Divergent Approach for Regioselective Synthesis of Linearly and Angularly Fused Benzoimidazoquinazolinones from Isatoic Anhydrides.

Ph3P-I2-mediated condensation reactions of isatoic anhydrides and o-phenylenediamines have been developed for the regioselective syntheses of a wide range of linearly and angularly fused benzoimidazoquinazolinones. The selectivity of the products relies on the generation of either highly electrophilic oxyphosphonium or less reactive imidate intermediates. A direct amine attack at the C-2 position of the oxyphosphonium intermediate presumably drives the reaction toward the linearly fused products, whereas an attack of the diamine at the C-4 position of the in situ generated cyclic imidate leads to the angularly fused derivatives. This strategy serves as a practical handle for the efficient synthesis of other related heterocycles.

Development of IgY-Based Indirect Competitive ELISA for the Detection of Fluoroquinolone Residues in Chicken and Pork Samples.

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are among the antibiotics whose widespread use in farm-raised animals results in potentially harmful residues in the end products. Additionally, most Thai farmers use antibiotics. Amoxicillin and enrofloxacin were commonly used by pig farms, and hens were given enrofloxacin to prevent immunization side effects. Moreover, antibiotic overuse has harmed food safety in the long term, and the use of low-dose antibiotics causes bacterial resistance. Herein, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) was used to make a fast, easy, sensitive, and cost-effective method for monitoring FQs residues. After immunizing hens with mixed multi-hapten ciprofloxacin-bovine serum albumin (CPFX-BSA) with norfloxacin-bovine serum albumin (NFX-BSA), the IgY antibody purified from egg yolk was used for the detection of FQs residues in chicken and pork samples. The efficiency of the IgY antibody showed excellent sensitivity, with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of enrofloxacin at 0.05 µg/mL, far below the MRLs defined by the EU for muscle samples, which was not to exceed 100 µg/kg. The recovery range for chicken muscle samples spiked with ENFX concentrations of 1.00-0.01 µg/mL was 86.65-112.71%, similar to pork samples, which were 84.24-117.22.2%. This method has a lot of potential for analyzing fluoroquinolones in complex samples quickly, easily, and at a low cost on-site. The IgY-based ic ELISA was developed to detect ciprofloxacin (CPFX), norfloxacin (NFX), and enrofloxacin (ENFX) residues; it confirms that IgY could be a promising choice for the detection of antibiotic residues in food samples.

Divergent Synthesis of Methylisatoid and Tryptanthrin Derivatives by Ph3P-I2-Mediated Reaction of Isatins with and without Alcohols.

A novel phosphonium-mediated reaction of isatins is described. In the presence of alcohol, the reaction proceeds to furnish C-12 modified tryptanthrin derivatives. Without alcohol, self-dimerization of isatins gives rise to tryptanthrin and its analogs. This divergent and step-economic approach provides a facile access to diverse indoloquinazoline structures including the natural alkaloids, methylisatoid and cephalanthrin B, in high yields from simple precursors under mild and metal-free reaction conditions.

Simultaneous Formation and Functionalization of Aryliminophosphoranes Using 1,3-Dihydro-1H-benzimidazol-2-ones as Precursors.

An atom- and step-economic synthesis of aryliminophosphoranes bearing ortho urea was achieved via unprecedented Ph3P-I2 mediated ring-opening of 1,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazol-2-ones with secondary amines. Tandem aza-Wittig/heterocyclization of the functionalized aryliminophosphoranes upon treatment with isothiocyanates enables a facile access to a single regioisomer of N1-substituted 2-aminobenzimidazoles as well as fused tetracyclic quinazolinone derivatives in one-pot. 31P{1H} NMR studies suggested that the urea C-N bond of benzimidazolone is weakened by N-phosphorylation, leading to aminolysis rather than the expected deoxygenative amination.

Zwitterionic Ring-Opened Oxyphosphonium Species from the Ph3P-I2 Mediated Reactions of Benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-ones with Secondary Amines.

