Publications by authors named "Robert Berkecz"

The phytochemical investigation of resulted in the isolation of 15 previously undescribed triterpenoids (desmondiins A, C-P) and 8 already described compounds. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses. The compounds were identified as tirucallane and euphane triterpenes based on 7-keto-8-ene, 11-keto-8-ene, or 7,11-diketo-8-ene skeletons.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The reaction between glycine-type aminonaphthol derivatives substituted with 2- or 1-naphthol and indole or 7-azaindole has been tested. Starting from 2-naphthol as a precursor, the reaction led to the formation of ring-closed products, while in the case of a 1-naphthol-type precursor, the desired biaryl ester was isolated. The synthesis of a bifunctional precursor starting from 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline, morpholine, and ethyl glyoxylate via modified Mannich reaction is reported.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Phenanthrenes and their derivatives have biological relevance owing to their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. They can be efficiently analyzed through ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/HRMS). Herein, we first studied the unique fragmentation behavior of phenanthrenes based on direct infusion MS/HRMS analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Continuing our search for bioactive compounds in species from the Juncaceae family, was investigated. Ten previously undescribed phenanthrenes─articulins A-J (-)─and ten known compounds─juncuenin B, dehydrojuncuenin B, juncatrin B, ensifolins E, F, H, I, K, juncuenin D, and luzulin A (-)─along with other compounds, have been isolated and identified. The isolated compounds were evaluated for antibacterial activity against , , methicillin-susceptible (MSSA), and methicillin-resistant (MRSA).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Monoterpene and 5-methylcoumarin- or 5-methylchromone-coupled meroterpenoids occurring mainly in the Asteraceae species proved to have high potency against protozoans, worms, and various tumor cells, which make them interesting targets for searching for new bioactive compounds. The African plant was applied in traditional medicine for healing chest pain and stomach aches. Three new meroterpenoids named centrapalus coumarin N (), pauciflorins P (), and Q (), and the already known cyclohoehnelia coumarin (), were isolated from the chloroform extract of , together with centrapalus coumarin O (), which was obtained for the first time from a natural source.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Phenolic compounds are the main special metabolites of Cyperaceae species from phytochemical, pharmacological, and chemotaxonomical points of view. The present study focused on the isolation, structure determination, and pharmacological investigation of constituents from . Twenty-six compounds, including lignans, stilbenes, flavonoids, megastigmanes, chromenes, and phenylpropanoids, were identified from the methanol extract of the plant.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lactam formation of different KYNA amides and Mannich bases mediated by -quinone methide has been investigated. The efficiency of the two routes of the cyclization process was revealed and the influence of diverse amide side chains was explored. In this regard compounds bearing a tertiary amine function in the amide side chain resulted in the formation of the lactam product, while the formation of dimer derivatives was observed in the case of other KYNA amides.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Our research group previously identified graviquinone (1) as a promising antitumor metabolite that is formed in situ when the antioxidant methyl caffeate scavenges free radicals. Furthermore, it exerted a DNA damaging effect on cancer cells and a DNA protective effect on normal keratinocytes. To expand and explore chemical space around qraviquinone, in the current work we synthesized 9 new alkyl-substituted derivatives and tested their in vitro antitumor potential.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nimodipine is used to prevent delayed ischemic deficit in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Spreading depolarization (SD) is recognized as a factor in the pathomechanism of aSAH and other acute brain injuries. Although nimodipine is primarily known as a cerebral vasodilator, it may have a more complex mechanism of action due to the expression of its target, the L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (LVGCCs) in various cells in neural tissue.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Due to the favorable features obtained through the incorporation of fluorine atom(s), fluorinated drugs are a group with emerging pharmaceutical importance. As their commercial availability is still very limited, to expand the range of possible candidates, new fluorinated tryptophan analogs were synthesized. Control of enantiopurity during the synthesis procedure requires that highly efficient enantioseparation methods be available.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

20-Hydroxyecdysone and several of its oxidized derivatives exert cytoprotective effect in mammals including humans. Inspired by this bioactivity of ecdysteroids, in the current study it was our aim to prepare a set of sidechain-modified derivatives and to evaluate their potential to protect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) from oxidative stress. Six novel ecdysteroids, including an oxime and five oxime ethers, were obtained through regioselective synthesis from a sidechain-cleaved calonysterone derivative 2 and fully characterized by comprehensive NMR techniques revealing their complete 1H and 13C signal assignments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

