Abstract We report a systematic study of the antibacterial inhibitory potential of isoflavone natural products isolated from the seeds extracts of Millettia thonningii. In an effort to gain bond topological information which may have consequences for the observed bioactivities, the crystal structure of robustic acid was solved and refined using the independent atom as well as the invariom model, and the structures were compared. Robustic acid contains a fused tricyclic unit with a benzopyran moiety, with a phenylene ring substitution on the coumarin ring similar to the alpinumisoflavones isolated from this plant. At a minimum inhibitory concentration of ~1 mg/mL, alpinumisoflavone and robustic acid were found to be cytotoxic to Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) showing a zone of inhibition (ZOI) of ~9 mm. On the other hand, at ~2 mg/mL, these compounds were found to be bacteriostatic to a hospital isolate of Salmonella typhi with about 7 mm ZOI. Taken together, these compounds offer potential new avenues for targeting both Gram positive and negative bacteria and could be useful as chemical probes for understanding these pathogens in an effort to overcome drug resistance.

Fungal pathogens continue to pose challenges to humans and plants despite efforts to control them. Two coumarins, robustic acid and thonningine-C isolated from Millettia thonningii, show promising activity against the fungus Candida albicans with minimum fungicidal concentration of 1.0 and 0.5 mg/mL, respectively. Molecular modelling against the putative bio-molecular target, lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51), revealed a plausible binding mode for the active compounds, in which the hydroxyl group binds with a methionine backbone carboxylic group blocking access to the iron catalytic site. This binding disrupts the synthesis of several important sterols for the survival of fungi.

This is the first reported study of long term monitoring of heavy metal contamination of vegetables from Ghana. This study monitored heavy metals namely Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) in consumable vegetables during 2013–2014. A total of 479 vegetables including cabbage (Brassica oleracea), carrot (Daucus carota), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), green pepper (Capsicum annuum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) were purchased from both farm and market sites within Accra Metropolis, Ghana. Samples were subjected to acid digestion and then analysed with Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). All the vegetables studied contained at least two or more metals; 18.99% of the samples had metal detections below the European Union (EU) guideline values, whereas 81% were above the limits. Vegetables from Mallam Attah market and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) sites registered the highest percentage exceedances (100%) with the largest value occurring in lettuce (97.41%). The data from Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed higher metal contaminations in leafy and fleshy vegetables than root vegetables. The results demonstrate the need for continuous monitoring of heavy metals in vegetables at various farm and market sites in Accra Metropolis, Ghana.

The roots of Dichapetalum madagascariensis have yielded the new dichapetalin M, together with the previously reported dichapetalin A. This brings to nine, the total number of dichapetalins so far isolated from the roots of the plant, and to thirteen, the total number of dichapetalins isolated from the Dichapetalaceae. Dichapetalin M exhibited greater toxicity towards brine shrimp larvae than dichapetalin A, which has demonstrated cell inhibition against various cancer cell lines.

ABSTRACT In the course of our comprehensive investigation of the oils of the leaves of Clausena anisata from three West African countries, we have observed that, on the basis of its oil constituents, C. anisata can be classified into three major chemovarieties. Two of these chemovarieties have been observed in collections in Ghana, Togo and Benin. One contains mainly methyl chavicol (80–100%), and between one and ten other constituents, while the other contains a large number of constituents (up to 50), varying in concentration from 0.2% to about 20%. These include limonene, β-phellandrene, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene and germacrene D. However, there is a third collection in Ghana, positively identified as C. anisata, which yields between 85–100% of(E)-anethole as its major essential oil constituent. The chemovariation does not appear to be dependent on seasonal or geographical factors. The plants containing either methyl chavicol or (E)-anethole give very high yields of oil while those with several constituents yield very low quantities of oil. These observations are of considerable chemotaxonomic significance and are also significant in regard to the possible commercial exploitation of the essential oils of C. anisata.

Chemischer InformationsdienstVolume 5, Issue 24 Organoelement Compounds ChemInform Abstract: SOLVENT ISOTOPE EFFECTS IN THE CLEAVAGE OF BENZYLTRIMETHYL-SILANES AND -STANNANES BY ALKALI ROBERT ALEXANDER, ROBERT ALEXANDERSearch for more papers by this authorWILLIAM A. ASOMANING, WILLIAM A. ASOMANINGSearch for more papers by this authorCOLIN EABORN, COLIN EABORNSearch for more papers by this authorIAN D. JENKINS, IAN D. JENKINSSearch for more papers by this authorDAVID R. M. WALTON, DAVID R. M. WALTONSearch for more papers by this author ROBERT ALEXANDER, ROBERT ALEXANDERSearch for more papers by this authorWILLIAM A. ASOMANING, WILLIAM A. ASOMANINGSearch for more papers by this authorCOLIN EABORN, COLIN EABORNSearch for more papers by this authorIAN D. JENKINS, IAN D. JENKINSSearch for more papers by this authorDAVID R. M. WALTON, DAVID R. M. WALTONSearch for more papers by this author First published: June 18, 1974 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.197424330Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume5, Issue24June 18, 1974 RelatedInformation

AbstractDie Reaktion z.B. von p‐Methoxy‐ und m‐Trifluormethyl‐phenyltrimethylstannan in Methanol, [O‐D]Methanol und Gemischen beider Lösungsmittel in Gegenwart von Na‐methanolat zu Anisol.