Photooxidation of thiosaccharides mediated by sensitizers in aerobic and environmentally friendly conditions.

A series of β-d-glucopyranosyl derivates have been synthesized and evaluated in photooxidation reactions promoted by visible light and mediated by organic dyes under aerobic conditions. Among the different photocatalysts employed, tetra--acetyl riboflavin afforded chemoselectively the respective sulfoxides, without over-oxidation to sulfones, in good to excellent yields and short reaction times. This new methodology for the preparation of synthetically useful glycosyl sulfoxides constitutes a catalytic, efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly oxidation process not reported so far for carbohydrates.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of cholinesterase hybrid inhibitors using a natural steroidal alkaloid as precursor.

To date, Alzheimer's disease is the most alarming neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. This illness is multifactorial in nature and cholinesterase inhibitors have been the ones used in clinical treatments. In this context, many of these drugs selectively inhibit the acetylcholinesterase enzyme interacting in both the active site and the peripheric anionic site.

An activity prediction model for steroidal and triterpenoidal inhibitors of Acetylcholinesterase enzyme.

Nowadays, the importance of computational methods in the design of therapeutic agents in a more efficient way is indisputable. Particularly, these methods have been important in the design of novel acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitors related to Alzheimer's disease. In this sense, in this report a computational model of linear prediction of acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of steroids and triterpenes is presented.

Combined Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the Radical Nucleophile Addition Reaction for Sulfide- and Selenide-Centered Anions.

The reactivity of sulfur- and selenium-centered nucleophiles toward 1-naphthyl radicals was studied in dimethylsulfoxide. The photostimulated reaction of sulfide anions, SC(NH)CH (1), SC(NH)NH (2), and SC(NH)CH (3), renders, after the addition of MeI, methyl 1-naphthylsulfide as a main product together with bis(1-naphthyl) sulfide and naphthalene under irradiation. Concordantly, the reaction of selenide anions, SeC(NH)CH (4), SeC(NH)NH (5), and SeCN (6), produces methyl 1-naphthyl selenide, bis(1-naphthyl) selenide, and naphthalene in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide anion (entrainment conditions).

Thiol-free chemoenzymatic synthesis of β-ketosulfides.

A preparation of β-ketosulfides avoiding the use of thiols is described. The combination of a multicomponent reaction and a lipase-catalysed hydrolysis has been developed in order to obtain high chemical diversity employing a single sulfur donor. This methodology for the selective synthesis of a set of β-ketosulfides is performed under mild conditions and can be set up in one-pot two-step and on a gram-scale.