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A new aporphine alkaloid, 6-formyl-1,2,9,10-tetramethoxy-6a,7-dehydroaporphine (1), was isolated from the aerial parts of Aconitum carmichaelii along with two known isoquinoline alkaloids, glaucine (2) and norglaucine hydrochloride (3). The structure of 1 was determined by extensive spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR analyses.

Five new aconitine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, namely, carmichaenine A–E (1–5), and six known diterpenoid alkaloids, namely, 14-benzoylneoline (6), neoline (7), 10-hydroxyneoline (8), neolinine (9), songoramine (10), and songorine (11), were isolated from the aerial parts of Aconitum carmichaeli. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR analyses. Compounds 8 and 9 were isolated for the first time from A. carmichaeli.

Three novel curcuminoids, curcumaromins A–C (1–3, resp.), along with a known compound, longiferone B (4) were isolated from Curcuma aromatica Salisb. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated as (1E,4Z,6E)-5-hydroxy-7-{4-hydroxy-3-[(1R*,6R*)-3-methyl-6-(propan-2-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl)phenyl}-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)hepta-1,4,6-trien-3-one (1), 2,3-dihydro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-6-[(E)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-5-[(1R*,6R*)-3-methyl-6-(propan-2-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-4H-pyran-4-one (2), and (1E,6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-[(1R*,6R*)-3-methyl-6-(propan-2-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl]hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione (3) on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Curcumaromins A–C (1–3) represented the first examples of menthane monoterpene-coupled curcuminoids. The known compound, longiferone B (4), was the first daucane sesquiterpene isolated from the genus Curcuma.

In order to study the effect of seed soaking with biogas slurry on seed germination and growth of faba beans (Vicia faba L.), the experiment was conducted. The seeds were soaked in biogas slurry for various soaking durations (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours) and different concentration (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %) along with control to determine the optimal soaking duration and find out the best growing condition. The highest germination rate, germination potential and germination index were obtained when the faba beans seeds soaked for 4 hours in 75 % biogas slurry. Seedling growth was recorded in plants where seeds soaked for 6 hours in 75 % biogas slurry. It was concluded that the seed soaking of biogas slurry with lower concentration (25, 50 and 75 %) showed best results regarding maximum germination and enhanced growth. However, under the higher concentration (100 %) conditions of biogas slurry had a tendency of decrease on seed germination and seedling growth.

Six new sesquiterpenes having the botryane carbon skeleton (1 similar to 6), together with known compounds (7 similar to 10) were induced and isolated from the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica (strain S 0318). Structures elucidation was accomplished by NMR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies.

Daldinin A, B, C with a new skeleton, together with four known compounds, were induced and isolated from cultures of the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and that of daldinin A was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Two new compounds, 1-isopropyl-2,7-dimethylnaphthalene (1) and 21-(acetyloxy)-6,13,14-trihydroxy-16,18-dimethyl- 10-phenyl[11]cytochalasa-7,19-dien-1-one (2), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Daldinia concentrica. The structures were established by spectroscopic methods.

A novel benzofuran lactone, named concentricolide (=rel-(6R)-6-ethylbenzo[2.1-b:3,4-c']difuran-8(6H)-one; 1), was isolated along with four known compounds (friedelin, cytochalasin L-696.474, armillaramide, and russulamide) from the fruiting bodies of the xylariaceous ascomycete Daldinia concentrica. The structure of I was established by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Its anti-HIV-1 activity was tested. Results showed that 1 inhibited HIV-1 induced cytopathic effects. The EC50 value was 0.31 mu g/ml. The therapeutic index (TI) was 247. Concentricolide exhibited the blockage (EC50 0.83 mu g/ml) on syncytium formation between HIV-1 infected cells and normal cells.

In vitro antioxidant activities of three sweet dihydrochalcone glucosides from the leaves of Lithocarpus pachyphyllus (Kurz) Rehd. (Fagaceae), trilobatin 2″-acetate (1), phloridzin (2) and trilobatin (3), were investigated. The IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration) values for compounds 1-3 of lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate were 261, 28, 88 μm, respectively. Compounds 1-3 increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity with EC50 (50% effective concentration) values of 575, 167, 128 μm, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity with EC50 values of 717, 347, 129 μm, respectively, and showed only weak DPPH (1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity

From the twigs of Amoora stellato-squamosa, five new neoclerodane diterpenes have been isolated and characterized, methyl (13E)-2-oxoneocleroda-3,13-dien-15-oate (= methyl (2E)-3-methyl-5-[(1S,2R,4aR,8aR)-1,2,3,4,4a,7,8,8a-octahydro-1,2,4a,5-tetramethyl-7-oxo-naphthalen-1-yl]pent-2-enoate; 1), (13E)-2-oxoneocler4.4a.7.8-tetramethylnaphthalen-2(1H)-one; 2), (3alpha,4beta,13E)-neoclerod-13-ene-3,4,15-triol (=(1R,2R,4aR, PF 5S,6R,8aR)-decahydro-5-[(E)-5-hydroxy-3-methylpent-3-enyl]-1,5,6,8a-tetramethylnaphthalene-1,2-diol; 3), (3alpha,Abeta 13E)-4-ethoxyneoclerod-13-ene-3,15 -diol (=(1R.2R.4aR,5S,6R,8aR)-l-ethoxydecahydro-5-[(E)-5-hydroxy-3-methylpent-3-enyl]-1,5,6,8a-tetramethylnaphthalen-2-ol; 4), and (3alpha,4beta,14RS)-neoclerod-13(16)ene-3,4,14.15-tetrol (=(IR,2R,4aR,5S,6R,8aR)-decahydro-5-[3-(1,2-dihydroxyethyl)but-3-enyl]-1,5,6,8a-tetramethylnaphthalene-1,2-diol; 5), together with two known compounds, (13E)-neocleroda-3,13-diene-15,18-diol (6) and (13S)-2-oxoneocleroda-3,14-dien-13-ol (7).

This study provides details of emerging opportunities for U.S. pork exporters following the U.S.-China WTO Accession Agreement. The Agreement will enable the United States to gain unprecedented access to the Chinese pork market. The United States enjoys comparative advantages in producing hogs at lower cost, higher quality, and greater efficiency. Moreover, Chinese preference for pork is highly complementary to that of U.S. consumers. Therefore, U.S. pork exporters are expected to target primarily the Chinese variety meats market. Although China is expected to remain a surplus pork production nation, demographic shifts could provide additional opportunities for U.S. pork exporters to increase sales of more premium cuts for urban consumers in China. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.

A new phenyl-ethanediol, (1S)-(4-acetylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (1), and a new natural product, (1S)-(3-ethenylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (2), were isolated from the culture broth of the basidiomycete Boletus edulis together with three related known compounds, 1-(4-ethylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (3), 1-(3-ethylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (4) and 1-(3-formylphenyl)-ethanone (5). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including extensive 2D-NMR techniques.

The reactions of Grignard reagents RMgX with elemental Se or Te in THF, followed by treatment of the intermediates RSeMgX or RTeMgX with Fe3(CO)12 at room temperature (r.t.), were found to give [MgX]+ salts of anions [(μ-RSe)(μ-CO)Fe2(CO)6]− (2) and [(μ-RTe)(μ-CO)Fe2(CO)6]− (3), respectively. Furthermore, the [MgX]+ salts of anions 2 (R=Et) reacted in situ with the electrophile Ph2AsCl to afford (μ-EtSe)(μ-Ph2As)Fe2(CO)6 (4), whereas the [MgX]+ salts (R=p-MeC6H4) reacted with the electrophile PhNCS, followed by treatment with another electrophile MeI to give (μ-p-MeC6H4Se)(μ-PhN(Me)CS)Fe2(CO)6 (5). Similarly, the [MgX]+ salts of anions 3 (R=Et, t-Bu, i-Bu) were found to react sequentially with the electrophiles PhCCPh and CF3COOH to yield (μ-RTe)(μ-σ,π-PhCCHPh)Fe2(CO)6 (6a, R=Et; 6b, R=t-Bu; 6c, R=i-Bu), whereas reactions of the [MgX]+ salts of anions 3 (R=Et, Ph, p-MeC6H4) with the electrophiles Ph2AsCl or PhC(Cl)NPh produced (μ-RTe)(μ-Ph2As)Fe2(CO)6 (7a, R=Et; 7b, R=p-MeC6H4) and (μ-RTe)(μ-PhCNPh)Fe2(CO)6 (8a, R=a(axial)-Ph; 8b, R=e(equatorial)-Ph; 9a, R=a-p-MeC6H4; 9b, R=e-p-MeC6H4), respectively. The reaction courses for the formation of Fe/Se and Fe/Te complexes 4–9 were discussed briefly and the structures of these new complexes, along with two other new Fe/Te complexes (μ-RTe)2Fe2(CO)6 (R=Et, i-Bu), were characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopy, as well as for complex 9b, whose structure was confirmed further by X-ray diffraction analysis.

A new synthetic route to μ4-E (E = S, Se) twin clusters has been discovered, which involves reactions of (μ-RS)(μ-p-MeC6H4SO2S)Fe2(CO)6 with nucleophiles (μ-R‘S)(μ-XMgS)Fe2(CO)6 and (μ-PhSe)(μ-BrMgSe)Fe2(CO)6 to give the twin clusters [(μ-RS)Fe2(CO)6](μ4-S)[(μ-R‘S)Fe2(CO)6] (5a, R = R‘ = Et; 5b, R = Et, R‘ = PhC2; 5c, R = t-Bu, R‘ = Me; 5d, R = t-Bu, R‘ = Ph) and [(μ-t-BuS)Fe2(CO)6](μ4-Se)[(μ-PhSe)Fe2(CO)6] (6) characterized by combustion analysis, spectroscopy, and (for 5b) X-ray diffraction techniques.

