Identification of 2,4-Dihydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-thiophenone as a Low-Molecular-Weight Yellow Pigment in Soy Sauce

The color of soy sauce is considered to be mainly attributable to melanoidins formed by the Maillard reaction. However, the chemical structure of melanoidins cannot be clarified, because melanoidins are high-molecular-weight heterogeneous polymers. We isolated a low-molecular-weight pigment from soy sauce and identified 2,4-dihydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-thiophenone as this pigment formed by the Maillard reaction, although its contribution to the total color of soy sauce was very low.     

An Exclusive Increase in the Concentration of ATP as a Result of Osmotic Stress in Escherichia coli B

The ATP level was exclusively increased among the nucleotides in Escherichia coli under osmotic stress, concomitant with a decrease of guanosine phosphates levels. The profile of ATP formation was different from that resulting from chemicals. E. coli contains a specific system to enhance the ATP level and it might be possible that the source of the increased ATP is guanosine phosphates.     

Studies on Organophosphorus Pesticides Synthesis of Some Sulphanilamide Derivatives

Several N¹-aryl-N⁴(O, O-diethylthiophosphoryl) sulphanilamides and N¹-aiyl-N⁴-(N, N-diarylthiophosphoramidic) sulphanilamides have been prepared with a view to study their pesticidal properties. Six such compounds have been tested against two species of fungi.     

Identification of the Blue Pigment Formed in a D-Glucose-Glycine Reaction System

D-Glucose (0.7 M), glycine (0.3 M), and sodium hydrogencarbonate (0.1 M) were dissolved in aqueous 30% ethanol at pH 8.0 and left at 50 °C for 4 d in a dark room under nitrogen displacement. The resulting blue pigment was isolated and purified from the blue solution by anionic exchange and gel filtration chromatography. This blue pigment, which is designated Blue-G1, was identified as 5-[1,4-bis-carboxymethyl-5-(2,3,4-trihydroxybutyl)-1,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrol-2-ylmethylene]-1,4-bis-carboxymethyl-2-(2,3,4-trihydroxybutyl)-4,5-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrol-1-ium. Blue-G1 had two symmetrical pyrrolopyrrole structures with a trihydroxybutyl group. Blue-G1 had a polymerizing activity, suggesting it to be an important Maillard reaction intermediate through the formation of melanoidins.     

Synthesis of Some O,O-Dialkyl N-[4-(N-heteroarylsulfamoyl)-phenyl]phosphoramidothioates as Potential Fungicides

Fourteen new O, O-dialkyl N-[4-(N-heteroarylsulfamoyl)phosphoramidothioate having thiazoles and oxadiazoles as heteroaryl moieties have been synthesised. They have been tested against two species of fungi and their fungicidal activities have been compared with those of two commercial fungicides, viz., Dithane M-45 and Bavistin.     

Studies in Oxadiazoles Synthesis of Some 2-Mercapto-l,3,4-oxadiazoles and Related Compounds as Potential Fungicides

Several 2-mercapto-5-substituted-l,3,4-oxadiazoles, alkyl and aralkyl oxadiazolyl sulphides, disulphides and sulphones have been prepared. A representative number of these compounds have been tested against two fungal species.     

Synthesis of Some New Halogenated N-Thiazolyl Substituted 2-Mercapto Benzoic Acid Amides and Their Use as Possible Fungicides

One hundred and four acid amido compounds have been prepared by condensing 2-mercapto benzoic acid and its 5-bromo, 3, 5-dibromo and 3, 5-dichloro derivatives with 2-amino-4-substituted thiazoles and their 5-halogenated derivatives via the acid chloride. All these compounds have been tested against Helminthosporium. Four of the compounds were tested for their antibacterial, antihelminthic activities and also for their hypoglycemic activity.     

Synthesis and properties of diastereoisomers of adenosine 5'-(O-1-thiotriphosphate) and adenosine 5'-(O-2-thiotriphosphate).

The chemical synthesis of adenosine 5'-(O-1-thiotriphosphate) (ATPalphaS) and adenosine 5'-(O-2-thiotriphosphate) (ATPbetaS) is described. Both exist as a pair of diastereomers, A and B. The isomers of ATPalphaS can be distinguished on the basis of their different reaction rates with myokinase as well as nucleoside diphosphate kinase. With both enzymes, isomer A reacts fast whereas isomer B reacts considerably more slowly. Phosphorylation of a mixture of isomers of ADPalphaS with pyruvate or acetate kinase yields ATPalphaS, isomer A, whereas the phosphoryl transfer with creatine or arginine kinase yields isomer B. The isomers of ATPbetaS differ in their reactivity with myosin. Isomer A is readily hydrolyzed, whereas isomer B is not. However, isomer B reacts faster with nucleoside diphosphate kinase and ADP than isomer A. Phosphoryl transfer with pyruvate kinase onto ADPbetaS yields ATPbetaS, isomer A, with acetate kinase, isomer B.     

