Elimination of the 4-hydroxyl group of the alkaloids related to morphine—I

Sinomenine, an alkaloid of the Japanese plant Sinomenium acutum, was converted to the 4-phenylether by the Ullmann reaction in a good yield. The Clemmensen reduction of sinomenine-phenylether and of its derivatives gave (+)-3-methoxy-4-phenoxy-N-methyl-Δ^x-morphinan.

Hydrogenation and successive sodium-liquid ammonia reduction of (+)-3-methoxy-4-phenoxy-N-methyl-Δ^x-morphinan gave (+)-3-methoxy-N-methylmorphinan.     

Novel bromotyrosine derivatives that inhibit growth of the fish pathogenic bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila, from a marine sponge Hexadella sp

Three new bromotyrosine derivatives, 11-N-methylmoloka'iamine (1), 11-N-cyano-11-N-methylmoloka'iamine (2), and kuchinoenamine (3), were isolated as antibacterial constituents from a marine sponge Hexadella sp. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral and chemical methods. They exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against the fish pathogenic bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila.     

Organic synthesis by means of noble metal complexes—XCIV : Palladium catalyzed hydrosilylation of monoenes and conjugated dienes

Palladium compounds and metallic palladium combined with phosphine are active catalysts of selective hydrosilylation of terminal olefins. Butadiene and trichlorosilane give a 1:1 adduct and trimethylsilane affords a 1:2 adduct. Special features of the palladium catalyzed hydrosilylation reactions are presented.     

Oxidative cleavage reactions of catechol and phenol to monoester of cis,cis,-muconic acid with the oxidizing systems of O2/CuCl,KOH/CuCl2

Oxidative cleavage reactions of catechol with CuCI to give monoester of cis,cis-muconic acid in pyridine containing alcohol was investigated under various conditions. The same oxidation was carried out also with the systems of KO₂/CuCl₂ and KOH/CuCl₂ in pyridine containing alcohol in the absence of oxygen. Phenol was oxidized with the same oxidizing systems to give the same monoester of muconic acid.     

Distribution of pirarubicin in human blood.

We investigated the distribution and stability of pirarubicin in human blood obtained from 12 healthy volunteers. The distribution of pirarubicin into blood cells showed marked temperature- and concentration-dependencies and the Arrhenius plot for pirarubicin uptake in blood was biphasic. Therefore, pirarubicin appears to be taken up into blood cells by a carrier-mediated system. Pirarubicin was mainly enzymatically metabolized to pirarubicinol in blood cells, but pirarubicin was not metabolized into doxorubicin in either blood or plasma. On the other hand, in plasma, pirarubicin was degraded to unknown inactive compounds instead of pirarubicinol. It is therefore suggested that blood cells serve to protect against the degradation of pirarubicin into inactive compounds in blood. Accordingly, when the monitoring of pirarubicin and its active metabolites is carried out in patients, both blood and plasma must be frozen immediately after blood collection.     

Preparation of substituted benzoyltrimethylsilanes by the palladium-catalyzed silylation of substituted benzoyl chlorides with hexamethyldisilane

A direct preparative route to benzoyltrimethylsilane has been found by the reaction of benzoyl chloride with hexamethyldisilane in the presence of a specified palladium(II) complex as catalyst.     

Elimination of the 4-hydroxyl group of the alkaloids related to morphine—II

Dihydrothebaine-φ, dihydrothebainone-Δ⁵-enol methylether and dihydrothebainone were converted to the respective 4-phenylethers by Ullmann reaction in good yields. These phenylether derivatives were reduced to 4-desoxy compounds by sodium-liquid ammonia reduction.

Clemmensen reduction of the phenylether and the desoxy derivatives gave (-)-3-methoxy-4-phenoxy-N-methyl-morphinan and (-)-3-methoxy-N-methylmorphinan respectively.     

Regioselective 1,4-addition of nucleophiles to 1,3-diene monoepoxides catalyzed by palladium complex

1,3-Diene monoepoxides react with nucleophiles in the presence of palladium complex as a catalyst under neutral conditions to give 1,4-adducts selectively. The 1,4-adducts are allylic alcohols and there is a possibility of another nucleophilic attack. Ester of Monarch butterfly pheromone was prepared.     

Ion pairs in trifluoroacetolysis of 2-arylethyl arenesulfonates

The behavior of ion pairs in the trifluoroacetolysis of 2-arylethyl arenesulfonates was studied by means of tracer techniques with deuterium and oxygen-18.     

Synthesis of new dihydropyrazines with DNA strand-breakage activity

Treatment of 1,2-cyclohexanedione with 1,2-diamines, e.g. ethylenediamine and cis-(and trans-)1,2-diaminocyclohexane, caused [4+2] cyclocondensation to give the corresponding dihydropyrazine derivatives (compounds 1-6). They exhibited stronger DNA strand-breakage activity than that of dihydropyrazines, which has already been reported in previous papers.