Comparison of the Contributions of Tetrahydrofurfuryl Alcohol and PEG to α-Chymotrypsin Renaturation with High Performance Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography

The contributions of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol(THFA) and polyethylene glyco(PEG) to the renature efficiency of α-chymotrypsin were investigated and compared with each other,The maximum increments of bioactivity recovery of α-Chy were found to be 25.1% for THFA,10.4% for PEG,respectively.The experimental results indicated that the denaturant solution containing THFA contributed more to the renaturation of α-Chy in high performance hydrophobic interaction chromatography(HPHIC) than that containing PEG,when the concentration of THFA was 3.2%,the bioactivity recovery of α-Chy is the highest.     

重组人干扰素-γ的制备与鉴定

用聚乙二醇200疏水相互作用色谱固定相(PEG200-STHIC)分别在色谱柱和色谱饼上完成了一步复性并同时纯化来源于大肠杆菌(E.coli)表达的重组人干扰素-γ(rhIFN-γ)。为了能使色谱分离方法用于不同来源的rhIFN-γ的纯化,对rhIFN-γ在反相色谱、离子交换色谱、固定化镍离子亲和色谱上的保留行为也进行了研究。色谱柱纯化的rhIFN-γ收集液经排阻色谱除盐和冷冻干燥得到rhIFN-γ干粉。用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱对rhIFN-γ干粉进行了测定,rhIFN-γ单体的相对分子质量为17184.0,二聚体的相对分子质量为34204.4。用细胞病变抑制法(CPEI)测定rhIFN-γ干粉的比活性为9.5×108 IU/mg。用十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（SDS-PAGE）测定rhIFN-γ干粉的纯度高于95%。用色谱柱复性并同时纯化rhIFN-γ的质量回收率达到93.7%,纯度高于95%,比活性为4.3×107 IU/mg。结果表明,采用PEG200-STHIC色谱柱复性并同时纯化rhIFN-γ是一种十分高效的方法。     

Chemoselective hydrogenolysis of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol to 1,5-pentanediol over Ir-MoOx/SiO2 catalyst

In this work, MoO_x promoted Ir/SiO₂ catalysts were prepared and used for the selective hydrogenolysis of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) to 1,5-pentanediol in a continuous flow reactor. The effects of different noble metals (Ir, Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh), supports and Ir contents were screened. Among the investigated catalysts, 4 wt%Ir-MoO_x/SiO₂ with a Mo/Ir atomic ratio of 0.13 exhibited the best catalytic performance. The synergy between Ir particles and the partially reduced isolated MoO_x species attached on them is essential for the excellent catalytic performance of Ir-MoO_x/SiO₂. The catalyst exhibited a better hydrogenolysis efficiency of THFA with the selectivity of 1,5-pentanediol of 65%–74% at a conversion of THFA of 70%–75% when the initial THFA concentration is ranging from 20 wt% and 40 wt%. And higher system pressure was also in favor of the conversion of THFA. During a stability test, the conversion of THFA and 1,5-pentanediol yield over Ir-MoO_x/SiO₂ decreased with reaction time, which can be explained by the leaching of Mo species during the reaction.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether endcapped poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Linear and branched poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) copolymers with polyethylene glycol) (PEG) methyl ether (700 or 2000 g/mol) end groups were synthesized using conventional melt polymerization. DSC analysis demonstrated that low levels of PEG end groups accelerated PET crystallization. The incorporated PEG end groups also decreased the crystallization temperature of PET dramatically, and copolymers with a high content of PEG (>17.6 wt%) were able to crystallize at room temperature. Rheological analysis demonstrated that the presence of PEG end groups effectively decreased the melt viscosities and facilitated melt processing. XPS and ATR-FTIR revealed that the PEG end groups tended to aggregate on the surface, and the surface of compression molded films containing 34.0 wt% PEG were PEG rich (85 wt% PEG). PEG end-capped PET (34.0 wt% PEG) and PET films were immersed into a fibrinogen solution (0.7 mg/mL BSA) for 72 h to investigate the propensity for protein adhesion. XPS demonstrated that the concentration of nitrogen (1.05%) on the surface of PEG endcapped PET film was statistically lower than PET (7.67%). SEM analysis was consistent with XPS results, and revealed the presence of adsorbed protein on the surface of PET films.     

