High performance liquid chromatographic separation of polar and non-polar chlorophyll pigments from algae using a wide pore polymeric octadecylsilica column

A method employing a wide pore polymeric reversed phase column has been developed for the separation of most of the chlorophylls and related compounds previously described as occurring in marine microalgae. The high selectivity toward molecular shape of this kind of stationary phase has enabled compounds of very similar structure, such as chlorophylls c₁, c₂ and Mg-divinylpheoporphyrin a₅ monomethyl ester, and chlorophyll a and the phytol-substituted chlorophyll c-like pigments, which commonly coelute on monomeric bonded phases, to be resolved in a single run. Some of these pigments, formerly thought to be a single compound, have, in fact, been demonstrated to be groups of two or more. The method has been successfully applied to both algal cultures and natural sea water samples. When visible light absorbance detection was used, the method proved suitable for separation of various carotenoids.     

Total synthesis of (±) maculalactone A, maculalactone B and maculalactone C and the determination of the absolute configuration of natural (+) maculalactone A by asymmetric synthesis

Maculalactones A, B and C from the marine cyanobacterium Kyrtuthrix maculans are amongst the only compounds based on the tribenzylbutyrolactone skeleton known in nature and (+) maculalactone A from the natural source possesses significant biological activity against various marine herbivores and marine settlers. We now report a concise synthesis of racemic maculalactone A in five steps from inexpensive starting materials. Maculalactones B and C were synthesized by a minor modification to this procedure, and the synthetic design also permitted an asymmetric synthesis of maculalactone A to be achieved in around 85% ee. The (+) and (−) enantiomers of maculalactone A were assigned, respectively, to the S and R configurations on the basis of the chiral selectivity expected for catecholborane reduction of an unsymmetrical ketone in the presence of Corey's oxazoborolidine catalyst. Surprisingly, it appeared that natural (+) maculalactone A was biosynthesized in K. maculans in a partially racemic form, comprising ca. 90-95% of the (S) enantiomer and 5-10% of its (R) enantiomer. Coincidentally therefore, the percentage enantiomeric excess of the product obtained from asymmetric synthesis almost exactly matched that found in nature.     

Exiguolide, a new macrolide from the marine sponge Geodia exigua

A new 20-membered macrolide designated exiguolide has been isolated from the marine sponge Geodia exigua, and its structure determined by interpretation of spectroscopic data. Exiguolide specifically inhibited fertilization of sea urchin (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus) gametes but not embryogenesis of the fertilized egg.     

Enantioselective synthesis of preclavulone A and its methyl ester

A highly enantioselective synthesis of the (8S,12S)-enantiomer of preclavulone A and its methyl ester is described featuring the Julia protocol for installing the (Z)-double bond in the lower chain. This procedure is suitable for the preparation of labeled preclavulone analogues for biosynthetic studies on marine clavulones.     

冬凌草中的新对映-贝壳杉烷二萜化合物

对河南省济源地区产冬凌草[Isodon rubescens(Hemsl.)Hara]再次进行了深入 的研究，从其叶的乙酸乙酯提取物中分离得到了16个化合物，其中1和2为两个新的 7，20-环氧-对映-贝壳杉烷类二萜化合物，其结构通过波谱分析确定为16（S）-羟 甲基-1α，6β，7β，11β-甲羟基-7α，20-环氧-对映-贝壳杉烷-15-酮（1）和 16（R）-羟甲基-1α，6β，7β，14β-四羟基-7α，20-环氧-对映-贝壳杉烷-15- 酮（2），分别命名为冬凌草已素（1）和庚素（2）；其余的已知化合物分别鉴定 为lasiodonin（3），冬凌草甲素（oridonin，4），乙素（ponicidin），丙素（ rubescensin C），丁素（rubescensin D），牛尾草丙素（rabdoternin C），荛 花香茶菜乙素（wikstroemioidin B），enmenol-1α-O-β-D-glucoside， enmenol，胡麻素（pedalitin），水杨酸，乌索酸，β-谷甾醇和胡萝卜甙。     

The first synthesis of (±)-brevione B, an allelopathic agent isolated from Penicillium sp.

Breviones A∼E (1∼5), allelopathic agents isolated from Penicillium brevicompactum Dierckx, are structurally unique pentacyclic or hexacyclic diterpenoid derivatives. The first synthesis of brevione B (2) was achieved by employing the double S_N2′-type tandem reaction as a key step.     

Two New ent-Kaurane Diterpenoids from Isodon xerophilus

In continuation of our research on diterpenoids in the Isodon species, several newcompounds"' were obtained from the leaves oflsodon xerophilus (C. Y. Wu et H. W. Li)H. Hara (Labiatae), a perennial shrub native to Yunnan province. Further fractionation ofthe EtOAc extract led to the isolation of tWo new enl-kauranoids, xerophilusin E (l) andxerophilusin F (2). This paper deals with the structUral elucidation of the newcompounds.Xerophilusin E (l), a minor constitUent, was obtained as p…     

New NIST sediment SRM for inorganic analysis

NIST maintains a portfolio of more than 1300 standard reference materials (SRM), more than a third of these relating to measurements in the biological and environmental fields. As part of the continuous renewal and replacement efforts, a set of new marine sediments has been recently developed covering organic and inorganic determinations. This paper describes the steps taken in sample preparation, homogeneity assay, and analytical characterization and certification with specific emphasis on SRM 2702 inorganics in marine sediment. Neutron activation analysis showed the SRM to be highly homogeneous, opening the possibility for use with solid sampling techniques. The certificate provides certified mass fraction values for 25 elements, reference values for eight elements, and information values for 11 elements, covering most of the priority pollutants with small uncertainties of only several percent relative. The values were obtained by combining results from different laboratories and techniques using a Bayesian statistical model. An intercomparison carried out in field laboratories with the material before certification illustrates a high commutability of this SRM.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at     

First chemical study of anaspidean Syphonota geographica: structure of degraded sterols aplykurodinone-1 and -2

Two unprecedented degraded sterols, aplykurodinone-1 (1) and -2 (2), have been isolated from the skin of the marine anaspidean Syphonota geographica, collected along the coasts of Greece. The structures and the relative stereochemistry were established by spectroscopic analysis and confirmed by chemical correlation with related known compounds.