Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Cinnamomum japonicum Siebold's Leaf through the Inhibition of p38/JNK/AP-1 Signaling.

Cinnamomum japonicum Siebold (CJ) branch bark, commonly known as Japanese cinnamon, has been used for various culinary and medicinal applications for many centuries. Although the efficacy of CJ branch bark's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity for the treatment of various diseases has been confirmed, the efficacy of CJ leaves (CJLs) has not been examined. We therefore investigated whether CJL3, an ethyl acetate extract of a 70% ethanol CJL extract, exerts anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated Kupffer cells, specialized macrophages found in the liver. Liver inflammation can activate Kupffer cells, inducing the release of pro-inflammatory molecules that contribute to tissue damage. We found that CJL3 has high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical-scavenging activity. Among the CJL extracts, CJL3 exhibited the greatest polyphenol content, with protocatechuic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid being the most abundant. In addition, we verified that CJL3, which has strong antioxidant properties, ameliorates LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses by inhibiting p38/JNK/AP-1 signaling. CJL3 therefore has potential for treating liver disease, including hepatitis.

Tandem Rh-Catalyzed Oxidative C-H Olefination and Cyclization of Enantiomerically Enriched Benzo-1,3-Sulfamidates: Stereoselective Synthesis of trans-1,3-Disubstituted Isoindolines.

A tandem process, involving Rh(III)-catalyzed oxidative C-H olefination of enantiomerically enriched 4-aryl-benzo-1,3-sulfamidates and subsequent intramolecular aza-Michael cyclization has been developed. The reaction produces trans-benzosulfamidate-fused-1,3-disubstituted isoindolines as major products, in which the configurational integrity of the stereogenic center in the starting material is preserved. Further transformations of the benzosulfamidate-fused-1,3-disubstituted isoindolines are described.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Functionalized 1,3-Disubstituted Isoindolines via Rh(III)-Catalyzed Tandem Oxidative Olefination-Cyclization of 4-Aryl-cyclic Sulfamidate-5-Carboxylates.

A new method for the direct, stereoselective synthesis of highly functionalized 1,3-disubstituted isoindolines 6 from enantiomerically enriched cyclic 4-aryl-sulfamidate-5-carboxylates (5) is described. The process involves sulfamidate directed, Rh(III)-catalyzed tandem ortho C-H olefination of the 4-aryl-sulfamidate-5-carboxylates and subsequent cyclization by aza-Michael addition. In the reaction, which generates trans-1,3-disubstituted isoindolines exclusively, the configurational integrity of the stereogenic center in the starting cyclic sulfamidate is completely retained in the product. Examples are provided which show that the cyclic sulfamidate moiety not only serves as a chiral directing group but also as a versatile handle for further functionalization of the generated isoindoline ring system.