Polyethylene glycol increases purification and recovery, alters retention behavior in flow-through chromatography of hemoglobin

Flow-through chromatography was a method for purification of hemoglobin (Hb) from red cell lysate. The presence of 0-5% polyethylene glycol (PEG) increased the retention time of Hb peak from 15 min to 20 min in flow-through ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) but decreased the retention time from 88 min to 62 min in the hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). However, the purification and the recovery were both increased. For IEC the recovery of hemoglobin increased from 75% to more than 90%, and the purified Hb showed single band in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and one peak in size-exclusion HPLC. For HIC, the recovery of hemoglobin was improved significantly from 20% to 85% and the removal of lipids was 100%. The bioactivity of hemoglobin was well preserved in these two chromatographic processes. The mechanism for the effect of PEG in these two flow-through chromatographic processes was discussed.     

Microencapsulation of protein‐loaded polysaccharide particles within poly(D,L‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) microspheres using S/O/W: characterization and release studies

This report demonstrates a process to form polysaccharide glassy particles without water–oil or water–air interfaces as well as ionic polymers and its application in formulating sustained‐release dosage forms for structurally delicate proteins. When a co‐solution containing dextran and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was subjected to freeze‐drying, the dextran separated out of the solution to form dispersed phases surrounded by a PEG‐rich continuous phase and was solidified during subsequent lyophilization to fine glassy particles, 1–2 µm in diameter. Water‐soluble proteins can easily be loaded in these glassy particles due to preferential partition and become resistant to organic solvents simply by adding them into the dextran‐PEG co‐solution. After washing away the PEG continuous phase with organic solvents, the protein‐containing glassy particles can be suspended in a hydrophobic polymer solution and formulated into various pharmaceutical dosage forms and medical devices for sustained‐release protein delivery. In the present study, myoglobin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and β‐galactosidase (β‐gal) were formulated in PLGA mcirospheres and as model proteins using this glassy particulate approach, and subjected to a series of assays for release kinetics, structural integrity, and bioactivity. The experimental results indicated that this system offered well preserved protein integrity and bioactivity as well as significantly improved protein release kinetics. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct determination of arsenic in petroleum derivatives by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry: A comparison between filter and platform atomizers

In the present work a direct method for the determination of arsenic in petroleum derivatives has been developed, comparing the performance of a commercial transversely heated platform atomizer (THPA) with that of a transversely heated filter atomizer (THFA). The THFA results in a reduction of background absorption and an improved sensitivity as has been reported earlier for this atomizer. The mixture of 0.1% (m/v) Pd + 0.03% (m/v) Mg + 0.05% (v/v) Triton X-100 was used as the chemical modifier for both atomizers. The samples (naphtha, gasoline and petroleum condensate) were stabilized in the form of a three-component solution (detergentless microemulsion) with the sample, propan-1-ol and 0.1% (v/v) HNO₃ in a ratio of 3.0:6.4:0.6. The characteristic mass of 13 pg found in the THFA was about a factor of two better than that of 28 pg obtained with the THPA; however, the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were essentially the same for both atomizers (1.9 and 6.2 μg L⁻¹, respectively, for THPA, and 1.8 and 5.9 μg L⁻¹, respectively, for THFA) due to the increased noise observed with the THFA. A possible explanation for that is a partial blockage of the radiation from the hollow cathode lamp by the narrow inner diameter of this tube and the associated loss of radiation energy. Due to the lack of an appropriate certified reference material, recovery tests were carried out with inorganic and organic arsenic standards and the results were between 89% and 111%. The only advantage of the THFA found in this work was a reduction of the total analysis time by about 20% due to the ‘hot injection’ that could be realized with this furnace. The arsenic concentrations varied from < LOQ to 43.3 μg L⁻¹ in the samples analyzed in this work.     

