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At low temperature, methyl groups act as hindered quantum rotors exhibiting rotational quantum tunneling, which is highly sensitive to a local methyl group environment. Recently, we observed this effect using pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in two dimethylammonium-containing hybrid perovskites doped with paramagnetic Mn[sup.2+] ions. Here, we investigate the feasibility of using an alternative fast-relaxing Co[sup.2+] paramagnetic center to study the methyl group tunneling, and, as a model compound, we use dimethylammonium zinc formate [(CH[sub.3] )[sub.2] NH[sub.2] ][Zn(HCOO)[sub.3] ] hybrid perovskite. Our multifrequency (X-, Q- and W-band) EPR experiments reveal a high-spin state of the incorporated Co[sup.2+] center, which exhibits fast spin-lattice relaxation and electron spin decoherence. Our pulsed EPR experiments reveal magnetic field independent electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) signals, which are assigned to the methyl group tunneling. We use density operator simulations to extract the tunnel frequency of 1.84 MHz from the experimental data, which is then used to calculate the rotational barrier of the methyl groups. We compare our results with the previously reported Mn[sup.2+] case showing that our approach can detect very small changes in the local methyl group environment in hybrid perovskites and related materials.

Maternal exposure to some dietary and environmental factors during embryonic development can affect offspring’s phenotype and, furthermore, the risk of developing diseases later in life. One potential mechanism responsible for this early programming may be the modification of the epigenome, such as DNA methylation. Methyl-group donors are essential for DNA methylation and are shown to have an important role in fetal development and later health. The main goal of the present review is to summarize the available literature data on the epigenetic effect (DNA methylation) of maternal methyl-group donor availability on reproductivity, perinatal outcome, and later health of the offspring. In our literature search, we found evidence for the association between alterations in DNA methylation patterns caused by different maternal methyl-group donor (folate, choline, methionine, betaine) intake and reproductivity, birth weight, neural tube defect, congenital heart defect, cleft lip and palate, brain development, and the development of obesity and associated non-communicable diseases in later life. We can conclude that maternal methyl-group donor availability could affect offspring’s health via alterations in DNA methylation and may be a major link between early environmental exposure and the development of diseases in the offspring. However, still, further studies are necessary to confirm the associations and causal relationships.

Inflammatory responses are recorded in many dreadful diseases. As the presently used mainline anti-inflammatory treatments are proven to have adverse short- and/or long-term side effects, the search for alternative anti-inflammatory agents that may possess lesser side effects is on constant demand. This study evaluates IPX-18, a novel arylidene indanone small molecule, due to its anti-inflammatory activity mediated by NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling. These findings provide new insights for future research on this molecule for its development as a novel anti-inflammatory agent to treat several diseases.

One of the key scientific aspects of small-molecule drug discovery and development is the analysis of the relationship between its chemical structure and biological activity. Understanding the effects that lead to significant changes in biological activity is of paramount importance for the rational design and optimization of bioactive molecules. The “methylation effect”, or the “magic methyl” effect, is a factor that stands out due to the number of examples that demonstrate profound changes in either pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic properties. In many cases, this has been carried out rationally, but in others it has been the product of serendipitous observations. This paper summarizes recent examples that provide an overview of the current state of the art and contribute to a better understanding of the methylation effect in bioactive small-molecule drug candidates.

An organic compound known as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is formed from reducing sugars in honey and various processed foods in acidic environments when they are heated through the Maillard reaction. In addition to processing, storage conditions affect the formation HMF, and HMF has become a suitable indicator of honey quality. HMF is easily absorbed from food through the gastrointestinal tract and, upon being metabolized into different derivatives, is excreted via urine. In addition to exerting detrimental effects (mutagenic, genotoxic, organotoxic and enzyme inhibitory), HMF, which is converted to a non-excretable, genotoxic compound called 5-sulfoxymethylfurfural, is beneficial to human health by providing antioxidative, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypoxic, anti-sickling, and anti-hyperuricemic effects. Therefore, HMF is a neo-forming contaminant that draws great attention from scientists. This review compiles updated information regarding HMF formation, detection procedures, mitigation strategies and effects of HMF on honey bees and human health.

Frequently referred to as the ‘magic methyl effect’, the installation of methyl groups—especially adjacent (α) to heteroatoms—has been shown to dramatically increase the potency of biologically active molecules 1 – 3 . However, existing methylation methods show limited scope and have not been demonstrated in complex settings 1 . Here we report a regioselective and chemoselective oxidative C( sp 3 )–H methylation method that is compatible with late-stage functionalization of drug scaffolds and natural products. This combines a highly site-selective and chemoselective C–H hydroxylation with a mild, functional-group-tolerant methylation. Using a small-molecule manganese catalyst, Mn(CF 3 PDP), at low loading (at a substrate/catalyst ratio of 200) affords targeted C–H hydroxylation on heterocyclic cores, while preserving electron-neutral and electron-rich aryls. Fluorine- or Lewis-acid-assisted formation of reactive iminium or oxonium intermediates enables the use of a mildly nucleophilic organoaluminium methylating reagent that preserves other electrophilic functionalities on the substrate. We show this late-stage C( sp 3 )–H methylation on 41 substrates housing 16 different medicinally important cores that include electron-rich aryls, heterocycles, carbonyls and amines. Eighteen pharmacologically relevant molecules with competing sites—including drugs (for example, tedizolid) and natural products—are methylated site-selectively at the most electron rich, least sterically hindered position. We demonstrate the syntheses of two magic methyl substrates—an inverse agonist for the nuclear receptor RORc and an antagonist of the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1—via late-stage methylation from the drug or its advanced precursor. We also show a remote methylation of the B-ring carbocycle of an abiraterone analogue. The ability to methylate such complex molecules at late stages will reduce synthetic effort and thereby expedite broader exploration of the magic methyl effect in pursuit of new small-molecule therapeutics and chemical probes. A manganese-catalysed oxidative C( sp 3 )–H methylation method allows a methyl group to be selectively installed into medicinally important heterocycles, providing a way to improve pharmaceuticals and better understand the ‘magic methyl effect’.