Hydroxycinnamic acid esters from Polygala chamaebuxus

Three new glycosides have been isolated from the aerial parts of Polygala chamaebuxus by preparative liquid chromatography on an axially-compressed silica column. The compounds were identified as 1,3-diesters of β-D-fructofuranosyl-α-D-glucopyranoside with sinapoyl, feruloyl and acetyl ester moieties on the furanose ring. The structures were elucidated by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic methods (D/CI-MS, ¹H and ¹³C NMR).     

Simultaneous quantitative determination of eight triterpenoid monoesters from flowers of 10 varieties of Calendula officinalis L. and characterisation of a new triterpenoid monoester

Dichloromethane extracts of dried flowers of Calendula officinalis contain eight known bioactive triterpendiol monoesters, namely, faradiol-3-O-palmitate, faradiol-3-O-myristate, faradiol-3-O-laurate, arnidiol-3-O-palmitate, arnidiol-3-O-myristate, arnidiol-3-O-laurate, calenduladiol-3-O-palmitate and calenduladiol-3-O-myristate. These pentacyclic terpenoids have been quantified simultaneously using reversed-phase HPLC with isocratic elution and internal standardisation. Of the 10 varieties of C. officinalis investigated, Calypso Orange Florensis produced the highest amounts of the bioactive monoesters, followed by Fiesta Gitana Gelb and May Orange Florensis. The lipophilic extract from the flowers of Calypso Orange Florensis variety also contained low levels of the newly characterised calenduladiol-3-O-laurate.     

Novel indolizine derivatives with unprecedented inhibitory activity on human farnesyltransferase

The rational structural modification of new substituted indolizin-3-yl(phenyl)methanones 1a–i, 2a–i and 3a–i has greatly improved human farnesyltransferase inhibition. The para-bromophenyl analog 2f bearing an ester unit on the indolizine ring demonstrates the highest inhibition potential, with IC₅₀ value of 1.3 ± 0.2 μM. The amidic series 1a–i proves to be the most promising for future modulations, particularly at the triple bond level.     

Enzymatic synthesis of terpenyl esters by transesterification with fatty acid vinyl esters as acyl donors by Trichosporon fermentans lipase

Enzymatic synthesis of terpenyl esters by esterification or transesterification with fatty acid vinyl esters as acyl donors by celite-adsorbed lipase of Trichosporon fermentans was investigated. In direct esterification of geraniol, the lipase showed high reactivity toward fatty acids with carbon chains longer than C-8, but little reactivity toward fatty acids with shorter chains. With fatty acid vinyl esters as acyl donors, the lipase catalysed the synthesis of geranyl and citronellyl esters with carbon chains shorter than C-6 in with yields of >90% molar conversion. Time course, effects of added water, temperature and substrate concentration were studied for the synthesis of geranyl acetate. Molar conversion yield reached 97.5% after 5 h incubation at 30–40°C with the addition of 3% water. In this reaction, no inhibition by substrates such as geraniol and vinyl acetate was observed.     

Quantitative colorimetric and gas chromatoographic determination of arecaidine propargyl ester

Arecaidine propargyl ester (APE) is a potent muscarinic agonist often used in pharmacological studies. To date, no sensitive quantitative analytical method for APE has been published. In this study, two methods for the quantitative determination of APE are compared: a colorimetric assay, based on the formation of the corresponding ferric(III)-hydroxamic acid complex, and a direct gas chromatographic method, using arecoline as the internal standard. The latter method was found to be more precise. The utility of the gas chromatographic assay was further demonstrated in a stability study of the drug in the biological fluid aqueous humor of rabbits.     

Solid angle as steric parameter of acyclic saturated groups

With the early aim of quantifying steric consequences of chirality, efforts to define a nonempirical steric parameter of chemical groups are reported. Steric hindrance of a reacting center by any acyclic saturated R group has been characterized by a geometric “axial steric parameter”: the solid angle of R. When the group is a “symmetric top substituent” (i.e., when all the terminal atoms are equivalent), the solid angle matches the solid angle of a cone envelope of R. The definition of this cone is compared with Tolman's definition of a ligand cone in organometallic complexes. The chemical significance of this parameter is shown by an excellent correlation with the Dubois' experimental steric parameter E′_s. Modeling steric repulsion by the cone of R, and correcting solid angles for conformational effects, only 3 empirical coefficients are needed to calculate 33 values of E′_s with less than 10% error. The cone model is suggested to be relevant within the limits of random and independent free rotations about all the bonds in the C–R group. A separation between “axial cone steric hindrance” and other steric effects is proposed. The basic model and the corrections proposed allow the conformational features of esters to be discussed.     

