Chemoenzymatic Total Synthesis of a Naturally Occurring (5-5′)/(8′-O-4″) Dehydrotrimer of Ferulic Acid

Chemoenzymatic approaches to plant natural product inspired compounds

Covering: 2003 up to the end of 2021Complex molecules produced by plants have provided us with a range of medicines, flavour and fragrance compounds and pesticides. However, there are challenges associated with accessing these in an economically viable manner, including low natural abundance and the requirement for complex multi-step synthetic strategies. Chemoenzymatic approaches provide a valuable alternative strategy by combining traditional synthetic methods with biocatalysis. This review highlights recent chemoenzymatic syntheses towards plant natural products and analogues, focusing on the advantages of incorporating biocatalysts into a synthetic strategy.

Recent Research Progress on Lignin-Derived Resins for Natural Fiber Composite Applications

By increasing the environmental concerns and depletion of petroleum resources, bio-based resins have gained interest. Recently, lignin, vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde), and divanillin (6,6'-dihydroxy-5,5'-dimethoxybiphenyl-3,3'-dicarbaldehyde)-based resins have attracted attention due to the low cost, environmental benefits, good thermal stability, excellent mechanical properties, and suitability for high-performance natural fiber composite applications. This review highlights the recent use of lignin, vanillin, and divanillin-based resins with natural fiber composites and their synthesized processes. Finally, discussions are made on the curing kinetics, mechanical properties, flame retardancy, and bio-based resins' adhesion property.

Electrochemical synthesis of biobased polymers and polymer building blocks from vanillin

Vanillin, one of the few biobased aromatic compounds available on an industrial level, is an attractive candidate for the synthesis of biobased polymers and polymer building blocks. This study presents a detailed investigation of the reductive electrochemical coupling process by pinacolization of vanillin and divanillin in an electrochemical H-type cell setup to the polymer building block hydrovanilloin and to polyvanillin, respectively. Therein, different cathode materials are screened by linear sweep voltammetry for their capability and activity of hydrodimerization of phenolic aromatic aldehydes in alkaline aqueous media. Product distributions and faradaic efficiencies of the electrochemical vanillin reduction are investigated in bulk electrolysis experiments. Dependencies on electrochemical parameters such as current densities, applied charges and cathode materials are studied. Furthermore, the polyvanillin synthesis from divanillin is also investigated by bulk electrolysis experiments. The effects of selected electrochemical parameters (current density, applied charge and electrode material) on yield and structural features (weight-average molecular weight (M _W), number-average molecular weight (M _N), polydispersity (M _W/M _N)) measured by size exclusion chromatography of the obtained polyvanillin were evaluated. Structural features of isolated polyvanillin were determined by 2D-NMR (HSQC, ¹³C/¹H) analyses and by ³¹P-NMR analyses after in situ labeling with Cl-TMDP and possible pathways for their generation are discussed. These two promising electro-synthetic processes studied are free of hazardous materials and reagents and highlight the contributions of preparative electrochemistry to green chemistry and further pave the way toward the application of electrochemistry in the synthesis of biobased building blocks and polymers.

Innovative Bio-Based Organic UV-A and Blue Light Filters from Meldrum's Acid

Faced with the ban of some organic UV filters such as octinoxate or avobenzone, especially in Hawaii, it became essential to offer new alternatives that are both renewable and safe for humans and the environment. In this context, a class of bio-based molecules displaying interesting UV filter properties and great (photo)stability has been developed from Meldrum's acid and bio-based and synthetic p-hydroxycinnamic acids, furans and pyrroles. Moreover, p-hydroxycinnamic acid-based Meldrum's derivatives possess valuable secondary activities sought by the cosmetic industry such as antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties. The evaluation of the properties of mixture of judiciously chosen Meldrum's acid derivatives highlighted the possibility to modulate secondary activity while maintaining excellent UV protection. Meldrum's acid derivatives are not only competitive when benchmarked against organic filters currently on the market (i.e., avobenzone), but they also do not exhibit any endocrine disruption activity.

