Management of chronic pain continues to represent an area of great unmet biomedical need. Although opioid analgesics are typically embraced as the mainstay of pharmaceutical interventions in this area, they suffer from substantial liabilities that include addiction and tolerance, as well as depression of breathing, nausea and chronic constipation. Because of their suboptimal therapeutic profile, the search for non-opioid analgesics to replace these well-established therapeutics is an important pursuit. Conolidine is a rare C5-nor stemmadenine natural product recently isolated from the stem bark of Tabernaemontana divaricata (a tropical flowering plant used in traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and Thai medicine). Although structurally related alkaloids have been described as opioid analgesics, no therapeutically relevant properties of conolidine have previously been reported. Here, we describe the first de novo synthetic pathway to this exceptionally rare C5-nor stemmadenine natural product, the first asymmetric synthesis of any member of this natural product class, and the discovery that (±)-, (+)- and (?)-conolidine are potent and efficacious non-opioid analgesics in an in vivo model of tonic and persistent pain.

A systematic study of a series of 24 ?-2,5-dimethoxyphenylalkyl amine and quaternary compounds resulted in the discovery of several powerful, longacting pressor substances of which No. 839, ?-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl-?-isopropylamine, is outstanding.

Pressor activity generally was restricted to the primary and the secondary amines of the ethyl and the isopropyl series. Within these limits, the presence of a ?-hydroxy group increased pressor activity. The ?-methyl group, as manifested by the propyl compounds, always was inhibitory to pressor action. Tertiary and quaternary nitrogen derivatives usually were inactive. The ?-hydroxyisopropylamines and compounds containing quaternary nitrogen enhanced epinephrine activity. The depressor effect of acetyicholine was decreased by certain compounds. All compounds contracted the isolated guinea pig and the isolated rabbit uterus, and all relaxed the isolated rabbit intestine.

Pressor activity was correlated strongly with mydriatic potency. Exophthalmos, salivation and piomotor effects in the mouse usually, but not always, were associated with pressor properties.

Can someone please retrieve this reference mentioned in the Cinnamic acid thread.

Electrochemical oxidation of Cinnamic acid using stainless steel electrodes

Volume 10, Numbers 3-4, 283-287,

DOI: 10.1007/BF02382830

Abstract

Quote

The electro-organic technique is observed to be the modern tool in achieving the oxidation of organic acids to some other useful organic molecules. In the present study, the favourable experimental conditions for carrying out the electrochemical oxidation of cinnamic acid, the experimental set up required and probe for the various products formed have been tried. The anodic process has been carried out at low cost and readily available stainless steel electrode undar aqueous conditions. On identification of the products using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, the most probable mechanism has been proposed. To confirm the positive occurrence of the oxidative process under electrolytic conditions, the current — potential study was carried out. The product was analysed by TLC technique, UV and IR spectral studies and identified as 1,4-diphenylbut — 1,3-diene. This work paves a humble way of opening up a new area wherein other electro analytical parameters like polarography, cyclic voltammetry, electrode variation, temperature variation, solvent effects etc. can be studied, along with innumerable substituent effect studies.

Here you go Sedit!

RoidRage

Direct conversion of esters, lactones, and carboxylic acids to oxazolines catalyzed by a tetranuclear zinc cluster

Takashi Ohshima, Takanori Iwasaki and Kazushi Mashima
Chem. Commun., 2006, 2711-2713

DOI: 10.1039/B605066B

Quote

The tetranuclear zinc cluster Zn4(OCOCF3)6O catalyzes the direct conversion of esters, lactones, and carboxylic acids to oxazolines with remarkable chemoselectivity.

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A trifluoroacetic acid adduct of a trifluoroacetate-bridged ?4-oxo-tetranuclear zinc cluster, Zn4(OCOCF3)6O·CF3CO2H: synthesis under mild conditions and catalytic transesterification and oxazoline formation

Yukiko Hayashi, Takashi Ohshima, Yuka Fujii, Yoshimasa Matsushima and Kazushi Mashima
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011, 1, 230-233

DOI: 10.1039/C0CY00048E

Quote

Synthesis of a trifluoroacetate-bridged tetranuclear zinc cluster and its trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) adduct under mild conditions ([similar]110 °C) was achieved. The catalytic activity and functional group tolerance of the TFA adduct in transesterification and oxazoline formation were almost identical to those of the original zinc cluster.

Abstract link: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2011/CY/c0cy00048e

If someone could get these, it would be awesome:

EFFICIENT AND CONVENIENT SYNTHESIS OF 3,4,5-TRIMETHOXYBENZALDEHYDE FROM p-CRESOL
Synthetic Communications: An International Journal for Rapid Communication of Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Volume 32, Issue 18, 2002, Pages 2809 - 2814
Authors: Ya-Fei Jia; Zhi-Min Zonga; Xian-Yong Weia
DOI: 10.1081/SCC-120006464
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all?content=10.1081/SCC-120006464

Only have access to this one