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Cryptophycin-1 is a cyanotoxin produced by filamentous cyanobacteria. It has been evaluated as an anticancer agent with great potential. However, its synthesis provides insufficient yield for industrial use. An alternative solution for metabolite efficient production is to stress cyanobacteria by modifying the environmental conditions of the culture (Nostoc sp. ATCC 53789). Here, we examined the effects of light photoperiod, wavelength, and intensity. In light photoperiod, photoperiods 24:0 and 16:8 (light:dark) were tested while in wavelength, orange-red light was compared with blue. Medium, high, and very high light intensity experiments were performed to test the effect of light stress. For a 10-day period, growth was measured, metabolite concentration was calculated through HPLC, and the related curves were drawn. The differentiation of light wavelength had a major effect on the culture, as orange-red filter contributed to noticeable increase in both growth and doubled the cyanotoxin concentration in comparison to blue light. Remarkably, constant light provides higher cryptophycin yield, but slightly lower growth rate. Lastly, the microorganism prefers medium light intensities for both growth and metabolite expression. The combination of these optimal conditions would contribute to the further exploitation of cryptophycin.

Seven new neolignans and a new lignan were isolated from the leaves and the stems of Miliusa fragrans, along with nine known polyphenolic compounds. Their structures were established through analysis of spectroscopic data, including 1H and 13C NMR, COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HMBC, and HRMS. The isolates were also evaluated for their inhibitory activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and their cytotoxicity against KB, MCF7, and NCI-H187 cancer cells.

Time-dependant density functional theory–electronic circular dichroism spectra prediction was carried out to study the absolute configuration of phyllanthidine-type derivatives 5 and 6, derived from securinine (1) and its enantiomer virosecurinine (2), respectively. This method demonstrated to be very reliable in this alkaloid series. Thus, 5 and 6 shared the same stereochemistry as their parent precursors, confirming the retentive nature of the oxidation sequence. In addition, this study highlighted the key role of the methylene bridge (BC ring) in the chiroptical activity of these compounds. These results fully clarified the stereochemical relationships between the phyllanthidine and the securinine subgroups.

From the leaves of Miliusa mollis Pierre (Annonaceae), five new dihydrobenzofuran neolignans, namely miliumollin, 7-methoxymiliumollin, 3'-methoxymiliumollin, 4'-O-methylmiliumollin and miliumollinone, and a new 8-O-4' neolignan named miliusamollin were isolated, and their structures were elucidated through analysis of spectroscopic data. Miliumollin, 3'-methoxymiliumollin, miliumollinone and decurrenal exhibited weak cytotoxicity against KB, MCF7 and NCI-H187 cells. Miliumollinone possessed weak inhibitory effects against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2. None of the isolates displayed inhibitory activity against avian influenza H5N1 neuraminidase.

A new pentacyclic triterpenoid and three new derivatives based on the taraxer-14-ene skeleton with a C-28 attached a carboxylic acid group have been isolated from the stem bark of Hypodaphnis zenkeri, together with six known compounds. The new product was identified as 2α,3α-dihydroxytaraxer-14-en-28-oic acid (1). Its derivatives, 2α,3α-diacetyltaraxer-14-en-28-oic acid (2), 2α,3α-di-O-carbonyl-2α,3α-dihydroxytaraxer-14-en-28-oic acid (3) and 2α,3α-dipropionyltaraxer-14-en-28-oic acid (4) were obtained by semisynthesis. The known compounds were identified as 3β-hydroxytaraxer-14-en-28-oic acid or aleuritolic acid (5) (McPhail, A.T., McPhail, D.R., Wani, M.C., Wall, M.E.A.W., Nicholas, A.W. (1989). Identity of maprounic acid with aleuritolic acid. Revision of the structure of maprounic acid: X-ray crystal structure of p-bromobenzyl acetylmaprounate. Journal Natural Products, 52, 212), 3α-hydroxytaraxer-14-en-28-oic acid or isoaleuritolic acid (6), 3α-acetyltaraxer-14-en-28-oic acid acetate or aleuritolic acid acetate (7) (Chaudhuri, S.K., Fullas, F., Brown, D.M., Wani, M.C., Wall, M.E., Cai, L., … Kinghorn, A.D. (1995). Isolation and structural elucidation of pentacyclic triterpenoids from Maprounea africana. Journal of Natural Products, 58, 1-9), 3-oxo-taraxer-14-ene or taraxerone (8) β-sitosterol (9) and stigmasterol (10) (KambojSaluja, 2011), together with fatty acids. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic studies and chemical transformations.