RCAI-37, 56, 59, 60, 92, 101, and 102, cyclitol and carbasugar analogs of KRN7000: Their synthesis and bioactivity for mouse lymphocytes to produce Th1-biased cytokines

Cyclitol [RCAI-37 (1), 59 (5), 92 (7), and 102 (2)] and carbasugar analogs [RCAI-56 (3), 60 (4), and 101 (6)] of KRN7000 were synthesized through coupling reactions of the corresponding cyclitol or carbasugar derivatives with a cyclic sulfamidate (9) as the key step. Bioassay showed RCAI-56 (3, carbagalactose analog of KRN7000), 59 (5, 1-deoxy-neo-inositol analog), and 92 (7, 1-O-methylated 5) to be remarkably potent stimulants of mouse lymphocytes to produce Th1-biased cytokines, such as interferon-γ, in vivo. RCAI-60 (4, carbafucose analog) and RCAI-101 (6, 6-O-methylated 3) showed strong bioactivity, on the other hands, RCAI-37 (1, myo-inositol analog) and 102 (2, neo-inositol analog) induced little cytokine production.     

Synthesis,tautomerism, and antimicrobial,anti-HCV,anti-SSPE,antioxidant, and antitumor activities of arylazobenzosuberones

2-Dimethylaminomethylene-1-benzosuberone 1 was coupled with diazotized aniline derivatives to afford a series of the hitherto unreported 2-arylazo-1-benzosuberones 3a–i. The tautomeric structure and the effect of substituents on the tautomeric form (s) of the products 3a–i were discussed. Similar coupling of the enaminone 1 with diazonium salts of heterocyclic amines gave the respective fused azolotriazino-benzosuberones. Some of the newly synthesized compounds showed potent antimicrobial, anti-HCV, antioxidant, antitumor (as topoisomerase I inhibitors), and antimicrobial activities.     

Active, water-insoluble derivatives of D-glucose oxidase and alginic acid, chitin, and Celite

Treatment of 2-benzimidazolemethanol (4) with methanesulfonyl chloride and pyridine in chloroform afforded 2-(chloromethyl)-1-(methylsulfonyl)benzimidazole (6), which was also prepared by methanesulfonylation of 2-(chloromethyl)benzimidazole. Methanesulfonylation of α-(2-benzimidazolyl)benzyl alcohol (8) in chloroform yielded 2-(α-chlorobenzyl)-1-(methylsulfonyl)benzimidazole. 1-(Methylsulfonyl)-2-benzimidazolemethanol was obtained on methanesulfonylation of 4 pyridine at 0°, and α-[1-(methylsulfonyl)-2-benzimidazolyl]benzyl alcohol (12) was prepared from 8 by using the same reaction conditions. The reaction of 1-acetyl-2-(chloromethyl)-benzimidazole with silver methanesulfonate in benzene gave 1-acetyl-O-(methylsulfonyl)-2-benzimidazolemethanol. Compound 6 has some antitumor activity in the KB cell-culture system, and some antibacterial activity in the Staphylococcus aureus test-system; it is also active in preventing anaphylactic shock in a mouse test-system.     

Design,synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of novel pyrazole integrated benzophenones

A series of novel pyrazole integrated benzophenones (9a–j) have been designed, synthesized from 1-methyl-5-(2,4,6-trimethoxy-phenyl)-1H-pyrazole 6. The structures of the regioisomers 6 and 7 were determined by 2D ¹H–¹H COSY, ¹H–¹³C HSQC and ¹H–¹³C HMBC experiments. The newly synthesized compounds (9a–j) were evaluated for in vivo anti-inflammatory activity by carrageenan paw edema in rats and in vitro COX-1/COX-2 inhibition and antioxidant potential. Among the synthesized compounds, compounds 9b, 9d and 9f, were found to be active anti-inflammatory agents in addition to having potent antioxidant activity.     

