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Eight alkyl and six heterocyclic aza-derivatives of gossypol (2-15) have been synthesized using gossypol (1) extracted from Gossypium Herbaceum cottonseeds. The ability of gossypol aza-derivatives to form complexes with NaClO(4) has been investigated by electrospray ionisation (ESI) mass spectra recorded in the positive and negative ion detection modes. The gossypol aza-derivatives have been characterized by FT-IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopic methods and subsequently tested for their antifungal properties against Fusarium oxysporum. Four alkyl aza-derivatives (2-5), present in the enamine-enamine tautomeric form, have shown activity comparable or higher than that of gossypol against this fungus. To improve the antifungal activity the complexes of the most active compounds 2-5 with NaClO(4) were prepared. Complexes of 2 and 5 with NaClO(4) have shown antifungal activity higher than that of the uncomplexed compounds.

Stability constants of complexes formed by gossypol and by ten of its Schiff bases with Ag (+) cations were determined by the potentiometric method. The potentiometric and ESI MS experiments indicate the formation of AgL (+) and Ag 2L (2+) complexes between the Schiff bases G1-G7 and Ag (+) cations as well as the formation of AgL (+), Ag 2L (2+), AgL 2 (+) and Ag 3L 2 (3+) complexes between the Schiff bases G8-G10 and Ag (+) cations. The highest stability constant was found for the AgL (+) complex of G8 Schiff base and the lowest one for the AgL (+) complex of G molecule. The (13)C NMR spectra of mixtures between G and AgClO 4 as well as G1-G10 and AgClO 4 indicate that the complexation of the Ag (+) cations is exclusively realized by the aldehyde-aldehyde tautomer of gossypol and by the enamine-enamine form of gossypol Schiff bases, respectively. We show that the main coordination sites for the Ag (+) metal cations are either the oxygen or the nitrogen atoms of the amine parts of the Schiff bases of gossypol. The energetically most favorable structures of the Ag (+) complexes with gossypol (G) or with the gossypol Schiff bases (G1-G10) were calculated and visualized by the AM1d method at an semiempirical level of theory.

The normal co-ordinate analysis have been carried out for 7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4,4,0]dec-5-ene (MTBD) and its three possible protonated tautomeric forms. The calculations and measured infrared (IR) spectra are consistent with a tautomeric species in which the proton is attached to an imine nitrogen atom.