Quantification of veterinary antibiotics (sulfonamides and trimethoprim) in animal manure by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A fast and cost effective method was developed to extract and quantify residues of veterinary antimicrobial agents (antibiotics) in animal manure by liquid-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The compounds investigated include six sulfonamides, one metabolite, and trimethoprim. The method was performed without sample clean up. Recoveries from spiked manure slurry samples (spike level = 1 mg/kg) were as follows: sulfaguanidine (52%), sulfadiazine (47%), sulfathiazole (64%), sulfamethazine (89%), its metabolite N4-acetyl-sulfamethazine (88%), sulfamethoxazole (84%), sulfadimethoxine (51%), and trimethoprim (64%). Relative standard deviations of the recoveries were less than 5% within the same day and less than 20% between days. The limit of quantification was below 0.1 mg/kg liquid manure slurry for all compounds and calibration curves obtained from extracts of spiked samples were linear up to a level of 5 mg/kg liquid manure, except for trimethoprim (0.01-0.5 mg/kg). Analysis of six grab samples taken in Switzerland from manure pits on farms where medicinal feed had been applied revealed total sulfonamide concentrations of up to 20 mg/kg liquid manure.     

Electroenzymatic reactions. Investigation of a reductive dehalogenase by means of electrogenerated redox cosubstrates

As an illustration of how cyclic voltammetry can be used to unravel the mechanisms and kinetics of redox enzymes, the reductive dechlorination of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene by a typical reductive dehalogenase, the tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase of Sulfurospirillum multivorans (formerly called Dehalospirillum multivorans), was investigated by means of several electrochemically generated cosubstrates. They comprised the monocation and the neutral form of methylviologen, the neutral form of benzylviologen, and cobaltocene. Cyclic voltammetry is used to produce the active form of the cosubstrate under controlled potential conditions. It shows large plateau-shaped catalytic responses, which are used to measure the kinetics of the enzymatic reaction as a function of the substrate and cosubstrate concentrations. The variation of the rate constant for the cosubstrate reaction with its standard potential shows the transition between two asymptotic behaviors, one in which the reaction is under diffusion control and the other in which it is under counter-diffusion control. Simple fitting of this plot allows an estimation of the standard potential of the electron acceptor center in the enzyme (E degrees = -0.57 V vs NHE).     

Oligomérisation anionique de l'ethylène. I. Etude cinétique

A kinetic study of ethylene oligomerization in hexane, in the presence of n-BuLi–TMEDA complexes, allowed us to suggest a new mechanism for anionic ethylene oligomerization. n-BuLi and n-Bu(CH₂CH₂)Li species have the same reactivity. The RLi–TMEDA complex in a 1-to-1 stoichiometry is the active species. The following kinetic equation has been established: It reflects the intervention of associated species (n-BuLi–TMEDA)₂ as well as the influence of the concentration of the complexing agent on the kinetics of oligomerization.     

‘Non-Koopmans’ States in Stilbene Cations and a Remarkable Example to the «SDT-Equation»: Indeno [2,1-a]indene

The radical cations of indeno [2, 1-a]indene ( 1 ), stilbene ( 2 ) and 3, 5, 3', 5'-tetramethylstilbene ( 3 ) were prepared by γ-irradiation of the neutral precursors in an electron-scavenging matrix at 77 K . Their electronic spectra were recorded and compared to the photoelectron spectra ( PE .) of the neutral precursors. The results show that either the fourth or the fifth excited doublet state of the cations is of «Non-Koopmans» type, with specific doublet energy (D) D (²B_g)=2.74 eV ( 1 ⁺), =2.59 eV ( 2 ⁺), =2.49 eV ( 3 ⁺). Remarkably, 1 ⁺ possesses two electronic states in the 2.7-2.8 eV energy range: ²A_u («Koopmans»-type) and ²B_g («Non -Koopmans»-type). The «SDT»-equation \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm D} = \sqrt {{\rm S} \cdot {\rm T}} $\end{document} approximately connecting excited singlet (S) and triplet (T) states of a neutral alternant system with the excited doublet (D) states of its radical cation - provided e-promotion occurs For all three excited states between the same (paired) orbitals-is satisfyingly exemplified by 1 : S¹ = 3.92 eV and T¹= 2.06 eV for 1 , D^{4 or 5}=2.74 eV for 1 ⁺.     