High-performance liquid chromatography-based enantioseparation of newly prepared azole analogs of monoterpene lactones and amides was studied. Effects of additives and mobile phase composition were evaluated both in normal and polar organic modes. Applying amylose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) selector in normal and polar organic modes acid and base additives were found to affect the peak profiles, without significantly influencing the enantiorecognition ability of the studied selector.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We describe herein the synthesis of eight new ester-coupled hybrid compounds from thymoquinone and protoflavone building blocks, and their bioactivity testing against multiple cancer cell lines. Among the hybrids, compound 14 showed promising activities in all cell lines studied. The highest activities were recorded against breast cancer cell lines with higher selectivity to MDA-MB-231 as compared to MCF-7.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Ole-gum-resin extracts (BSEs) are used as food supplements, particularly for managing osteoarthritis, and their quality is tested by measuring specific acid contents using methods like HPLC and titration.
  • A study analyzed 14 different BSE products from commercial sources, comparing their acid content and quality to a reference standard, revealing that only two products met the quality criteria for key compounds (KBA and AKBA).
  • The findings indicated that while total acid levels were acceptable, 10 extracts contained unexpected citric acid (6-11%), suggesting possible adulteration to manipulate titration results, marking a first-time discovery of this practice in industrial products.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Kynurenic acid (KYNA), an endogenous neuroprotectant with antiexcitotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, is synthesized through the tryptophan-kynurenine (KYN) pathway. We investigated whether brain KYN or KYNA levels were affected by asphyxia in a translational piglet model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). We also studied brain levels of the putative blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeable neuroprotective KYNA analogue SZR72, and whether SZR72 or therapeutic hypothermia (TH) modified KYN or KYNA levels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The chloroform extract of exhibited high antibacterial and antifungal activities against 12 bacterial and 4 fungal strains; therefore, it was subjected to bioassay-guided isolation to afford six compounds (-). The structures were determined via one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry experiments. The compounds were identified as furanonaphthoquinones [majoranaquinone (), 2,3-dimethylnaphtho[2,3-]furan-4,9-dione ()], diterpenes [19-hydroxyabieta-8,11,13-trien-7-one (), 13,14-seco-13-oxo-19-hydroxyabieta-8-en-14-al ()], and flavonoids [sterubin () and majoranin ()].

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Eight previously undescribed chromones, named pauciflorins F-M and two 5-methyl-2,4-chromadione derivatives named as pauciflorins N and O, were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of (Willd.) H.Rob.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nowadays, more and more new synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) appearing on the illicit market present challenges to analytical, forensic, and toxicology experts. For a better understanding of the physiological effect of SCs, the key issue is studying their metabolomic and psychoactive properties. In this study, our validated targeted reversed phase UHPLC-MS/MS method was used for determination of urinary concentration of 5F-MDMB-PICA, 4F-MDMB-BICA, and their primary metabolites.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study, the liquid chromatography-based direct enantioseparation of the stereoisomers of α-substituted proline analogs has been investigated utilizing chiral stationary phases with UV and/or mass spectrometric (MS) detection. Macrocyclic antibiotics, such as vancomycin, teicoplanin, modified teicoplanin, and teicoplanin aglycone, all covalently immobilized to 2.7 μm superficially porous silica particles have been applied as stationary phases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ginger () is widely used as a spice and a traditional medicine. Many bioactivities have been reported for its extracts and the isolated compounds, including cardiovascular protective effects. Different pathways were suggested to contribute to these effects, like the inhibition of platelet aggregation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Five unusual meroterpenoids based on new carbon skeletons, pauciflorins A-E (-), were isolated by multistep chromatographic separations of a methanol extract of the aerial parts of . Compounds - are derived by the connection of a 2-nor-chromone and a monoterpene unit, whereas and are dihydrochromone-monoterpene adducts with a rarely occurring orthoester functionality. The structures were solved using 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Eight new triterpenes, named Pholiols L-S (1−8), were extracted from the mushroom Pholiota populnea using several purification techniques, including various forms of chromatography and HPLC.
  • The chemical structures of these compounds were determined using advanced spectroscopic methods such as 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS, revealing that they have lanostane or trinorlanostane frameworks, mostly modified with a specific hydroxy-methylglutaroyl group.
  • Some of these compounds (specifically Pholiols M and O) demonstrated significant antiproliferative activity against breast cancer cells, showing potential as selective treatments, while others displayed cytotoxic effects on drug-resistant cancer cells
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Investigation of the chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of the edible mushroom Pholiota populnea led to the isolation of eight triterpenes, the undescribed natural products pholiols E-K and the known (+)-clavaric acid. HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy were employed to determine the structures of the undescribed compounds. The NOESY spectra were used to assign the relative configurations of triterpenes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Resveratrol is a well-known natural polyphenol with a plethora of pharmacological activities. As a potent antioxidant, resveratrol is highly oxidizable and readily reacts with reactive oxygen species (ROS). Such a reaction not only leads to a decrease in ROS levels in a biological environment but may also generate a wide range of metabolites with altered bioactivities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF