A review on quinolines: New green synthetic methods and bioactive potential

Quinolines have been an interest of study for a few decades due to the importance of this system in natural and pharmaceutical products. Since their discovery in the nineteenth century, many medicinal properties have been found for quinoline compounds. Firstly, as an anti-parasitic agent against malaria and then against many other diseases, such as, other parasitic infections, HIV, bacterial infections and cancer. Consequently, many synthetic methods have been developed to afford the quinoline ring. In this review we look back at traditional methods and look forward to the most recent and promising "green" methods for the synthesis of quinolines. Also, we review the newest advances in therapeutic compounds based on the quinoline skeleton for the treatment of parasitic and cancer diseases and the most recent applications of quinoline derivatives in drug delivery systems.

Sustainable protocol for Cu-catalysed A3-coupling under solvent-free conditions

A Cu-catalyzed three-component cascade reaction has been developed, involving ortho-alkynylaryl aldehydes, terminal alkynes and aliphatic/aromatic amines or diamines. This diversity oriented methodology successfully delivered a rich library of 72 molecules in good to excellent yields (yields up to 99%) through the application of an A3-coupling reaction. This method is green, straightforward to execute, requires a short reaction time (2 min-4 h), does not require solvents or harsh or inert conditions, i.e. can be performed in open air, and utilizes only a small amount of a cheap and readily available catalyst (2.5 to 10 mol% CuI). It proficiently produced a variety of biphenylacetylene tethered propargylamines, alkyne tethered dihydroisoquinolines, and N-fused benzimidazoles with excellent regioselectivity.

Recent Advances in the Development of Greener Methodologies for the Synthesis of Benzothiazoles

The benzothiazole ring system has been recognised with crucial pharmacophoric features being present among various approved drugs and clinical and pre-clinical candidates. The medicinal importance of this privileged scaffold stimulated the interest of synthetic medicinal/ organic chemists for the synthesis of its derivatives due to their diverse biological applications. In most of the reports in the literature, benzothiazoles were synthesized by cyclocondensation of 2- aminothiophenol with either carboxylic acid and its derivatives or aldehydes. However, many of these procedures involve reaction conditions that are not in conformity with sustainable chemistry development. The negative impact of chemicals and their manufacturing processes on the environment, human health, and biodiversity raises safety concerns. On the other hand, the utilization of non-renewable energy sources, use of rare earth metals as catalysts, involvement of costly chemicals, prolonged reaction time at high temperatures, and considerable waste generation diminish the greener impact of these reaction methodologies and make them non-sustainable. In order to avoid such drawbacks of the non-sustainable practices in the synthesis of benzothiazoles, there have been continuous efforts to develop greener methodologies for the construction of this bioactive scaffold. This review aims to delve into the literature reports on the recent advancements in the development of greener methodologies for the synthesis of bioactive benzothiazoles.

LC enantioseparation of active pharmaceutical ingredients using rationally synthesized CDRs and chiral molecules with high molar absorptivity

The synthesis of optically active compounds requires determination of ee, er, and enantiomeric purity. The aim of the present paper is to review the synthesis of several chiral derivatizing reagents (CDRs) in a rational manner, which were successful for the separation and isolation of enantiomers of a variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients and other important and useful racemates. Besides, the application of (i) certain enantiomerically pure amines, either directly or by incorporating each of them as chiral auxiliary in difluorodinitrobenzene or cyanuric chloride moieties to construct the CDR, (ii) (S)-ketoprofen and (S)-levofloxacin as chiral platforms, and (iii) a few isothiocyanates, have been suitably included. Attention is drawn to the use of water micellar mobile phase as the "green" RP-HPLC method and the use of simple achiral derivatization with ninhydrin, particularly. Synthesis of CDRs and their application for enantioseparation of racemates and detagging of certain chromophoric reagent components for obtaining native enantiomers are other interesting features included herein. The methods can be easily used to determine and control enantiomeric purity with advantages over a variety of commercial chiral phases. This comprehensive review not only highlights innovative methodologies for enantioseparation but also underscores their practical applications in controlling and ensuring the enantiomeric purity of pharmaceutical compounds.

Substrate-Induced Cooperative Ionic Catalysis: Difunctionalization of Indole Derivatives Employing Dimethyl Carbonate

The global urge to adopt sustainable chemistry has resulted in the development of more environmentally benign strategies (EBS) that use CO2 and CO2-derived chemicals in a step-economic manner. In this context, we investigated a dual C-H methylation and (C═O)-methoxylation of indole derivatives using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in the presence of catalytic amounts of Cs2CO3. Mechanistic insights include DMF-assisted, DMC-induced cooperative ionic catalysis, which allows DMC to act as both a nucleophilic and an electrophilic precursor, resulting in (C═O)-methoxylation and C-H methylation of N-benzylindolyl ketones.

Polyethylene Glycol-Enzyme Nanocomplexes as Carrier-free Biocatalyst for Pickering Interfacial Catalysis

PEG-enzyme nanocomplexes are prepared and stabilized in an oil-in-water-type emulsion for Pickering interfacial biocatalysis, and these nanocomplexes function as catalysts and emulsifiers at the emulsion interface. The nanocomplexes are self-assembled by cross-linking mPEG-ALD with lipase, without complicated synthesis steps, toxic chemical reagents, and external carriers. Moreover, the mild cross-linking process preserves the original structure of the enzyme, the retention rate of enzyme activity is 82.1%, and the nanocomplexes are used to emulsify biphasic aqueous-organic solution into Pickering emulsion. The system exhibits excellent reusability, with enzyme activity remaining at 86.05% after five cycles, providing a desirable eco-friendly platform for carrier-free Pickering interfacial biocatalysis.

Insecticidal and Repellent Activity of Essential Oils from Copaifera reticulata, Citrus paradisi, Lavandula hybrida and Salvia sclarea Against Immature and Adult Stages of Ctenocephalides felis felis

PURPOSE

The flea Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), parasitizes dogs and cats globally, acting as a vector for various pathogens affecting both animals and humans. Growing interest in environmentally friendly, plant-based products prompted this study. The aim of the study was to determine the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) from Copaifera reticulata, Citrus paradisi, Lavandula hybrida and Salvia sclarea, assessing their insecticidal and repellent properties, determining lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90), and evaluating residual efficacy in vitro against Ctenocephalides felis felis.

METHODS

Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector analyzed EO composition. In vitro tests involved preparing EO solutions at various concentrations. Ten specimens from each life stage (egg, larva, pupa, adult) were used for insecticidal activity assessment. Adulticidal activity was assessed using 10 cm2 filter paper strip, each treated with 0.200 mL of the test solution. Immature stages activities were evaluated using 23.76 cm2 discs of the same filter paper, each treated with 0.470 mL of the test solution. Mortality percentage was calculated using (number of dead insects × 100) / number of incubated insects. Probit analysis calculated LC50 values with a 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

Major EO constituents were β-caryophyllene (EOCR), linalool (EOLH), linalyl acetate (EOSS), and limonene (EOCP). LC50 values were obtained for all stages except for the essential oil of C. paradisi. All oils showed repellent activity at 800 μg/cm2. OECR exhibited greater residual efficacy.

CONCLUSION

Each EO demonstrated superior insecticidal activity against specific C. felis felis stages.

Advantages and drawbacks of life cycle assessment application to the pharmaceuticals: a short critical literature review

Pharmaceuticals are among the most challenging products to assess by life cycle assessment (LCA). The main drawback highlighted by LCA practitioners is the lack of inventory data, both regarding the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) precursors (upstream) and the details concerning the downstream phases (use and end of life). A short critical review of pharma-LCAs found in the literature is here proposed, with discussion of several tools and models used to predict the environmental impacts derived from the life cycle of pharmaceuticals, emphasizing current strengths and weaknesses, and exploring the possibilities for improvements. The case of antibiotics is selected as a representative class of pharmaceuticals, due to their massive use worldwide and the growing related issue of antimicrobial resistance enrichment, which is generally not included in most of LCAs. Also, we comment on drafting product category rules (PCRs) in the relevant field to develop standard methodologies and enhance the comparability of the studies, ultimately advocating collaboration with companies and improving inventory data quality and availability for the whole value chain of products.

