Dearomative [2 + 1] Spiroannulation of Bromophenols with Electron-Deficient Alkenes.

A base-assisted dearomative [2 + 1] spiroannulation of p/o-bromophenols with activated olefins (methylenemalonates) to construct various cyclopropyl spirocyclohexadienone skeletons is reported. Furthermore, several other halophenols (X = Cl, I) were also tolerated in this process. Control experiments reveal a dearomative Michael addition of phenols at their halogenated positions to methylenemalonates, followed by intramolecular radical-based SRN1 dehalogenative cyclopropanation. However, according to the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, an SN2 dehalogenative cyclopropanation with the same low activation energy barrier should not be excluded. The utility of this method is showcased by gram-scale syntheses and transformations of the dearomatized products.

Cu-Catalyzed N-Arylation of Prolinamides: Access to Enantioenriched DMAP Analogues and Its Application in Black Rearrangement.

A CuI-catalyzed C-N coupling reaction of 3-bromo-DMAP with l-prolinamides was conducted at 80 °C in 12-16 h, where the prolinamide's structure had an accelerating effect on the Ullmann-type reaction. This reaction was used to construct chiral 3-amino DMAP catalysts. Furthermore, enantioenriched DMAP analogue C8 was applied in an asymmetric Black rearrangement of 2-benzofuranylcarbonates, affording 3,3-disubstituted benzofuran-2-ones in up to 96% yield and 97% ee.

Reversal of Enantioselectivity for the Desymmetrization of meso-1,2-Diols Catalyzed by Pyridine-N-oxides.

The desymmetrization of meso-vic-diols with a reversal of enantioselectivity catalyzed by chiral pyridine-N-oxides with l-proline as a single source of chirality is reported. With chiral 3-substituted ArPNO C2c and 2-substituted 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine-N-oxide C3b as catalysts, a wide range of monoesters were obtained with satisfactory results with a complete and controlled switch in stereoselectivity (up to 97:3 and 1:99 er). Chiral six-membered carbocyclic uracil nucleosides were generated with excellent enantioselectivities after derivatization. A series of control experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations supported that the reaction proceeded in a bifunctional activated manner, where the N-oxide groups and N-H proton of the amides were vital for catalytic reactivity and stereocontrol. The DFT calculation also supported the distance-directed switching of enantioselectivity, in which the l-prolinamide moiety moved from the C3 to C2 position on the pyridine ring, resulting in the H-bond interaction between the amide N-H and OH group of meso-vic-diol also shifted from one hydroxyl group to another.

Substituting fish meal with castor meal in diets of hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × E. lanceolatus♂): Effects on growth performance, immune response, antioxidant and digestive enzyme activities, gut morphology, and inflammatory-related gene expression.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of replacing fishmeal (FM) with castormeal (CM) on the growth performance, immune response, antioxidant and digestive enzyme activities, intestinal morphology, and expression of inflammatory-related genes in juvenile hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ ×E. lanceolatus♂). Six iso-nitrogenous (50% crude protein) and iso-lipidic (10% crude lipid) diets were formulated; namely, a reference diet (FM) containing 50% FM and five experimental diets (4% (CM4), 8% (CM8), 12% (CM12), 16% (CM16), and 20% (CM20)) in which FM protein was substituted with CM at varying levels to feed fish (initial weight: 9.12 ± 0.01 g) for 8 weeks. The results showed that the final weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate were highest in the FM, CM4, and CM8 groups, whereas the feed conversion ratio, hepatosomatic and viscerosomatic indexes were significantly enhanced in the CM4 group in comparison to the others. The CM4 and CM12 groups were observed to show the highest intestinal length index values compared to the other groups, with the CM20 revealing the worst growth performance. The serum total protein content first increased (P < 0.05) in the CM4 group and decreased (P < 0.05) afterward. Nonetheless, a decreasing significant (P < 0.05) cholesterol and triglyceride contents were witnessed with the increasing replacement of FM with CM. Compared to the control group, a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the activities of serum and liver immunoglobulin-M, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, total antioxidant capacity, and complement-3 (except serum activity for CM12 group); liver lysozyme; intestinal amylase, and lipase, was witnessed in the CM groups. However, the serum lysozyme activity was highest (P < 0.05) in the CM4 group and lowest in the CM20 group. While the least serum malondialdehyde contents were observed in the CM4 group, that of the liver malondialdehyde was least witnessed in the FM, CM4, CM8, CM12, and CM16 groups as compared to the CM20. The intestinal histological examination revealed a significantly decreasing trend for villi height and villi width with increasing replacement levels. However, the muscle thickness, crypt depth, and type II mucus cells first increased upto 4% replacement level and later decreased. The increasing of dietary replacement levels significantly up-regulated pro-inflammatory (il-1ß, tnf-α, myd88, ifn-γ, tlr-22, and il-12p40) and down-regulated anti-inflammatory (il-10, tgf-ß, mhc-iiß) and anti-bacterial peptide (epinecidin and hepcidin) mRNA levels in the intestine. The mRNA levels of il-6 was up-regulated firstly upto 4 and 8% replacement levels, and later down-regulated with increasing replacement. These results suggested that, although higher dietary CM replacement enhances the immune, antioxidant and digestive enzymes, it aggravates intestinal inflammation. Replacing 4 and 8% of FM with CM could enhance the growth performance of fish.

