Relative Abundance of Alpha-Amylase/Trypsin Inhibitors in Selected Sorghum Cultivars

Sorghum is of growing interest and considered as a safe food for wheat related disorders. Besides the gluten, α-amylase/trypsin-inhibitors (ATIs) have been identified as probable candidates for these disorders. Several studies focused on wheat-ATIs although there is still a lack of data referring to the relative abundance of sorghum-ATIs. The objective of this work was therefore to contribute to the characterization of sorghum ATI profiles by targeted proteomics tools. Fifteen sorghum cultivars from different regions were investigated with raw proteins ranging from 7.9 to 17.0 g/100 g. Ammonium bicarbonate buffer in combination with urea was applied for protein extraction, with concentration from 0.588 ± 0.047 to 4.140 ± 0.066 mg/mL. Corresponding electrophoresis data showed different protein profiles. UniProtKB data base research reveals two sorghum ATIs, {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P81367","term_id":"3913899","term_text":"P81367"}}P81367 and {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P81368","term_id":"3913900","term_text":"P81368"}}P81368; both reviewed and a targeted LC–MS/MS method was developed to analyze these. Quantifier peptides ELAAVPSR ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P81367","term_id":"3913899","term_text":"P81367"}}P81367) and TYMVR ({"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P81368","term_id":"3913900","term_text":"P81368"}}P81368) were identified and retained as biomarkers for relative quantification. Different reducing and alkylating agents were assessed and combination of tris (2 carboxyethyl) phosphine/iodoacetamide gave the best response. Linearity was demonstrated for the quantifier peptides with standard recovery between 92.2 and 107.6%. Nine sorghum cultivars presented up to 60 times lower ATI contents as compared to wheat samples. This data suggests that sorghum can effectively be considered as a good alternative to wheat.     

Divalent Samarium: Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Sm4OCl6 and KSm2Cl5

Single crystals of Sm₄OCl₆ and KSm₂Cl₅ have been obtained by metallothermic reductions of SmCl₃ with lithium (in the presence of Sm₂O₃ or SmOCl) and potassium, respectively, at elevated temperatures in sealed tantalum containers. Sm₄OCl₆ (hexagonal, P6₃mc, Z = 2, a = 946.59(4), c = 717.88(4) pm) and KSm₂Cl₅ (monoclinic, P2₁/c, Z = 4, a = 888.06(6), b = 784.81(5), c = 1262.77(8) pm, ß = 90.085(6)°) are true divalent samarium compounds, Sm₄OCl₆ with remarkably short Sm²⁺–O^2? distances (236.0, 237.6 (3x) pm) within the [Sm₄O] tetrahedron.     

Temperature quenched DODAB dispersions: fluid and solid state coexistence and complex formation with oppositely charged surfactant

Dilute dispersions of the synthetic bilayer forming double-chained cationic lipid dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) were investigated. In dispersions sonicated above the chain melting temperature Tm (approximately 45 degrees C) it was found by H NMR that about 50% of the surfactant chains remained fluid when the samples were cooled to room temperature, which is 20 degrees C below Tm. In contrast, there was no sign of a fluid fraction in unsonicated samples at room temperature. The addition of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to DODAB dispersions at room temperature resulted in the formation of an essentially stoichiometric DODA-DS complex with frozen chains, as seen by titration calorimetry and H NMR experiments. For sonicated samples, turbidity experiments demonstrated that, after a fast complexation reaction, the system remains colloidally stable unless the SDS-to-DODAB mixing ratio is too close to unity. H NMR experiments also showed that in the unreacted DODAB the fraction of fluid chains remained close to 50%, indicating either that SDS reacts equally fast with fluid and frozen DODAB or that there is a relaxation of the fluid fraction after the complexation. The melting enthalpy and the melting temperature of the alkyl chains rise gradually as the mixing ratio increases. We observed with cryo-TEM that the fraction of large unilamellar vesicles was significantly larger after addition of SDS. This indicates vesicle fusion. Based on both wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering patterns, the structure of the equimolar SDS-DODAB complex at 25 degress C was proposed to be lamellar.     

Quantitative reaction cascades of ninhydrin in the solid state

Crystalline ninhydrin (1) undergoes waste-free solid-state cascade reactions with dimedone, L-proline, three o-phenylenediamines, o-mercaptoaniline, two ureas, three thioureas, and methyl 3-aminocrotonate. The yields are quantitative and give pure crystalline products without workup just by milling stoichiometric mixtures of the crystalline reagents. The structures of the new and the previously obtained products with lower yields from solutions are established or confirmed by spectroscopic data and density functional calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. The success of 3- and 4-cascade reactions in the crystal without melting is unusual and of unmatched atom economy. They are mechanistically investigated with atomic force microscopy techniques (AFM) on six different faces of 1 when o-phenylenediamine was the reagent (substitution, elimination, cyclization, elimination) and interpreted on the basis of known crystal structure data. Strict correlations to the crystal packings are observed. The characteristic surface features grow to microm heights in some cases at distances of 0.5 mm from the contact edge of the reacting crystals. The waste-free and easy syntheses of highly functionalized (C=O; O-H; C=N) heterocycles or of a tetraketone are also of interest for synthetic use.     

