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Tuckolide (decarestrictine D), a 10-membered lactone isolated from P. corylophilum and polyporus tuberaster fungi that potently inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis, was synthesized. The key steps include a Sharpless catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction (AD) of the methoxymethyl (MOM) ether protected diene 2 and a direct Corey-Nicolaou lactonization reaction of seco-acid 1with added silver perchlorate. The selectivity of the dihydroxylation step was found to be highly dependent on the nature of the protecting group adjacent to the diene in 2. The selectivity of the asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction of 2 indicates that both steric and electronic effects can lead to significant amounts of the undesired isomers. This synthesis establishes the absolute stereochemistry of tuckolide showing the C3 hydroxyl bearing carbon with an S-configuration comparable in an absolute sense to that in the lactone portion of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor compactin.

Borneol is a monoterpene that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. There are two different products sold in Taipei's traditional Chinese medicine market, natural and chemically synthesized borneol. Chemically synthesized borneol contains four stereoisomers, (+)-isoborneol, (-)-isoborneol, (-)-borneol, and (+)-borneol. The ratio of these four isomers in chemically synthesized and natural borneol products was determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. A huge variation between these products is highlighted in this survey. The results suggest that the Food and Drug Administrations in Asian countries should establish a regulatory standard regarding the ratio of the four different borneol isomers in both natural and chemically synthesized borneol.

Xylooligosaccharides (XO), derived from the alkaline (NaOH) extractant of Mikania micrantha, were produced using multiple staged membrane separation and enzymatic xylanolysis. Staged nanofiltration (NMX), ultrafiltration (EUMX), and centrifugation (EMX) processes for the ethanol precipitates were conducted. NMX recovered 97.26% of total xylose and removed 73.18% of sodium ions. Concentrations of total xylose were raised from 10.98 to 51.85 mg/mL by the NMX process. Recovered xylan-containing solids were hydrolyzed by the recombinant Paenibacillus xylanase. 68% XO conversions from total xylose of NMX was achieved in 24 hours. Xylopentaose (DP 5) was the major product from NMX and EMX hydrolysis. Xylohexaose (DP 6) was the major product from EUMX hydrolysis. Results of the present study suggest the applicability for XO production by nanofiltration, as NMX gave higher XO yields compared to those from a conventional ethanol-related lignocellulosic waste conversion process.

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