Determination of poly(ethylene glycol)s by both normal-phase and reversed-phase modes of high-performance liquid chromatography

A normal-phase HPLC system using an amino column has been developed to characterise oligomers of poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) of average M_r 400 to 2000 with derivatisation by dinitrobenzoate. Normal-phase HPLC with gradient elution using ternary solvents of hexane, dichloromethane and methanol has produced a baseline resolution for oligomers of PEG 400, 600 and 1000, while PEG 1000 and 2000 were analysed by using binary solvents of acetonitrile and water. Mixtures of PEGs have been determined by these HPLC systems. PEG 400 in a textile finish has also been determined with satisfactory recovery. It has been found that the hydroxyl group of solvents in normal-phase HPLC plays an important role in resolution and retention of PEG oligomers. Derivatisation efficiency for PEGs by dinitrobenzoyl chloride and quantitative determination of derivatised PEGs by HPLC have been studied. A reversed-phase (RP) mode of HPLC was examined for determination of PEG 400 oligomers. The normal-phase system provided greater resolution for oligomers of PEGs.     

离子交换色谱法分离纯化鸡卵黄免疫球蛋白

建立了高效、经济、大规模获得鸡卵黄免疫球蛋白(IgY)的生产方法。在对传统的水稀释法改良的基础上,结合聚乙二醇沉淀与离子交换色谱进行IgY的分离纯化。结果显示,用8倍无菌水稀释蛋黄液,用0.1 mol/L HCl调节pH为5.2,在4 ℃下静置8 h,于5000×g力离心可得上清粗IgY液,经测定回收率可达93.47%。然后用6%聚乙二醇沉淀后经DEAE-Toyopearl 650 M离子交换纯化,最佳的纯化条件: 0.05 mol/L磷酸盐缓冲液(PBS, pH 7)平衡上样,0.075 mol/L PBS(pH 7)洗脱。十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)分析结果显示所得的IgY的纯度为95.02%,活性保持率高达73.77%。本研究弥补了传统分离方法不能同时达到高纯度和高回收率的缺点,且可用于大规模生产。     

One-step purification of alpha-amylase from the cultivation supernatant of recombinant bacillus subtilis by high-speed counter-current chromatography with aqueous polymer two-phase systems

Purification of alpha-amylase from the cultivation supernatant of recombinant Bacillus subtilis by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) in polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000-inorganic salt aqueous polymer two-phase systems was studied. The effects of sodium chloride concentration on the partition coefficients of alpha-amylase and total protein were respectively tested in PEG4000-phosphate and PEG4000-citrate aqueous polymer two-phase systems to find the proper range of sodium chloride concentration for the HSCCC purification of alpha-amylase. Alpha-amylase was purified from the cultivation supernatant by HSCCC in PEG4000-phosphate system containing 2% (w/w) sodium chloride, yet with considerable loss of activity. PEG4000-citrate aqueous polymer two-phase system containing 2% (w/w) sodium chloride and supplemented with 0.56% (w/w) CaCl2 as protective agent was then successfully applied to purify alpha-amylase from cultivation supernatant by HSCCC to homogeneity and significantly increased the recovery of alpha-amylase activity from around 30 to 73.1%.     

Photocurable biodegradable poly(ɛ-caprolactone)/poly(ethylene glycol) multiblock copolymers showing shape-memory properties

Biodegradable multiblock copolymers were synthesized by a polycondensation of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) diols of molecular weight (MW)=3,000 and poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEG) of MW=3,000 with 4,4′-(adipoyldioxy)dicinnamic acid (CAC) dichloride as a chain extender in diphenyl ether at 180 °C for 2 h, and were characterized by GPC, ¹H-NMR, FTIR, UV, DSC, and WAXS. These photosensitive copolymers were irradiated by a 400-W high-pressure mercury lamp (λ>280 nm) from 5–60 min to form a network structure. The gel contents increased with irradiation time, and attained ca. 90% after 60 min for all copolymers. The degree of swelling in a distilled water at ambient temperature, and the rate of degradation in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.2) at 37 °C increased with increasing PEG components. The shape-memory tests were performed by a cyclic thermomechanical experiments for the photocured CAC/PCL/PEG (75/25) films. The film with a gel content of 57% showed the best shape-memory property with strain fixity rate of 100% and strain recovery rate of 88%.     

