Anti-cancer evaluation of carboxamides of furano-sesquiterpene carboxylic acids from the soft coral Sinularia kavarattiensis.

The chemical investigation of soft coral Sinularia kavarattiensis is described. It yielded furano-sesquiterpene carboxylic acids 1 and 2 and their methyl esters 3 and 4. Semi-synthesis of furano-sesquiterpene carboxylic acid 1 gave amide derivatives 5-12.

Directed hydrogenation of acyclic homoallylic alcohols: enantioselective syntheses of (+)- and (-)-laurenditerpenol.

Laurenditerpenol is the first marine natural product shown to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) activation. Preclinical studies support that the inhibition of HIF-1 is one of the molecular targets for antitumor drug discovery. The synthetically challenging molecular architecture of laurenditerpenol, its absolute stereostructure, and the biological activity of several diastereoisomers were accomplished by our group in 2007 by diastereoselective synthesis.

Transdermal iontophoretic delivery of propofol: a general anaesthetic in the form of its phosphate salt.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of delivery of propofol phosphate (PP), a prodrug of propofol, via transdermal route using iontophoresis in combination with chemical permeation enhancers (CPEs). PP, a prodrug, was synthesized and its structure was characterized. In vitro passive and iontophoretic drug transport studies were carried out using Franz diffusion cell across freshly excised hairless rat skin at different concentrations of PP in combination with CPE.

Purification and biological evaluation of the metabolites produced by Streptomyces sp. TK-VL_333.

An Actinobacterium strain isolated from laterite soils of the Guntur region was identified as Streptomyces sp. TK-VL_333 by 16S rRNA analysis. Cultural, morphological and physiological characteristics of the strain were recorded.

Isolation, characterization and biological evaluation of bioactive metabolites from Nocardia levis MK-VL_113.

An Actinomycete isolate found to be prominent in the laterite soils of Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) Campus, Guntur was identified as Nocardia levis MK-VL_113 by 16S rRNA analysis. Cultural, morphological and physiological characteristics of the strain were recorded. Screening of secondary metabolites obtained from 4-day old culture broth of the strain led to the isolation of two fractions active against a wide variety of Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi.

Study on bioactive compounds from Streptomyces sp. ANU 6277.

An attempt was made to study the bioactive compounds from a terrestrial Streptomyces sp. ANU 6277 isolated from laterite soil. Four active fractions were recovered from the solvent extracts obtained from the culture broth of five day-old strain.

Biological activity of phenylpropionic acid isolated from a terrestrial Streptomycetes.

The strain ANU 6277 was isolated from laterite soil and identified as Streptomyces sp. closely related to Streptomyces albidoflavus cluster by 16S rRNA analysis. The cultural, morphological and physiological characters of the strain were recorded.