Indium Promotes Direct Sulfonamidation of Unactivated Alcohols

An improved protocol has been developed for the direct sulfonamidation of unactivated alkyl alcohols using In(OTf)3 as a Lewis acid catalyst. Although the established methods using Lewis or Brønsted acids have been well-studied for the direct functionalization of alcohols, their substrate scope mainly focuses on the π-activated alcohols. In this reaction, unactivated aliphatic alcohols were evaluated and afforded the desired sulfonamide products with good to excellent yields.

Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Approach for the Synthesis of Azoxybenzenes from the Reductive Dimerization of Nitrosobenzenes and the Oxidation of Anilines

This study demonstrates a comparative synthesis of azoxybenzenes through the reductive dimerization of nitrosobenzenes and the oxidation of anilines. Utilizing the cost-effective DIPEA catalyst at room temperature with water as a green solvent, the one-pot procedure involves in situ generation of nitrosobenzene derivatives from anilines in the presence of oxone, followed by DIPEA addition. Both methods yield azoxybenzenes with high selectivity, showcasing the versatility of DIPEA in facilitating the synthesis of azoxybenzenes with various substituents in ortho, meta, and para positions, encompassing electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups. The use of DIPEA proves pivotal in achieving moderate to high yields, emphasizing its significance in this environmentally friendly synthesis.

Green and sustainable approaches for the Friedel-Crafts reaction between aldehydes and indoles

The synthesis of indoles and their derivatives, more specifically bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs), has been an area of great interest in organic chemistry, since these compounds exhibit a range of interesting biological and pharmacological properties. BIMs are naturally found in cruciferous vegetables and have been shown to be effective antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and even anticancer agents. Traditionally, the synthesis of BIMs has been achieved upon the acidic condensation of an aldehyde with indole, utilizing a variety of protic or Lewis acids. However, due to the increased environmental awareness of our society, the focus has shifted towards the development of greener synthetic technologies, like photocatalysis, organocatalysis, the use of nanocatalysts, microwave irradiation, ball milling, continuous flow, and many more. Thus, in this review, we summarize the medicinal properties of BIMs and the developed BIM synthetic protocols, utilizing the reaction between aldehydes with indoles, while focusing on the more environmentally friendly methods developed over the years.

A Commentary on Co-Processed API as a Promising Approach to Improve Sustainability for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Pharmaceutical products represent a meaningful target for sustainability improvement and emissions reduction. It is proposed here that rethinking the standard, and often linear, approach to the synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and subsequent formulation and drug product processing will deliver transformational sustainability opportunities. The greatest potential arguably involves API that have challenging physico-chemical properties. These can require the addition of excipients that can significantly exceed the weight of the API in the final dosage unit, require multiple manufacturing steps to achieve materials amenable to delivering final dosage units, and need highly protective packaging for final product stability. Co-processed API are defined as materials generated via addition of non-covalently bonded, non-active components during drug substance manufacturing steps, differing from salts, solvates and co-crystals. They are an impactful example of provocative re-thinking of historical regulatory and quality precedents, blurring drug substance and drug product operations, with sustainability opportunities. Successful examples utilizing co-processed API can modify properties with use of less excipient, while simultaneously reducing processing requirements by delivering material amenable to continuous manufacturing. There are also opportunities for co-processed API to reduce the need for highly protective packaging. This commentary will detail the array of sustainability impacts that can be delivered, inclusive of business, regulatory, and quality considerations, with discussion on potential routes to more comprehensively commercialize co-processed API technologies.

