Publications by authors named "Martin Posta"

Article Synopsis
  • Researchers have identified a sulfur-containing karrikin called 3-methyl-2-thiopyrano[3,4-]furan-2-one, which is an effective neuroprotective agent.
  • The study details the development of targeted synthesis for this compound and explores new methods for creating related compounds derived from 2-furo[2,3-]pyran-2-ones by replacing oxygen with sulfur.
  • The focus is on synthesizing these sulfur-containing karrikins and assessing their effectiveness in inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is important for neurotransmission.
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Smoke derived karrikinolide and trimethylbutenolide exerted neuroprotective effects against monoamine oxidase and acetylcholinesterase. Synthesis of potent analogs was achieved. Sulphur substitution in the bicyclic ring structure of KAR displayed the most encouraging activity returning IC values of 13.

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White adipose tissue (WAT) is a complex organ with both metabolic and endocrine functions. Dysregulation of all of these functions of WAT, together with low-grade inflammation of the tissue in obese individuals, contributes to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of marine origin play an important role in the resolution of inflammation and exert beneficial metabolic effects.

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Plant-derived smoke and certain smoke compounds improve seed germination and enhance seedling growth of many species. Thus, smoke-infused water and the active smoke-derived compounds have the potential to be used in different agricultural and horticultural applications. However, despite these interesting and potentially practical properties, it should also be ascertained whether such compounds may pose a health risk, particularly if they are to be used in the production of food or fodder crops.

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Salinomycin has found renewed interest as an agent for prevention of cancer recurrence through selectively targeting cancer stem cells. Strategies for generation of improved salinomycin analogs by individual modification of its hydroxyl groups are presented. An evaluation of the dose-response effects of the resulting library on breast cancer cell lines shows that acylation of the C20 hydroxyl can be used to improve IC50 values down to one fifth that of salinomycin.

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Smoke-derived butenolide compounds have, in recent years, been shown to be important germination signaling molecules, which also affect seedling growth. The butenolide 3,4,5-trimethylfuran-2(5H)-one was previously isolated from plant-derived smoke and was found to significantly reduce the effect on germination by the highly active promotor karrikinolide (KAR1, 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one), another smoke-derived compound. In this study, 11 analogs of 3,4,5-trimethylfuran-2(5H)-one were synthesized and their effect on the germination of light-sensitive 'Grand Rapids' lettuce seeds (Lactua sativa cv.

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Background And Aims: A major germination-promoting chemical in smoke-water is 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one (karrikinolide, KAR(1)). However, not all species that germinate in response to smoke-water are responsive to KAR(1), such as Tersonia cyathiflora (Gyrostemonaceae). In this study, a test was made of whether two Gyrostemon species (Gyrostemonaceae) that have previously been shown to respond to smoke-water, respond to KAR(1).

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Smoke-derived compounds provide a strong chemical signal to seeds in the soil seed bank, allowing them to take advantage of the germination niche created by the occurrence of fire. The germination stimulatory activity of smoke can largely be attributed to karrikinolide (KAR(1) ), while a related compound, trimethylbutenolide (TMB), has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on germination. The aim of this study was to characterize the interaction of these potent fire-generated compounds.

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