Polyethylene Glycol-Modified Lipase Soluble and Active in Organic Solvents

A new approach in biotechnological processes is to use lipase modified with polyethylene glycol(PEG) which has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. The PEG-lipase is soluble in organic solvents such as benzene and chlorinated hydrocarbons and exhibits high enzymic activity in organic solvents. The PEG-lipase catalyses the reverse reaction of hydrolysis in organic solvents; ester synthesis and ester exchange reactions. The PEG-lipase can also be conjugated to magnetite (Fe₃O₄). The magnetic lipase catalyses ester synthesis in organic solvents and can be readily recovered by magnetic force without loss of enzymic activity.     

N-acetyl-(L-Ala) 3 -p-nitroanilide as a new chromogenic substrate for elastase

The introduction of a useful new chromogenic substrate for the determination of elastase (EC 3.4.4.7) activity is described. N-acetyl-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Ala-$\text{p}$-nitroanilide (AcAla₃NA) is a new specific elastase substrate whose hydrolysis can be followed spectrophotometrically at 410 nm in a wide pH range. Its rate of hydrolysis by α-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.4.5) and trypsin (EC 3.4.4.4.) is 0.02% and 0.001% respectively compared to its rate of hydrolysis by elastase. As little as 0.1 μg elastase/ml can be satisfactorily determined. At pH 8, K_m = 0.88 mM and k_cat = 11.9 sec^?1.     

Nucleophilic addition to the 9 position of 9-phenylcarboxylate-10-methylacridinium protects against hydrolysis of the ester

The chemiluminescent reaction of an acridinium ester (AE) requires addition of peroxide to the 9 position of the acridinium ring. The addition of a hydroxide ion to the 9 position of an acridinium ester to form the carbinol adduct has also been well documented. We have observed a similar addition of other nucleophiles to the acridinium ring to form an acridan adduct. The adduct formed with bisulphite has been particularly well-characterized for rate of formation, rate of reversion, and reaction equilibrium. The formation of an adduct (other than H₂O₂) has been demonstrated to decrease significantly the reactivity of the adjacent ester bond to alkaline hydrolysis. The resulting, more stable adduct is very useful when the acridinium ester is used as a label in DNA probe-based assays. The adduct is highly resistant to hydrolysis under the conditions often desired for DNA probe-based assays (high temperature, elevated pH, extended storage).     

4-O-Caffeoylshikimic and 4-O-(p-Coumaroyl)shikimic Acids from the Dwarf Tree Fern,Dicksonia antarctica

Two derivatives of shikimic acid were isolated from croziers of the dwarf tree fern, Dicksonia antarctica, and their structures were elucidated as 4-O-caffeoylshikimic acid and 4-O-(p-coumaroyl)-shikimic acid on the basis of mass spectrometric and NMR spectroscopic evidence.     

Nonspecific binding of lac repressor to DNA. II. A small-angle neutron-scattering study

Complexes between lac repressor and DNA fragments from mononucleosomes have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering. Both the radius of gyration and the molecular weight of the complexes were measured, and the experimental results were interpreted according to a model with two types of complex (M. Charlier and J.-C. Maurizot, Biophys. Chem. 18 (1983) 303), and a statistical distribution of repressor on the DNA fragments. Good agreement between the model calculations and the experimental results was obtained. We concluded that there was an absence of strong cooperativity and of network formation between the complexes. The second type of binding, which does not induce any spectroscopic change, is marked by an increase in molecular weight of the complexes. Kinetic measurements were also made, which allowed the determination of the lifetime of the nonspecific DNA-repressor complexes.     

