Fifty-two samples of street cocaine seized in the state of Rio de Janeiro, from May 2016 to April 2017, were evaluated according to their purity, presence of inorganic and sugar diluents and concentration of pharmacologically active adulterants. Cocaine contents, as well as the adulterants caffeine, lidocaine and phenacetin, were evaluated by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The samples were screened by Raman spectroscopy for the presence of inorganic diluents and carbohydrates. The main diluents were calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, which were found in 93% and 71% of the cocaine hydrochloride samples, respectively. Caffeine was found in 91% of the cocaine hydrochloride samples, while phenacetin was found in all freebase cocaine samples. Freebase cocaine samples were majorly composed of pharmacological active compounds (adulterants), unlike cocaine hydrochloride samples, which were majorly composed of inorganic compounds (diluents). It could be observed, by Raman Spectroscopy associated to multivariate analysis, similarities on cocaine hydrochloride composition according to certain criminal gangs. The percentage of pharmacological active compounds varied significantly on the analyzed samples, showing that these adulterants are indiscriminately added to street cocaine, what may increase consumers’ health risks.

A new series of dialkylphosphorylhydrazones was synthesized through the condensation of aromatic aldehydes with different phosphorylhydrazines. All synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, 13C-NMR and 31P-NMR spectroscopies. The in vitro investigation of the activity of these compounds against Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes and epimastigotes of T. cruzi, showed an efficient inhibition of proliferation, at non toxic concentrations to mammalian cells. The results have shown some derivatives as potential antiparasitic agents against trypanosomatids.

O estrigol é um sesquiterpeno natural que possui elevada atividade como estimulante da germinação, principalmente de sementes de espécies invasoras, pertencentes aos gêneros Striga e Orobanche. Soluções contendo 0,01; 0,1; 10 e 1000 mg/L de um novo análogo de estrigol, sintetizado a partir de um alilbenzeno natural, o safrol (isolado do óleo de sassafraz), foram aplicadas em sementes de alface e de Ipomoea grandifolia e Bidens pilosa. Observou-se que houve efeito estimulador na germinação das sementes das ervas invasoras, sem afetar a germinação da alface. Os resultados indicam que essa substância apresenta potencial de uso para estimular a germinação de sementes de ervas invasoras, que poderiam ser eliminadas do solo, antes do plantio de hortaliças como a alface.

Strigol is a natural sesquiterpene and is a strong stimulant of germination, mainly of weed seeds from the genera Striga and Orobanche. Solutions with concentrations from 0.01; 0.1; 10 and 1000 mg/l of a new strigol analogue, synthesized from natural safrole (isolated from sassafraz oil) were applied to seeds of lettuce, Ipomoea grandifolia and Bidens pilosa. A stimulating effect in the germination of weed seeds was observed, whereas no effect on lettuce was observed. The results indicate that the new analogue presents potential application as a germination stimulant of weed seeds, which could be eliminated from the soil, before sowing vegetables such as lettuce.

O alil-benzeno natural safrol, isolado do óleo de Sassafraz (Ocotea pretiosa, Benth) foi utilizado como matéria-prima na síntese de um novo análogo aromático do estrigol que é um potente estimulante de germinação. O novo análogo foi obtido como uma mistura de epímeros em C2' que foram quantificados e separados por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência.

Safrole, isolated from Sassafraz Oil (Ocotea pretiosa, Benth), has been used as starting material in the synthesis of a new strigol analogue which is active as germination stimulant. The new analogue was obtained as a mixture of epimers at C2' which could be separated by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The preparation and chemical potentiality of a,a-dichlorocyclobutanones as useful intermediates in the total synthesis of natural products are reviewed. Some aspects related to the recent advances reported in the literature about the mechanism of [2+2] cycloaddition reaction between dichloroketene and olefins are also presented.