A new unusual low molecular weight carbohydrate in the red algal genus Hypoglossum (Delesseriaceae, Ceramiales) and its possible function as an osmolyte.

The low molecular weight carbohydrates in various species of the red algal genus Hypoglossum (Delesseriaceae, Ceramiales) were analysed using HPLC, 1H and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. All specimens contained the heteroside digeneaside which is considered as chemosystematic marker for the Ceramiales. A new HPLC method was developed for the separation and quantification of this compound, and concentrations between 131.6 mmol kg(-1) and 539.6 mmol kg(-1) DW could be measured among the species tested. In addition, during the HPLC analysis another new low molecular weight carbohydrate was detected in two species from The Philippines (H. barbatum) and Western Australia (H . heterocystideum), and its chemical structure elucidated as digalactosylglycerol applying various NMR experiments. The remaining Hypoglossum taxa lack this compound. Although digalactosylglycerol occurred in high concentrations in the range of 221.7 and 438.7 mmol kg(-1) DW in H. barbatum and H . heterocystideum, respectively, it has never been reported for any other algal species before. Therefore, to test the possible physiological function of this unusual carbohydrate as organic osmolyte, H. barbatum was treated with a range of salinities. While the digeneaside content remained almost unchanged, the digalactosylglycerol concentration strongly increased with increasing salinities from 70 mmol kg(-1) DW at 20 psu to 215 mmol kg(-1) DW at 45 psu. In conclusion, while neither published work nor the present study indicate digeneaside to play more than a minor role in osmotic acclimation, the data presented strongly support an osmotic function of digalactosylglyerol.

Synthesis of new iso-C-nucleoside analogues from 2-(methyl 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosid-3-yl)ethanal.

Treatment of 2-(methyl 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosid-3-yl)ethanal with malononitrile, cyanoacetamide and 2-cyano-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)acetamide, respectively, in the presence of aluminium oxide yielded 2-cyano-4-(methyl 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosid-3-yl)crotonic acid derivatives. Cyclization with sulfur and triethylamine was performed to synthesize the 2-amino-5-(methyl 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosid-3-yl)thiophene-3-carbonic acid derivatives, which were treated with triethyl orthoformate/ammonia and triethyl orthoformate, respectively, to furnish 6-(methyl 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosid-3-yl)thieno[2.3-d]pyrimidine derivatives. Deprotection in two steps afforded 2-amino-5-(1,6-anhydro-3-deoxy-beta-D-altropyranos-3-yl)thiophene-3-carbonitrile and 6-(1,6-anhydro-3-deoxy-beta-D-altropyranos-3-yl)thieno[2.3-d]pyrimidine derivatives, respectively.

Concentrated hydriodic acid in simultaneous deprotections of multifunctional inositols.

l-1-Deoxy-1-fluoro-6-O-methyl-myo-inositol was epimerized by chloral/DCC in boiling 1,2-dichloroethane yielding D-1-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-3-O-methyl-5,6-O-[(R/S)-2,2,2-trichloroethylidene]-chiro-inositol. The latter and l-4-O-benzyl-3-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-5-O-methyl-1,2-O-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)-muco-inositol, l-4-O-benzyl-3-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-1,2-O-ethylidene-5-O-methyl-muco-inositol, d-1-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-2-deoxy-5,6-O-ethylidene-2-fluoro-3-O-methyl-chiro-inositol, as well as D-5-O-benzyl-4-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-3-deoxy-3-(N,N'-dicyclohexylureido)-6-O-methyl-1,2-O-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)-chiro-inositol were deprotected with boiling 57% aq hydrogen iodide. Ether, urethane and ethylidene acetal functions were simultaneously cleaved by the reagent, whereas the trichloroethylidene groups were still intact or were only removed in small quantities. Especially, the urea function of D-5-O-benzyl-4-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-3-deoxy-3-(N,N'-dicyclohexylureido)-6-O-methyl-1,2-O-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)-chiro-inositol was decomposed to a cyclohexylamino group. The hydrodechlorination of D-1-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-3-O-methyl-5,6-O-[(R/S)-2,2,2-trichloroethylidene]-chiro-inositol using Raney-Nickel yielded a mixture of the corresponding 5,6-O-ethylidene- and 5,6-O-chloroethylidene derivatives. The three synthetic steps-hydrodehalogenation, HI-deprotection and peracylation- were combined without purification of the intermediates.