Eco-Friendly Bio-Based Solvents for the Acetylation of the Amino Group of Amino Acids

Nature-derived products, like juices and peel extracts of fruits and vegetables, have emerged in recent years as interesting and sustainable alternatives to traditional solvents in several synthetic applications. Herein, we present a green and fast method for the N-acetylation of amino acids, using several bio-based solvents (vinegar, tomato/kiwi/apple peel extracts, lemon juice, etc.). The high reactivity of the amino group is often a limitation in synthetic processes, making its protection a necessary step to achieve pure products and limit side reactions. Therefore, versatile, time-efficient procedures, minimal purification efforts, and good yields are desirable features for these transformations. Our new method meets all these criteria, offering a valuable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional approaches. In detail, we managed to obtain comparable yields to established setups, while improving safety and reducing the environmental impact of the overall process. Most notably, the milder conditions made it possible to avoid the use of running water (saving about 250 L/reaction) and electric-powered cooling devices.

Unlocking the Pharmacological Potential of Benzimidazole Derivatives: A Pathway to Drug Development

Heterocyclic molecules have fascinated a massive interest in medicinal chemistry. They are heterocyclic compounds that have gained significance due to their diverse variety of pharmacological activities. Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic compound consisting of benzene and imidazole rings. The ease of synthesis and the structural versatility of benzimidazole make it a promising scaffold for drug development. Many biological actions of benzimidazole derivatives have been well documented, including antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antitubercular, and anthelmintic properties. The mechanism of action of benzimidazole derivatives varies with their chemical structure and target enzyme. This review has explored numerous methods for producing benzimidazole derivatives as well as a broad range of pharmacological activities. SAR investigations are also discussed in this review as they provide crucial details regarding the essential structural qualities that benzimidazole derivatives must have in order to be biologically active, which could aid in the rational design of new drug candidates. Benzimidazole scaffold is an exclusive structure in drug design and discovery. Many new pharmaceutical drugs containing benzimidazole are anticipated to be available within the next ten years as a result of the extensive therapeutic applications of benzimidazole and its derivatives. This review inspired many researchers to develop more biologically active compounds bearing benzimidazole, expanding the scope of finding a remedy for other diseases. From this study, we concluded that 2-substituted benzimidazole was considered more extensively by researchers.

Fabricated Gamma-Alumina-Supported Zinc Ferrite Catalyst for Solvent-Free Aerobic Oxidation of Cyclic Ethers to Lactones

The aim of this work was to fabricate a new heterogeneous catalyst as zinc ferrite (ZF) supported on gamma-alumina (γ-Al2O3) for the conversion of cyclic ethers to the corresponding, more valuable lactones, using a solvent-free method and O2 as an oxidant. Hence, the ZF@γ-Al2O3 catalyst was prepared using a deposition-coprecipitation method, then characterized using TEM, SEM, EDS, TGA, FTIR, XRD, ICP, XPS, and BET surface area, and further applied for aerobic oxidation of cyclic ethers. The structural analysis indicated spherical, uniform ZF particles of 24 nm dispersed on the alumina support. Importantly, the incorporation of ZF into the support influenced its texture, i.e., the surface area and pore size were reduced while the pore diameter was increased. The product identification indicated lactone compound as the major product for saturated cyclic ether oxidation. For THF as a model reaction, it was found that the supported catalyst was 3.2 times more potent towards the oxidation of cyclic ethers than the unsupported one. Furthermore, the low reactivity of the six-membered ethers can be tackled by optimizing the oxidant pressure and the reaction time. In the case of unsaturated ethers, deep oxidation and polymerization reactions were competitive oxidations. Furthermore, it was found that the supported catalyst maintained good stability and catalytic activity, even after four cycles.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Science and Policy

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals that disrupt the normal functioning of endocrine system hormones, leading to a range of adverse health effects in humans and wildlife. Exposure to EDCs is ubiquitous and occurs through contaminated food and water, air, consumer products, and transfer from parents to offspring. Effective regulation has been challenging due to a limited understanding of EDCs' complex and nonlinear dose-response relationships, as well as difficulty in attributing specific health effects to individual EDC exposures in real-world scenarios. Current EDC policies face limitations in terms of the diversity and complexity of EDCs, the lack of comprehensive testing requirements, and the need for more robust regulatory frameworks that consider cumulative and mixture effects of EDCs. Understanding these aspects is crucial for developing effective and evidence-based EDC policies that can safeguard public health and the environment.

