Aerobic Benzylic C(sp)-H Bond Oxygenations Catalyzed by NBS under Visible Light Irradiation.

An efficient photocatalytic oxidation of benzylic C(sp)-H bonds to ketones, esters, and amides has been developed using NBS as a metal-free photocatalyst and O as an oxidant. A variety of synthetically and biologically valuable compounds are assembled in moderate to excellent yields. The synthetic utility of this approach has been demonstrated by gram-scale experiments.

Phytochemistry, nutritional composition, health benefits and future prospects of Passiflora: A review.

Passiflora, also known as "passion fruit", is widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It is not only eaten raw but is also widely used in processed foods. Various extracts, juices and isolated compounds show a wide range of health effects and biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, sedative, and neuroprotective effects.

spp.: Bioactive Compounds and Potential for the Treatment of Inflammatory and Metabolic Diseases.

spp. belongs to the family, known as "yams", and contains approximately 600 species with a wide distribution. It is a major food source for millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions.

Carbocyclization of Heterosubstituted Alkynes via the Memory of Chirality: Access to Cα-Substituted Proline Derivatives.

An efficient strategy for the asymmetric synthesis of Cα-substituted proline derivatives from acyclic α-amino acids has been established. The 5-- asymmetric cyclization of α-amino ester enolates onto heterosubstituted alkynes provided a product with excellent enantioselectivity via the memory of chirality concept. Density functional theory calculations indicated that a heteroatom is crucial for the success of the asymmetric cyclization because a more stabilized vinyl carbanion is produced.

Memory of Chirality in Bromoalkyne Carbocyclization: Applications in Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Hasubanan Alkaloids.

A transition-metal-free 5- exo- dig asymmetric cyclization of α-amino ester enolates onto bromoalkynes provided a product with excellent enantioselectivity via the memory of chirality concept. This strategy was applied to a concise total synthesis of (-)-runanine and a formal synthesis of (-)-8-demethoxyrunanine and (-)-cepharatine D.

Synthesis of Quinolizinium-Type Heteroaromatics via a Carbene Intermediate.

An efficient synthesis of quinolizinium-type heteroaromatics by Pt(II)-catalyzed cyclization of 2-arylpyridine propargyl alcohol has been developed. The presence of a protic acid is crucial for the success of the reaction. Mechanistic studies disclosed that the reaction proceeds via a platinum-carbene intermediate.

The design, synthesis and in vitro immunosuppressive evaluation of novel isobenzofuran derivatives.

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of novel isobenzofuran-based compounds are described. The compounds were evaluated for their immunosuppressive effects of T-cell proliferation and IMPDH type II inhibitor activity in vitro, as well as their structure-activity relationships were assessed. Several compounds demonstrated highly efficacious immunosuppressive properties, especially compounds 2d, 2e, 2h and 2j, which were superior to MPA, while compounds 2k, 2m, 2n, 4c and 5d exhibited an equipotent inhibitory activity compared to MPA.