We describe a simple miniature shake-flask method to measure the octanol–water partition coefficient of an organic compound. Partition between water and octanol is performed in an NMR tube; the aqueous phase is analyzed by 1 H NMR spectroscopy using a benchtop low-field NMR instrument. Neither pre-equilibration of solvents nor isolation of the two phases is required. The procedure is fast and easy enough to be used in a students’ laboratory. Scope and limitations as well as possible sources of error are discussed in detail.

Pateamine A is a naturally occurring metabolite extracted from the marine sponge Mycale hentscheli. It exhibits potent cytotoxicity towards cancer cell lines and has been shown to target protein translation initiation via inhibition of the function of eukaryotic initiation factor 4A proteins. We have synthesised a simplified analogue of pateamine A, consisting of the skeletal core of the natural product but with the thiazole heterocycle replaced by a triazole. The convergent design of the synthesis features a base-induced opening of a δ-valerolactone to access the Z,Edienoate moiety, Julia-Kocienski olefination and copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Bioactivity testing of the simplified pateamine A analogue (3) indicated a significant reduction in cytotoxicity, compared to natural pateamine A. We propose that this reduced activity is due mainly to the substitution of the thiazole for the triazole heterocycle. This supports the hypothesis that the thiazole of pateamine A is important for binding to its biological target.

3-Deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAH7P) synthase catalyses the aldol-like addition of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to D-erythrose 4-phosphate in the first step of the shikimate pathway to aromatic amino acids. A series of compounds, designed to mimic intermediates in the enzyme-catalysed reaction, have been synthesised and tested as inhibitors for the DAH7P synthase from Escherichia coli. The most potent inhibitor was the vinyl phosphonate, (E)-2-methyl-3-phosphonoacrylic acid, with a K i of 4.7 lM.

The concentrations and pro‐oxidative effects of free fatty acids in commercial krill oil are not well defined. We now report that krill oil free fatty acids account for 2–13% of total lipids in commercial krill oil (n = 8) that these compounds are enriched in eicosapentaenoic acid (+7.1%) and docosahexaenoic acid (+6.3%) relative to whole oils; and that this composition make them highly pro‐oxidizing in marine triacylglycerol oils, but not in krill oil, which derives oxidative stability from both its phospholipids, and neutral lipids (the latter because of astaxanthin). Specific fatty acid esterification patterns showed that krill oil free fatty acids predominantly (88–93%) originated from phospholipids, mainly from the sn‐2 position, which was eight‐fold more hydrolyzed than the sn‐1 position. Lipolysis was not ongoing in stored oils. Adding small amounts of krill oil (1–5%) to marine triacylglycerol oils significantly increased their oxidative stability and also their resistance to free fatty acid‐mediated pro‐oxidative effects.

We report a soft and straightforward method for synthesizing two- and three-dimensionally patterned silicate materials by phase separation using nonionic emulsion templates. Our liquid-state method involves, under controlled atmosphere, the mixing of a condensed silica solution with an oil-in-water emulsion in the presence of a solution of a nonionic emulsifier, Triton X-100. The preparation is stabilized using an organic solvent. The morphology of the silicate materials is significantly modified by changing the reaction conditions or the concentration of the reagents. Three-dimensionally macro and nanoporous continuous films and nanoporous individual spherical particles, both made of amorphous silica, are obtained. The structure of the films and particles is defined by the emulsion template. Films were on average 20 microm thick with a volume-based porosity of approximately 7 x 10(-2) cm(3) g(-1), with pore size correlating well with the size of the oil droplets in the templating emulsion. The siliceous films are bicontinuous leading to large surface areas and openly accessible pores. Individual spheres ranged in size from approximately 1 to 6 microm in diameter with nanoporous openings of 300 nm in diameter. The porosity and integrity of all materials are maintained upon calcination.