Improving the sustainability of the ruthenium-catalysed N-directed C-H arylation of arenes with aryl halides

Direct C-H functionalisation methodologies represent an opportunity to improve the overall 'green' credentials of organic coupling reactions, improving atom economy and reducing overall step count. Despite this, these reactions frequently run under reaction conditions that leave room for improved sustainability. Herein, we describe a recent advance in our ruthenium-catalysed C-H arylation methodology that aims to address some of the environmental impacts associated with this procedure, including solvent choice, reaction temperature, reaction time, and loading of the ruthenium catalyst. We believe that our findings demonstrate a reaction with improved environmental credentials and showcase it on a multi-gram scale within an industrial setting.

Brønsted acid catalyzed mechanochemical domino multicomponent reactions by employing liquid assisted grindstone chemistry

Here, we have demonstrated a metal-free energy-efficient mechanochemical approach for expedient access to a diverse set of 2-amino-3-cyano-aryl/heteroaryl-4H-chromenes, tetrahydrospiro[chromene-3,4'-indoline], 2,2'-aryl/heteroarylmethylene-bis(3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enone) as well as tetrahydro-1H-xanthen-1-one by employing the reactivity of 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione/cyclohexane-1,3-dione with TsOH⋅H₂O as Brønsted acid catalyst under water-assisted grinding conditions at ambient temperature. The ability to accomplish multiple C-C, C=C, C-O, and C-N bonds from readily available starting materials via a domino multicomponent strategy in the absence of metal-catalyst as well as volatile organic solvents with an immediate reduction in the cost of the transformation without necessitates complex operational procedures, features the significant highlights of this approach. The excellent yield of the products, broad functional group tolerances, easy set-up, column-free, scalable synthesis with ultralow catalyst loading, short reaction time, waste-free, ligand-free, and toxic-free, are other notable advantages of this approach. The greenness and sustainability of the protocol were also established by demonstrating several green metrics parameters.

One-pot synthesis of naphtho[1,2-e][1,3]oxazines in the presence of FNAOSiPAMP*/CuII as an almond shell based nanocatalyst

In the present research work, a novel catalyst based on natural material, namely, Fe₃O₄@nano-almondshell@OSi(CH₂)₃/NHCH₂pyridine/Cu^II abbreviated (FNAOSiPAMP/Cu^II) was designed and prepared. The properties of the catalyst was identified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetry ananlysis (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Mapping. Furthermore, the evaluation of catalytic activity was done in the course of naphtho-1,3-oxazines synthesis. Solvent-free conditions, simplicity of operation, easy work-up and use of an eco-friendly catalyst are some of advantages of this protocol.

The emerging role of radical chemistry in the amination transformation of highly strained [1.1.1]propellane: Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentylamine as bioisosteres of anilines

Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentylamines (BPCAs), emerging as sp3-rich surrogates for aniline and its derivatives, demonstrate unique structural features and physicochemical profiles in medicinal and synthetic chemistry. In recent years, compared with conventional synthetic approaches, the rapid development of radical chemistry enables the assembly of valuable bicyclo[1.1.1]pentylamines scaffold directly through the amination transformation of highly strained [1.1.1]propellane. In this review, we concisely summarize the emerging role of radical chemistry in the construction of BCPAs motif, highlighting two different and powerful radical-involved strategies including C-centered and N-centered radical pathways under appropriate conditions. The future direction concerning BCPAs is also discussed at the end of this review, which aims to provide some inspiration for the research of this promising project.

Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Sequential Hydroamination of 1,3-Enynes: Enantioselective Syntheses of Chiral Imidazolidinones

Pd-catalyzed sequential hydroamination of readily available 1,3-enynes is reported. The redox-neutral process provides an efficient route to synthesize a broad scope of imidazolidinones, thiadiazolidines, and imidazolidines. Asymmetric sequential hydroamination generates a series of synthetically valuable, enantioenriched imidazolidinones. Mechanistic studies revealed that the transformation occurred via an intermolecular enyne hydroamination pathway to give an allene intermediate. Subsequent intramolecular hydroamination of the allene intermediate proceeded under the Curtin-Hammett principle to provide enantioenriched imidazolidinone products.

