The synthesis of two series of β-amino ketones containing a p-aminobenzoic acid moiety (TM-1 and TM-2) using a modified protocol of the Mannich reaction is reported. The molecular structures of a total of tweenty three new target compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI-MS and HR-MS. Subsequently, their antidiabetic activities were screened in vitro. The α-glucodase inhibition (α-GI) activity of compound 1e reached a remarkable level of 66.50%. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) relative activation activities of six compounds are above 80%, and in particular 2i displays an unprecedentedly high PPAR of 130.91%. The structure-activity relationships of the compounds were established. 2i is also subject to further in-depth investigation.

We wish to report the further design and improved synthesis that resulted in two series of target molecules, TM-1 and TM-2, with remarkably simplified structures containing β-amino ketone of discrete nabumetone moiety. These were obtained via a ‘one-pot, two-step, three-component’ protocol of Mannich reaction with yield up to 97%. A total of 28 out of 31 new compounds were characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI MS and HRMS techniques. Studies on their antidiabetic activities, screened in vitro at 10 μg mL−1 level, indicate that TM-2 possesses peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor activation and α-glucosidase inhibition activity significantly stronger than that of TM-1, and also that of the series B compounds that were previously synthesized by the group. Analysis of the structure–activity relationship points to the sulfanilamide unit as the most probable potent group of β-amino ketone and, on the basis of which, a tangible strategy is presented for the development of new antidiabetic drugs.

Thionyl chloride efficiently and selectively promoted the deacylation of N-arylacetamides and 2-chloro-N-arylacetamides, under anhydrous conditions, without effecting the ester group, aminosulfonyl group, or benzyloxyamide group. This method, which has been successfully applied to a variety of substrates including different N-arylacetamides and 2-chloro-N-arylacetamides, has the attractive advantages of inexpensive reagents, satisfactory selectivity, excellent yields, short reaction time, and convenient workup. This new method can probably be used to selectively deacylate between aromatic amides and alkyl amides.

Trifluoroacetic acid as an efficient catalyst promoting the Dakin–West reaction at ambient temperature is reported for the first time in this paper. A few efficacious auxiliary catalysts were also developed for the Dakin–West reaction. A variety of substituted aryl aldehydes and aryl ketones were found to be applicable to the preparation of some new β-acetamido-β-arylpropiophenones. This procedure has several advantages such as high yields, short reaction time, and smaller amount (0.30 mol%) of catalyst.

Five designed chiral glycosylated amino acids have been synthesized for the first time by coupling of 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine sulfate (2), previously prepared by direct acetylation of D-glucosamine hydrochloride with acetic anhydride, with chiral Fmoc-protected amino acids and DIC, HOBt, and DIEA under mild conditions. The structures of these new compounds were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy and ESI MS.

One practical and industrial procedure for preparation of 5-hydroxymethyluracil has been developed. This method has the advantage of facile operation, low cost and stable yield.