The taiwaniaquinoids: a review.

A comprehensive overview of the taiwaniaquinoid family of natural products is presented. A summary of the isolation, biosynthesis, and biological activity of these compounds is followed by a discussion of various synthetic strategies to the skeletal framework and a detailed discussion of 12 published syntheses of members of this family. This review covers the literature from the discovery of the first taiwaniaquinoid in 1995 until June 2009.

Determination of capsinoids by HPLC-DAD in capsicum species.

Capsicum fruits contain a newly discovered phytochemical called capsinoids. Because little is known about the quantities of these compounds in both sweet and pungent pepper fruits, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to identify and quantify the capsinoids (naturally present E-capsiate and dihydrocapsiate) utilizing fruit obtained from a variety of Capsicum spp. in the U.

Poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate/dimethacrylate hydrogels for controlled release of hydrophobic drugs.

Hydrogels have been successfully used to entrap hydrophilic drugs and release them in a controlled fashion; however, the entrapment and release of hydrophobic drugs has not been well studied. We report on the release characteristics of a model hydrophobic drug, the steroid hormone estradiol, entrapped in low (MW 360/MW 550) and high (MW 526/MW 1000) molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEG-MA)/dimethacrylate (PEG-DMA) hydrogels. The cross-linking ratio, temperature, and pH ranged from 10:1 to 10:3, from 33 to 41 degrees C, and from 2 to 12, respectively.