170 research outputs found
Exploring the Universe of Natural Products: Recent Advances in Synthesis, Isolation and Structural Elucidation
No full textHistorically, plants have represented an invaluable source of compounds with complex structures and interesting pharmacological profiles [...
Recreational drug discovery: natural products as lead structures for the synthesis of smart drugs
No full textOver the past decade, there has been a growing transition in recreational drugs from natural materials (marijuana, hashish, opium), natural products (morphine, cocaine), or their simple derivatives (heroin), to synthetic agents more potent than natural prototypes, sometimes less harmful in the short term, or that combine properties from different classes of recreational prototypes. These agents have been named smart drugs, and have become popular both for personal consumption and for collective intoxication in rave parties. The reasons for this transition are various, but mainly regulatory and commercial. New analogues of known illegal intoxicants are invisible to most forensic detection techniques, while the alleged natural status and the lack of avert acute toxicity make them appealing to a wide range of users. On the other hand, the advent of internet has made it possible the quick dispersal of information among users and the on-line purchase of these agents and/or the precursors for their synthesis. Unlike their natural products chemotypes (ephedrine, mescaline, cathinone, psilocybin, THC), most new drugs of abuse are largely unfamiliar to the organic chemistry community as well as to the health care providers. To raise awareness in the growing plague of smart drugs we have surveyed, in a medicinal chemistry fashion, their development from natural products leads, their current methods of production, and the role that clandestine home laboratories and underground chemists have played in the surge of popularity of these drugs
8-prenylnaringenin: A natural compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities
No full textCrystal structure of Haemophilus influenzae 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (LeuB) in complex with the inhibitor O-isobutenyl oxalylhydroxamate
No full text3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenases (LeuB) belong to the leucine biosynthetic pathway and catalyze the irreversible oxidative decarboxylation of 3IPM to 2-ketoisocaproate that is finally converted into leucine by a branched-chain aminotransferase. Since leucine is an essential amino acid for humans, and it is also vital for the growth of many pathogenic bacteria, the enzymes belonging to this pathway can be considered as potential target sites for designing of a new class of antibacterial agents. We have determined the crystal structure of the Haemophilus influenzae LeuB in complex with the cofactor NAD+ and the inhibitor O-IbOHA, at 2.1 Å resolution; moreover, we have investigated the inhibitor mechanism of action by analyzing the enzyme kinetics. The structure of H. influenzae LeuB in complex with the intermediate analog inhibitor displays a fully closed conformation, resembling the previously observed, closed form of the equivalent enzyme of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans in complex with the 3IPM substrate. O-IbOHA was found to bind the active site by adopting the same conformation of 3IPM, and to induce an unreported repositioning of the side chain of the amino acids that participate in the coordination of the ligand. Indeed, the experimentally observed binding mode of O-IbOHA to the H. influenzae LeuB enzyme, reveals aspects of novelty compared to the computational binding prediction performed on M. tuberculosis LeuB. Overall, our data provide new insights for the structure-based rational design of a new class of antibiotics targeting the biosynthesis of leucine in pathogenic bacteria
THREE-COMPONENT TANDEM KNOEVENAGEL/HETERO DIELS-ALDER REACTIONS- TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF (+/-)-PREETHULIA COUMARIN
No full textCerium(III) chloride-promoted chemoselective esterification of phenolic alcohols
No full textA mild and operationally simple method for the chemoselective esterification of phenolic alcohols is described. The reaction overcomes the tyranny of protection, and capitalizes on the activation of acyl halides with cerium(III) chloride to selectively esterify alcohol hydroxyls in the presence of phenolic ones. The generality of the reaction was demonstrated with a series of phenolic alcohols of dietary relevance (vanillol, hydroxytyrosol, epicatechin), providing an expeditious entry into a series of compounds of relevance for biomedical research, some of which previously available only by enzymatic methods
Ce(III) Chloride-Promoted Chemoselective Esterification of Phenolic Alcohols. Tetrahedron Lett. 2005, 46, 2193-2196
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