This study describes the synthesis of fourteen thiazinanones from a multicomponent reaction of 2-morpholinoehtylamine (as primary amine), arenealdehydes (as carbonyl compound) and the mercaptopropionic acid using both conventional (thermal heating) and ultrasound methodologies. Through thermal heating methodology, the thiazinanones were obtained in 49 to 97% yields for 16 hours and through sonochemistry methodology, the reaction time was reduced for 25 minutes with yields 41 to 88%. The full identification and characterization of unpublished heterocycles were achieved by proton (1H) and carbon 13 (13C) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and infrared. Some of them were also characterized by elemental analysis.

Eventos de reconhecimento molecular são questões chave em muitos processos biológicos. O experimento de STD NMR (ressonância magnética nuclear por diferença de transferência de saturação) é uma das técnicas usadas para se entender tais interações biológicas. Neste trabalho, foram investigadas as interações entre quatro antibióticos β-lactâmicos pertencentes às classes das cefalosporinas e penicilinas com a albumina de soro humano (HSA) através de STD NMR de ¹H. Nossos resultados indicam que a interação entre o anel aromático destes antibióticos e HSA é responsável pela eficiência da ligação. Assim, as diferenças estruturais entre os tio-anéis de cinco dos seis membros das penicilinas e cefalosporinas parecem não influenciar as interações do antibiótico com a albumina.

Molecular recognition events are key issues in many biological processes. STD NMR (saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) is one of the techniques used to understand such biological interactions. Herein, we have investigated the interactions of four β-lactam antibiotics belonging to two classes (cephalosporins and penicillins) with human serum albumin (HSA) by ¹H STD NMR revealing that the interaction between the aromatic moiety and HSA is responsible for the binding efficiency. Thus, the structural differences from the five to six-membered thio ring in penicillins and cephalosporins do not seem to influence antibiotic-albumin interactions.

Multidrug resistance, MDR is a major obstacle for cancer chemotherapy. MDR can be reversed by drugs that vary in their chemical structure and main biological activity. Many efforts have been done to overcome MDR based on studies of structure-activity relationships and in this review we summarize some aspects of MDR mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp), as the most experimentally and clinically tested form of drug resistance. The most significant MDR mechanisms revealed until now are shortly discussed. Physicochemical and structural properties of MDR modulators, measures of the MDR reversal, and QSAR studies are included.

Glutathione (GSH) and related enzymes are pivotal for the normal functioning of several important biological processes. In this review we discuss the biosynthesis and the catalytic cycles of glutathione as well as the major GSH-related enzymes. We also present how glutathione and enzymes are involved in cancer and the chromatographic and non-chromatographic methods used to analyze glutathione and/or its derivatives.

The Baylis-Hillman reaction has significantly advanced in the last ten years as demonstrated by a number of applications described in the literature. In this report we show some aspects of this reaction, including scope, limitations and perspectives.

A primeira síntese total da substância antitumoral de origem marinha metacromina-A (1) foi alcançada através de uma abordagem sintética convergente e aplicável a preparação de análogos para estudos biológicos. A síntese envolveu doze etapas na sua sequência mais longa e dezesseis no total, apresentando como destaques (1) a eficácia na síntese da quinona intermediária 11; (2) a preparação eficiente dos fragmentos chaves 5 e 6; (3) uma reação de acetoxilação do tipo Thiele-Winter altamente regiosseletiva e (4) uma reação de acoplamento do tipo Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons empregando o fragmento 6 como fosfonato não estabilizado capaz de atuar como um agente produtivo no acoplamento. Uma síntese formal e enantiosseletiva da metacromina-A também é descrita a partir da síntese assimétrica do fragmento 5, utilizando as metodologias desenvolvidas por Simpkins (desprotonação assimétrica com bases nitrogenadas quirais) e d’Angelo (alquilações desracemizantes). Este último processo forneceu o fragmento 5 com um excesso enantiomérico de ~85%, determinado por espectroscopia de RMN ¹H.

The first total synthesis of the antineoplastic marine natural product metachromin-A (1) was accomplished through a convergent synthetic approach amenable to the preparation of analogues for biological studies. The synthesis involved twelve steps in its longest sequence and sixteen steps overall. The total synthesis of the racemic metachromin-A features: (1) an efficient synthesis of the quinone intermediate 11; (2) efficient protocols for the preparation of the key fragments 5 and 6; (3) a highly regioselective Thiele-Winter acetoxylation step; and (4) a stereoselective Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons coupling reaction employing fragment 6 as a non-stabilized phosphonate as an effective partner. The metachromin-A synthesis was made formally enantioselective by the asymmetric synthesis of fragment 5 employing the methodologies developed by Simpkins (asymmetric deprotonation with a chiral nitrogenated base) and d’Angelo (enantioselective deracemization). This latter protocol furnished fragment 5 with an enantiomeric excess of ~85%, as determined by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy.