Artemisinin Story from the Balkans

The isolation is reported of artemisinin (qinghaosu), a drug remarkably effective against malaria, from the aerial parts of Artemisia annua L. (sweet wormwood) at the Department of Chemistry, University of Belgrade (now Faculty of Chemistry), Serbia by the end of 1970, almost two years before the isolation of the same compound in China

A Novel Tetraoxygenated Δ8(9),15-Pimaric Acid Methyl Ester From Lycopus Europaeus - II

Identification of a novel diterpene (la-hydroxy-7a,l1a,14~-triacetoxy-LB(gJ.15_pimaraicid methyl ester) from plant species Lycopus Europaeus by means of two-dimensional IH homonuclear correlated NMR spectroscopy (COSY) is reported

Hemija masnih kiselina Atrichum undulatum i Hypnum andoi

The fatty acid compositions of the moss species Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv. (Polytrichaceae) and Hypnum andoi A.J.E. Sm. (Hypnaceae) collected in winter time were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as a contribution to their chemistry. Eight fatty acids were identified in the chloroform/methanol extract 1:1 of A. undulatum (linoleic acid, 26.80%, palmitic acid, 22.17%, alpha-linolenic acid, 20.50%, oleic acid, 18.49%, arachidonic acid, 6.21%, stearic acid, 3.34%, cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid, 1.52% and behenic acid, 1.01%), while six fatty acids were found in the same type of extract of H. andoi (palmitic acid, 63.48%, erucic acid, 12.38%, stearic acid, 8.08%, behenic acid, 6.26%, lignoceric acid, 5.16% and arachidic acid, 4.64%). According to this study, the moss A. undulatum can be considered as a good source of both essential fatty acids for humans (linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid) during the winter.Kao doprinos izučavanju njihovog hemijskog sastava, u ovom radu GC i GC-MS analizom ispitivane su masne kiseline mahovina Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv. (Polytrichaceae) i Hypnum andoi A.J.E. Sm. (Hypnaceae) sakupljene za vreme zimskog doba. U ekstraktu hloroform/metanol 1:1 vrste A. undulatum identifikovano je osam viših masnih kiselina (linolna kiselina, 26,80%, palmitinska kiselina, 22,17%, α-linolenska kiselina, 20,50%, oleinska kiselina, 18,49%, arahidonska kiselina, 6,21%, stearinska kiselina, 3,34%, cis-5,8,11,14,17-eikosapentaenska kiselina, 1,52% i behenska kiselina, 1,01%), dok je u istom ekstraktu vrste H. andoi nađeno šest viših masnih kiselina (palmitinska kiselina, 63,48%, erukinska kiselina, 12,38%, stearinska kiselina, 8,08%, behenska kiselina, 6,26%, lignocerinska kiselina, 5,16% i arahidinska kiselina, 4,64%). Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da u ispitivanom vremenskom periodu mahovina A. undulatum predstavlja dobar izvor linolne i α-linolenske kiseline, esencijalnih masnih kiselina za ljude

An Insight into Fatty Acid Composition of Calliergonella cuspidata

The fatty acid composition of the moss Calliergonella cuspidata (Hedw.) Loeske (Amblystegiaccae) was preliminary analyzed by gas chromatography (GC FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Six fatty acids were identified in its chloroform-methanol extract 1/1: palmitic acid (66.83 %), stearic acid (11.73%), oleic acid (8.21 %), linolenic acid (6.01 %), alpha-linolenic acid (3.95 %) and arachidic acid (3.26 %). Arachidonic acid and cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid, typical long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for many mosses, were not detected in Calliergonella cuspidata

Lignani biljne vrste Achillea lingulata

Five lignans with a 2.6-diaryl-3.7-dioabicyclo[3,3.0]octane skeleton epieudesmin. kobusin, pinoresinol. fargesin and sesartemin, were isolated from the aerial parts and roots, of Achillea lingulata. Their structures were identified by comparison of their H-1-NMR and MS data to those in the literature. Fargesin and pinoresinol have not been isolated previously from any species of the genus Achillea.Iz nadzemnog dela i korena biljne vrste Achillea lingulata izolovano je pet lignana 2,6-diaril-3.7-dioksabicikloŠ3.3.0Ćoktanskog tipa. To su epieudesmin, kobusin, pinorezinol, fargezin i sezartemin. Izolovani lignani su identifikovani na osnovu identičnosti wihovih NMR i masenih spektara sa spektrima iz literature. Fargezin i pinorezinol nisu bili do sada izolovani iz biljnih vrsta roda Achillea

Chemical weapons in university curricula - A way to safer society

Chemistry has been used as a tool of war for thousands of years. The earliest tools were poisoned arrows, Greek fire, water poisoning by hellebore plant extracts, etc. Apart from the chemicals used in the early wars, the modern chemical weapons (CW) were created during WWI and took more than one hundred thousand lives and caused around million casualties. Today CW have been regulated/prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention (OPCW, 2005) signed by 192 state parties. The implementing body for CWC is the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Nowadays, when fear of terrorism is bigger than ever, society needs a better insight into CW, safety and widely used industrial chemicals with terrible potential. In the current curriculum CW is studied mostly from military point of view and the focus is more on the weapons than on chemistry. Authors suggest that the development of chemical weapon related courses in a chemistry curriculum could be a way to achieve safer society. CW courses could cover different topics, e.g. ethics in science, history of chemistry, safety in chemistry and chemical industry, organic and bioorganic chemistry, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, environmental and industrial chemistry, multiple usage chemicals, green chemistry as an alternative to widely used CW related chemicals, etc. Development of a CW syllabus could be supported by various internet-based resources used for education for peace (www.opcw.org/specialsections/education, http://multiple.kcvs.ca, www.thefiresproject.com). Diversity of chemicals covered by CWC in combination with multi-disciplinary approach is a great foundation for development of different student skills: science ethics, problemsolving skills, safety skills, 21st century searching skills, team skills… The authors created a new graduate course called Chemical weapons at Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade in 2016/17. The syllabus of CW can be seen on the internet (www.chem.bg.ac.rs/predmeti/279H1-en.html). In conclusion, the chemistry behind chemical weapons is quite diverse and the authors suggest that undergraduate or graduate course Chemical weapons could be very interesting and beneficial for both chemistry major/minor students

