(II)TPP(C(60)(CN)(2))(-) anion. The nonbonded C(60)(CN)(2)(.-) radical anion retains both the C(2)(v)symmetry and the shape of the molecule. The length of the C(triple bond)N bonds is 1.141 and 1.152 A.     

Determination of saccharides in sake by high-performance liquid chromatography with polarized photometric detection

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of saccharides in sake, an alcoholic beverage brewed from rice. Saccharides in sake were separated on a normal phase (carbamoyl bonded silica) column using a linear gradient elution of water in acetonitrile. Seven saccharides, glucose, maltose, isomaltose, maltotriose, panose, isomaltotriose and ethyl alpha-D-glucoside, were determined by a polarized photometric detector. Unidentified peaks suggesting saccharides with polymerization degrees over 4 were also observed. The proposed method did not require any sample clean-up treatment. As an application, saccharide compositions in various kinds of sake were compared.     

Phenolic constituents of licorice. VIII. Structures of glicophenone and glicoisoflavanone, and effects of licorice phenolics on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Two new phenolic compounds, glicophenone (1) and glicoisoflavanone (2), were isolated from commercial licorice, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Antibacterial assays of licorice phenolics for Staphylococcus aureus, including four strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and also for Escherichia coli K12 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, were then examined. Two compounds among them, 8-(gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl)-wighteone (21) and 3'-(gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl)-kievitone (28), showed remarkable antibacterial effects [minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), 8 microg/ml on the MRSA strains and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus. Licochalcone A (14), gancaonin G (20), isoangustone A (24), glyasperins C (30) and D (31), glabridin, (32), licoricidin (33), glycycoumarin (34) and licocoumarone (40) showed antibacterial effects on the MRSA strains with MIC values of 16 microg/ml. Effects on the beta-lactam resistance of the MRSA strains were also examined, and licoricidin (33) noticeably decreased the resistance of the MRSA strains against oxacillin, as shown by the reduction in the MICs of oxacillin (lower than 1/128-1/1000 in the presence of 8 microg/ml of 33, and 1/8-1/32 in the presence of 4 microg/ml of 33). Mechanistic study suggested that 33 does not inhibit the formation of penicillin-binding protein 2' (PBP2'), but affects the enzymatic function of PBP2'.     

Photochemical reactions of 6-alkylamino- and 6-alkylanilino-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazin-5-ones

Photochemical reactions of 6-alkylamino- and 6-alkylanilino-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazin-5-ones have been investigated. 6-Ethylamino- and 6-isopropylamino-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazin-5-ones and 6-methylanilino- and 6-ethylanilino-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazin-5-ones gave 6-amino-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazin-5-one and 6-anilino-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazin-5-one, respectively, on irradiation.     

Cationic carbohydroxylation of alkenes and alkynes using the cation pool method

The reactions of an N-acyliminium ion pool with alkenes and alkynes gave gamma-amino alcohols and beta-amino carbonyl compounds, respectively, after treatment with H(2)O/Et(3)N. The present reaction serves as an efficient method for cationic carbohydroxylation of alkenes and alkynes. When vinyltrimethylsilane was used as an alkene, the reaction was highly diastereoselective and served as an access to an enantiomerically pure alpha-silyl-gamma-amino alcohol. [reaction: see text]     

An iterative type I polyketide synthase PKSN catalyzes synthesis of the decaketide alternapyrone with regio-specific octa-methylation

A biosynthetic gene cluster containing five genes, alt1-5, was cloned from Alternaria solani, a causal fungus of early blight disease to tomato and potato. Homology searching indicated that the alt1, 2, and 3 genes code for cytochrome P450s and the alt4 gene for a FAD-dependent oxygenase/oxidase. The alt5 gene encodes a polyketide synthase (PKS), named PKSN, that was found to be an iterative type I complex reduced-type PKS with a C-methyltransferase domain. To identify the PKSN function, the alt5 gene was introduced into the fungal host Aspergillus oryzae under an alpha-amylase promoter. The transformant produced a polyketide compound, named alternapyrone, whose structure is shown to be 3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-6-(1,3,5,7,11,13-hexamethyl-3,5,11-pentadecatrienyl)-pyran-2-one. Labeling experiments confirmed that alternapyrone is a decaketide with octa-methylation from methionine on every C(2) unit except the third unit.     

Infrared and raman studies on the phase structure of barium ethyl(octyl)phosphate-water system

Barium ethyl(alkyl)phosphates, as new simple surfactants ((C₂H₅O)(RO)-PO ₂ ^– )₂Ba²⁺ with various chain length ofR, were synthesized. The infrared spectra in the CH stretching region were measured for these surfactants in the solid state and in aqueous solution, and assignments were made. In particular, the ordering and environment of octyl chains in the different phases of the barium ethyl(octyl)phosphate-water system were studied by the Fourier-transform-infrared and Raman spectra. The CH stretching bands in the infrared spectra reflected the ordering and environment of octyl chains in each phase. The Raman band connected to the PO ₂ ^– symmetric stretching mode was sensitively shifted. This was caused by the change of aggregation structures with different Ba²⁺...PO ₂ ^– interaction. The infrared band arising from the PO ₂ ^– antisymmetric stretching mode was insensitive to the phase structures. The C–C stretching region in the infrared spectra was used to discuss the ordering of each phase.     

New functional microspheres with active succinimide groups

Radiation-induced polymerization of monomers, for example N-methacryl-oxysuccinimide (MASu) and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate (2G), in ethyl propionate, was performed from +25°C to –78°C. The copoly (MASu/2G) microspheres were obtained in MASu monomer compositions of 30 wt % or below. The average particle diameter of copoly(MASu/2G, 20/80 wt %) microspheres obtained at irradiation temperatures of 25°, 0°, and –43 °C were 0.81±0.29, 0.63±0.26, and 0.90±0.43 m, respectively. No microspheres were formed when irradiated at –78 °C. The reactivity of the succinimide groups on the surface of copoly(MASu/2G, 20/80 wt%) microspheres was checked by reacting with ethylene diamine. The maximal amount of reacting succinimide groups was 9.4±0.5 nol/g, which corresponds to about 1 % of the total number of succinimide groups in the microsphere.     

Kunzeanones A, B, and C: novel alkylated phloroglucinol metabolites from Kunzea ambigua

Three new metabolites, kunzeanones A (1), B (2), and C (3), along with three known compounds, cryptostrobin (4), (+)-spathulenol (5), and (−)-globulol (6), were isolated from the non-polar fraction of the dried leaves of Kunzea ambigua (Myrtaceae), which shows ichthyotoxicity toward a small fish, medaka. The structures of these new compounds were elucidated as condensates of alkylated phloroglucinol with methylflavanone and germacrane-type sesquiterpene, respectively, on the basis of spectral analyses including 1-D and 2-D NMR spectra. The stereochemistries of kunzeanones A and B were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. A sesquiterpene, (+)-spathulenol (5), among the isolates was characterized as the ichthyotoxic principle of the extract.