Pyrimidine acyclo-C-nucleosides by ring transformations of 2-formyl-L-arabinal.

The protected 2-formyl-L-arabinal 2 reacted with thiourea and cyanamide in the presence of sodium hydride to afford via ring transformations the 5-[1R,2S-1,2- bis(benzyloxy)-3-hydroxypropyl]-1,2-dihydropyrimidines 3 and 4, respectively. Similarly, treatment of 2 with 3-amino-2H-1,2,4-triazole yielded 6-[1R,2S-1,2- bis(benzyloxy)-3-hydroxypropyl][1,2,4]-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (5).

Extracts and sesquiterpene derivatives from the red alga Laurencia chondrioides with antibacterial activity against fish and human pathogenic bacteria.

During screening of seaweeds from different places in Europe for antimicrobial activities against human and fish pathogenic bacteria, Laurencia chondrioides was identified as a promising species. By bioassay-guided isolation, followed by structure elucidation by mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectrometry, two sesquiterpenoides of the chamigrene-type from the selected red seaweed Laurencia chondrioides were identified. Both compounds inhibit the growth of some fish and human pathogenic bacteria.

Synthesis of anellated carbasugars from (--)-quinic acid.

(3R,4R,5R)-3-[(tert-Butyl-dimethylsilyl)oxy]-4,5-(isopropylidenedioxy)-1-cyclohexanone (2) reacted with carbon disulfide and methyl iodide in the presence of sodium hydride to furnish (3R,4R,5R)-5-[(tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl)oxy]-3,4-(isopropylidenedioxy)-2-[bis(methylthio)methylene]-1-cyclohexanone (3). 2 and N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal afforded (2E,3R,4R,5R)-5-[(tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl)oxy]-2-(dimethylaminomethylene)-3,4-(isopropylidenedioxy)-1-cyclohexanone (4). These push-pull activated methylenecyclohexanones 3 and 4 underwent a ring closure reaction with hydrazine hydrate and methylhydrazine, respectively, to give pyrazoloanellated carbasugars. Treatment of 3 with formamidinium, acetamidinium and benzamidinium salts, respectively, in the presence of sodium methanolate yielded three (5R,6R,7R)-7-[(tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl)oxy]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,6-(isopropylidenedioxy)benzo[d]pyrimidines.

Selective epimerization of L-chiro-inositol to L-muco- and D-chiro-inositol derivatives.

In a one step procedure, L-1-O-benzyl-2-O-methyl-chiro-inositol (1) was acetalized to the L-muco-inositol derivatives 2, 3 and D-2-O-benzyl-3-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-4-deoxy-4-(N,N'-dicyclohexylureido)-1-O-methyl-5,6-O-trichloroethylidene-chiro-inositol (4). Complete conversion of L-1-O-benzyl-6-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-3-O-formyl-2-O-methyl-4,5-O-trichloroethylidene-muco-inositol (3) into L-1-O-benzyl-6-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-2-O-methyl-4,5-O-trichloroethylidene-muco-inositol (2) is feasible by deformylation in boiling methanolic triethylamine. Furthermore, stepwise deprotection of 2 and 4 is described. Thus, compounds 5, 10, and 7 were obtained by decarbamoylation of 2, 4, and 6, respectively, with boiling methanolic sodium methoxide. The trichloroethylidene group of L-1-O-benzyl-2-O-methyl-4,5-O-trichloroethylidene-muco-inositol (5) was removed in a two step procedure (hydrodechlorination-deacetalization) via the ethylidene acetal 7 to give L-1-O-benzyl-2-O-methyl-muco-inositol (9). On refluxing D-chiro-inositol derivative 4 with 99% acetic acid, the ureido moiety was cleaved generating D-2-O-benzyl-4-cyclohexylamino-3-O-cyclohexylcarbamoyl-4-deoxy-1-O-methyl-5,6-O-trichloroethylidene-chiro-inositol (11). By contrast, cleavage of the ureido moiety of 10 was relatively difficult. The corresponding D-2-O-benzyl-4-cyclohexylamino-4-deoxy-1-O-methyl-5,6-O-trichloroethylidene-chiro-inositol (12) was only formed in small amounts. The structures of 1, 3 and 10 were confirmed by X-ray analysis.