Identification of N epsilon-(carboxyethyl)lysine,one of the methylglyoxal-derived AGE structures,in glucose-modified protein: mechanism for protein modification by reactive aldehydes

We have developed a separation system for N(epsilon)-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) and N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) by HPLC equipped with a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin coupled with sulfonic group cation-exchange column and examined whether CEL is formed from proteins modified by glucose via the Maillard reaction. CEL was generated by incubating bovine serum albumin (BSA) with glucose, a reaction inhibited by aminoguanidine, but enhanced by phosphate. Although several aldehydes were detected during incubation of N(alpha)-acetyllysine with glucose, incubation of BSA with methylglyoxal alone generated CEL. These results indicate that methylglyoxal is responsible for CEL formation on protein in vitro.     

Synthesis of Some New Halogenated N-Thiazolyl Substituted Hydroxy Acid Amides and Their Use as Possible Fungicides

A large number of new N-thiazolyl, chloro-thiazolyl, brome-thiazolyl and iodothiazolyl amides of salicylic, hydroxy naphthoic acids, both halogenated and non-halogenated ones have been synthesised by condensing simple as well as halogenated thiazoles with different aromatic hydroxy acids, viz. salicylic, chloro- and bromo-salicylic, hydroxy naphthoic and bromo hydroxyl naphthoic acids. All these compounds are assayed for their fungicidal activity using Piricularia oryzae (Cav.), Helminthosporium oryzae and Carvularia lunata as the test fungi. An attempt has been made to establish a relationship between chemical structure and fungicidal activity.     

A continuous enzyme assay and characterisation of fructosyl amine oxidase enzymes (EC 1.5.3)

Enzymatic reversal of the Maillard reaction is a growing area of research. Fructosyl amine oxidase enzymes (EC 1.5.3) have attracted recent attention through demonstration of their ability to deglycate Amadori products, low molecular weight intermediates formed during the early stage of the Maillard reaction. Although stopped assays have been described, a bottleneck in current studies is the lack of continuous kinetic assays. Here, we describe the development of a continuous, coupled enzyme assay and its successful application to determining optimal storage conditions and the steady-state kinetic parameters of an enzyme from this group, amadoriase I. A K(m)(app) of 11 microM and a K(cat)(app) of 3.5s(-1) were determined using this assay using fructosyl propylamine as a substrate, which differ from previous reports. This method was also used to test the activity of two site-directed mutants of amadoriase I, H357N and S370A, which were found to be catalytically inactive.     

Synthesis and characterization of nickel(II) complexes bearing 2-(imidazol-2-yl)pyridines or 2-(pyridin-2-yl)phenanthroimidazoles/oxazoles and their polymerization of norbornene

Series of 2-R₁-6-(1-R₂-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)pyridine (R₁ = R₂ = H, L1; R₁ = Me, R₂ = H, L2; R₁ = H, R₂ = Me, L3; R₁ = R₂ = Me, L4), 2-(6-R₁-pyridin-2-yl)-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole (R₁ = H, L5; R₁ = Me, L6) and 2-(pyridin-2-yl)phenanthro[9,10-d]oxazole (L7) were synthesized and used to prepare their corresponding dihalonickel complexes (C1-C9). All organic compounds and nickel complexes were characterized by elemental and spectroscopic analyses. Molecular structures of C1, C4, C5 and C8 were confirmed by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed complex C1 as a distorted octahedral geometry, complex C4 as a distorted square pyramidal geometry, complex C5 as a distorted trigonal bipyramidal configuration, and complex C8 as a tetrahedral geometry. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), the nickel complexes showed good activity towards norbornene polymerization through main additional and minor ring-opening metathesis. The reaction parameters such as norbornene concentration, reaction temperature and different coordinate environments caused by the ligands affected their catalytic performances.     

Reaction of N(alpha)-hippuryllysine with 2-hydroxyheptanal: a model for lysine-directed protein modifications by lipid peroxidation

2-Hydroxyheptanal (2-HH) is one of the major aldehydes derived from peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In the present study, to obtain an insight into the contributions of 2-HH to protein modifications during lipid peroxidation, a lysine-containing dipeptide, N(alpha)-hippuryllysine (N-benzoylglycyl-L-lysine, BGL), was reacted with 2-HH at neutral pH. The products were characterized on the basis of LC/MS and NMR spectroscopy. The reaction afforded a 2:1 2-HH-lysine adduct, 1-[5-(N-benzoylglycylamino)-5-carboxypentyl]-4-butyl-5-pentyl-1,2,6-trihydropyridin-3-one (I). In addition, we obtained a 1:1 2-HH-lysine adduct, N-[5-(N-benzoylglycylamino)-5-carboxypentyl]-1-amino-2-heptanone (III). The treatment of the purified III with 2-HH produced I. On the other hand, when the reaction mixture was allowed prolonged standing, I was slowly oxidized to 1-[5-(N-benzoylglycylamino)-5-carboxypentyl]-4-butyl-5-pentyl-3-hydroxypyridinium (V). This conversion was strongly accelerated by the addition of copper(II) ion and 2,2'-bipyridyl. We propose here that the above series of conversions is the main pathway for the modification of lysine residues of proteins by 2-HH.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 4-aza-2,3-dihydropyridophenanthrolines as tubulin polymerization inhibitors

