The absolute stereochemistry of cascarillic acid

Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants in Myanmar

Myanmar is a country with rich natural resources and of these, medicinal plants play a vital role in the primary health care of its population. The people of Myanmar have used their own system of traditional medicine inclusive of the use of medicinal plants for 2000 years. However, systematic and scientific studies have only recently begun to be reported. Researchers from Japan, Germany, and Korea have collaborated with researchers in Myanmar on medicinal plants since 2000. During the past two decades, over 50 publications have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Altogether, 433 phytoconstituents, including 147 new and 286 known compounds from 26 plant species consisting of 29 samples native to Myanmar, have been collated. In this contribution, phytochemical and biological investigations of these plants, including information on traditional knowledge are compiled and discussed.

Cyclopropane-Containing Fatty Acids from the Marine Bacterium Labrenzia sp. 011 with Antimicrobial and GPR84 Activity

Bacteria of the family Rhodobacteraceae are widespread in marine environments and known to colonize surfaces, such as those of e.g., oysters and shells. The marine bacterium Labrenzia sp. 011 is here investigated and it was found to produce two cyclopropane-containing medium-chain fatty acids (1, 2), which inhibit the growth of a range of bacteria and fungi, most effectively that of a causative agent of Roseovarius oyster disease (ROD), Pseudoroseovarius crassostreae DSM 16950. Additionally, compound 2 acts as a potent partial, β-arrestin-biased agonist at the medium-chain fatty acid-activated orphan G-protein coupled receptor GPR84, which is highly expressed on immune cells. The genome of Labrenzia sp. 011 was sequenced and bioinformatically compared with those of other Labrenzia spp. This analysis revealed several cyclopropane fatty acid synthases (CFAS) conserved in all Labrenzia strains analyzed and a putative gene cluster encoding for two distinct CFASs is proposed as the biosynthetic origin of 1 and 2.

Enantio- and diastereocontrolled conversion of chiral epoxides to trans-cyclopropane carboxylates: application to the synthesis of cascarillic acid, grenadamide and L-(-)-CCG-II

An efficient high yielding improved method for the enantio- and diastereoselective cyclopropanation of chiral epoxides using triethylphosphonoacetate and base (Wadsworth-Emmons cyclopropanation) is reported. The utility of this protocol is illustrated by concise and practical synthesis of cascarillic acid, grenadamide and L-(-)-CCG-II, a cyclopropane containing natural products.

A novel cyclopropyl-containing fatty acid glucoside from the seeds of Litchi chinensis

3,12-Dihydroxy-cis-3,4-methylenedodecanoic acid 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, trivially named litchioside C (1), the first cyclopropyl-containing fatty acid glycoside, was isolated along with three previously uncharacterized galactosylacylglycerols from the seeds of Litchi chinensis. Its structure was established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including HRESIMS and 2D NMR spectra. Its antioxidant and antibacterial activities were evaluated and its biogenetic pathway was discussed.

A new short synthesis of 10R-tuberculostearic acid and its enantiomer

Tuberculostearic acid (10R-methyloctadecanoic acid) and its 10S-enantiomer were synthesised by a chiral pool strategy, in four steps from citronellyl bromide.