First Total Synthesis of (β-5)-(β-O-4) Dihydroxytrimer and Dihydrotrimer of Coniferyl Alcohol (G): Advanced Lignin Model Compounds

To investigate lignin degradation, scientists commonly use model compounds. Unfortunately, these models are most of the time simple β-O-4 dimers and do not sufficiently mimic the wide complexity of lignin structure (i.e., aliphatic side chains and robust C-C bonds). Herein, we present a methodology to access advanced lignin models through the first synthesis of two trimers of monolignol G—possessing side-chains and both robust β-5 bond and labile β-O-4 bond—via a chemo-enzymatic pathway. Key steps were (1) the C-C coupling via laccase-mediated oxidation, (2) the C-O coupling via a simple S_N2 between a phenolate and a bromoketoester, and (3) a modified Upjohn dihydroxylation or a palladium-catalyzed hydrogenation. (β-5)-(β-O-4) dihydroxytrimer and dihydrotrimer of coniferyl alcohol (G) were obtained in good global yield, 9 and 20%, respectively, over nine steps starting from ferulic acid.

A Multi-Step Chromatographic Approach to Purify Radically Generated Ferulate Oligomers Reveals Naturally Occurring 5-5/8-8(Cyclic)-, 8-8(Noncyclic)/8-O-4-, and 5-5/8-8(Noncyclic)-Coupled Dehydrotriferulic Acids

Ferulate-mediated cross-linking of plant cell wall polymers has various implications on the quality of plant based food products, forage digestibility, and biomass utilization. Besides dehydrodiferulic acids (DFA), dehydrotriferulic acids (TriFA) gained increasing interest over the past two decades, because they potentially cross-link up to three polymers. Here, we describe a separation strategy to obtain several TriFA as analytical standard compounds from a reaction mixture after radical coupling of ethyl ferulate. By using silica flash chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 chromatography, and reversed phase HPLC, six known TriFA as well as three previously unidentified ferulic acid trimers were obtained, and their structures were characterized by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy (¹H, HSQC, COSY, HMBC, and NOESY). The novel trimers were identified as 5-5/8-8(cyclic)-, 8-8(noncyclic)/8-O-4-, and, tentatively, 5-5/8-8(noncyclic)-TriFA. Natural occurrence of these TriFA in plant cell walls was demonstrated by LC-MS/MS analyses of alkaline cell wall hydrolyzates.

Anti-Inflammatory Prenylated Phenylpropenols and Coumarin Derivatives from Murraya exotica

Three new prenylated phenylpropenols, exotiacetals A-C (1-3), 10 new coumarin derivatives, exotimarins A-I (4-13), and 35 known analogues (14-48) were isolated from the roots of Murraya exotica. The absolute configurations of the new compounds were assigned via comparison of their specific rotations, single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, Mosher's method, the ECD exciton coupling method, comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data, and the ECD data of the in situ formed transition metal complexes. Compounds 1-3, which possess an unprecedented hexahydro-1H-isochromen-1-ol system, are presumably biosynthesized from two prenylated p-coumaryl alcohol moieties via Diels-Alder [4+2] cycloaddition and cyclic hemiacetal formation reactions. Compounds 1, 28, 33, and 35 demonstrated inhibition against LPS-induced NO production in BV-2 microglial cells with IC₅₀ values of 8.6 ± 0.3, 11.8 ± 0.9, 15.5 ± 0.9, and 16.9 ± 1.0 μM, respectively.

Syringaresinol: A Renewable and Safer Alternative to Bisphenol A for Epoxy-Amine Resins

A renewable bisepoxide, SYR-EPO, was prepared from syringaresinol, a naturally occurring bisphenol deriving from sinapic acid, by using a chemo-enzymatic synthetic pathway. Estrogenic activity tests revealed no endocrine disruption for syringaresinol. Its glycidylation afforded SYR-EPO with excellent yield and purity. This biobased, safe epoxy precursor was then cured with conventional and renewable diamines for the preparation of epoxy-amine resins. The resulting thermosets were thermally and mechanically characterized. Thermal analyses of these new resins showed excellent thermal stabilities (T_d5 % =279-309 °C) and T_g ranging from 73 to 126 °C, almost reaching the properties of those obtained with the diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), extensively used in the polymer industry (T_d5 % =319 °C and T_g =150 °C for DGEBA/isophorone diamine resins). Degradation studies in NaOH and HCl aqueous solutions also highlighted the robustness of the syringaresinol-based resins, similar to bisphenol A (BPA). All these results undoubtedly confirmed the potential of syringaresinol as a greener and safer substitute for BPA.

