{"title":"Concise and Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of β,β-Disubstituted α,β-Unsaturated Esters.","authors":"Minoru Ozeki, Mizuki Tsuda, Serina Yamanouchi, Momoe Yamakawa, Kanako Fukuda, Hirotaka Sasa, Takuya Matsumoto, Aya Niki, Maaya Nobata, Takashi Shigeta, Tetsuya Kajimoto, Kenji Arimitsu, Shinzo Hosoi, Hiroki Iwasaki, Naoto Kojima, Ikuo Kawasaki","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c24-00751","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c24-00751","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Building on our previously reported techniques, we developed a concise and highly stereoselective synthesis method for β,β-disubstituted α,β-unsaturated esters. This synthesis comprises 3 reactions: the aldol reaction of acetic ester derivatives with ketones, the acetylation of tert-alcohols, and an elimination reaction utilizing 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU). During the acetylation process, acetic anhydride and 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) facilitated the smooth acetylation of bulky tert-alcohols; however, employing DBU as a base reduced the yields. Additionally, the removal of excess DMAP effectively suppressed the formation of unwanted byproducts during the elimination step.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 3","pages":"264-267"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143751400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of Shape on the Disintegration Time and Friability of Sucroferric Oxyhydroxide-Containing Mini-Tablets.","authors":"Hiroaki Omori, Homare Kurashima, Nobuyuki Isshiki, Yasuharu Kashiwagura, Shinya Uchida","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c24-00675","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c24-00675","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sucroferric oxyhydroxide is a phosphate binder for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis. This study aimed to determine the effects of tablet size, shape, and tensile strength on disintegration time and friability of sucroferric oxyhydroxide-containing mini-tablets. A linear relationship between the disintegration time and tensile strength was observed across all mini-tablets, except for those with smaller tablets (diameters: <1.8 mm). However, the relationship between friability and tensile strength was not significantly correlated under linear or exponential approximations. Explaining friability solely based on tensile strength was challenging, indicating the role of tablet shape. To visualize the effects of mini-tablet shapes and tensile strength on their disintegration time and friability, response aspects were analyzed. The response surface analysis revealed that the disintegration time was not affected by the tablet shape. The friability of the mini-tablets with a cup depth/diameter of 0.209 was lower (<0.2) than that of tablets with other cup depth/diameter across all tested ranges of tensile strength (1-6). A cup depth/diameter of 0.2 was identified as optimal for minimizing the friability of mini-tablets and can be implemented in commercial production without issues. In conclusion, tablet shape should be carefully considered during the development of mini-tablets to ensure low friability.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 3","pages":"257-263"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143751401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Application of Isothermal Differential Scanning Calorimetry Equipped with a UV Probe for Photostability Assessment of Pharmaceutical Drugs in the Solid State.","authors":"Seiji Haruna, Eita Shimoda, Hiromasa Uchiyama, Kazunori Kadota, Hisashi Mimura, Yuichi Tozuka","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c25-00323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c25-00323","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Current methods for evaluating the photostability of pharmaceutical drugs typically separate the irradiation step from the analytical process, making it challenging to observe real-time photodegradation during irradiation. The use of HPLC equipped with UV and/or MS detectors, which are commonly used for quantitative analysis, requires considerable time to establish optimal conditions, and employs organic solvents, which are harmful to both the environment and the analyst. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) equipped with a UV probe (photo-DSC) for evaluating the photostability of pharmaceutical drugs in the solid state. The response to light irradiation varies for different drugs, with some drugs exhibiting a thermal history showing endothermic behavior. To confirm the results of the endothermic reaction in photo-DSC, the percentage of the drug remaining after photo-irradiation was quantified using HPLC. Drugs that exhibited endothermic peaks consistently showed a decrease in residuals due to the photolysis reaction. In this study, we highlight the effectiveness of photo-DSC in evaluating the susceptibility of different drugs to photodegradation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 8","pages":"745-751"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144944223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identification of Guanine-Quadruplex-Binding Peptides from the RGG3 Domain of TLS/FUS.","authors":"Sayuri Takeo, Maiko Tabata, Hikari Okita, Natsuki Shibata, Kohei Sato, Nobuyuki Mase, Takanori Oyoshi, Tetsuo Narumi","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c25-00413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c25-00413","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Guanine quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical nucleic acid structures that have emerged as attractive therapeutic targets owing to their involvement in diverse biological processes. Additionally, peptides derived from G4-binding proteins provide promising platforms for selective G4 recognition. In this study, we explored the G4-binding capacity of arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG)-rich