Caragasinin C: a new oligostilbene from the roots of Caragana sinica.

A new oligostilbene, caragasinin C (1), and seven known compounds, betulinic acid (2), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (3), (‒)-medicarpin (4), wistin (5), (2E,4S)-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid (6), pallidol (7), and (+)-α-viniferin (8), were isolated from the roots of Caragana sinica. The structure of caragasinin C was established on the basis of spectroscopic techniques, including HRESIMS, 1D and 2D-NMR.

Chiral separation of short chain aliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acids on cinchonan carbamate-based weak chiral anion exchangers and zwitterionic chiral ion exchangers.

Chiral short chain aliphatic hydrocarboxylic acids (HCAs) are common compounds being part of different biological processes. In order to control and understand these processes is of pivotal importance to determine the identity of the involved enantiomer or their enantiomeric ratio. In this study the capacity of quinine- and quinidine-derived chiral stationary phases to perform the enantioseparation of eight chiral HCAs (tartaric acid, isocitric acid, malic acid, glyceric acid, 2-hydroxyglutaric acid, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, lactic acid and 3-hydroxybutyric acid) was evaluated. MS-compatible conditions consisting of ACN/MeOH mixtures as eluents with formic acid, acetic acid and/or their ammonium salts as additives, temperatures between 10 and 25°C (except for -20°C for 3-hydroxybutyric acid) and a flow rate of 1.00mL/min yielded full baseline resolution for all studied HCAs. Elution order for the HCA enantiomers was determined revealing different behaviors between the studied compounds.

Production of medium-chain-length 3-hydroxyalkanoic acids by ß-oxidation and phaC operon deleted Pseudomonas entomophila harboring thioesterase gene.

3-Hydroxyalkanoic acids (3HA) are precious precursors for synthesis of value added chemicals. According to their carbon chain lengths, 3HA can be divided into two groups: short-chain-length (SCL) 3HA consisting of 3-5 carbon atoms and medium-chain-length (MCL) 3HA containing 6-14 carbon atoms. To produce MCL 3HA, a metabolic engineered pathway expressing tesB gene, a thioesterase encoding gene that has been reported to catalyze acyl-CoA to free fatty acids, was constructed in Pseudomonas entomophila L48. When tesB of Escherichia coli encoding thioesterase II was introduced into polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase and ß-oxidation pathway deleted mutant of P. entomophila LAC31 derived from wild type P. entomophila L48, 6.65g/l 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid (3HTD) and 4.6g/l 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid (3HDD) were obtained, respectively, when tetradecanoic acid or dodecanoic acid as related carbon sources was added in shake flask cultures. Moreover, 1.8g/l of 3-hydroxydecanoic (3HD) acid was also produced by P. entomophila LAC31 harboring PTE1 gene cloned from Saccharomyces cerevisiae using corresponding fatty acid decanoic acid. Interestingly, shake flask studies indicated that PTE1 harboring strain showed advantages over tesB expressing one for 3HDD and 3HD production, while tesB favored 3HTD production by P. entomophila LAC31. For the first time our study revealed that fine chemicals 3HTD, 3HDD or 3HD could be efficiently produced by metabolic engineered ß-oxidation in Pseudomonas spp grown on related fatty acids.

Highly enantioselective oxidation of α-hydroxyacids bearing a substituent with an aryl group: co-production of optically active α-hydroxyacids and α-ketoacids.

A novel and simple methodology for co-obtaining of enantiomerically pure α-hydroxyacids and α-ketoacids was developed by enantioselective oxidation of α-hydroxyacids bearing a substituent with an aryl group using α-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase (α-HADH). A high-throughput method was firstly established for screening of enantioselective α-HADHs. Sinorhizobium sp. ZJB1 101 with high activity and excellent enantioselectivity of α-HADH for oxidation of α-hydroxyacids bearing a substituent with an aryl group was isolated and identified. This strain has potential for co-production of (R)-α-hydroxyacids and α-ketoacids in near theoretical yields, while no consecutive oxidation of α-ketoacids was observed. The green conversion system appears promising for potential applications in industry.

Hydroxyl octadecenoic acids biosynthesized by crown galls of Panax quinquefolium induced by artermisinic acid.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of artermisinic acid on the secondary metabolites production of Panax quinquefolium crown galls. METHODS: Artemisinic acid was added into the suspended cells of Panax quinquefolium crown galls and co-culture for two days. Products were isolated with chromatographic method. RESULTS: Three hydroxyl octadecenoic acids [9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid (1), 11,12,13-trihydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (2) and 11-hydroxy-12,13-epoxy-9-octadecenoic acid (3)] were isolated from crown galls of Panax quinquefolium. CONCLUSION: Artermisinic acid as one of the new type of phytohormones that might induce the production of 13-lipoxygenases in crown galls of Panax quinquefolium.