Comparing anti-HIV,antibacterial, antifungal,micellar, and cytotoxic properties of tricarboxylato dendritic amphiphiles

Three series of homologous dendritic amphiphiles—RCONHC(CH₂CH₂COOH)₃, 1(n); ROCONHC(CH₂CH₂COOH)₃, 2(n); RNHCONHC(CH₂CH₂COOH)₃, 3(n), where R = n-C_nH_2n+1 and n = 13–22 carbon atoms—were assayed for their potential to serve as antimicrobial components in a topical vaginal formulation. Comparing epithelial cytotoxicities to the ability of these homologues to inhibit HIV, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Candida albicans provided a measure of their prophylactic/therapeutic potential. Measurements of the ability to inhibit Lactobacillus plantarum, a beneficial bacterium in the vagina, and critical micelle concentrations (CMCs), an indicator of the potential detergency of these amphiphiles, provided additional assessments of safety. Several amphiphiles from each homologous series had modest anti-HIV activity (EC₅₀ = 110–130 μM). Amphiphile 2(18) had the best anti-Neisseria activity (MIC = 65 μM), while 1(19) and 1(21) had MICs against C. albicans of 16 and 7.7 μM, respectively. Two measures of safety showed promise as all compounds had relatively low cytotoxic activity (EC₅₀ = 210–940 μM) against epithelial cells and low activity against L. plantarum, 1(n), 2(n), and 3(n) had MICs ? 490, 1300, and 940 μM, respectively. CMCs measured in aqueous triethanolamine and in aqueous potassium hydroxide showed linear dependences on chain length. As expected, the longest chain in each series had the lowest CMC—in triethanolamine: 1(21), 1500 μM; 2(22), 320 μM; 3(22), 340 μM, and in potassium hydroxide: 1(21), 130 μM; 3(22), 40 μM. The CMC in triethanolamine adjusted to pH 7.4 was 400 μM for 1(21) and 3900 μM for 3(16). The promising antifungal activity, low activity against L. plantarum, relatively high CMCs, and modest epithelial cytotoxicity in addition to their anti-Neisseria properties warrant further design studies with dendritic amphiphiles to improve their safety indices to produce suitable candidates for antimicrobial vaginal products.     

New bio-sensitive and biologically active single crystal of pyrimidine scaffold ligand and its gold and platinum complexes: DFT,antimicrobial, antioxidant,DNA interaction,molecular docking with DNA/BSA and anticancer studies

Novel gold and platinum complexes [AuL₂]·Cl, 1 and [PtL₂]·2Cl, 2 with ligand, 2-methoxy-6-((2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-yl)hydrazono)methyl)phenol (HL) have been synthesized and screened for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, DNA binding and anticancer (in vitro) activities. The single crystal of ligand HL was obtained by slow evaporation technique. The molecular structure of HL was confirmed from single crystal X-ray technique. Density functional theory calculations have been performed to gain insights into the electronic structure of these metal complexes. Antimicrobial result shows that, HL and complexes (1 and 2) have good antimicrobial agents against E. coli (bacteria) and C. albicans (fungi) than others bacterial and fungal strains. Antioxidant assay results suggest that, HL and complexes (1 and 2) possess good radical scavenging activity against diverse free radicals (DPPH, SOD, NO and H₂O₂). The intercalative interactions of HL and complexes (1 and 2) with CT-DNA were confirmed from spectroscopic titrations and viscometric measurements. Furthermore, the interactions of prepared compounds with DNA were confirmed by molecular docking analysis. In order to understand the nature of interactions between these metal complexes and BSA protein results clearly shows that complex 1 binds better than that of complex 2. The antitumor activities of prepared products were tested against single normal and different tumor cell lines by MTT assay. These results reveal that prepared complexes (1 and 2) have significant cytotoxic effect against tumor cell lines.     

