Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity by essential oil from Citrus paradisi

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity by essential oils of Citrus paradisi (grapefruit pink in USA) was studied. Inhibition of AChE was measured by the colorimetric method. Nootkatone and auraptene were isolated from C. paradisi oil and showed 17-24% inhibition of AChE activity at the concentration of 1.62 microg/mL.     

Lewis acid-activated chiral leaving group: enantioselective electrophilic addition to prochiral olefins

A new strategy using a BINOL derivative as a chiral leaving group and Lewis acid has been developed for enantioselective alkylation of prochiral olefins. (R)-2,2'-Bis[2-(trimethylsilyl)ethoxymethyl]-1,1'-binaphthol is demonstrated to be an effective reagent for enantioselective hydroxymethylation of silyl enol ethers and trisubstituted alkenes. Electrophilic addition to prochiral olefins is accompanied by cleavage of an acetal that is dual activated by SnCl4 and the delta-effect of silicon through the S(N)2 substitution process. Enantioselective synthesis of cyclic terpenes is also described using this strategy.     

A convenient preparation of 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propynylamines and their Lewis acid catalyzed reaction with carbonyl compounds leading to (z)-alpha-(trifluoromethyl)-alpha,beta-unsaturated amides

N,N-Dialkyl(3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propynyl)amines were readily prepared by a three-step procedure starting from commercially available 2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropanol. These fluorinated alkynylamines reacted smoothly with a variety of aldehydes or ketones in the presence of a catalytic amount of Lewis acid and molecular sieves 4A at ambient temperature to produce the corresponding alpha-(trifluoromethyl)-alpha,beta-unsaturated amides in good to excellent yields with high Z-stereoselectivity.     

On-off-switched crown-metal complexation by photoinduced intramolecular tail (ammonium)-biting

New photoresponsive crown ethers (1H⁺) having a crown ring and an ammoniumalkyl (H₃N⁺(CH₂)_n ^–, n=4,6,10) group attached to the two sides of an azobenzene have been synthesized. Photoresponsive properties (thermal isomerization, metal extraction, membrane transport, etc.) were examined, and the results were compared with those of other photoresponsive crown ethers and complexons.     

NAD(P)+-NAD(P)H model. 38. Reduction of aldehyde by 1,4-dihydroquinolin derivative

Benzaldehyde are reduced to benzyl alcohol by a model compound of NAD(P)H almost quantitatively. Reductions of some other aldehydes are also mentioned.