Determination of hydroxy acids in cosmetics by chemometric experimental design and cyclodextrin-modified capillary electrophoresis.

A CD-modified CE method was established for quantitative determination of seven hydroxy acids in cosmetic products. This method involved chemometric experimental design aspects, including fractional factorial design and central composite design. Chemometric experimental design was used to enhance the method's separation capability and to explore the interactions between parameters. Compared to the traditional investigation that uses multiple parameters, the method that used chemometric experimental design was less time-consuming and lower in cost. In this study, the influences of three experimental variables (phosphate concentration, surfactant concentration, and methanol percentage) on the experimental response were investigated by applying a chromatographic resolution statistic function. The optimized conditions were as follows: a running buffer of 150 mM phosphate solution (pH 7) containing 0.5 mM CTAB, 3 mM γ-CD, and 25% methanol; 20 s sample injection at 0.5 psi; a separation voltage of -15 kV; temperature was set at 25°C; and UV detection at 200 nm. The seven hydroxy acids were well separated in less than 10 min. The LOD (S/N = 3) was 625 nM for both salicylic acid and mandelic acid. The correlation coefficient of the regression curve was greater than 0.998. The RSD and relative error values were all less than 9.21%. After optimization and validation, this simple and rapid analysis method was considered to be established and was successfully applied to several commercial cosmetic products.

Enantioseparation of α-hydroxy acids by chiral ligand exchange CE with a dual central metal ion system.

Using two kinds of central metal ions in a background electrolyte, ligand exchange CE was investigated for the simultaneous enantioseparation of dl-malic, dl-tartaric, and dl-isocitric acids. Ligand exchange CE with 100 mM d-quinic acid as a chiral selector ligand and 10 mM Cu(II) ion as a central metal ion could enantioseparate dl-tartaric acid but not dl-malic acid or dl-isocitric acid. A dual central metal ion system containing 0.5 mM Al(III) ion in addition to 10 mM Cu(II) ion in the background electrolyte enabled the simultaneous enantioseparation of the three α-hydroxy acids. These results suggest that the use of a dual central metal ion system can be useful for enantioseparation by ligand exchange CE.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of Codonopsis pilosula].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Codonopsis pilosula. METHODS: The compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography and their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic techniques (NMR) and physicochemical properties. RESULTS: The compounds were isolated as hesperidin(I), n-hexyl beta-sophoroside(II), atractylenolide III (III), lobetyolin(IV), lobetyolinin(V), taraxerol(VI), taraxeryl acetate(VII), alpha-spinasterol(VIII),9,10,13-trihydroxy-(E)-11-octadecenoic acid (IX),beta-sitosterol(X),beta-daucosterol(XI)and sugar(XII). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1 -2 and 9 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Enantioseparation of amino acids and alpha-hydroxy acids on ligand-exchange continuous beds by capillary electrochromatography.

A new chiral stationary phase based on continuous bed (CB) technology using L-prolinamide as a chiral selector was prepared. Its ability for enantioseparation of amino acids and alpha-hydroxy acids by ligand-exchange CEC was compared with that of a CB containing L-4-hydroxyproline as chiral selector. Preparation was done by a one-step in situ copolyermerization procedure using methacrylamide as monomer, vinylsulfonic acid as charge providing agent and piperazine diacrylamide as crosslinker. L-Prolinamide showed marked enantioselective properties for the separation of amino acids and alpha-hydroxy acids. Furthermore, we show the possibility of simultaneous enantioseparation of amino acids and alpha-hydroxy acids using the CB with L-4-hydroxyproline as chiral selector.

Two new compounds from transgenic Panax quinquefolium.

A new ceramide and a new poly-hydroxyl octadecenoic acid were isolated from transgenic crown galls of Panax quinquefolium. Their structures were elucidated as (2S, 3S, 4R, 20E)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxyl-palmitoyl-amino]-20-hexacosene-1, 3, 4-triol (1) and 12, 13, 15-trihydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (2) respectively on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods.

Enantioseparation of amino acids, alpha-hydroxy acids, and dipeptides by ligand-exchange CEC using silica-based chiral stationary phases.

