n-Hill Group
new pharmaceuticals. Additionally, these compounds are often used as tools for understanding biology, and
their complex architectures are well-suited for investigating molecular reactivity in complex chemical envi-
ronments.
A major thrust in the Hill lab focuses on using natural products as tools for understanding complex biology.
Group members are currently trying to access plagiochianin B, a pyridine-containing ent-2,3,-seco-aroma-
dendrane derivative reported in 2018. The lab members are excited about this molecule due its relationship
to plagiochilal B, a small molecule isolated in 1991 from Plagiochila fruticosa. Plagiochilal B was reported to
enhance choline acetyltransferase activity in rat cerebral hemisphere, which may make it an important mol-
ecule for studying Alzheimer’s disease.
Continued on page 24
CHEM.UNC.EDU | CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA |
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