Solvent-free, B(C6 F5 )3 -Catalyzed S-H Insertion of Thiophenols and Thiols with α-Diazoesters

Described herein is a B(C₆ F₅ )₃ -catalyzed S-H insertion reaction of thiophenols and thiols with α-diazoesters to access valuable α-thioesters. With the established protocol, an array of α-thioester products are generated in moderate to good yields with broad scope and functional group tolerance. In addition, this reaction maintains its high efficiency on gram scale and the product can be easily transformed into other useful motifs. This reaction proceeds under solvent-free conditions at room temperature, and generally finishes in twenty minutes upon magnet stirring, which offers an expedient way for synthesis of thioether-containing compounds.

Ultrasound-assisted transition-metal-free catalysis: a sustainable route towards the synthesis of bioactive heterocycles

Heterocycles of synthetic and natural origin are a well-established class of compounds representing a broad range of organic molecules that constitute over 60% of drugs and agrochemicals in the market or research pipeline. Considering the vast abundance of these structural motifs, the development of chemical processes providing easy access to novel complex target molecules by introducing environmentally benign conditions with the main focus on improving the cost-effectiveness of the chemical transformation is highly demanding and challenging. Accordingly, sonochemistry appears to be an excellent alternative and a highly feasible environmentally benign energy input that has recently received considerable and steadily increasing interest in organic synthesis. However, the involvement of transition-metal-catalyst(s) in a chemical process often triggers an unintended impact on the greenness or sustainability of the transformation. Consequently, enormous efforts have been devoted to developing metal-free routes for assembling various heterocycles of medicinal interest, particularly under ultrasound irradiation. The present review article aims to demonstrate a brief overview of the current progress accomplished in the ultrasound-assisted synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant diverse heterocycles using transition-metal-free catalysis.

Structure-Guided Engineering of a Family IV Cold-Adapted Esterase Expands Its Substrate Range

Cold active esterases have gained great interest in several industries. The recently determined structure of a family IV cold active esterase (EstN7) from Bacillus cohnii strain N1 was used to expand its substrate range and to probe its commercially valuable substrates. Database mining suggested that triacetin was a potential commercially valuable substrate for EstN7, which was subsequently proved experimentally with the final product being a single isomeric product, 1,2-glyceryl diacetate. Enzyme kinetics revealed that EstN7's activity is restricted to C2 and C4 substrates due to a plug at the end of the acyl binding pocket that blocks access to a buried water-filled cavity. Residues M187, N211 and W206 were identified as key plug forming residues. N211A stabilised EstN7 allowing incorporation of the destabilising M187A mutation. The M187A-N211A double mutant had the broadest substrate range, capable of hydrolysing a C8 substrate. W206A did not appear to have any significant effect on substrate range either alone or when combined with the double mutant. Thus, the enzyme kinetics and engineering together with a recently determined structure of EstN7 provide new insights into substrate specificity and the role of acyl binding pocket plug residues in determining family IV esterase stability and substrate range.

Access to valuable building blocks by the regio- and enantioselective ring opening of itaconic anhydride by lipase catalysis

Herein, we report for the first time the highly regio- and enantioselective ring opening of a biobased itaconic anhydride catalyzed by the Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL) in tert-butyl methyl ether (TBME) at room temperature. This method is easy, efficient and eco-friendly and can be performed in one step with a series of highly valuable monoester itaconates (achiral or enantioenriched) using various alcohols as nucleophiles with 100% atom economy. In all cases, the β-monoester isomer was the predominant product of the reaction. Using achiral primary alcohols as substrates, a variety of novel itaconates were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (50-90%). For select examples, product characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction, in addition to the standard techniques. The application of this approach was performed for the preparation of enantioenriched 4-monoester itaconates via enzymatic kinetic resolution.