This work deals with the application of silica-based ligand-exchange chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for the enantioseparation of underivatized amino acids, alpha-hydroxy acids, and dipeptides with packed CEC. Two different possibilities of preparing silica-based CSPs are presented. One phase contains L-4-hydroxyproline chemically bonded via a spacer to 3 mum silica material. The other approach makes use of N-decyl-L-4-hydroxyproline dynamically coated on a reversed-phase packed capillary. Dynamical coating of reversed-phase material represents a simple alternative to prepare CSP. A comparison of the chemically bonded phase with the dynamically coated CSP by means of resolution of complex-forming analytes is presented. The chemically bonded phase was found to be superior to the dynamically coated phase in terms of resolution of amino acids and dipeptides. However, the dynamically coated CSP was found to be especially suitable for the separation of alpha-hydroxy acids. Both techniques are applicable for enantiomer purity tests.

Arthrinic acid, a novel antifungal polyhydroxyacid from Arthrinium phaeospermum.

Arthrinic acid was isolated from solid state fermentations of the fungus Arthrinium phaeospermum. The structure of arthrinic acid was determined to be (6E,10E,14E,18E,20E)-2,3,5,9,13,17-hexahydroxy-20-(hydroxymethyl)-14,16,18,22,24-pentamethylhexacosa-6,10,14,18,20-pentaenoic acid from NMR spectroscopic studies.

Enantiomeric separation of alcohols and amines on a proline chiral stationary phase by gas chromatography.

A new chiral stationary phase for gas chromatography was prepared by covalently attaching a diproline chiral selector that has proven to be effective in liquid chromatography to a methylhydrosiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymer. With this new chiral stationary phase for GC, racemic aromatic alcohols could be resolved without derivatization. Racemic aromatic and aliphatic amines could also be resolved after derivatization of the amino groups with trifluoroacetic anhydride or isopropyl isocyanate. On this stationary phase, the isopropyl isocyanate derivatives of amines showed higher enantioselectivity than the trifluoroacetic anhydride derivatives. In both the enantiomeric separations of alcohols and derivatized amines, the aromatic racemic analytes showed higher enantioselectivities than their aliphatic analogs. Some of the alpha-amino and alpha-hydroxy aromatic acids could also be separated after derivatization to N-trifluoroacetyl methyl esters for amino acids or O-trifluoroacetyl methyl esters for hydroxyl acids.

Enantiomer separation of alpha-hydroxy acids in high-performance immunoaffinity chromatography.

In this study, a monoclonal anti-d-hydroxy acid antibody was immobilized onto a synthetic high-flow-through chromatographic support material to produce a chiral stationary phase suitable for enantiomer separation of free alpha-hydroxy acids. Chiral separation of several aliphatic and aromatic members of this class of compounds was achieved in HPLC under mild isocratic buffer conditions using phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4, as mobile phase. Due to the high degree of stereoselectivity exhibited by the immobilized antibody, in all cases the l-enantiomer eluted with the void volume, while the d-enantiomer was retained and eluted second. The effect of the mobile phase parameters flow rate, temperature, pH, and ionic strength on the enantiomer separation of the model analyte mandelic acid was investigated. While it was found that variations in the flow rate did not change the retention factor k2, dramatic effects on the interaction between the immobilized antibody and d-mandelic acid were observed when any of the other mobile phase parameters were modulated.

Direct and indirect high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid.

trans-4-Hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid (HNEA) is a marker of lipid peroxidation resulting from the metabolism of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). Direct and indirect RP-HPLC methods for the separation of HNEA enantiomers were developed and compared. The indirect method involved pre-column derivatization with a chiral amino agent, (1S,2S)-(+)-2-amino-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,3-propanediol, and subsequent separation of diastereomers on a Spherisorb ODS2 column. The direct separation of HNEA enantiomers was performed using the chiral stationary phase, Chiralpak AD-RH. Validation parameters including limit of quantification, linear range, accuracy and precision were determined. The indirect separation method was successfully applied for the determination of enantiomeric ratio of HNEA in rat brain mitochondrial lysate, and showed that HNEA was formed (R)-enantioselectively from HNE.

Phytochemical constituents from Salsola tetrandra.

