Diketomorpholines: Synthetic Accessibility and Utilization

Enhanced Biological Potential and Phytochemical Profiling of Phoenix Dactylifera Leaves (Deglet Nour and Alig) by Kombucha Fermentation: Focus on Polyphenols, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, and Cytotoxic Activities

The date palm, scientifically known as Phoenix dactylifera, is an important cultural and economic source of wealth in southern Tunisia. It produces considerable agricultural waste, including palm leaves, the disposal of which is often a challenge. Our study addresses the sustainable conversion of date palm leaves into a valuable product through kombucha fermentation, focusing on two widely used varieties in Tunisia: Deglet Nour and Alig. HPLC-RI analysis showed a significant difference in the fermentation process between the treated samples, which is reflected in the highest sugar consumption and metabolite production in Alig palm. Unfermented and fermented date palm leaves were sequentially extracted with solvents of increasing polarity (ethyl acetate and butanol) to evaluate their chemical composition and bioactivity. The results showed that kombucha fermentation significantly increased the total phenolic content, with the highest amounts in the ethyl acetate fraction. In terms of antioxidant activity, the ethyl acetate extracts showed a high percentage inhibitory activity (82.76 %) against the DPPH radical found in fermented Palm Alig, which also exhibited the most important antidiabetic capacity (resulting in an IC50 value of 20 μg/mL). The chemical analyses resulted in the detection of 19 compounds by HPLC-DAD and 50 volatiles by GC-MS, which are mainly found in kombucha extracts.

An Optimized and Universal Protocol for the Synthesis of Morpholine-2,5-Diones from Natural Hydrophobic Amino Acids and Their Mixture

Morpholine-2,5-diones (MDs) are increasingly attractive compounds that can be produced using amino acid (AA) as a starting material. These compounds can undergo polymerization to produce biodegradable materials, namely, polydepsipeptides, that hold the potential to be used in medicinal applications. In this study, a simplified yet high-yield MD synthesis procedure was developed and applied to produce a range of MDs derived from hydrophobic AAs including Leu, Ile, Val, Phe, Asp(OBzl), Lys(Z), and Ser(tBu). Moreover, using a blend of hydrophobic amino acids (Leu, Ile, Val, and Phe), mixtures of MDs could be synthesized simultaneously. Finally, the polymerization of these MD mixtures was probed and proven successful. The concept investigated herein constitutes a novel path toward the valorization of protein-rich waste by producing renewable and biodegradable materials.

30th Annual GP2A Medicinal Chemistry Conference

The Group for the Promotion of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in Academia (GP2A) held their 30th annual conference in August 2022 in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. There were 9 keynote presentations, 10 early career researcher presentations and 41 poster presentations.