The identification of aromatic steroid hydrocarbons bearing a methyl group at positions 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 in sediments and petroleum has been puzzling since possible steroidal precursors have not yet been reported in living organisms. Two new aromatic steroids, (17beta,20R,22E,24R)-19-norergosta-1,3,5,7,9,14,22-heptaene (1) and (17beta,20R,22E,24R)-1-methyl-19-norergosta-1,3,5,7,9,14,22-heptaene (2), were isolated from the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica, of which compound 2 bears an unusual methyl group at position 1. We propose that the origin of these compounds is derived from the transformation undergone by their precursor due to microbial action. Compounds 1 and 2 could be the long-sought, biological precursor steroids for organic matter in Earth's subsurface.

A new homologous series of 3-alkyl-5-methoxy-2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinones (1-3), with chain lengths of C-21 to C-23, were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Daldinia concentrica, together with five known compounds. The molecular structures were established by spectroscopic methods.

A new picrotoxane-type sesquiterpene, findlayanin (1), was isolated from Dendrobium findlayanum with crystallinin (2). The structure of compound 1 was established to be (1R,2S,3R,4S,5R,6S,9R)-2,3,11,12-tetrahydroxypicrotoxan-12(15)-lactone by spectroscopic methods.

Six new sesquiterpenes having the botryane carbon skeleton (1 similar to 6), together with known compounds (7 similar to 10) were induced and isolated from the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica (strain S 0318). Structures elucidation was accomplished by NMR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies.

Daldinin A, B, C with a new skeleton, together with four known compounds, were induced and isolated from cultures of the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and that of daldinin A was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

The effects of PBD on the luminescence properties of PVK : Ir(ppy)3 codoped with PBD with lower concentration were investigated. Two kinds of devices with the structures of ITO/PVK : Ir(ppy)3/PBD/Al and ITO/PVK : Ir(ppy)3 : PBD/ Al were fabricated. PVK emission appears in the electroluminescence (EL) spectra of ITO/PVK : Ir(ppy)3/PBD/Al. The reason is that the Forster energy transfer is not efficient enough in the emission layer, and then the emission layer was doped with PBD. A set of devices were fabricated with the configuration of ITO/PVK : Ir(ppy)3 : PBD/BCP/Al. The doping weight ratio of PVK : Ir(ppy)3 was fixed as 100 : 1, and the weight ratio of PBD changed from 100 : 0 (PVK : PBD) to 100 : 20. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra and electroluminescence (EL) spectra of these devices were measured. Through the analysis of their luminescence, it was found that the brightness of these devices codoped with PBD is improved. The brightness of these devices increases with increasing PBD doping ratio as the ratio does not exceed 100:10 (PVK : PBD). The PBD codoping enhances the injection and transportation of electron, resulting in the enhanced carrier recombination probability. If the doping ratio of PBD exceeds 100 : 10 (PVK : PBD), the brightness of the device decreases. There are two reasons. One is that the superfluous PBD causes the carriers to be imbalanced and induces a larger leakage current. The other is that the superfluous PBD may block the hoping of holes or electrons between the PVK chains. The brightness is the strongest when the weight ratio of PVK to PBD is 100 : 10.

A novel benzofuran lactone, named concentricolide (=rel-(6R)-6-ethylbenzo[2.1-b:3,4-c']difuran-8(6H)-one; 1), was isolated along with four known compounds (friedelin, cytochalasin L-696.474, armillaramide, and russulamide) from the fruiting bodies of the xylariaceous ascomycete Daldinia concentrica. The structure of I was established by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Its anti-HIV-1 activity was tested. Results showed that 1 inhibited HIV-1 induced cytopathic effects. The EC50 value was 0.31 mu g/ml. The therapeutic index (TI) was 247. Concentricolide exhibited the blockage (EC50 0.83 mu g/ml) on syncytium formation between HIV-1 infected cells and normal cells.

A new homologous series of 3-alkyl-5-methoxy-2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinones (1-3), with chain lengths of C-21 to C-23, were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Daldinia concentrica, together with five known compounds. The molecular structures were established by spectroscopic methods.

A new sweet dihydrochalcone-glucoside, trilobatin 2″- acetate (1), was isolated from the leaves of Lithocarpus pachyphyllus, together with phlorizin and trilobatin. The structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including one- and two-dimensional NMR (COSY, HMQC and HMBC).

The reaction of (μ-RS)(μ- p-MeC6H4SO2S)Fe2(CO)6 with ( n5-R1C5H4)(CO)3MoSeNa gave organomolybdenum complexes ( n5-R1C5H4)(CO)2Mo( n2-S2R) (3a R = Et, R1 = H; 3b R = But, R1 = MeO2C), the structure of 3b being determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.

Reactions of [Et3NH][(µ-RSe)(µ-CO)Fe2(CO)6 with some phosphorus and arsenic chlorides afforded seven new butterfly-shaped Fe2SeP and Fe2SeAs clusters (µ-RSe)(µ-R′R″P)Fe2(CO)6 and (µ-RSe)(µ-Ph2As)Fe2(CO)6, respectively.