Instead of the expected substituted 2-aminobenzo[d]oxazoles, relatively stable ring-opened oxyphosphonium betaines were isolated for the first time from the Ph3P-I2-mediated reactions of benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-ones with acyclic secondary amines. The structure of one of these compounds was unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Thermolysis of the betaines gave rise to 2-dialkylaminobenzoxazoles with concomitant loss of triphenylphosphine oxide, suggesting their possible role as intermediates in an alternative reaction path.

Development of an Immunoassay for the Detection of Amyloid Beta 1-42 and Its Application in Urine Samples.

Amyloid beta peptides (Aß1-42) have been found to be associated with the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia. Currently, methods for detecting Aß1-42 are complicated and expensive. The present study is aimed at developing an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) to detect Aß1-42 by using a polyclonal antibody from alpaca, an application used in urine samples. The serum was collected from the alpaca after immunizing it with Aß1-42 at 500 µg/injection 5 times. The ic-ELISA was developed and showed a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 103.20 ng/ml. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.39 ng/100 µl. The cross-reactivity was tested with Aß1-40 and 8 synthesized peptides that had sequence similarities to parts of Aß1-42. The cross-reactivity of Aß1-40 and peptide 1 (DAEFRHDSGYE) was 55% and 69.4%, respectively. The ic-ELISA was applied to analyze Aß1-42 in the urine and precipitated protein urine samples. This method can be used for detecting a normal level of total soluble Aß (approximately 1 ng in 5 mg of precipitated urine protein) and can be used for detecting the early stages of AD. It is considered to be an easy and inexpensive method for monitoring and diagnosing AD.

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of enantioenriched anti-α-allyl-ß-fluoroamines.

A highly diastereoselective synthesis of anti-α-allyl-ß-fluoroamines has been developed involving enantioselective α-fluorination of aldehydes followed by a diastereoselective Petasis allyl borono-Mannich reaction. The products are obtained generally in good overall yields for the two steps and with drs of 97 : 3-99 : 1 and ees of 86-92%. Selected products were converted to 3-, 5- and 6-membered ring heterocycles, the latter two types incorporating an exo-cyclic fluorine.

Metal-Free Synthesis of 2- N, N-Dialkylaminobenzoxazoles Using Tertiary Amines as the Nitrogen Source.

The unprecedented reaction of tertiary amines with 2(3 H)-benzoxazolones has been investigated. In the presence of the Ph3P-I2 reagent system, the reaction of both acyclic and cyclic aliphatic tertiary amines led to the formation of 2- N, N-dialkylaminobenzoxazoles with the selective cleavage of an alkyl group. Especially, N-(2-iodoethyl)piperazinyl derivatives were rapidly produced in good yields when using DABCO as the nitrogen source. Only in the cases when the nucleophilicity of the substrates exceeds that of the amine, competitive self-condensation of benzoxazolones then proceeds preferentially. 31P{1H}-NMR study suggested the involvement of an aryloxyphosphonium intermediate and/or possibly 2-iodobenzoxazole which activates the C-2 position of benzoxazolones toward nucleophilic aromatic substitution.

A convenient one-pot synthesis of N-substituted amidoximes and their application toward 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ones.

The first direct one-pot approach for the synthesis of N-substituted amidoximes from secondary amides or the intermediate amides has been developed. Through the Ph3P-I2-mediated dehydrative condensation, a variety of N-aryl and N-alkyl amidoximes (R1(C[double bond, length as m-dash]NOH)NHR2, where R1 or R2 = aryl, alkyl, or benzyl) were readily afforded under mild conditions and short reaction times. The synthetic application of the obtained amidoximes has also been demonstrated through the formation of 1,2,4-oxadiazolones via base-mediated carbonylative cyclization with 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole.

Application of N-Acylbenzotriazoles in the Synthesis of 5-Substituted 2-Ethoxy-1,3,4-oxadiazoles as Building Blocks toward 3,5-Disubstituted 1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2(3H)-ones.