Evidence for Co-Dominance of the Homothallic Genes, HMalpha/hmalpha and HMa/hma, IN SACCHAROMYCES YEASTS

To investigate the dominance and recessiveness of the homothallism genes, HMα/hmα and HMa/hma, for mating-type conversion, we constructed hybrids with various configurations of the homothallic genes by fusion of protoplasts prepared from haploid strains having identical mating types. Eight different combinations of the homothallic genes were tested for their function by observing the mating and sporulation abilities of the fusion products. With few exceptions, nonmating and sporogenous fusion products were obtained from the following combinations: α HO hmα HMa + α ho hmα hma, α HO hmα HMa + α ho HMα hma, α HO hmα HMa + α ho HMα HMa, a HO HMα hma + a ho hmα hma, a HO HMα hma + a ho hmα HMa and a HO HMα hma + a ho HMα HMa. All the fusion products from the α HO hmα HMa + α ho hmα HMa and a HO HMα hma + a ho HMα hma combinations showed mating types identical to those of the respective haploid strains. These results clearly support the co-dominance of the HMα/hmα and HMa/hma alleles and indicate that the hmα allele has the same function as the HMa allele and that the hma allele has the same function as the HMα allele.     

5-thio-D-ribopyranose : Part III. Conformational equilibria in the methyl D-ribopyranosides,their 1-thio, 5-thio,and 1,5-dithio analogues,and the related triacetates

Conformational equilibria have been estimated by n.m.r. spectroscopy for the methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α- and -β-D-ribopyranosides (1′a and 1′b), their 1-thio (2′a, 2′b), their 5-thio (3′a, 3′b), and their 1,5-dithio (4′a, 4′b) analogues. Only 1′b shows a preference for the 1C conformation; the others favour the C1 form to various extents. These results are discussed in terms of polar and steric effects. Similar estimations have been made on the unacetylated D-ribopyranosides (1–4) and, where a definite conformational assignment is possible, these follow the same trend as the triacetates (1′–4′). These results are compared, where possible, with the results of X-ray crystallographic studies.     

An unusual lanostane-type triterpenoid,spiroinonotsuoxodiol, and other triterpenoids from Inonotus obliquus

An unusual lanostane-type triterpenoid, spiroinonotsuoxodiol (1), and two lanostane-type triterpenoids, inonotsudiol A (2) and inonotsuoxodiol A (3), were isolated from the sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus. Their structures were determined to be (3S,7S,9R)-3,7-dihydroxy-7(8 → 9)abeo-lanost-24-en-8-one (1), lanosta-8,24-dien-3β,11β-diol (2), and (22R)-3β,22-dihydroxylanosta-8,24-dien-11-one (3) on the basis of NMR spectroscopy, including 1D and 2D (¹H–¹H COSY, NOESY, HMQC, HMBC) NMR, and FABMS. Compounds 1–3 showed moderate activity against cultured P388, L1210, HL-60 and KB cells.     

Synthesis,properties, and reactions of α- and β-D-glucopyranosyl esters of some tripeptides

The 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-1-O-(N-benzyloxycarbonyltripeptidyl)-D-glucopyranoses 1, 8, and 13 were synthesised from 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-glucopyranose and the active esters of the appropriate N-protected tripeptides (Gly-Gly-Gly-, L-Phe-Gly-Gly-, and Gly-Gly-L-Phe-) in the presence of imidazole; the anomeric mixtures were resolved and the α and β anomers characterised. The β anomer of 13, containing the L and D enantiomers (ratio ≈ 3:1) of Gly-Gly-Phe- as the aglycon, could be resolved by column chromatography into the pure isomeric forms. Catalytic hydrogenolysis of the β anomers, in the presence and absence of a strong acid, yielded the free 1-esters 2β, 9β, and 14β, which were characterised as the monooxalate or trifluoroacetate salts and as free bases. Similarly, the α anomers afforded 2α, 9α, and 14α, whereas omission of the strong acid led to accompanying 1→2 acyl migration, to give the 2-O-acyl derivatives. All of the compounds prepared were converted into the N-acetyl and/or peracetylated derivatives. The 1-esters 2β and 9β, both in the charged and uncharged form, and the trifluoroacetate salt of 14β, are susceptible to cleavage by β-D-glucosidase; the enzyme had no effect on the uncharged form of 14β. This difference between 14β and its salt is discussed in conformational terms.     