A series of novel 4-aza-2,3-dihydropyridophenanthrolines 12(a–t) were synthesized by a one-step three component condensation of 1,10-phenanthroline amine, tetronic acid and various aromatic aldehydes. These were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against three human cancer cell lines (MIAPACA, MCF-7 and HeLa) using SRB assay. Majority of the tested compounds exhibited significant anticancer activity on these cell lines and interestingly compounds 12h and 12i were more potent than etoposide and podophyllotoxin against all three tested cancer cell lines with GI₅₀ values in the range of 0.01–0.5 μM. Furthermore, these compounds showed significant inhibition of tubulin polymerization which is comparable to that of podophyllotoxin and disrupted microtubule network by accumulating tubulin in the soluble fraction. The flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the synthesized compounds led to cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Moreover, the structure activity relationship studies in this series are also discussed.     

Synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-(4-nitroimidazol-1-yl)-D-alditols

Small molecules possessing defined configuration at centres of chirality provide a valuable chiral pool. Among different strategies applied for modification of chiral compounds, the most common is to begin with a single stereoisomer and use a synthesis that does not affect the chiral centres. The ANRORC type reaction has been applied for conversion of unprotected 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-hexopyranoses into 2-deoxy-2-(4-nitroimidazol-1-yl)-D-hexopyranoses in a reaction of some 2-aminosugars with 1,4-dinitroimidazoles. The reaction occurs with retention of configuration at C-2 of sugar ring. The products of the reaction were obtained as anomeric mixtures and separated into anomers after acetylation followed by column chromatography. 2-Deoxy-2-(4-nitroimidazol-1-yl)-D-hexopyranoses treated with sodium borohydride in methanolic solution gave the corresponding 2-deoxy-2-(4-nitroimidazol-1-yl)-D-hexitols, characterised as per-O-acetylated derivatives.     

Phosphoramidates of 2′-β-d-arabinouridine (AraU) as phosphate prodrugs; design,synthesis, in vitro activity and metabolism

2′-β-d-Arabinouridine (AraU), the uridine analogue of the anticancer agent AraC, was synthesized and evaluated for antiviral activity and cytotoxicity. In addition, a series of AraU monophosphate prodrugs in the form of triester phosphoramidates (ProTides) were also synthesized and tested against a range of viruses, leukaemia and solid tumour cell lines. Unfortunately, neither the parent compound (AraU) nor any of its ProTides showed antiviral activity, nor potent inhibitory activity against any of the cancer cell lines. Therefore, the metabolism of AraU phosphoramidates to release AraU monophosphate was investigated. The results showed carboxypeptidase Y, hog liver esterase and crude CEM tumor cell extracts to hydrolyse the ester motif of phosphoramidates with subsequent loss of the aryl group, while molecular modelling studies suggested that the AraU l-alanine aminoacyl phosphate derivative might not be a good substrate for the phosphoramidase enzyme Hint-1. These findings are in agreement with the observed disappearance of intact prodrug and concomitant appearance of the corresponding phosphoramidate intermediate derivative in CEM cell extracts without measurable formation of araU monophosphate. These findings may explain the poor antiviral/cytostatic potential of the prodrugs.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-4-phenylquinolines as inhibitors of cholesterol esterase

A series of 2-(substituted) phenyl and 2-indolyl quinoline derivatives (10a–l) was synthesized by an efficient microwave-assisted, trifluoroacetic acid-catalyzed, solvent-free method. Evaluation of the inhibitory activity led to the identification of two quinoline inhibitors of cholesterol esterase. 2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-6-nitro-4-phenylquinoline (10l; IC₅₀ = 1.98 μM) was characterized as a mixed-type inhibitor with a pronounced competitive binding mode.     

Synthesis of poly (1,4-dioxan-2-one) catalyzed by immobilized lipase CA

Polymerization of 1,4-dioxan-2-one was carried out more detailed with immobilized lipase CA as the catalyst. The effect of the enzyme amount, reaction temperature and water content on polymerization was investigated, respectively. Both the conversion of monomer and the M_v of poly(1,4-dioxan-2-one) increased with the increase of enzyme amount, and maximized at 80 °C. At the beginning of polymerization, water molecules act as initiators. As the reaction time increased, linear condensation had gradually became dominant and water was released into the reaction system. Excess water may act as a chain cleavage agent. To obtain poly(1,4-dioxan-2-one) with an ideal molecular weight, polymerization of 1,4-dioxan-2-one was conducted by adding solvent and MS to reaction system, and product with a higher molecular weight (M_v = 58,000) was gained.