Artificial fusions between P450 BM3 and an alcohol dehydrogenase for efficient (+)-nootkatone production

Multi‐enzyme cascades enable the production of valuable chemical compounds, and fusion of the enzymes that catalyze these reactions can improve the reaction outcome. In this work, P450 BM3 from Bacillus megaterium and an alcohol dehydrogenase from Sphingomonas yanoikuyae were fused to bifunctional constructs to enable cofactor regeneration and improve the in vitro two‐step oxidation of (+)‐valencene to (+)‐nootkatone. An up to 1.5‐fold increased activity of P450 BM3 was achieved with the fusion constructs compared to the individual enzyme. Conversion of (+)‐valencene coupled to cofactor regeneration and performed in the presence of the solubilizing agent cyclodextrin resulted in up to 1080 mg L⁻¹ (+)‐nootkatone produced by the fusion constructs as opposed to 620 mg L⁻¹ produced by a mixture of the separate enzymes. Thus, a two‐step (+)‐valencene oxidation was considerably improved through the simple method of enzyme fusion.

Taking the Green Road Towards Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

The introduction of the Green Chemistry Principles in the late 1990s formed the basis for a transition to a greener environment. These Principles have become an integral part in the work on designing chemical processes, especially for large-scale manufacture. The ultimate target is the achievement of a sustainable production method allowing hundreds of tons of valuable materials to be prepared. For this purpose, a holistic view must be applied to the elements constituting a fully-fledged process encompassing layout of the synthetic route, defining starting materials and their origin, output of product and quality features, quantity of effluent streams and waste, recovery and recycling of chemicals involved, and energy consumption. These parameters form a complex matrix where the individual components are in a complicated relationship with each other. This short review addresses these issues and the benefits of life-cycle assessment and metrics commonly used to measure the performance of chemical manufacturing – all from a pharmaceutical industry perspective as experienced by the author.

1 Introduction: Facing Severe Challenges

2 The Historical Context: Addressing an Image Problem

3 Prospects, Drivers and Roadmap for the Green Future

4 Living by the Principles: Industrial Perspectives

5 Taking the Green Route – Catalysis Leading the Way: Case Stories

6 State of the Art: How Green Are We?

7 Sending Signals, Creating Impressions: Focus on Communication

8 Conclusions

Direct Carbonylative Difunctional of Terminal Alkynes with Sodium Sulfinates to Access Olefin Sulfonyl Methyl Esters under Metal-Free Conditions

A metal-free difunctional carbonylation procedure toward the synthesis of olefin sulfonyl methyl esters has been developed. By employing easily available terminal alkynes and sodium sulfinates as the starting materials, a...

Antimicrobial Activity and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Pentacyclic Spiro[oxindole-2,3′-pyrrolidines] Tethered with Succinimide Scaffolds

Three-component cascade reactions of (E)-3-arylidene-1-methyl-pyrrolidine-2,5-diones, L-valine and various isatin derivatives are described. A series of 17 spiropyrrolidine derivatives with wide structural complexity and diversity have been thus obtained in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. The structure and stereochemistry of these N-heterocyclic cycloadducts has been established by spectroscopic techniques and unambiguously confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis performed on one derivative. UV-visible spectra have been recorded for all new compounds. Furthermore, the synthesized N-heterocyclic compounds have been screened for their in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities. Several derivatives exhibited moderate to good activities, comparable to those of the known standard drugs Amphotericin B and Tetracycline. Structural activity relationships (SARs) and molecular docking of the most promising derivatives into the binding sites of glucosamine 6-phosphate synthase (GlcN6P) and methionyl-trna-synthetase (1PFV) were also established. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic studies indicate that the heterocycles exhibit acceptable predictive ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) properties and good drug ability.

