Isolation, structural characterization

Determining the molecular sites of action of bioactive medicinal plant constituents is clearly important for establishing the chemical and physiological basis for herbal medicinal efficacy, for quality control of commercial herbal preparations and for the discovery of lead compounds for synthetic (or semi-synthetic) pharmaceutical development. Of course, it must be recognized that medicinal plant efficacy may derive from complex synergistic effects or even from quasi-placebo effects connected with the taste, mild effects and appearance of the preparation. While recognizing these possible holistic complications, in order to find out how such preparations work, it is clearly important to initially isolate, structurally characterize and define the biochemical targets of plant bioactive substances. 

These entries succinctly describe coffee constituents that have been isolated, structurally characterized and shown to interact with particular biochemical targets. 

It was discovered by the Merck Sharp Dohme Research Laboratories that a strain of Aspergillus terreus obtained from a soil sample produced the cholesterol lowering fungal metabolite lovastatin (initially named mevinolin). Details of the isolation, structural characterization and biochemicai properties of iovastatin have been summarized by Alberts et al. (1). Lovastatin is identicai to monacoiin K isoiated independently from Monascus ruber by Endo (2). 

Arenes form ir-complexes with all the transition metals. Many ir-arene complexes have been isolated, structurally characterized, and studied by a plethora of spectroscopic techniques. The first T -arene complexes were prepared by Hein in 1919, but the structures of these compoimds were not fully recognized until 1954. The prototype "sandwich" complex, bis(benzene)chromium, Cr(CjH )2, was prepared by E. 0. Fischer in 1955. ... 

Liu C, Lu J, Lu L, Liu Y, Wang F, Xiao M. Isolation, structural characterization and immunological activity of an exopolysaccharide produced by Bacillus Uchemformis 8-37-0-1. Bioresour Technol 2010 101 5528-33. 

S. Poser, A. Schacher, K.A. Weyer, D. Brugger, E. Dietel, S. Marti, T. Schreitmilller, Isolation, structural characterization, and antiviral activity of positional isomers of monopegylated interferon a-2a (PEGASYS). Protein Expres. Purif., 30 (1) 78-87, 2003. 

Spijksma, G.I., Seisenbaeva, GA., Bouwmeister, H.J.M., Blank, D.H.A., and Kessler, V.G. (2013) Zirconium and hafnium tert-butoxides and tert-butoxo- 0-diketonate complexes - isolation, structural characterization and... 

Rodriguez, A.D., Shi, J.G., and Shi, Y.P. (2000a) Isolation, structural characterization, and synthesis of a naturally occurring bisfuranopseudopterane ether biskallolide A. Evidence for a carbocation intermediate during the facile conversion of kallolide A and isokallolide A into various solvolysis products. J. Org. Chem., 65, 3192-3199. 

Liu L, Zhang WX, Wang C, Wang CY, Xi Z (2009) Isolation, structural characterization and synthetic application of oxy-cyclopentadienyl dianituis. Angew Chem Int Ed 48 8111-8114... 

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