Isolation,identification, and bioactivity of microbial metabolites of cyclopamine and its congeners

The biotransformation of cyclopamine (1) and its congeners (2, 3 and 4) by Cunninghamella echinulata (ACCC 30369) was investigated. The chemical structures of two new congeners (2 and 4) and nine new metabolites were elucidated by 1D NMR (¹H, ¹³C and DEPT), 2D NMR (COSY, HMBC, HSQC and NOESY) and HRESIMS analyses and further confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. Among these compounds, 2 and 4 showed moderate cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells (2, IC₅₀ = 8.03 ± 1.92 μM) and A549 cells (4, IC₅₀ = 10.19 ± 2.18 μM). Conversely, the cytotoxicity of the nine metabolites was sharply reduced. Similar to 1, compound 4 induced a cyclopia phenotype in zebrafish embryos at 20 μM. Moreover, compound 4 was more stable than 1 in an acidic environment.     

Synthesis,and anti-proliferative,Pim-1 kinase inhibitors and molecular docking of thiophenes derived from estrone

Heterocyclization of steroids were reported to give biologically active products where ring D modification occured. Estrone (1) was used as a template to develop new heterocyclic compounds. Ring D modification of 1 through its reaction with cyanoacetylhydrazine and elemental sulfur gave the thiophene derivative 3. The latter compound reacted with acetophenone derivatives 4a-c to give the hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives 5a-c, respectively. In addition, compound 3 formed thiazole derivatives through its first reaction with phenylisothiocyanate to give the thiourea derivative 9 followed by the reaction of the later with α-halocarbonyl compounds. In the present work a series of novel estrone derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro biological activities against c-Met kinase, and six typical cancer cell lines (A549, H460, HT-29, MKN-45, U87MG and SMMC-7721). The most promising compounds 5b, 5c, 11a, 13c, 15b, 15c, 15d, 17a and 17b were further investigated against the five tyrosine kinases c-Kit, Flt-3, VEGFR-2, EGFR, and PDGFR. Compounds 5b, 15d, 17a and 17b were selected to examine their Pim-1 kinase inhibition activity where compounds 15d and 17b showed high activities. Molecular docking of some of the most potent compounds was demonstrated.     

HbA1c and Blood Pressure Measurements: Relation with Gender,Body Mass Index,Study Field,and Lifestyle in Lebanese Students

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of prediabetes/diabetes in Lebanese university students and to examine the relationship between both hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood pressure (BP) and gender, body mass index (BMI), study field, and lifestyle factors.Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the Saint-Joseph University of Beirut. A total of 603 students aged 18 to 25 years were recruited from both the medical science campus (MSC) and the social science campus (SSC) between January, 2016, and May, 2018. Waist circumference (WC), BMI, and BP were determined for each student and HbA1c was measured using the Siemens vintage DCA device. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire about their eating habits and level of physical activity.Results: The mean age of the population was 20.31 ± 1.76 years. The percentage of participants recruited from the MSC was 59.2%. The prevalence of prediabetes was 2.5%. Lower BMI, WC, and HbA1c values, and higher diastolic BP (DBP) were found in MSC students compared to SSC ones. HbA1c, systolic BP (SBP), and DBP were correlated with BMI (P = .02, P<.0001, and P = .017, respectively). HbA1c was not associated with eating habits or physical activity. DBP was inversely associated with physical activity (P = .002), while SBP was positively associated with fast food consumption (P = .003).Conclusion: The present study shows a low prevalence of prediabetes in Lebanese students. BMI and the study field are the main factors predicting HbA1c and BP. Further studies are needed to extrapolate our results to the overall young Lebanese population.Abbreviations: ADA = American Diabetes Association; BMI = body mass index; BP = blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; HbA1c = hemoglobin A1c; HTN = hypertension; MSC = medical science campus; SBP = systolic blood pressure; SSC = social science campus; T2D = type 2 diabetes; US = United States; USJ = Saint-Joseph University; WC = waist circumference     