The new norisoprenoid 3beta-hydroxy-5alpha,6alpha-epoxy-beta-ionone-2alpha-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (1) and the long-chain hydroxy fatty acids 9,12,13-trihydroxyoctadeca-10(E),15(Z)-dienoic acid (2) and 9,12,13-trihydroxyoctadeca-10(E)-dienoic acid (3) were isolated from Salsola tetrandra aerial parts, together with 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (4), 9-hydroxylinaloyl glucoside (5), taxiphyllin (6), trans-N-feruloyltyramine (7), and S-(-)-trans-N-feruloyloctopamine (8). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Compounds 6 and 8 displayed mild antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, whereas compound 6 showed the highest activity in the Artemia salina bioassay.

A family of single-isomer positively charged cyclodextrins as chiral selectors for capillary electrophoresis: mono-6A-butylammonium-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin tosylate.

A novel single-isomer positively charged beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), mono-6(A)-butylammonium-6(A)-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin tosylate (BuAM-beta-CD), has been synthesized, characterized, and used for the enantioseparations of alpha-hydroxy acids, carboxylic acids, and ampholytic analytes by capillary electrophoresis in acidic aqueous background electrolytes. The effective mobilities of all studied analytes decreased with increasing concentration of CD. Satisfactory resolutions were obtained for alpha-hydroxy acids over a wide range of chiral selector concentration. The optimum CD concentration was lower than 5 mM for the carboxylic acids, while higher than 20 mM for alpha-hydroxy acids. Inclusion complexation in combination with ion pair interaction seemed to account for the chiral discrimination process. The hydrogen bonding may provide secondary contribution for the chiral resolution of alpha-hydroxy acids. In addition, BuAM-beta-CD was further proved to be an effective chiral selector for anionic analytes by the baseline enantioseparation of a six-acid mixture within 20 min.

Nitrogen incorporation in the biosynthetic pathway of the nitrogen-containing polyketide, pamamycin in Streptomyces alboniger.

The biosynthetic pathway of pamamycin (1), a nitrogen-containing polyketide, was investigated using blocked mutants of Streptomyces alboniger. Hydroxy acids K (3), L (4) and S (5) were found in cultured materials of blocked mutants and the wild type strain, but no PM-ketone (2) was detected. Hydroxy acids 3, 4, 5 and de-N-methylhydroxy acid L (7) were converted into 1, but 2 nor de-N-methylpamamycin (6) were not. We also confirmed that 3 and 7 were converted into 4. These results showed that an amino group was introduced into the carbonyl group of 3 by transamination, and subsequent N-methylation led to 4 in the pamamycin biosynthetic pathway. Quantitative analyses of hydroxy acid intermediates 3, 4, and 5, and pamamycin (1) suggested that transamination was the rate-determining step in pamamycin biosynthesis.

Enantiomeric separation of chlorophenoxy acid herbicides by nano liquid chromatography-UV detection on a vancomycin-based chiral stationary phase.

Enantiomeric separation of mecoprop, dichlorprop, and fenoprop herbicides in their acid form, commonly used to control the growth of broad-leaved weeds, was carried out by nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) at a flow rate of 60 nL/min, using a packed capillary column with vancomycin-modified silica particles of 5 microm. The length of chiral stationary phase was 21 cm, while the total and effective lengths were 43 and 33cm, respectively. Inner diameter was 0.075 mm. Separated peaks were detected at 195 nm. Several mixtures of methanol, water, and 500 mM ammonium acetate buffer at different pH's were tested as mobile phase, and experimental parameters such as resolution (Rs), capacity factor (k), efficiency (N/m), and enantioselectivity factor (alpha) were measured under all the test conditions. Baseline enantiomeric separation was obtained for the three studied herbicides with alpha in the range 1.6-1.9, using as the mobile phase aqueous solutions containing 85% methanol, 5% of 500mM ammonium acetate pH4.5 buffer, and 10% water. Experimental results show that the vancomycin stationary phase presents a great enantiorecognition capability towards chlorophenoxy acid herbicides on using nano-LC.

GC-MS analysis of compounds extracted from buds of Populus balsamifera and Populus nigra.

The composition of hexane and ether extracts from buds of two poplar species (Populus balsamifera and P. nigra) was investigated by GC-MS method. In hexane extracts, 54 "neutral" compounds were recorded. The greatest amounts of them are sesquiterpenes and n-alkanes. Among 56 components of ether extracts, many aliphatic acids and hydroxyacids were detected. However, the main fraction consists of phenolcarboxylic acids, substituted cinnamic acids, and their esters. It was established that chemotaxonomic differences between Populus balsamifera and P. nigra are observed in the case of both hexane and ether bud extracts.