Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry - Current Issue

Beta(β)-caryophyllene (BCP) is a naturally occurring bicyclic sesquiterpene widely present in essential oils from various spices, fruits, and both medicinal and ornamental plants. This mini-review primarily covers research progress over the past 20 years (2004-2024) regarding the anti-inflammatory activities and mechanisms of BCP, focusing on its antioxidant, immunomodulatory, analgesic, and neuroprotective properties. Experimental studies have documented a variety of pharmacological activities associated with BCP, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, intestinal protective, neuroprotective, and nephroprotective effects. BCP has shown significant therapeutic potential in treating diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, ischemia/reperfusion injury, inflammatory disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.

This review comprehensively explores the synthetic development, photophysical properties, and diverse applications of 3-substituted benzanthrone derivatives. These derivatives, functionalized at the C-3 position, exhibit exceptional fluorescence, photostability, and tunability, making them highly versatile in fields, such as organic electronics, dye chemistry, and photodynamic therapy. Benzanthrone-based compounds are pivotal in the development of advanced materials, including organic semiconductors for flexible electronics and daylight fluorescent pigments. This review highlights innovative synthetic methodologies, from traditional approaches to eco-friendly techniques, emphasizing their impact on the efficiency and environmental sustainability of these compounds. The discussion extends to the potential of benzanthrone derivatives as photodegradation inhibitors and their promising role in next-generation laser dye technologies. By integrating these derivatives into various applications, this review underscores their critical importance in advancing material science and technology, paving the way for future innovations.

Kingianins are complex pentacyclic natural products isolated from the bark of Endiandra kingiana. This article reviews synthetic routes for kingianins and their analogues. The reports of five research groups are grouped in biomimetic and non-biomimetic approaches, featuring the use of Diels-Alder and [2+2] ketene cycloaddition reactions. The most recent research by Six, Azmi et al. reported the utilisation of [2+2]-ketene cycloaddition of key precursors for the synthesis of bicyclo[4.2.0]octanes as key precursors of kingianins. This research demonstrates the advantages of ketene chemistry by synthesising precursors. With this achievement, we look forward to extending this method to the synthesis of additional bicyclo[4.2.0]octane analogues to achieve the total synthesis of kingianins.

Polymer modification encompasses a diverse array of techniques aimed at enhancing the physical and chemical properties of polymers, thereby expanding their applicability across various fields. Physical modification methods include self-assembled monolayers, radiation-induced surface modifications, UV irradiation, γ-irradiation, and laser-induced surface modifications. These techniques primarily focus on altering surface properties and enhancing characteristics such as strength, toughness, and thermal stability through non-chemical means. Chemical modification methods, on the other hand, involve reactions that change the polymer’s chemical structure. Common chemical reactions used in polymer modification include PEGylation, conjugation, wet chemical oxidation treatments, and plasma treatments. These processes introduce new functional groups, improve compatibility with other materials, and tailor properties like solubility, adhesion, and biodegradability. Despite the significant advancements in polymer modification techniques, challenges such as maintaining polymer integrity, controlling modification precision, and ensuring scalability persist. This review provides a comprehensive overview of both physical and chemical polymer modification methods, discussing their mechanisms, applications, and the challenges involved, thereby highlighting their critical role in the development of advanced materials for industrial, biomedical, and environmental applications.

Schiff bases have been known for 160 years and there is a multitude of information about them. This review focuses on their classification. The examples were classified based on the number of azomethine groups (mono-, bis-, tris-, tetrakis-, oligo-, and polymer Schiff bases) and the nature of their chain (cyclic and acyclic Schiff bases). Many imines are synthesized by condensing carbonyl compounds with amines and the mechanism of this reaction has been described. The main types of isomerism found at Schiff bases are geometric isomerism, atropizomerism, and imine-enamine tautomerism. After obtaining them they can be spectrally characterized using FT-IR, UV-Vis, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and mass spectrum and they were presented.

Ganoderma triterpenoids (GTs) are primarily extracted from the mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum), with the main active components being ganoderic acid (GAs). They belong to the lanosterane type of tetracyclic triterpenoids and typically feature C30 and C26 skeletons. The diverse bioactivities of GTs are determined by various substituents at C-3, C-7, C-11, and C-15 on the tetracyclic skeleton, as well as the C-17 β side chain. Recent studies have revealed the antitumor, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, proangiogenic, antimalarial, antituberculosis, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-aging properties of GTs. They demonstrate potential in treating and preventing a variety of conditions including cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia, thus showcasing a broad spectrum of applications and research significance in the medical field. This paper provides a review of the bioactivity of GTs isolated from G. lucidum in recent years and discusses the regulation of GTs biosynthesis, laying a foundation for the development of new drugs derived from G. lucidum.