Synthesis and properties of 1-(6-methoxy)-2-benzothiazolyl)-2-pyridones

Substituted ]-(6-methoxy-2-benzothiazolyt)-2-pyridones were prepared from 2-amino-6-methoxybenzathiazate through N-(6-methoxy-2-benzothiazotyl) cyanvorearmileaznd-3-aryl-N-(6-methoxy-2-benzothiazolyt)-2-cyano-2-propenamides. The cyclization of the latter with malonodinitrile in the presence of piperidine gave the corresponding pyridones. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by¹H NMR and mass spectral data.Department of Organic Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Slovak Technical University, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1402–1404, October, 1995. Original article submitted August 24, 1995.     

Thin film platinum cuff electrodes for neurostimulation: in vitro approach of safe neurostimulation parameters

Thin film technology takes more and more importance in the development of biomedical devices dedicated to functional neurostimulation. Our research about the design of implant neurostimulating electrode is oriented toward thin film cuff electrodes based on a polyimide substrate covered by a chromium/gold/Pt film. The chromium/gold sputtered film serves as adhesion layer and current collector whereas platinum acts as an electrochemical actuator. The electrode surface has been designed to obey safe stimulation criteria (i.e. chemically inert noble metal, low electrode-electrolyte impedance, high electrochemical reversibility, high corrosion stability). The electrochemical behaviour of such platinum electrodes has been assessed and compared to a foil of platinum. Extensive in vitro characterisations of the both electrode types were carried out using AFM, SEM and electrochemical techniques. The role of enhanced surface roughness enabling high double layer capacitances to be achieved was clearly highlighted. The obtained results are discussed, with particular reference to thin film electrodes stability under in vitro electrical stimulation in NaCl 0.9% (physiological serum). Therefore, these thin film devices showed reversible PtOH formation and decomposition making them potentially attractive for the fabrication of implant stimulation cuff electrodes.     

Non-covalent polyvalent ligands by self-assembly of small glycodendrimers: a novel concept for the inhibition of polyvalent carbohydrate-protein interactions in vitro and in vivo

Polyvalent carbohydrate-protein interactions occur frequently in biology, particularly in recognition events on cellular membranes. Collectively, they can be much stronger than corresponding monovalent interactions, rendering it difficult to control them with individual small molecules. Artificial macromolecules have been used as polyvalent ligands to inhibit polyvalent processes; however, both reproducible synthesis and appropriate characterization of such complex entities is demanding. Herein, we present an alternative concept avoiding conventional macromolecules. Small glycodendrimers which fulfill single molecule entity criteria self-assemble to form non-covalent nanoparticles. These particles-not the individual molecules-function as polyvalent ligands, efficiently inhibiting polyvalent processes both in vitro and in vivo. The synthesis and characterization of these glycodendrimers is described in detail. Furthermore, we report on the characterization of the non-covalent nanoparticles formed and on their biological evaluation.     

Construction of Highly Substituted Nitroaromatic Systems by Cyclocondensation. Part II. Conversion of 4-nitro-3-oxobutyrate to 3-nitrosalicylates

The base-catalyzed reaction of 4-nitro-3-oxobutyrate (6) with acetylacetone ( 8 Scheme 3), formylacetone ( 13 , Scheme 4), formylcyclohexanone ( 31 , Scheme 5), 2,4-dioxopentanoates 39 and 40 (Scheme 6), and 2,4,6-heptanetrione ( 2 , Scheme 7) affords substituted 3-nitrosalicylates, products of a double aldol condensation. With unsymmetrical dicarbonyl compounds both regioisomers are formed. High selectivity was found in the case of β-keto-aldehydes 13 and 31 with preferred addition of the NO₂-substituted carbon to the aldehyde carbonyl. The major products of these cyclocon-densations, which are isolated in yields ranging from 20% to 80%, are all new compounds. Less successful are the conversions with β-alkoxy- and β-chloro-vinyl ketones ( 23, 25 , and 26 ), and with alkinone 24 , where the condensation products are formed in very low yield (Scheme 4).