First mirror-image cyclodextrins come together ‘like Lego’ BY ANDY EXTANCE5 APRIL 2024 The first L-cyclodextrins have been synthesised in the lab – these rings of six to eight sugar units are the mirror-image structures of more common D-cyclodextrins. Fraser Stoddart’s team at Northwestern University in the US used a straightforward one-pot strategy to make the substances in half-gram amounts. D-cyclodextrins have been known for over 130 years but no one had been able to make L-cyclodextrins until now ‘We have made L-cyclodextrins in a very efficient and scalable manner,’ says Yong Wu, who synthesised the compounds. ‘We optimised a lot of the conditions, and we got quite remarkable results. This strategy is very straightforward, like Lego.’ ‘The discovery of a missing piece of the cyclodextrin jigsaw puzzle sets the stage for scientists to explore the mirror-image world of naturally occurring cyclodextrins,

What You Should Know About Sugar Alcohols Often labeled as ‘diabetes-friendly’ or ‘calorie-free,’ these sugar substitutes warrant caution Piles of sugar alcohol If you’re conscious of your sugar intake (perhaps especially if you have diabetes), you’re likely a pro at reading food labels. But how much do you know about products that use sugar alcohols as a sweetener? “Sugar alcohols may have a slight influence on your blood sugars, but overall, they’ve long been thought to be safe to include as part of a balanced diet,” says registered dietitian Tegan Bissell, RD, LD. “New research shows that that might not be as true as we once thought, though.” We talked with Bissell and physician-scientist Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, to understand what sugar alcohols are and the potential risks that are coming to light.

​On June 21, 2023, with the great support of all stakeholders, CPHI & PMEC China 2023, organized by Informa Markets, China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products, co-organized by Sinoexpo Informa Markets, came to a successful conclusion at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. This 3-day exhibition welcomed over 59,560 professional visitors to source, network, and learn the industry’s cutting-edge technology and development trends, jointly making this a global pharmaceutical event.

One-pot strategy to simultaneously achieve heterodehydrocoupling of hydrostannane and reduction of quinoline Heteroatom tin compounds (SSn, OSn, NSn, PSn) composed of heteroatoms S, O, N, P and tin atoms have attracted intense attention due to their wide applications in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical fields. The current methods for synthesis of such compounds, such as metathesis reactions, addition reactions, and free radical reactions, exhibit drawbacks including narrow substrate scope and harsh conditions. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient synthetic systems to construct heteroatom-tin bond.

Chemists love to tinker with cyclodextrins (CDs)—macrocyclic daisy chains of glucose molecules that feature a hydrophobic core surrounded by a hydrophilic exterior. They’ve been used to encapsulate drugs, in air fresheners to sop up smelly molecules, and in water purification systems to capture and destroy micropollutants. Structure of alpha-L-cyclodextrin Now, more than 130 years after their discovery, CDs are finally getting a glimpse of their mirror image. For the first time, chemists have synthesized L-CDs using the unnatural sugar L-glucose.

Quinaldine Fish Anesthetic for Shipping Quinaldine Quinaldine is a yellowish, oily liquid with limited water solubility that must be dissolved in acetone or alcohol before it is mixed with water. While it is an effective anesthetic, it is an irritant to fish, has an unpleasant odor, and is a carcinogen. The low cost of quinaldine has made it a popular tool for collecting tropical fish for the aquarium trade, as well as in the bait and sport fish industries. Quinaldine sulfonate is a pale yellow, water-soluble powder; it is more costly than quinaldine or MS-222.