Construction of sulfur-containing compounds with anti-cancer stem cell activity using thioacrolein derived from garlic based on nature-inspired scaffolds

We reported for the first time that thioacroleinproduced by allicin, a major component in garlic, undergoes the regioselective sequential double Diels–Alder reaction.

Impact of spaceflight and artificial gravity on sulfur metabolism in mouse liver: sulfur metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis

Spaceflight induces hepatic damage, partially owing to oxidative stress caused by the space environment such as microgravity and space radiation. We examined the roles of anti-oxidative sulfur-containing compounds on hepatic damage after spaceflight. We analyzed the livers of mice on board the International Space Station for 30 days. During spaceflight, half of the mice were exposed to artificial earth gravity (1 g) using centrifugation cages. Sulfur-metabolomics of the livers of mice after spaceflight revealed a decrease in sulfur antioxidants (ergothioneine, glutathione, cysteine, taurine, thiamine, etc.) and their intermediates (cysteine sulfonic acid, hercynine, N-acethylserine, serine, etc.) compared to the controls on the ground. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing showed upregulation of gene sets related to oxidative stress and sulfur metabolism, and downregulation of gene sets related to glutathione reducibility in the livers of mice after spaceflight, compared to controls on the ground. These changes were partially mitigated by exposure to 1 g centrifugation. For the first time, we observed a decrease in sulfur antioxidants based on a comprehensive analysis of the livers of mice after spaceflight. Our data suggest that a decrease in sulfur-containing compounds owing to both microgravity and other spaceflight environments (radiation and stressors) contributes to liver damage after spaceflight.

Nanocatalysts for Oxidative Desulfurization of Liquid Fuel: Modern Solutions and the Perspectives of Application in Hybrid Chemical-Biocatalytic Processes

In this paper, the current advantages and disadvantages of using metal-containing nanocatalysts (NCs) for deep chemical oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of liquid fuels are reviewed. A similar analysis is performed for the oxidative biodesulfurization of oil along the 4S-pathway, catalyzed by various aerobic bacterial cells of microorganisms. The preferences of using NCs for the oxidation of organic sulfur-containing compounds in various oil fractions seem obvious. The text discusses the development of new chemical and biocatalytic approaches to ODS, including the use of both heterogeneous NCs and anaerobic microbial biocatalysts that catalyze the reduction of chemically oxidized sulfur-containing compounds in the framework of methanogenesis. The addition of anaerobic biocatalytic stages to the ODS of liquid fuel based on NCs leads to the emergence of hybrid technologies that improve both the environmental characteristics and the economic efficiency of the overall process. The bioconversion of sulfur-containing extracts from fuels with accompanying hydrocarbon residues into biogas containing valuable components for the implementation of C-1 green chemistry processes, such as CH4, CO2, or H2, looks attractive for the implementation of such a hybrid process.

The renaissance of alkali metabisulfites as SO2 surrogate

The upsurge of interest in the development of methodologies for the construction of sulfur-containing compounds via the use of expedient reagents has been established as sustainable tools in organic chemistry. This review focuses on the sulfonylation reactions using inorganic sulfites (Na2S2O5 or K2S2O5) as the sulfur dioxide surrogate. Unlike bis-adduct of DABCO, which is an excellent surrogate of the gaseous SO2, the use of sodium or potassium metabisulfites as SO2 surrogates are equally efficient. The objective of the current review is to bring out the latest collection of sulfonylation reactions using inorganic sulfites. For better understanding, the review is categorized according to the mode of reactions viz., transition metal-catalyzed SO2 insertion, metal-free SO2 insertion, and visible light-mediated SO2 insertion. All the reactions in each of the sections are depicted with selected examples with a pertinent explanation of the proposed mechanism. Nevertheless, based on the biological relevance of sulfonylated compounds the use of inorganic sulfites as the SO2 source in various sulfonylation reactions are needed to be explored.