杭白菊的化学成分研究：两个新三萜酯的结构测定

从杭白菊(Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat. )Tzvel.)的乙醚部分分离出13个化合物。运用波谱技术和化学方法证明其中2个为新化合物,命名为棕榈酸16β,22α-二羟基假蒲公英甾醇酯(1)和棕榈酸16β,28-二羟基羽扇醇酯(2)。     

Phorbol ester stimulates the synthesis of sphingomyelin in NIH 3T3 cells. A diminished response in cells transformed with human A-raf carrying retrovirus

The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulated the synthesis of sphingomyelin (CerPCho) from a [¹⁴C]choline-labelled phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) pool in NIH 3T3 cells. Maximal stimulation (68%) of CerP-Cho synthesis, accompanied by an increase (38%) in its cellular content, required only 2 nM TPA. Higher concentrations of TPA (2–100 nM) had progressively less effect on CerPCho synthesis which correlated with increased hydrolysis of precursor PtdCho. In cells transformed with human or mouse A-raf carrying retroviruses TPA-stimulated PtdCho hydrolysis, but not CerPCho synthesis, suggesting independent regulation of these processes by the TPA-stimulated signal transduction system.     

Effect of α-actinin on actin viscosity

As determined by analytical ultracentrifugation, purified α-actinin does not form stable complexes with G-actin, myosin, tropomyosin, or the tropomyosintroponin complex. However, α-actinin forms a stable complex with F-actin polymerized either in 100 mM KC1 or in 2mM MgCl₂ without KCl. Viscosity studies confirm that α-actinin interacts as strongly with Mg²⁺-polymerized actin as it does with KCl-polymerized actin.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of nalbuphine and its prodrug, sebacoyl dinalbuphine ester, in dog plasma and application to pharmacokinetic studies in dogs

For the determination of nalbuphine and its long acting prodrug, sebacoyl dinalbuphine ester (SDN), in biological samples, a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method using dual detectors was established. Ultraviolet and fluorescence detectors were connected in series for determining SDN and nalbuphine, respectively. The two analytes and internal standard were extracted from plasma by alkaline liquid–liquid extraction using n-hexane–isoamyl alcohol (9:1, v/v). The calibration curve for nalbuphine was linear over the range from 10 to 2500 ng/ml, while the range was 25 to 2500 ng/ml for SDN. The within- and between-day precision and accuracy were all within 10% for both nalbuphine and SDN over these concentrations. The method was applied successfully to a pharmacokinetic study of SDN administered at 20 mg/kg to two beagle dogs. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that SDN followed a linear one-compartment model with an elimination half-life of 74.7 min. Formation of nalbuphine after intravenous administration of SDN was observed in the first time point sample (5 min). These results indicate that SDN is rapidly metabolized to its active moiety, nalbuphine, in dogs and no other metabolites are detected in plasma.     

Phorbol ester stimulates the synthesis of sphingomyelin in NIH 3T3 cells A diminished response in cells transformed with human A-raf carrying retrovirus

The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulated the synthesis of sphingomyelin (CerPCho) from a [¹⁴C]choline-labelled phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) pool in NIH 3T3 cells. Maximal stimulation (68%) of CerP-Cho synthesis, accompanied by an increase (38%) in its cellular content, required only 2 nM TPA. Higher concentrations of TPA (2–100 nM) had progressively less effect on CerPCho synthesis which correlated with increased hydrolysis of precursor PtdCho. In cells transformed with human or mouse A-raf carrying retroviruses TPA-stimulated PtdCho hydrolysis, but not CerPCho synthesis, suggesting independent regulation of these processes by the TPA-stimulated signal transduction system.     

Stereoselective Reduction of Carbonyl Compounds with Actinomycete: Purification and Characterization of Three α-Keto Ester Reductases from Streptomyces avermitilis

We achieved the purification of three α-keto ester reductases (Streptomyces avermitilis keto ester reductase, SAKERs-I, -II, and -III) from Streptomyces avermitilis NBRC14893 whole cells. The molecular masses of the native SAKERs-I, -II, and -III were estimated to be 72, 38, and 36 kDa, respectively, by gel filtration chromatography. The subunit molecular masses of SAKERs-I, -II, and -III were also estimated to be 32, 32, and 34 kDa, respectively, by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified SAKERs-II and -III showed a reducing activity for α-keto esters (in particular, for ethyl pyruvate). SAKER-I showed a high reducing activity not only toward the α- and β-keto esters, but also toward α-keto acid. The N-terminal region amino acid sequences of SAKERs-I, -II, and -III were identical to that of a putative oxidoreductase, SAV2750, a putative oxidoreductase, SAV1849, and a putative oxidoreductase, SAV4117, respectively, hypothetical proteins coded on the S. avermitilis genome.