Naturally occurring configurations

Chrysanthemum dicarboxylic acid or pyrethric acid may exist in eight stereoisomers, owing to the trans or cis configuration on the side chain of the double bond as well as that of the cyclopropane. The natural acid has been shown to be the trans-trans acid. As in the case of the chrysanthemum monocarboxylic acid, the naturally occurring configuration is more insecticidally active than the racemic form or any of the three isomers synthesized. 

The C=C s are assumed to be Z, since that is the naturally occurring configuration. 

CH3-[CHi]5.CH CH-[CH2]g-C02H. A white solid, m.p. 43-44°C, which is present in small quantities in animal fats and in milk. It is the only naturally occurring fatty acid with the trans configuration. 

Measurement of Unsaturation. The presence of double bonds in a fatty acid side chain can be detected chemically or through use of instmmentation. Iodine value (IV) (74) is a measure of extent of the reaction of iodine with double bonds the higher the IV, the more unsaturated the oil. IV may also be calculated from fatty acid composition. The cis—trans configuration of double bonds may be deterrnined by infrared (59) or nmr spectroscopy. Naturally occurring oils have methylene-intermpted double bonds that do not absorb in the uv however, conjugated dienes maybe deterrnined in an appropriate solvent at 233 nm. 

Thorium [7440-29-1], a naturally occurring radioactive element, atomic number 90, atomic mass 232.0381, is the second element of the actinide ( f) series (see Actinides AND transactinides Radioisotopes). Discovered in 1828 in a Norwegian mineral, thorium was first isolated in its oxide form. For the light actinide elements in the first half of the. series, there is a small energy difference between and 5/ 6d7 electronic configurations. Atomic spectra... 

The absolute configuration of naturally occurring 5(-)-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid has been established (73CL5), and the DL form has been resolved (69JHC993). ORD and CD curves have been determined for 2-methylazetidine and an octant rule has been proposed for the N-chloro- and N-cyano-2-methylazetidines (74T39). 

Polypeptides. These are a string of a-amino acids usually with the natural 5(L) [L-cysteine is an exception and has the R absolute configuration] or sometimes "unnatural" 7f(D) configuration at the a-carbon atom. They generally have less than -100 amino acid residues. They can be naturally occurring or, because of their small size, can be synthesised chemically from the desired amino acids. Their properties can be very similar to those of small proteins. Many are commercially available, can be custom made commercially or locally with a peptide synthesiser. They are purified by HPLC and can be used without further purification. Their purity can be checked as described under proteins. 

The naturally occurring form of the amino acid cysteine (Problem 9.48) has the S configuration at its chirality center. On treatment with a mild oxidizing agent, two cysteines join to give cystine, a disulfide. Assuming that the chirality center is not affected by the reaction, is cystine optically active ... 

Figure 25.2 Some naturally occurring D sugars. The -OF group at the chirality center farthest from the carbonyl group has the same configuration as

Another transformation observed with a naturally occurring bacteriochlorin is the tautomer-ization of the exocyclic C — C double bond in bacleriochlorophyll b (3) in acetone which gives 7,8-dehydrobacteriochlorophyll a (4), a chlorin-type product (configurations at C7 and of the 8-ethylidene group have not been established).112,12... 

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