Effects of ethyl-α-d-glucoside on human dermal fibroblasts.

Ethyl α-d-glucoside (α-EG) is a glycoside present in sake, Japanese rice wine. Previous studies have reported that α-EG suppresses skin roughness after ultraviolet B irradiation, transepidermal water loss, and hepatic function disorder, and has a skin moisturizing effect. In this study, 0.48 µM of α-EG was found to increase the proliferation of normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) by 121.0%, and the amount of collagen I produced by NHDF increased by 159.6% at an α-EG concentration of 0.048 µM, compared to those in cells cultured without α-EG. In NHDF cultured in α-EG-supplemented medium, the expression of fibroblast growth factor I and VII mRNA increased by 148.8 and 153.1%, at an α-EG concentration of 4.8 and 0.048 µM, respectively, as measured by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Transcript levels of type I collagen genes, COL1A1 and COL1A2, increased by 152.4 and 129.7%, respectively, and that of a type III collagen gene, COL3A1, increased by 131.8% at an α-EG concentration of 0.48 µM. These findings supported the possibility that α-EG was involved in the maintenance and improvement of skin homeostasis and moisturizing functions.

Rhodium(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of benzylallene-alkynes through C-H activation.

The efficient Rh(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of benzylallene-alkynes produced the tricyclo[9.4.0.0(3,8)]pentadecapentaene skeleton through a C(sp2)-H bond activation in good yields. A plausible reaction mechanism proceeds via oxidative addition of the acetylenic C-H bond to Rh(I), an ene-type cyclization to the vinylidenecarbene-Rh(I) intermediate, and an electrophilic aromatic substitution with the vinylidenecarbene species. It was proposed based on deuteration and competition experiments.

C(sp3)-C(sp3) and C(sp3)-H bond activation of 1,1-disubstituted cyclopentane.

The unprecedented C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)) bond cleavage of unactivated cyclopentane has been achieved. Rh(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition of allenylcyclopentane-alkynes produced in situ the 9-cyclopentyl-8-rhodabicyclo[4.3.0]nona-1,6-diene intermediates, which subsequently underwent [7+2] cycloaddition via ß-C elimination, affording bicyclo[7.4.0]tridecatriene derivatives in good yields. Changing the Rh(I) catalyst effected the Cγ-H bond activation of the common 9-cyclopentyl-8-rhodabicyclo[4.3.0]nona-1,6-diene intermediate to produce the novel spiro[2.4]heptane skeleton in a site-selective manner.