ArPNO-catalyzed acylative kinetic resolution of tertiary alcohols: access to 3-hydroxy-3-substituted oxindoles.

Bifunctional chiral 4-aryl-pyridine-N-oxides (ArPNO) were reported for the acylative kinetic resolution of 3-hydroxy-3-substituted oxindoles, where the oxygen acts as the nucleophilic site. Using less sterically hindered acetic anhydride, both the recovered tertiary heterocyclic alcohols and the ester products exhibited good to excellent results with s-factors up to 167. Control experiments supported the dual activation manner, where the N-oxide group and N-H proton in ArPNO were crucial for high selectivity and enhanced catalytic reactivity. Compared with the extensively used chiral NHC, isochalcogenourea, and DMAP catalysts, we found that chiral ArPNO were also efficient organocatalysts in the kinetic resolution of tertiary alcohols.

Rational Design of 2-Substituted DMAP-N-oxides as Acyl Transfer Catalysts: Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Azlactones.

A novel concept that conversion of chiral 2-substituted DMAP into its DMAP-N-oxide could significantly enhance the catalytic activity and still be used as an acyl transfer catalyst is presented. A new type of chiral 2-substituted DMAP-N-oxides, derived from l-prolinamides, has been rationally designed, facilely synthesized, and applied in the dynamic kinetic resolution of azlactones. Using simple MeOH as the nucleophile, various l-amino acid derivatives were produced in high yields (up to 98% yield) and enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee). Furthermore, α-deuterium labeled l-phenylalanine derivative was also obtained. Experiments and DFT calculations revealed that in 2-substituted DMAP-N-oxide, the oxygen atom acted as the nucleophilic site and the N-H bond functioned as the H-bond donor. High enantioselectivity of the reaction was governed by steric factors, and the addition of benzoic acid reduced the activation energy by participating in the construction of a H-bond bridge. The theoretical chemical study indicated that only when attack directions of the chiral catalyst were fully considered could the correct calculation results be obtained. This work paves the way for the utilization of the C2 position of the pyridine ring and the development of chiral 2-substituted DMAP-N-oxides as efficient acyl transfer catalysts.

Chiral DMAP-N-oxides as Acyl Transfer Catalysts: Design, Synthesis, and Application in Asymmetric Steglich Rearrangement.

A DMAP-N-oxide, featuring an α-amino acid as the chiral source, was developed, synthesized and applied in asymmetric Steglich rearrangement. A series of O-acylated azlactones afforded C-acylated azlactones possessing a quaternary stereocenter in high yields (up to 97 % yield) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97 % ee). Compared to the widespread use of pyridine nitrogen, which serves as the nucleophilic site in the asymmetric acyl transfer reaction, we discovered that chiral DMAP-N-oxides, in which the oxygen now acts as the nucleophilic site, are efficient acyl transfer catalysts. Our finding might open a new door for the development of chiral DMAP-N-oxides for asymmetric acyl transfer reactions.

Facile Chemoselective Modification of Thio-Ethers Generates Chiral Center-Induced Helical Peptides.