Synthesis,anti-inflammatory,analgesic, COX-1/2 inhibition activities and molecular docking study of pyrazoline derivatives

Design, synthesis and pharmacological activities of a group of 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazolines were reported. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds have been assigned on the basis of IR, MS, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectral analyses. The synthesized 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoline derivatives were evaluated in vivo for anti-inflammatory, analgesic activities and in vitro for COX-1/2 inhibition assay. Among the tested compounds, derivatives 4h, 6e, 7a, 7e, and 9 showed more potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities than the reference drug celecoxib. On the basis of their higher activities in the in vivo studies compared with celecoxib, the five compounds 4h, 6e, 7a, 7e and 9 were selected to test their inhibitory activities against ovine COX-1/2 using an in vitro cyclooxygenase inhibition assay. Docking study of compounds 7a, 7e and 9 into the COX-2 binding site revealed a similar binding mode to SC-558, a selective COX-2 inhibitor.     

Synthesis and DNA binding profile of monomeric,dimeric, and trimeric derivatives of crystal violet

Monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric derivatives of the triphenylmethane dye crystal violet (1a–1f) have been synthesized for the purpose of evaluating their affinity and sequence selectivity for duplex DNA. Competitive ethidum displacement assays indicate that 1a–1f have apparent association constants for CT DNA in the range of 1.80–16.2 × 10⁷ M⁻¹ and binding site sizes of 10–14 bp. Viscosity experiments performed on ligand 1f confirmed that these dyes associate with duplex DNA by a non-intercalative mode of binding. Circular dichroism and competition binding studies of the tightest binding ligand 1e with known major and minor groove binding molecules suggest that these dye derivatives likely occupy the major groove of DNA. Data from the binding of 1e to polynucleotides indicate close to an order of magnitude preference for associating with AT rich homopolymers over GC rich homopolymers, suggesting a shape-selective match of the sterically bulky ligand with DNA containing a wider major groove.     

Zierane sesquiterpene lactone,cembrane and fusicoccane diterpenoids,from the Tahitian liverwort Chandonanthus hirtellus

Cembrane-type diterpenoids, 13,18,20-epi-iso-chandonanthone (1) and (8E)-4α-acetoxy-12α,13α-epoxycembra-1(15),8-diene (2), two fusicoccane-type diterpenoids, fusicoauritone 6α-methyl ether (3) and 6β,10β-epoxy-5β-hydroxyfusicocc-2-ene (4) and a zierane sesquiterpene γ-lactone, chandolide (5) were isolated from the Tahitian liverwort Chandonanthus hirtellus (Web.) Mitt., together with eight known diterpenoids, chandonanthine (6), fusicogigantone A (7), fusicogigantone B (8), fusicogigantepoxide (9), anadensin (10), fusicoauritone (11), ent-verticillol (12) and ent-epi-verticillol (13). Their structures were established by a combination of extensive NMR spectroscopy and/or X-ray crystallographic analyses. Compounds 1, 5 and 10 showed weak cytotoxic activity against HL-60. Compound 3 also indicated weak cytotoxic activity against KB cell lines.     