Identification of 8-O-4/8-5(Cyclic)- and 8-8(Cyclic)/5-5-Coupled Dehydrotriferulic Acids, Naturally Occurring in Cell Walls of Mono- and Dicotyledonous Plants

Besides ferulate dimers, higher oligomers of ferulic acid such as trimers and tetramers were previously demonstrated to occur in plant cell walls. This paper reports the identification of two new triferulic acids. 8-O-4/8-5(cyclic)-triferulic acid was synthesized from ethyl ferulate under oxidative conditions using copper(II)-tetramethylethylenediamine [CuCl(OH)-TMEDA] as a catalyst, whereas 8-8(cyclic)/5-5-triferulic acid was isolated (preparative size exclusion chromatography, reversed-phase HPLC) from saponified insoluble maize fiber. Structures of both trimers were unambiguously elucidated by high-resolution LC-ToF-MS/MS and one- ((1)H) and two-dimensional (HSQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY) NMR spectroscopy. The newly described trimers were identified by LC-MS/MS in alkaline hydrolysates of insoluble fibers from maize, wheat, and sugar beet, indicating that ferulic acid cross-links between cell wall polymers are more diverse than previously recognized. Saponification experiments also suggest that the newly identified 8-O-4/8-5(cyclic)-triferulic acid is the naturally occurring precursor of the previously identified 8-O-4/8-5(noncyclic)-triferulic acid in plant cell walls.

ADMET polymerization of biobased monomers deriving from syringaresinol

Renewable α,ω-dienes have been prepared from syringaresinol, a naturally occurring bisphenol deriving from sinapyl alcohol, and further studied as monomers in ADMET polymerizations.

ADMET polymerization of bio-based biphenyl compounds

Bio-based phenols were dimerized and employed as monomers in ADMET polymerization.

Renewable (semi)aromatic polyesters from symmetrical vanillin-based dimers

Two symmetrical biphenyl monomers derived from vanillin, a methylated divanillyl diol and a methylated dimethylvanillate dimer, were synthesized and employed as (co)monomers for the design of renewable (semi)aromatic polyesters.

Determination of free diferulic, disinapic and dicoumaric acids in plants and foods

Hydroxycinnamates are common phenolic compounds of plants and plant foods, often found in substantial quantities. Due to their high in vitro antioxidant activity they can easily be oxidized under oxidative conditions. In this study, we found that in vitro oxidation of coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids resulted mainly in dimeric compounds. We hypothesized that these dimers are present in plants and plant foods not only in their bound form but also as free acids that can be extracted from non-hydrolyzed samples. By applying sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method, we were able to identify and quantify four free hydroxycinnamic acid dimers for the first time, namely 8-8'-disinapic, 8-5'-diferulic, 8-O-4'-diferulic and 8-3'-dicoumaric acids, in wheat sprouts, Chinese cabbage, millet sprouts, light beer and parsley. Concentrations of dicinnamates in plant tissues ranged from 0.05 to 2.8 μg g(-1) DW and the monomer:dimer ratio ranged from 2 to 850.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a tool in green chemistry

The horseradish peroxidase (HRP) potential in organic synthesis.

Simultaneous determination of phenylethanoid glycosides and aglycones by capillary zone electrophoresis with running buffer modifier

Although the separation efficiency of capillary electrophoresis (CE) is much higher than that of other chromatographic methods, it is sometimes difficult to adequately separate the complex ingredients in biological samples. This article describes how one effective and simple way to develop the separation efficiency in CE is to add some modifiers to the running buffer. The suitable running buffer modifier β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was explored to fast and completely separate four phenylethanoid glycosides and aglycones (homovanillyl alcohol, hydroxytyrosol, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid, and caffeic acid) in Lamiophlomis rotata (Lr) and Cistanche by capillary zone electrophoresis with ultraviolet (UV) detection. It was found that when β-CD was used as running buffer modifier, a baseline separation of the four analytes could be accomplished in less than 20 min and the detection limits were as low as 10(-3) mg L(-1). Other factors affecting the CE separation, such as working potential, pH value and ionic strength of running buffer, separation voltage, and sample injection time, were investigated extensively. Under the optimal conditions, a successful practical application on the determination of Lr and Cistanche samples confirmed the validity and practicability of this method.