A precisely positioned sulfimide chiral center on-tether of a thio-ether tethered peptide determines the peptide secondary structure by chemoselective oxaziridine modification. This method provides a facile way to tune peptides' secondary structures and biophysical properties.

Enantioselective Friedel-Crafts Alkylation Reactions of ß-Naphthols with Donor-Acceptor Aminocyclopropanes.

The enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of ß-naphthols with donor-acceptor aminocyclopropane was developed. In the presence of a copper complex derived from Cu(OTf)2 and bisoxazoline, a series of γ-substituted γ-aminobutyric acid derivatives were obtained with good yields (up to 98 %) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98 %). Using this catalytic system, the 2-amino cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylate was obtained with high enantiomeric excess (up to 98 %) by an efficient kinetic resolution (s values of up to 90). The Friedel-Crafts alkylation product could be transformed into a tetracyclic 1,3-oxazine derivative.

Regio- and Enantioselective Allylic Amination of Aliphatic MBH Adducts with N-Heteroaromatics.

Palladium-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective allylic amination of aliphatic Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) adducts with N-heteroaromatic nucleophiles (e.g., benzimidazole, 4,5-diphenylimidazole, benzotriazole, and purines) was achieved by using a spiroketal-based diphosphine (SKP) ligand, and afforded a range of chiral, branched N-allyl products with high selectivity.

Synthesis of Chiral Acyclic Nucleosides by Sharpless Asymmetric Dihydroxylation: Access to Cidofovir and Buciclovir.

An efficient method to construct chiral acyclic nucleosides via Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation of N-allylpyrimidines or N-alkenylpurines is reported. A range of chiral acyclic nucleosides with two adjacent hydroxyl groups present on the side chains could be produced in good yields (up to 97% yield) and excellent enantioselectivities (90-99% ee). The synthetic utility of the reaction was demonstrated by the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of ( S)-Cidofovir and ( R)-Buciclovir.

Recent advances in peptidomimetics antagonists targeting estrogen receptor α-coactivator interaction in cancer therapy.

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is a crucial target for ERα positive breast cancer treatment. Previous drug discovery efforts were focused on developing inhibitors that targeted the canonical ligand binding pockets of the ligand binding domain (LBD) of ERα. However, significant percentage of patients developed cancer relapse with drug-resistance. ERα peptidomimetic modulators have been considered as promising treatments for drug resistant breast cancers as they are targeting ERα-coactivator interacting interface instead of the ligand binding pocket of ERα. Herein, we reviewed the recent development of ERα peptidomimetics antagonists.

Efficient synthesis of tetrazole hemiaminal silyl ethers via three-component hemiaminal silylation.

An efficient route to construct 2,5-disubstituted tetrazole hemiaminal silyl ethers via one-pot three-component hemiaminal silylation of 5-substituted tetrazoles, aldehydes, and silyl triflates was developed. Diverse 2,5-disubstituted tetrazole hemiaminal silyl ethers were obtained with 37 : 63->99 : 1 regioisomeric ratios. The regioselectivities of this reaction were significantly affected by steric hindrance and the conjugation effects of substitutions on the 5-position of tetrazoles.

Catalytic Asymmetric Inverse-Electron-Demand Hetero-Diels-Alder Reactions.

In this review, the recent developments in catalytic asymmetric inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction, which is recognized as one of the most powerful routes to construct highly functionalized and enantioenriched six-membered heterocycles, are described. The article is organized on the basis of different kinds of electron-deficient heterodienes, including α,ß-unsaturated ketones/aldehydes, o-benzoquinones, α,ß-unsaturated imines, N-aryl imines, o-benzoqinone imides, and other aza-olefins.

Visible-Light-Mediated Monoselective Ortho C-H Arylation of 6-Arylpurine Nucleosides with Diazonium Salts.

A combined palladium- and photoredox-catalyzed monoselective arylation of 6-arylpurine nucleosides has been developed by employing purine as a directing group via the photoredox reaction, and many functional groups are well tolerated in this direct C-H arylation condition. Various of functionalized purines (nucleosides) which are potentially of great importance in medicinal chemistry could be obtained under visible light irradiation at room temperature within 4 h.

