Understanding the Biosynthetic Changes that Give Origin to the Distinctive Flavor of Sotol: Microbial Identification and Analysis of the Volatile Metabolites Profiles During Sotol (Dasylirion sp.) Must Fermentation

In northern Mexico, the distilled spirit sotol with a denomination of origin is made from species of Dasylirion. The configuration of the volatile metabolites produced during the spontaneous fermentation of Dasylirion sp. must is insufficiently understood. In this study, the aim was to investigate the composition of the microbial consortia, describe the variation of volatile metabolites, and relate such profiles with their particular flavor attributes during the fermentation of sotol (Dasylirion sp.) must. Ascomycota was the phylum of most strains identified with 75% of total abundance. The genus of fermenting yeasts constituted of 101 Pichia strains and 13 Saccharomyces strains. A total of 57 volatile metabolites were identified and grouped into ten classes. The first stage of fermentation was composed of diesel, green, fruity, and cheesy attributes due to butyl 2-methylpropanoate, octan-1-ol, ethyl octanoate, and butanal, respectively, followed by a variation to pungent and sweet descriptors due to 3-methylbutan-1-ol and butyl 2-methylpropanoate. The final stage was described by floral, ethereal-winey, and vinegar attributes related to ethyl ethanimidate, 2-methylpropan-1-ol, and 2-hydroxyacetic acid. Our results improve the knowledge of the variations of volatile metabolites during the fermentation of sotol must and their contribution to its distinctive flavor.

Quinolines from the cyclocondensation of isatoic anhydride with ethyl acetoacetate: preparation of ethyl 4-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline-3-carboxylate and derivatives

A convenient two-step synthesis of ethyl 4-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline-3-carboxylate derivatives has been developed starting from commercially available 2-aminobenzoic acids. In step 1, the anthranilic acids are smoothly converted to isatoic anhydrides using solid triphosgene in THF. In step 2, the anhydride electrophiles are reacted with the sodium enolate of ethyl acetoacetate, generated from sodium hydroxide, in warm N,N-dimethylacetamide resulting in the formation of substituted quinolines. A degradation–build-up strategy of the ethyl ester at the 3-position allowed for the construction of the α-hydroxyacetic acid residue required for the synthesis of key arylquinolines involved in an HIV integrase project.

Eu(fod)3 EFFECT ON 1H NMR SPECTRA OF 3-ARYLISOCOUMARINS AND 3-ARYL-3,4-DIHYDROISOCOUMARINS WITH ALKOXY, ESTER AND AMIDE GROUPS

The effect of the lanthanide shift reagent (LSR) – tris(6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octa-dionate) of Europium – Eu(fod)3 – on 1H NMR spectra of functionalized 3-arylisocoumarins and 3-aryl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins was investigated. Based on previous studies of LSR interactions with benzopyrones, it was expected that the main coordination centre for the Eu3+ would be the exocyclic Oxygen atom of the heterocycle, but the possibility of competition from aromatic substituent functional groups was also considered. By measuring lanthanide-induced shifts (LIS) of the proton signals of the molecules at different ratios of substrate and Eu(fod)3, specific LIS values were determined. Based on those, it was concluded that the main direction of LSR coordination with 3-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-1Hisochromen-1-one, 3-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-1H-isochromen-1-one and 3-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)isochroman-1-one is the exocyclic Oxygen atom of the heterocycle, because the maximum LIS were recorded for the H-8 atom of isochromone system of these derivatives. In the case of ethyl ester of [2-(4-(1-oxo-1H-isochromen-3-yl)phenoxy] acetic acid and methyl ester of [2-(4-(1-oxoisochroman-3-yl)phenoxy]acetic acid comparable LIS values were observed both for H-8 and for the methylene group of the hydroxyacetic acid fragment, therefore, in such molecules the coordination of the Eu3+ to the heterocycle or to the aliphatic ester group is almost equally probable. In spectrum of methyl ester of N-{[4-(1-oxo-1H-isochromen-3-yl)phenoxy]acetyl}valine and N-{[4-(1-oxoisochroman-3-yl)-phenoxy]acetyl}valine there are insignificant LIS of H-8; and the maximum LIS were observed for the signals of the protons neighboring the two carbonyl groups of hydroxyacetic acid and valine fragments. Thus, these compounds interact w