Degradation of ²-O-4 lignin model and related compounds by the ascomyceteChrysonilia sitophila (TFB 27441 strain)

Growth of the ascomyceteChrysonilia sitophila during degradation of lignin model dimers and monomers was compared to a glucose control. An inhibition of growth by Cα-carbonyl monomers and stimulation by β-O-4 lignin model and vanillyl alcohol were observed. A comparison of the degradation by this ascomycete with the basidiomycetePhanerochaete chrysosoporium showed similarities in relation to the type of degradation caused.     

Heteropolyacid-catalyzed synthesis of chloromethyl methyl ether

An efficient (in terms of experiment and time) synthetic procedure for chloromethyl methyl ether (MOM-Cl) is described using heteropolyacids as catalysts.     

A sensitive LC‐MS/MS method for the quantification of febuxostat in human plasma and its pharmacokinetic application

An improved, simple and highly sensitive LC‐MS/MS method has been developed and validated for quantification of febuxostat with 100 μL human plasma using febuxostat‐d₇ as an internal standard (IS) according to regulatory guidelines. The analyte and IS were extracted from human plasma via liquid–liquid extraction using diethyl ether. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax C₁₈ column using a mixture of acetonitrile and 5 mm ammonium formate (60:40, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The total run time was 5.0 min and the elution of febuxostat and IS occurred at 1.0 and 1.5 min, respectively. A linear response function was established for the range of concentrations 1–6000 ng/mL (r > 0.99). The precursor to product ion transitions monitored for febuxostat and IS were m/z 317.1 → 261.1 and 324.2 → 262.1, respectively. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions (%RSD) were within 1.29–9.19 and 2.85–7.69%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies in humans. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Probing the mechanism of the Petasis olefination reaction by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass and tandem mass spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass (APCI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (APCI-MS/MS) is used to probe the mechanism of the Petasis olefination reaction. Oxatitanacycle intermediates 4 were transferred from solution to the gas phase, detected as 4H+ by APCI-MS with characteristic Ti-isotopic patterns, and structurally characterized by APCI-MS/MS. Detection of 4H+, which upon collision activation dissociates to both 3H+ and Cp(2)TiOH+, fully supports the Hughes mechanism as depicted above. [reaction: see text]     

Stereoselective synthesis of functionalized trans-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans

[reaction: see text] The addition of the titanium enolates of N-acetyl, N-propionyl, and N-bromoacetyl (R)-oxazolidin-2-ones to gamma-lactol 2, derived from (S)-glutamic acid, afforded trans- and cis-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans (trans/cis ratio: R = H, 2:1; R = Me, 8:1; R = Br, 10:1) after desilylation with aqueous HF/CH3CN. Chromatographic separation and LiBH4 reduction allowed the efficient preparation of the corresponding trans-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran diols and the recovery of the chiral auxiliary.     

Trimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesul Fonate (Tmsotf) Catalyzed Amidoalkylation of Silylenolethers. Stereocontrolled Syntheses of (+/-)-Sedamine and (+/-)-Norsedamine

Trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf) catalyzed addition of 1-trimethylsilyloxy-1-phenylethene to N-ethoxycarbonyl-and N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxypiperidines (3d and 3b, respectively) afforded the corresponding ketocarbamates 4a and 4b, in excellent yields. Stereoselective conversion to (±)-norsedamine (7) and (±)-sedamine (8) is described.     

Enantioselective total syntheses of (+)-arborescidine A, (-)-arborescidine B, and (-)-arborescidine C

Described are the first enantioselective total syntheses of (+)-arborescidine A ((+)-1), (-)-arborescidine B ((-)-2), and (-)-arborescidine C ((-)-3), via routes that proceeded in five steps and 50% overall yield, eight steps and 61% overall yield, and nine steps and 51% overall yield, respectively, from 6-bromotryptamine (7). The syntheses feature the use of the Noyori catalytic asymmetric hydrogen-transfer reaction to introduce chirality in dihydro-beta-carbolines 6 and 8. On the basis of an ample precedent from Noyori's work, the reduction produces dihydro-beta-carbolines, and ultimately the natural products, possessing the R absolute configuration. The synthetic arborescidines displayed optical rotations that were opposite in sign those of the natural products, thereby supporting the S configuration for natural arborescidines A (1) and B (2) and the (3S,17S) configuration for natural arborescidine C (3). Our results are in agreement with the initial stereochemical assignment by Pa?s and co-workers, and are counter to their recently revised assignment.     

Simultaneous determination of carisoprodol and aspirin in human plasma using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in polarity switch mode: application to a human pharmacokinetic study

A simple, sensitive and rapid LC‐MS/MS‐ESI method has been developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of the carisoprodol and aspirin in human plasma. Carisoprodol was detected in positive ion mode, whereas aspirin was detected in negative ion mode. Carbamazepine and furosemide were used as internal standards (IS) for quantification of carisoprodol and aspirin, respectively. The extraction procedure involves a liquid–liquid extraction method with ter‐butyl methyl ether. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax XDB‐Phenyl (4.6 × 75 mm, 3.5 µm) column using an isocratic mobile phase (5 mm ammonium acetate:methanol, 20:80, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min with a total run time of 2.2 min. A detailed method validation was performed as per the FDA guidelines. The standard curves found to be linear in the range of 25.5–4900 and 15.3–3000 ng/mL for carisoprodol and aspirin, respectively. The results met the acceptance criteria. Carisoprodol and aspirin were found to be stable in various stability studies. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study following co‐administration of carisoprodol (250 mg) and aspirin (75 mg) tablets by oral route to human volunteers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.