5-Substituted-2-ethoxy-1,3,4-oxadiazoles were conveniently prepared through a one-pot sequential N-acylation/dehydrative cyclization between ethyl carbazate and N-acylbenzotriazoles in the presence of Ph3P-I2 as a dehydrating agent. Subsequent treatment with a stoichiometric amount of alkyl halides (X = Cl, Br, I) enables a rapid access to a variety of 3,5-disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-ones in good to excellent yields.

Ph3P/I2-Mediated Synthesis of N,N',N″-Substituted Guanidines and 2-Iminoimidazolin-4-ones from Aryl Isothiocyanates.

A convenient one-pot procedure for the synthesis of acyclic and cyclic guanidines mediated by the Ph3P/I2 system is described. Sequential condensation of aryl isothiocyanates with amines followed by dehydrosulfurization and guanylation could lead to both symmetric and unsymmetric N,N',N″-substituted derivatives. Through a tandem guanylation-cyclization, a series of 2-iminoimidazolin-4-ones could also be prepared in good yields from the reaction of aryl isothiocyanates with amino acid methyl esters.

Approach to the Synthesis of 2,3-Disubstituted-3H-quinazolin-4-ones Mediated by Ph3P-I2.

Readily available N-substituted amides or their requisite carboxylic acids or acid chlorides have been used to construct 2,3-disubstituted-3H-quinazolin-4-ones in a one-pot procedure. Key transformation in this convergent approach involves Ph3P-I2-mediated formation of amidine upon condensation of an amide or the intermediate amide with methyl anthranilate. Cyclization of the amidine-tethered anthranilate then affords 2,3-disubstituted-3H-quinazolin-4-ones in good to excellent yields under mild conditions.

Ultrasound-Assisted Solvent-Free Parallel Synthesis of 3-Arylcoumarins Using N-Acylbenzotriazoles.

An ultrasound-assisted one-pot acylation/cyclization reaction between N-acylbenzotriazoles and 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes has been developed for the synthesis of substituted 3-arylcoumarins. Using ultrasound not only allows rapid and clean conversion but also simplifies experimental setup and parallel workup leading to rapid generation of 3-arylcoumarin libraries under mild, solvent-free, and chromatography-free conditions.

Development and application of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of p,p'-DDE in human milk and comparison of the results against GC-ECD.

1,1-Dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p'-DDE) is the major metabolite of insecticide 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (p,p'-DDT) and a persistent organic pollutant (POPs) with concerns regarding its bioaccumulation and persistence in the environment and food chain. In the present study, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ic-ELISA) specific for the detection of p,p'-DDE is described. In hapten synthesis, 2,2'-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethanol and glutaric anhydride were used as precursor and spacer arm, respectively. The hapten was then conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) as immunogen for mouse immunization and also conjugated to ovalbumin as coating antigen for ELISA. The developed ic-ELISA was used for detecting p,p'-DDE in human milk samples and validated against the results from conventional gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Coefficients of variation (%CV) of ELISA were 5.7-10.4% for intra-assay and 10.6-19.6% for interassay variations. The Pearson correlation coefficient of p,p'-DDE concentrations between ic-ELISA and GC-ECD was r = 0.766, which was in an acceptable range. The results indicate that the developed assay could be an alternative analytical tool for monitoring p,p'-DDE in lipimic matrices such as human milk.

Production of monoclonal antibody to acaricide dicofol and its derivatives.