Comparison of Aging Resistance and Antimicrobial Properties of Ethylene-Norbornene Copolymer and Poly(Lactic Acid) Impregnated with Phytochemicals Embodied in Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

The effects of plant-based extracts on the solar aging and antimicrobial properties of impregnated ethylene-norbornene (EN) copolymer and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were investigated. In this study, the impregnation yield of polyolefin, lacking in active centers capable of phytochemical bonding, and polyester, abundant in active sides, was measured. Moreover, two different extracts plentiful in phytochemicals-thyme (TE) and clove (CE)-were employed in the solvent-based impregnation process. The effect of thymol and eugenol, the two main compounds embodied in the extracts, was studied as well. Interestingly, oxidation induction times (OIT) for the impregnation of EN with thyme and clove extracts were established to be, respectively, 27.7 and 39.02 min, which are higher than for thymol (18.4 min) and eugenol (21.1 min). Therefore, an aging experiment, mimicking the full spectrum of sunlight, was carried out to investigate the resistance to common radiation of materials impregnated with antioxidative substances. As expected, the experiment revealed that the natural extracts increased the shelf-life of the polymer matrix by inhibiting the degradation processes. The aging resistance was assessed based on detected changes in the materials' behavior and structure that were examined with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, color quantification, tensile tests, and hardness investigation. Such broad results of solar aging regarding materials impregnated with thyme and clove extracts have not been reported to date. Moreover, CE was found to be the most effective modifying agent for enabling material with antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli to be obtained.

Transition-Metal-Free Transfer Hydrogenative Cascade Reaction of Nitroarenes with Amines/Alcohols: Redox-Economical Access to Benzimidazoles

This report describes an efficient transition-metal-free process toward the transfer hydrogenative cascade reaction between nitroarenes and amines or alcohols. The developed redox-economical approach was realized using a combination of KO^tBu and Et₃SiH as reagents, which allows the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives via σ-bond metathesis. The reaction conditions hold well over a wide range of substrates embedded with diverse functional groups to deliver the desired products in good to excellent yields. The mechanistic proposal has been depicted on the basis of a series of control experiments, mass spectroscopic evidence which is well supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations with a feasible energy profile.

Synthesis of mono- and bis-spirooxindole derivatives "on water" using double salt of aluminum sulfate-sulfuric acid as a reusable catalyst

The preparation of double salt of aluminum sulfate-sulfuric acid (Al4(SO4)6·(H2SO4)·24H2O) by the reaction of aluminum sulfate and sulfuric acid in water is described. Aluminum sulfate-sulfuric acid is characterized via some spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which corroborated the structure of the double salt. This double salt is soluble in water and insoluble in organic solvents. It was employed as a new catalyst for the synthesis of spirooxindole compounds on water with good to excellent yields. The double salt could be recycled and reused without appreciable loss of activity.

A Modeling-Based Design to Engineering Protein Hydrogels with Random Copolymers

Protein enzymes have shown great potential in numerous technological applications. However, the design of supporting materials is needed to preserve protein functionality outside their native environment. Direct enzyme-polymer self-assembly offers a promising alternative to immobilize proteins in an aqueous solution, achieving higher control of their stability and enzymatic activity in industrial applications. Herein, we propose a modeling-based design to engineering hydrogels of cytochrome P450 and of PETase with styrene/2-vinylpyridine (2VP) random copolymers. By tuning the copolymer fraction of polar groups and of charged groups via quaternization of 2VP for coassembly with cytochrome P450 and via sulfonation of styrene for coassembly with PETase, we provide quantitative guidelines to select either a protein-polymer hydrogel structure or a single-protein encapsulation. The results highlight that, regardless of the protein surface domains, the presence of polar interactions and hydration effects promote the formation of a more elongated enzyme-polymer complex, suggesting a membrane-like coassembly. On the other hand, the effectiveness of a single-protein encapsulation is reached by decreasing the fraction of polar groups and by increasing the charge fraction up to 15%. Our computational analysis demonstrates that the enzyme-polymer assemblies are first promoted by the hydrophobic interactions which lead the protein nonpolar residues to achieve the maximum coverage and to play the role of the most robust contact points. The mechanisms of coassembly are unveiled in the light of both protein and polymer physical-chemistry, providing bioconjugate phase diagrams for the optimal material design.