Structure determination of two new sesquiterpenoids from Streptomyces sanglieri
Sesquiterpenoids are a group of abundant and structurally diverse secondary metabolites mainly derived from plant and fungi. By contrast, they are rarely isolated from bacteria, and the terpene synthase genes had been considered to be silent in prokaryotes. Recently, more and more terpenes were identified from bacteria, and the biosynthesis of some terpenes has been discussed in heterologous bacteria. Actually, it demonstrated that the terpene synthases are widely distributed in bacteria, including streptomycete, and some new sesquiterpenoids and diterpenoids had been obtained through heterologous expression of terpene synthase genes derived from Streptomyces microorganism. In our ongoing investigation of new bioactive natural products from streptomycete, two new sesquiterpenes, 15-hydroxy-(+)-epicubenol (1) and 7β-hydroxy-7-epi-α-eudesmol (2), were identified from a fermentation broth of Streptomyces sanglieri (YIM 121209-2), which was isolated from the forest soil sample collected from Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 (Fig. 1) were elucidated based on detailed spectroscopic data analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines and antimicrobial activity against a panel of bacteria and fungi of 1 and 2 were evaluated. None of them showed cytotoxic or antimicrobial activities at 100μg/ml.
Isostreptazolin and Sannaphenol, Two New Metabolites from Streptomyces sannanensis
Two new compounds, isostreptazolin (1) and sannaphenol (2), were isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces sannanensis and their structures elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR as well as MS, IR and UV spectroscopic data analysis. The cytotoxic activity of 1 and 2 were evaluated. Both compounds were inactive against H460 and HeLa cell lines at 100 μM.
Dating of Historical Manuscripts Using Spectrometric Methods: A Mini-Review
An overview is provided of spectrometric methods useful for age estimation of historical manuscripts (medieval ones in particular), in order to confirm their authenticity. Individual methods (infrared and Raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray spectroscopy, and electron scanning microscopy) are discussed and examples of their application described. The following general strategy can be recommended for dating and/or authenticating of historical manuscripts. First of all, the pigment analysis should be carried out using Raman spectroscopy (distinguishing the period and modern pigments), followed by PIXE ink analysis (solving the question of ink homogeneity). Finally, the radiocarbon dating of the writing support, potentially supplemented by the ink dating using scanning Auger microscopy should be performed.