Poly(ethylene glycol)-based shape-memory polymers

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) blends photo-curable and thermal activated shape-memory polymers (SMPs), with different activation temperature (T_switch), have been synthesized and characterized. PEG blends with different molecular weights were chain-end functionalized with isocyanate ethyl methacrylate and photo-cured with UV lamp. Degree of cross-linking of the blend network, determined by gel content measurement, resulted as higher than 95%. The thermal and thermomechanical properties of these SMPs PEG blends were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The shape-memory properties of the networks were quantified using thermomechanical three-point bending experiments and showed strain fixity rates higher than 99% and a minimum strain recovery ratio of 82%.     

Tracking of the effects of the plasticizer on the water uptake and free volume changes of methylcellulose

The structural changes in methylcellulose containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG 400) as plasticizer caused by water absorption during storage were evaluated. In order to elucidate the structural changes in the polymer, water‐uptake measurements and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) were utilized. The PEG concentrations relative to the total polymer content were varied within the range 0–75% w/w. The Doppler‐spectra were characterized by means of the conventional parameters S and W. A transition from a single phase to two phases was found in the methylcellulose films above PEG; a content of 33% w/w. The first step of ageing is merely a conformational change, after which the electron structure remains more or less the same, while both S and W indicate significant changes during the second slow step of ageing. Accurate determination of the plasticizer concentration relating to the single‐phase to two‐phase transition of Metolose‐PEG films has a great impact from the aspect of the application of a stable composition for coating of solid dosage forms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Poly (caprolactone)/poly (ethylene glycol) pervaporation blend membranes: Synthesis,characterization, and performance

Poly (caprolactone) membranes with addition of different poly (ethylene glycol) concentrations were prepared for separation of water/isopropanol azeotropic mixture by pervaporation process. Different characterization tests including Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle, and thermogravimetric analysis were carried out on the prepared membranes. In addition, the effect of poly (ethylene glycol) PEG content on the swelling degree and the performance of the prepared membranes in pervaporation process were investigated. According to the obtained results, all the membranes were water selective and the blend membrane containing 3 wt% PEG exhibited the best pervaporation performance with a water flux of 0.517 kg/m² hour and separation factor of 1642 at the ambient temperature. Hydrophilicity improvement of the blend membranes was confirmed by constant decrease in water contact angle of the membranes as PEG content increased in the casting solution. Scanning electron microscopy cross‐sectional images indicated that the blend membranes containing PEG had a closed cellular structure. Furthermore, mechanical and thermal properties of the membranes decreased by adding PEG.     

Modular,synthetic, thiol-ene mediated hydrogel networks as potential scaffolds for 3D cell cultures and tissue regeneration

Natural polymers such as collagen are popular materials for tissue engineering scaffolds due to their innate bioactivity and biocompatibility. Being derived from animal sources, however, means that batch-to-batch consistency is often low and the extraction of collagen is costly. This conundrum facilitates the need for synthetic alternatives as scaffolding materials. In this study, a system of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based thiol-ene coupled (TEC) hydrogel scaffolds is presented for tissue engineering purposes. The platform includes several necessary features, namely cytocompatibility, high swelling ability, biodegradability, tunable stiffness, and fast, straightforward fabrication. The swelling ability is provided by the hydrophilicity of the ether-links of PEG, which facilitated the formation of high water content hydrogels that match the water content of soft tissues for the proper diffusion of nutrients and waste compounds. TEC ensures fast and facile fabrication, with cross-linking moieties that allow for the biodegradation of the hydrogel network through hydrolytic cleavage. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds are made tunable in the range of storage moduli spanning <1 kPa to >100 kPa. It is also shown that despite the synthetic nature of the hydrogels, human dermal fibroblasts and murine macrophages, Raw 264.7, were able to survive and produce extracellular protein excretions while embedded in the 3D hydrogels.     