Synthesis,antimicrobial and molecular docking studies of enantiomerically pure N-alkylated β-amino alcohols from phenylpropanolamines

Enantiomerically pure N-alkylated β-amino alcohols 1a, 1a′, 1c, 1c′, 1d, 1d′, 1e and 1e′, with ee 100% have been synthesized from phenylpropanolamines 2. Effect of the neighboring chiral environment on the newly formed chiral center has been studied experimentally and concluded that the newly formed chiral center’s absolute configuration is opposite to the adjacent (α- or β-) chiral environment. The antimicrobial activity of the synthesized β-amino alcohols were screened using in vitro disc diffusion method and variable antimicrobial activities were shown for 1a, 1a′, 1c, 1c′, 1d, 1d′, 1e & 1e′ and amongst them 1d & 1d′ exhibited significant activity against bacteria and fungi. In silico studies revealed all the synthesized β-amino alcohols 1a–e and 1a′–e′ have shown good binding energies ranging from −7.38 to −6.09 kJ/mol towards the target receptor DNA topoisomerase IV and 1d′ has shown maximum binding energy −7.38 kJ/mol.     

Synthesis of C-substituted triazoles,isoxazoles, and pyrazoles by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to acetylenic sugars

Addition of phenyl azide to 3,5-di-O-acetyl-6,7-dideoxy-1,2-O-isopropylidene-β-l-idio-hept-6-ynofuranose (1) and subsequent saponification gave a 4-substituted 1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole derivative (3) whose optical rotatory dispersion (o.r.d.) curve was positive. The α-d-gluco analog (5) of 1 similarly gave the 5-epimer (7) of 3; its o.r.d. curve was negative. Both 3 and 7 were degraded to the known 1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxaldehyde. Similarly, addition of 2,4,6-trimethylbenzonitrile N-oxide to 1 or 5 gave the corresponding, crystalline 3-mesitylisoxazoles as single products; ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy was used to establish the orientation of addition. Related 3-mesitylisoxazoles (11 and 13) were obtained from 1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-d-glycero-α-d-galacto-oct-7-ynopyranose (10) and its l-glycero 6-epimer (12), respectively; 11 showed the expected, large levorotation, and the 6-epimer 13 was also levorotatory. Benzonitrile (N-phenyl)imine, prepared in situ from 1-(α-chlorobenzylidene)-2-phenylhydrazine and base, did not react with 10 (or its 6-epimer 12), but did react with the 6-keto analog to give a 5-substituted 1,3-diphenyl-1,2-diazole.     

Design,synthesis, antiviral activity,and SARs of 13a-substituted phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid derivatives

On the basis of our previous structure–activity relationship (SAR) and antiviral mechanism studies, a series of 13a-substituted phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid analogues (3a–16a, 3b, 4b, 6b, 7b, 10b, and 14b) were designed targeting tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) RNA, synthesized, and evaluated for their antiviral activity against TMV for the first time. The bioassay results showed that most of the synthesized compounds (such as 4a, 6a, 7a, 11a, 14a, 6b, and 14b) exhibited good to excellent antiviral activity against TMV both in vitro and in vivo. Especially, for inactivation effect and curative effect, compounds 4a, 6a, 7a, 11a, 14a, and 14b showed higher activity at both concentrations (500 μg mL⁻¹ and 100 μg mL⁻¹) than commercial Ningnanmycin. Preliminary SARs showed that the substituted groups with hydrogen donor at 13a position were found to be favorable for keeping high antiviral activity. The present work demonstrates that 13a-substituted phenanthroindolizidines can be used as possible lead compounds for developing anti-TMV agents.     

Flavonoids,stilbenoids, and phenolic derivatives from the stems of Gnetum macrostachyum (Gnetaceae)

Gnetum species have been traditionally consumed as food and used as folk medicine to treat various pathological conditions. Ten compounds including three simple phenolic compounds (1–3), five stilbenoids (4, 5, 8–10), and two C-glycosyl flavanones (6 and 7), were isolated from the stems of Gnetum macrostachyum Hook. f. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by the analysis of spectroscopy data and their comparison with the reported values. This is the first report of the isolation of compounds 1–4 and 6–9 from G. macrostachyum. Compounds 1–3, 6, and 7 have not been previously reported from the genus Gnetum. The C-glycosyl flavanones in G. macrostachyum can be used as chemotaxonomic markers.