Characterisation and optimisation of an immunoprobe for triazines

The characterisation and optimisation of an optical immunoassay with label free detection based on Reflectometric Interference Spectroscopy (RIfS) is presented. The immunoprobe is operated in a sequential scheme, where Fab-fragments react with analyte molecules in a first step. In a second step the optical transducer is used to quantify the amount of unoccupied Fab- fragments in the reaction mixture binding to the hapten-modified transducer surface. For optimisation of the test, the Fab-fragment concentration was varied between 2x10(-8) mol/l and 2.5x 10(-9) mol/l. Down to a concentration of 5x10(-9) mol/l a reduction in the limit of detection has been observed. At the lowest concentration investigated no further improvement has been found due to a reduced binding of the analyte and a strong decrease of antibody binding at the transducer surface. This finding could be explained by the thermodynamics of the antigen-antibody reaction and the performance of the optical transducer used. The limit of detection obtained is discussed with respect to thermodynamics, transducer characteristics and immunoprobe test format.     

HPLC separation and quantification of anionic surfactants using an automated on-line ion pair extraction system

Summary Aliphatic anionic surfactants, like alkylsulfonates, alkyl sulfates, -sulfo alkanoic acids and their esters, were separated with respect to their alkyl chain length by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using reversed phase (RP) columns. For sensitive and specific detection of these classes of compounds the HPLC separation was combined with a post-column ion-pair extraction system. The limit of detection is in the range of 3–30 ng. Previously reported detection systems of this kind were modified by changing the inner set-up of the phase separator and the extraction capillary and integrating a purge function, which led to a higher system stability and made automatization possible. In order to optimize the experimental set-up, the influence of the reagent concentration as well as different sizes and materials of the extraction capillary were evaluated. The calibration curve of surfactant concentrations versus fluorescence emission is discussed for sodium decylsulfonate. Since both the electrolyte concentration and the percentage of organic solvents in the mobile phase may adversely affect the detection system, different eluent compositions were tested.This article is part of the planned dissertation of Markus Schoester at the Mathematical Natural Science Faculty of the University of Düsseldorf     

Synthese und Kristallstruktur von Hydronium-tris-ethylendiamin-cobalt(rhodium)-μ-trichloro-nonachlorotrirhenat(II)-chlorid,H3O[MEn3][Re3Cl12]Cl (M=Co,Rh)

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Hydronium-tris-ethylenediamine-cobalt(rhodium)-μ-trichloro-nonachlorotrirhenate(III)-chloride, H₃O[MEn₃][Re₃Cl₁₂]Cl (M=Co, Rh) The chlorides H₃O[MEn₃][Re₃Cl₁₂]CI (M = Co, 1 ; Rh, 2 ) crystallize from hydrochloric acid solutions of ReCl₃ and MEn₃ · 3H₂O as deep red hexagonal columns. They are isotypic and crystallize with the hexagonal system (P6 , Z = 1; 1: a = 1010.87(3); c = 794.30(4) pm, R = 0.023, R_w = 0.016; 2: a = 1018.58(3); c = 794.74(4) pm, R = 0.026, R_w = 0.018). The anions [Re₃Cl₁₂]^3? are connected via H₃O₊ cation (C.N. 3). The large channels that run in the [001] direction contain, alternatively, the cations [MEn₃]³⁺ and the lonesome Cl^?-anions     

The Monohydrate of Basic Mercuric Nitrate, [Hg(OH)](NO3)(H2O)

Colourless single crystals of [Hg(OH)](NO₃)(H₂O) were obtained by slow evaporation of an aqueous solution of Hg(NO₃)₂ and Bi(NO₃)₃. The crystal structure (orthorhombic, Pbca, Z = 8, a = 943.2(2), b = 697.6(1), c = 1349.0(2) pm, R₁(all) = 0.0780) contains [Hg(OH)] = …OH–Hg–OH–Hg… zig zag chains (O–Hg–O angle: 168°, Hg–O–Hg angle: 112°, Hg–OH distance: 212 pm) to which one water molecule is attached loosely. The [Hg(OH)](H₂O) chains are connected via bis‐monodentate‐bridging nitrate ions to corrugated layers that are stacked in the [001] direction. Hg²⁺ has an effective 2+2+2(+1) coordination.     

Chemotaxonomic features associated with flavonoids of cannabinoid-free cannabis (Cannabis sativa subsp. sativa L.) in relation to hops (Humulus lupulus L.)

The major flavonoids present in the leaves and flowers of the cannabinoid-free cannabis (Cannabis sativa subsp. sativa L.) cultivars Felina and Futura are orientin (1), vitexin (2), luteolin-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide (3), and apigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide (4), while prenylated flavonoids, to which the potent estrogenicity of hops (Humilus lupulus L.) is associated, are absent. The different composition of flavonoids has chemotaxonomic value.