Konformaciona analiza tri germakranolida PM3 semi-empirijskom metodom

The conformations of the C-6 lactomized germacranolides 1-3 were calculated by applying the PM3 semi-empirical method, The low-temperature H-1-NMR spectra of parthenolide (1) were also measured. The relations between the calculated and the experimentally determined geometries were established using a modified Karplus equation. The applied quantum-chemical calculations proved to be an efficient and easy-to-use tool for die elucidation and prediction of die properties of germacranolide-type sesquiterpene lactones.Konformacije germakranolida 1–3, laktonizovanih u položaju (6), izračunate su primenom PM3 semi-empirijske MO metode. Takođe su snimljeni protonski NMR spektri partenolida (1) na niskim temperaturama. Pomoću modifikovane Karplusove jednačine je uspostavljena korelacija između eksperimentalno utvrđenih i izračunatih najstabilnijih konformacija. Zaključeno je da primenjena kvantno-hemijska izračunavanja brzo i pouzdano mogu predvideti i objasniti osobine seskviterpenskih laktona tipa germakranolida

Hemijski sastav ekstrakta semenki bele ribizle

From the seeds of white currant (Ribes rubrum, cv. White Champagne), a new sesquiterpenoid glycoside 1 was isolated, along with two known compounds: dihydrophaseic acid 3'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), and 3-carboxymethyl-indole-1-N-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3). The structure of the new compound was identified as dihydrophaseic acid 3'-O-beta-gentiobioside, based on extensive NMR and MS spectral studies.Iz semena bele ribizle (Ribes rubrum, cv. bela šampanjska) izolovan je novi seskviterpenski glukozid (1), zajedno sa dva poznata jedinjenja: 3'-O-b-D-glukopiranozidom dihidrofazeinske kiseline (2) i 3-karboksimetilindol-1-N-b-D-glukopiranozidom (3). Na osnovu detaljnih NMR i MS studija, struktura novog jedinjenja je određena kao 3'-O-b-genciobiozid dihidrofazeinske kiseline

Osvrt na hemiju masnih kiselina Rhytididelphus squarrosus (Hedw.) Warnst

The fatty acid composition of the moss Rhytididelphus squarrosus (Hedw.) Warnst. (Hylocomiaceae) collected in Germany during winter time was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Nine fatty acids were identifi ed in its chloroform:methanol extract 1:1: arachidonic acid (30.7%), α-linolenic acid (19.1%), linoleic acid (15.1%), cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (14.4%), palmitic acid (11.9%), cis-8,11,14- eicosatrienoic acid (4.1%), oleic acid (2.3%), γ-linolenic acid (1.4%) and stearic acid (1.0%). Th e results indicate that this plant species can be a good source of arachidonic acid collected during the winter.Sastav viših masnih kiselina mahovine Rhytididelphus squarrosus (Hedw.) Warnst. (Hylocomiaceae), sakupljene u Nemačkoj za vreme zimskog doba, preliminarno je ispitivan GC i GC-MS analizom. U njenom ekstraktu hloroform: metanol 1:1 identifikovano je devet viših masnih kiselina: arahidonska kiselina (30.7%), α-linolenska kiselina (19.1%), linolna kiselina (15.1%), cis-5,8,11,14,17-eikosapentaenska kiselina (14.4%), palmitinska kiselina (11.9%), cis-8,11,14-eikosatrienska kiselina (4.1%), oleinska kiselina (2.3%), γ-linolna kiselina (1.4%) i stearinska kiselina (1.0%). Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da je ova biljna vrsta dobar izvor arahidonske kiseline u ispitivanom vremenskom periodu

Flavonoidi iz cvetova Cephalaria pastricensis i njihova antiradikalska aktivnost

Two flavonoid glycosides 1 and 2 having the luteolin structure were isolated from flowers of the endemic plant species Cephalaria pastricensis. They were identified by (1)H and (13)C NMR, as well as UV/Vis spectroscopy. The structures of 1 and 2 were also confirmed by the spectral data of aglycones and TLC of the sugars obtained after acid hydrolysis. Flavones 1 and 2 showed significant antiradical activity in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay.Iz cvetova Cephalaria pastricensis izolovana su dva heterozidna flavonoida sa luteolinskim aglikonom (1 i 2). Wihova struktura je određena primenom 1H i 13C-NMR i UV spektroskopije. Strukture flavona 1 i 2 su potvrđene i spektrima aglikona, odnosno tankoslojnom hromatografijom oslobođenih šećera nakon kisele hidrolize. Jedinjenja 1 i 2 su pokazala značajnu antiradikalsku aktivnost u 1,1-difenil-2 pikrilhidrazil (DPPH) testu