sequences derived from the RGG3 domain translocated in liposarcoma/fused in sarcoma (TLS/FUS), a known G4 RNA binding protein. In this study, we synthesized a library of overlapping 15-mer peptides and evaluated their G4-binding affinities. Among the 10 evaluated native sequences, several peptides demonstrated measurable affinities toward G4 RNA structures, with STK5-1 exhibiting the highest G4-binding affinity. Furthermore, to investigate the impact of conformational constraints on G4 recognition, we introduced (E)-methylalkene dipeptide isosteres (MADIs) into selected Gly-Gly motifs, generating a series of RGG peptidomimetics. Subsequent binding assays revealed that some of these MADI peptidomimetics exhibited enhanced affinity and selectivity compared with their unmodified counterparts. Our findings offer new insights into the sequence and structural features governing G4-binding, establishing a foundation for the further development of peptide-based G4 ligands.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 10","pages":"938-943"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145205811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Therapeutic Efficacy and Drug Metabolism of Griseorhodin A Induced by a Co-culture of Actinomycete Strain TMPU-20A002 and Mycobacterium smegmatis in Silkworm Infection Models.","authors":"Akiho Yagi, Reo Sasaki, Ryuji Uchida","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c25-00389","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c25-00389","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In screening for antibacterial agents from co-cultures of Mycobacterium smegmatis and microbial resources, such as actinomycetes and fungi, the known hydroxyquinone antibiotic griseorhodin A (1) was isolated from a co-culture of actinomycete strain TMPU-20A002 and M. smegmatis. Compound 1 exhibited antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.25 and 2.0 μg/mL, respectively. In silkworm infection models with MRSA and VRE, 1 exhibited therapeutic efficacy, with ED<sub>50</sub> values of 2.5 and 18 μg/larva·g, respectively. A pharmacokinetic analysis of silkworms revealed an elimination half-life of 4.4 h in the hemolymph, indicating a favorable metabolic profile. This is the first in vivo evaluation of griseorhodin A, including its pharmacological activity and metabolic behavior, and it highlights its potential as a candidate for the development of novel antibacterial agents.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 9","pages":"828-830"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145032823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of Particle Size of Powdered Cellulose Nanofibers as an Additive in the Production of Orally Disintegrating Mini-Tablets by Direct Powder Compression.","authors":"Shohei Nakamura, Maya Shimasaki-Suzuki, Momoka Hamaoka, Ayumi Sakurada, Shinji Akiyama, Takatoshi Sakamoto","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c25-00042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c25-00042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mini-tablets (MTs) allow for dosage adjustments according to children's weight and age. However, it is difficult to manufacture MTs with robust physical properties, and various formulation techniques are required. Adding cellulose nanofiber (CNF), a highly functional biomass material, to MTs improved the hardness and disintegration; however, the large variation in the weight and drug content of the resulting MTs remained a challenge. Therefore, this study analyzed the physical properties of CNF-containing MTs of different particle sizes and evaluated the effect of the particle size on MT manufacturing. CNF<sub>300</sub>, with an average particle size of approximately 300 µm, was pulverized to prepare CNF<sub>100</sub>, averaging 100 µm. The formulation included CNF (10, 30, and 50%), lactose hydrate, paracetamol, and magnesium stearate. The pharmaceutical powders mixed were loaded into a rotary tablet press equipped with a 3-mm multiple-tip tooling and compressed at 2, 5, and 8 kN forces. CNF<sub>100</sub>-containing MTs were manufactured via direct powder compression, and they showed lower variations in weight and drug content than those containing CNF<sub>300</sub>. The tensile strength of MTs containing CNF<sub>100</sub> was smaller than that of those containing CNF<sub>300</sub>; however, a strength of ≥1 MPa (corresponding to ≥30 N hardness of a regular tablet) was obtained by setting the compression force to ≥5 kN. The MTs containing 30% CNF<sub>100</sub> disintegrated in ≤30 s, regardless of the compression force. Thus, using smaller CNF particle sizes enabled the manufacturing of an orally disintegrating MT with adequate hardness and disintegration properties while also minimizing variations in MT weight and drug content.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 5","pages":"467-477"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Structure-Signal Relationships of the δ-Opioid-Receptor (DOR)-Selective Agonist KNT-127-Part I: Impact of the Morphinan Skeleton on the G-Protein-Biased DOR Agonism.","authors":"Keita Kajino, Tomoya Sugai, Ryoji Kise, Riko Suzuki, Akihisa Tokuda, Yuki Sekiya, Tomoya Kakumoto, Risako Katamoto, Noriki Kutsumura, Yasuyuki Nagumo, Asuka Inoue, Tsuyoshi Saitoh","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c25-00012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c25-00012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The δ-opioid receptor (DOR) is a promising target for developing novel analgesics due to its lower risk of causing side effects compared to the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), which is commonly associated with dependence, respiratory depression, and other adverse effects. KNT-127, a DOR-selective agonist with a morphinan skeleton, offers analgesic and antidepressant benefits without inducing convulsions at therapeutic doses, unlike the conventional DOR agonist SNC80. While previous studies have suggested that KNT-127 exhibits reduced β-arrestin recruitment, a signaling pathway implicated