Positron annihilation and differential scanning calorimetry studies of polyacrylamide and poly(dimethylacrylamide)/poly(ethylene glycol) blends

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements were performed for blends of polyacrylamide (PAM) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and blends of poly(dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAM) and PEG. The samples were prepared by codissolution in a concentration range of 0–100 wt % PEG. The thermal behavior, characterized by DSC measurements, showed similar variations of the glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) with the PEG concentration for the two systems. Pure PAM and PDMAM presented T_g's of 188 and 111 °C, respectively. A relatively small and nearly linearly decreasing T_g was observed for the two systems in the range of 20–80 wt % PEG. PEG crystals were present in all blend compositions, and no melting point depression was observed. The thermal results pointed to the partial miscibility of the blends. The degree of crystallinity of PEG increased with increasing PEG concentration for the PDMAM/PEG systems. The ortho‐positronium lifetime (τ₃) increased with increasing PEG concentration for both blends. However, the parameter of the ortho‐positronium formation probability (I₃) decreased with the PEG concentration. The product τI₃, which was proportional to the total free volume fraction, was approximately constant with the PEG concentration for PDMAM blends and increased with the PEG concentration for PAM systems. This result may be interpreted as a consequence of a more heterogeneous structure in PAM blends. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of blends with 40 and 80 wt % PEG provided evidence of the regions associated with PEG crystallites. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1493–1500, 2003     

The Synthesis of Poly(ethylene oxide)-Block-Polybutylacrylate

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New approach on the development of plasticized polylactide (PLA): Grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) via reactive extrusion

In this work, new ways of plasticizing polylactide (PLA) with low molecular poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were developed to improve the ductility of PLA while maintaining the plasticizer content at maximum 20 wt.% PLA. To this end, a reactive blending of anhydride-grafted PLA (MAG-PLA) copolymer with PEG, with chains terminated with hydroxyl groups, was performed. During the melt-processing, a fraction of PEG was grafted into the anhydride-functionalized PLA chains. The role of the grafted fraction was to improve the compatibility between PLA and PEG. Reactive extrusion and melt-blending of neat and modified PLA with PEG did not induce any dramatic drop of PLA molecular weight. The in situ reactive grafting of PEG into the modified PLA in PLA/PEG blends showed a clear effect on the thermal properties of PLA. It was demonstrated by DSC that the mobility gained by PLA chains in the plasticized blends yielded crystallization. The grafting of a fraction of PEG into PLA did not affect this process. However, DSC results obtained after the second heating showed an interesting effect on the T_g when 20 wt.% PEG were melt blended with neat PLA or 10 wt.% MAG-PLA. In the latter case, the T_g displayed by the reactive blend was shifted to even lower temperatures at around 14 °C, while the T_g of neat PLA and PLA blended with 20 wt.% PEG was around 60 and 23 °C, respectively. Regarding viscoelastic and viscoplastic properties, the presence of MAG-PLA does not significantly influence the behavior of plasticized PLA. Indeed, with or without MAG-PLA, elastic modulus and yield stress decrease, while ultimate strain increases with the addition of PEG into PLA.     

Determination of poly(ethylene glycol) 300 in long chain free fatty acid mixtures by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid sensitive method has been developed for the detection and quantitation of poly(ethylene glycol) 300 (PEG 300) in long-chain free fatty acid mixtures that requires minimal sample preparation. The PEG 300 was separated from the free fatty acids by RP-HPLC using a water–tetrahydrofuran gradient. PEG and the free fatty acids were detected using evaporative light scattering detection. The minimum detectable level of PEG in a free fatty acid mixture was 0.0125%.     

Study of cloud point extraction and high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of isoniazid based on the formation of isonicotinylhydrazone

Isoniazid (INH) reacted with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DABD) in the presence of trichloroacetic acid to give isonicotinylhydrazone (INZ) having λ_max 365 nm. Cloud point extraction (CPE) is carried out to extract INH and IHZ in aqueous solutions using surfactant poly(ethylene glycol) 4000 (PEG4000), respectively. Langmuir model is used to study the adsorption behaviors of the two solutes on micelles of PEG4000. A linear correlation is found between variation of PEG4000 concentration required for feed concentration of the two solutes and used to predict PEG4000 concentration required for extracting INH and IHZ in CPE procedure. The results calculated show that, for a desired recovery level of 90%, only can IHZ be sufficiently extracted by PEG4000. In this experiment, the feed concentration of PEG4000 is defined by above-mentioned correlation, and the effects of other operating parameters, e.g., concentration of salt, pH and centrifugation time on extraction of PEG4000-IHZ system have also been studied in detail. The proposed CPE method coupled with HPLC-UV system is successfully used for the determination of INH in urine sample.