Is meat consumption associated with depression? A meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: A number of epidemiological studies have examined the effect of meat consumption on depression. However, no conclusion has been reached. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between meat consumption and depression. METHODS: The electronic databases of PUBMED and EMBASE were searched up to March 2017, for observational studies that examined the relationship between meat consumption and depression. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for the prevalence of depression and the relative risk (RR) for the incidence of depression, as well as their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), were calculated respectively (the highest versus the lowest category of meat consumption). RESULTS: A total of eight observational studies (three cross-sectional, three cohort and two case-control studies) were included in this meta-analysis. Specifically, six studies were related to the prevalence of depression, and the overall multi-variable adjusted OR suggested no significant association between meat consumption and the prevalence of depression (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.65 to 1.22; P = 0.469). In contrast, for the three studies related to the incidence of depression, the overall multi-variable adjusted RR evidenced an association between meat consumption and a moderately higher incidence of depression (RR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.24; P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Meat consumption may be associated with a moderately higher risk of depression. However, it still warrants further studies to confirm such findings due to the limited number of prospective studies.

Nucleoside-Based Ultrasensitive Fluorescent Probe for the Dual-Mode Imaging of Microviscosity in Living Cells.

Microviscosity changes of living cells have a far-reaching influence on diffusion and movement capacity of RNA and, more seriously, could modify RNA functions in living cells. Fluorescent rotor, whose fluorescence responds to different environmental viscosities, holds great potential for the imaging of viscosity in biosystem. Although many fluorescent rotors have been reported for viscosity, the fluorogenic rotor with ultrasensitivity for the determination of microviscosity (<10 cP) was rarely reported. Herein, we report a nucleoside-based two-photon fluorescent rotor (dABp-3) that can selectively and ultrasensitively image microviscosity in RNA region of living cells for the first time. 2'-Deoxyadenosine is selected as an electron donor to permit energy transfer via the acetylenic bond to acceptor, a typical boron dipyrromethene moiety. Another highlight, dABp-3 is based on 2'-deoxyadenosine, which result in its recognition capacity for RNA. dABp-3 with ultrasensitivity provides a varied linear response to the microrange viscosity (1.8-6.0 cP) in RNA region of living cells on dual-mode-two-photon ratio mode and fluorescence lifetime mode. After screening and optimization, advantageously, dABp-3 can be used to screen reticulocytes from mature blood cells of thrombosis models in vitro and in vivo because of targeting RNA, while simultaneously image microviscosity changes in these cells. So, dABp-3 as an analytical tool holds considerable promise for bioimaging and monitoring of microviscosity changes in complex biological systems.

Nucleoside-Based Diarylethene Photoswitches: Synthesis and Photochromic Properties.

Diarylethene photoswitches based on the natural nucleoside deoxyadenosine were designed and synthesized. In aqueous solution, some of them exhibited good photochromic properties, including clear changes in color upon irradiation at 365 nm, red-shifts of the absorption wavelength, with good fatigue resistance, thermal stability, conversion efficiency, and base-pairing properties.

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Allylic Etherification of Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbonates and Silanols.

The organocatalytic asymmetric allylic etherification reaction of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates and silanols was reported for the first time. With modified cinchona alkaloid (DHQD)2PYR as the catalyst, a series of aromatic, heterocyclic, or aliphatic Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates (25 examples) worked well with triphenylsilanol, affording the corresponding products in moderate to good yields (up to 98%), high regioselectivities (>20:1), and good enantioselectivities (up to 92%). When dimethylphenylsilanol was used as the nucleophile, the product was obtained in 60% yield and 87% ee.

Synthesis of cycloalkyl substituted purine nucleosides via a metal-free radical route.

An efficient route to synthesize cycloalkyl substituted purine nucleosides was developed. This metal-free C-H activation was accomplished by a tBuOOtBu initiated radical reaction. By adjusting the amount of tBuOOtBu and reaction time, the selective synthesis of C6-monocycloalkyl or C6,C8-dicycloalkyl substituted purine nucleosides could be realized. Furthermore, uracil and related nucleosides were also suitable substrates, giving the C5-cyclohexyl substituted uracil derivatives in good yields with excellent regioselectivities.