Modulation of starch digestion for slow glucose release through "toggling" of activities of mucosal α-glucosidases.

Starch digestion involves the breakdown by α-amylase to small linear and branched malto-oligosaccharides, which are in turn hydrolyzed to glucose by the mucosal α-glucosidases, maltase-glucoamylase (MGAM) and sucrase-isomaltase (SI). MGAM and SI are anchored to the small intestinal brush-border epithelial cells, and each contains a catalytic N- and C-terminal subunit. All four subunits have α-1,4-exohydrolytic glucosidase activity, and the SI N-terminal subunit has an additional exo-debranching activity on the α-1,6-linkage.

Probing the intestinal α-glucosidase enzyme specificities of starch-digesting maltase-glucoamylase and sucrase-isomaltase: synthesis and inhibitory properties of 3'- and 5'-maltose-extended de-O-sulfonated ponkoranol.

The synthesis and glucosidase inhibitory activities of two C-3'- and C-5'-β-maltose-extended analogues of the naturally occurring sulfonium-ion inhibitor, de-O-sulfonated ponkoranol, are described. The compounds are designed to test the specificity towards four intestinal glycoside hydrolase family 31 (GH31) enzyme activities, responsible for the hydrolysis of terminal starch products and sugars into glucose, in humans. The target sulfonium-ion compounds were synthesized by means of nucleophilic attack of benzyl protected 1,4-anhydro-4-thio-D-arabinitol at the C-6 position of 6-O-trifluoromethanesulfonyl trisaccharides as alkylating agents.

Multifidone: a novel cytotoxic lathyrane-type diterpene having an unusual six-membered A ring from Jatropha multifida.

Chemical examination of the stems of Jatropha multifida afforded a novel lathyrane-type diterpene, multifidone, having an unusual six-membered A ring. The structure of the compound was determined from detailed analysis of its 1D and 2D NMR spectra and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Its cytotoxicity was measured on four different cancerous cell lines.

Diterpenoids from Jatropha multifida.

Chemical investigation on the stems of Jatropha multifida yielded two diterpenoids, multifolone and (4E)-jatrogrossidentadione acetate along with five known diterpenoids, a flavone and a coumarino-lignan. The structures of the compounds were settled by detailed analysis of their 1D and 2D NMR spectra. The X-ray crystallographic analysis of (4E)-jatrogrossidentadione acetate was also accomplished.