in adverse opioid effects, the ligand structural basis for this biased signaling remains unclear. In this study, we explored the structure-signal relationships of KNT-127, focusing on its quinoline moiety, which is known to serve as an address domain responsible for DOR selectivity. Modifying the quinoline moiety by removing the aromatic rings reduced DOR selectivity and potency in relation to G-protein activation while diminishing both the potency and efficacy of β-arrestin recruitment. These results suggest that the morphinan skeleton is critical for reduced β-arrestin recruitment, while the quinoline moiety differentially modulates G-protein activation and β-arrestin recruitment. Together, our study expands the message-address concept, previously limited to receptor selectivity, by providing structural insights into the G-protein-biased agonism of DOR agonists, thereby guiding the design of safer DOR-targeting therapeutics.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 3","pages":"246-256"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143750362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prediction of Intra-individual Variability in Bioequivalence Studies of 278 Formulations: Comprehensive Analysis Using Physicochemical and Pharmacokinetic Parameters.","authors":"Masaki Higashino","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c24-00806","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c24-00806","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of the present study was to predict the intra-individual variability (%CV<sub>intra</sub>) values of C<sub>max</sub> using observed parameters of physicochemical and pharmacokinetic for a variety of formulations. A database was used to summarize the parameters of clinical bioequivalence (BE) studies of oral drugs, including the highest dose tablets, orally disintegrating tablets (ODT), and capsules (278 formulations [238 compounds]). As explanatory variables, %CV<sub>intra</sub>, inter-individual variability (%CV<sub>inter</sub>), absolute bioavailability (BA), T<sub>max</sub>, t<sub>1/2</sub>, dose number (Do), and dissolution rate (D%) were selected. Explanatory variables correlated with %CV<sub>intra</sub> were identified by multivariate analysis and grouped quantitatively by K-means clustering analysis. The %CV<sub>intra</sub> predictions compared three models of multiple regression, boosting tree, and neural network. In the neural network, the coefficient of determination (R<sup>2</sup>) and the root mean square error (RMSE) were the best, with good correlation between the predicted and observed values of the test data (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.69). The explanatory variables used in this study are readily available from the literature of reference formulation and in vitro measurement. Therefore, predicting %CV<sub>intra</sub> for C<sub>max</sub> without conducting pilot studies is useful for clinical planning in the early stages of generic drug development. We believe that we could further contribute to speeding up and reducing the cost of generic drug development.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 4","pages":"349-354"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143991658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"New Nucleoside Derivatives for Hybridization-Assisted Catalysis of Site-Selective Acetylation of 2'-OH of RNA.","authors":"Hayate Takasaki, Kentaro Kitazaki, Yurie Hadano, Hirotaka Murase, Jeongsu Lee, Yosuke Taniguchi, Shigeki Sasaki","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c25-00068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.c25-00068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>New nucleoside derivatives containing the imidazole (Imd), pyridine or pyrimidine catalytic group were designed for site-specific acetylation of 2'-OH of the RNA ribose moiety. When the RNA substrate was acetylated in the presence of acetic anhydride under alkaline conditions, Probe (Imd) containing the imidazole catalytic group acetylated with a high selectivity to the 2'-OH of the uridine opposite the catalytic nucleotide. Probe (Py-4N) containing the pyridine group showed a higher catalytic activity under neutral conditions with a high selectivity for the 2'-OH group of the 5' side of the uridine opposite the catalytic nucleotide in about 80% modification yield within 10 min. This study has shown that the oligodeoxynucleotide incorporating the new nucleotide derivative with the catalytic group can be a useful tool for site-selective acetylation of RNA 2'-OH.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 5","pages":"457-466"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144092907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hyaluronan Tetrasaccharides Penetrate into the Skin by Passive Diffusion and Contribute to Skin Health.","authors":"Yutaka Takagi, Madoka Kage","doi":"10.1248/cpb.c23-00909","DOIUrl":"10.1248/cpb.c23-00909","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hyaluronan (HA) is a commonly used material in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals because of its various pharmacological activities. However, because of its large molecular weight, HA penetrates the skin very poorly and most of it remains on the skin surface. Thus, topically applied HA could not be expected to function biologically in the skin. However, we have confirmed that HA tetrasaccharides (HA4), which is the smallest unit of HA, penetrate into the skin by passive diffusion and affect epidermal metabolism. Topical treatment of HA4 rescues the epidermal damage caused by long-term UVA irradiation. Furthermore, various biological functions of HA4 to maintain healthy skin was observed in cell culture studies. This review describes the skin permeability of HA4 and how it contributes to healthy skin.</p>","PeriodicalId":9773,"journal":{"name":"Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin","volume":"73 4","pages":"284-290"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143771452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}