Total Synthesis, Stereochemical Assignment, and Divergent Enantioselective Enzymatic Recognition of Larreatricin

A concise and efficient total synthesis of the lignan natural product larreatricin as well as an unambiguous assignment of configuration of its enantiomers are reported, resolving a long‐held controversy. Enzyme kinetic studies revealed that different polyphenol oxidases show high and remarkably divergent enantioselective recognition of this secondary metabolite.© 2017 The Author

Antibacterial Activity of Polyoxometalates Against Moraxella catarrhalis

The antibacterial activity of 29 different polyoxometalates (POMs) against Moraxella catarrhalis was investigated by determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The Preyssler type polyoxotungstate (POT) [NaP5W30O110]14− demonstrates the highest activity against M. catarrhalis (MIC = 1 μg/ml) among all tested POMs. Moreover, we show that the Dawson type based anions, [P2W18O62]6−, [(P2O7)Mo18O54]4−, [As2Mo18O62]6−, [H3P2W15V3O62]6−, and [AsW18O60]7− are selective on M. catarrhalis (MIC range of 2-8 μg/ml). Among the six tested Keggin type based POTs ([PW12O40]3−, [H2PCoW11O40]5−, [H2CoTiW11O40]6−, [SiW10O36]8−, [SbW9O33]9−, [AsW9O33]9−), only the mono-substituted [H2CoTiW11O40]6− showed MIC value comparable to those of the Dawson type group. Polyoxovanadates (POVs) and Anderson type POMs were inactive against M. catarrhalis within the tested concentration range (1-256 μg/ml). Four Dawson type POMs [P2W18O62]6−, [(P2O7)Mo18O54]4−, [As2Mo18O62]6−, [H3P2W15V3O62]6− and the Preyssler POT [NaP5W30O110]14− showed promising antibacterial activity against M. catarrhalis (MICs < 8 μg/ml) and were therefore tested against three additional bacteria, namely S. aureus, E. faecalis, and E. coli. The most potent antibacterial agent was [NaP5W30O110]14−, exhibiting the lowest MIC values of 16 μg/ml against S. aureus and 8 μg/ml against E. faecalis. The three most active compounds ([NaP5W30O110]14−, [P2W18O62]6−, and [H3P2W15V3O62]6−) show bacteriostatic effects in killing kinetics study against M. catarrhalis. We demonstrate, that POM activity is mainly depending on composition, shape, and size, but in the case of medium-size POTs (charge is more than −12 and number of addenda atoms is not being higher than 22) its activity correlates with the total net charge.© 2018 Gumerova, Al-Sayed, Krivosudský, Čipčić-Paljetak, Verbanac and Rompe