In Thailand detection of acaricide dicofol residues has been sporadically performed due to the limitation of analytical techniques. Conventional analytical methods for detecting dicofol residues most often use chromatographic-based techniques. Our ultimate aim is to develop an alternative method for rapidly analyzing dicofol residues in vegetables and fruit samples. Here we report the production of monoclonal antibodies specific to dicofol and its derivatives. Hapten-protein carriers were prepared by linking succinic anhydride to dichlorobenzhydrol (DCBH), which was then conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and oval albumin (OVA). DCBH-BSA conjugate was used as immunogen while DCBH-OVA conjugate was used as capture antigen for competitive inhibition assay. Female BALB/c mice were immunized with DCBH-BSA conjugate subcutaneously, and antibody (Ab) level was determined 2 weeks after the last immunization. Spleen cells producing high titer antibody were isolated and fused with myeloma cells of P3.X6.Ag8.653. After limiting dilutions, antibody produced by one clone had high affinity, which was found to be of IgG1 with κ light chain. Specificity and inhibition concentrations of the monoclonal antibody (MAb) were determined by competitive indirect ELISA with dicofol, and its 50% (IC(50)) was 0.28 µg/mL. Working ranges of the developed immunoassay were from 0.07 to 25 µg/mL. Hence, the prepared MAb will be able to be applied for immunoassay development for detecting dicofol residue in vegetables and fruits far below the maximum residue limit such that 5 g of fruits and berries can be detected below 0.1 mg/kg.

Development of immunochromatographic assay for the on-site detection of salbutamol.

Salbutamol, one of the beta-agonists, is misused as a growth promoter in meat producing animals. In-house synthesized colloidal gold was conjugated with the polyclonal anti-salbutamol antibodies. A rapid immunochromatographic assay was developed in a competitive format. The salbutamol-BSA conjugate and goat anti-rabbit IgG were immobilized on a nitrocellulose membrane as test and control lines, respectively. The color intensity of a purple test line was inversely proportional to the amount of salbutamol presenting in the samples. The sensitivity was estimated to be about 80 ng/mL of salbutamol in PBS. The method can be useful as an "on-site" screening procedure for detection of salbutamol.

A peptidomimetic of NT-3 acts as a TrkC antagonist.

Neurotrophins are a family of growth factors that regulate the peripheral and central nervous system. We designed and tested a mini-library of small molecules peptidomimetics based on beta-turns of the neurotrophin growth factor polypeptides NT-3, which is the natural ligand for TrkC receptors. Biological studies identified a peptidomimetic 2Cl that exhibited selective antagonism of TrkC. 2Cl reduces TrkC activation and signaling promoted by NT-3, and selectively blocks ligand-dependent cell survival. 2Cl also blocks ligand-independent TrkC activation and signals that take place when the receptor is over-expressed. This work adds to our understanding of how the neurotrophins function through Trk receptors, and demonstrates that peptidomimetics can be designed to selectively disturb neurotrophin-receptor interactions, and receptor activation.

Immunochromatographic strip test for rapid detection of nevirapine in plasma samples from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

We report a novel one-step immunochromatographic strip test for the rapid, qualitative detection of nevirapine in plasma samples from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. The sensitivity was 100% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 97.8 to 100%), and the specificity was 99.5% (95% CI, 97.2 to 99.9%). The limit of detection was 25 ng/ml. Immunochromatographic strip tests are simple, rapid, and cheap assays that could greatly facilitate drug level monitoring in resource-limited settings.

Selective small molecule peptidomimetic ligands of TrkC and TrkA receptors afford discrete or complete neurotrophic activities.

We designed a minilibrary of 55 small molecule peptidomimetics based on beta-turns of the neurotrophin growth factor polypeptides neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and nerve growth factor (NGF). Direct binding, binding competition, and biological screens identified agonistic ligands of the ectodomain of the neurotrophin receptors TrkC and TrkA. Agonism is intrinsic to the peptidomimetic ligand (in the absence of neurotrophins), and/or can also be detected as potentiation of neurotrophin action. Remarkably, some peptidomimetics afford both neurotrophic activities of cell survival and neuronal differentiation, while others afford discrete signals leading to either survival or differentiation. The high rate of hits identified suggests that focused minilibraries may be desirable for developing bioactive ligands of cell surface receptors. Small, selective, proteolytically stable ligands with defined biological activity may have therapeutic potential.