Multiresidue method for the fast determination of pesticides in nutraceutical products (Camellia sinensis) by GC coupled to triple quadrupole MS

A method based on QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) has been developed and validated for the determination and quantification of more than 140 pesticides in nutraceutical products obtained from green tea (Camellia sinensis). Extraction was performed with acidified acetonitrile (acetic acid 1%, v/v) and a clean‐up step using primary secondary amine (50 mg), graphitized black carbon (100 mg) and magnesium sulfate (200 mg) was needed. Pesticide determination was achieved utilizing GC coupled to triple quadrupole MS/MS using the selective‐reaction monitoring mode. The total run time was 23 min. Pesticides were quantified using matrix‐matched calibration. Recoveries ranged from 70 to 120% and relative SD was lower than 25% at 10, 50, and 100 μg/kg. LOQs were lower than 10 μg/kg. 148 pesticides were validated. The validated method was applied to commercial nutraceutical products, detecting 4,4‐dichlorobenzophenone (28 μg/kg), o,p′‐dicofol (38 μg/kg) and p,p‐dicofol (44 μg/kg) in a few samples.     

Anti-Helicobacter pylori Activity of Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. mexicana and Two of Its Bioactive Components,Estafiatin and Eupatilin

Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. mexicana has been traditionally used for the treatment of digestive ailments such as gastritis, whose main etiological agent is Helicobacter pylori. In a previous screening study, the aqueous extract exhibited a good in vitro anti-H. pylori activity. With the aim of determining the efficacy of this species as a treatment for H. pylori related diseases and finding bioactive compounds, its aqueous extract was subjected to solvent partitioning and the fractions obtained were tested for their in vitro anti-H. pylori effect, as well as for their in vivo gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory activities. The aqueous extract showed a MIC = 250 µg/mL. No acute toxicity was induced in mice. A gastroprotection of 69.8 ± 3.8%, as well as anti-inflammatory effects of 47.6 ± 12.4% and 38.8 ± 10.2% (by oral and topical administration, respectively), were attained. Estafiatin and eupatilin were isolated and exhibited anti-H. pylori activity with MBCs of 15.6 and 31.2 µg/mL, respectively. The finding that A. ludoviciana aqueous extract has significant anti-H. pylori, gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory activities is a relevant contribution to the ethnopharmacological knowledge of this species. This work is the first report about the in vivo gastroprotective activity of A. ludoviciana and the anti-H. pylori activity of eupatilin and estafiatin.     

Calorimetric study of spinodal decomposition in β-Cu–Al–Mn

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - We report data obtained from the spinodal decomposition in samples of two compositions of intermetallic Cu–Al–Mn shape memory alloys....     

The Potent Oxidant Anticancer Activity of Organoiridium Catalysts

Platinum complexes are the most widely used anticancer drugs; however, new generations of agents are needed. The organoiridium(III) complex [(η⁵‐Cp^xbiph)Ir(phpy)(Cl)] ( 1‐Cl ), which contains π‐bonded biphenyltetramethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp^xbiph) and C^N‐chelated phenylpyridine (phpy) ligands, undergoes rapid hydrolysis of the chlorido ligand. In contrast, the pyridine complex [(η⁵‐Cp^xbiph)Ir(phpy)(py)]⁺ ( 1‐py ) aquates slowly, and is more potent (in nanomolar amounts) than both 1‐Cl and cisplatin towards a wide range of cancer cells. The pyridine ligand protects 1‐py from rapid reaction with intracellular glutathione. The high potency of 1‐py correlates with its ability to increase substantially the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells. The unprecedented ability of these iridium complexes to generate H₂O₂ by catalytic hydride transfer from the coenzyme NADH to oxygen is demonstrated. Such organoiridium complexes are promising as a new generation of anticancer drugs for effective oxidant therapy.     

Multifunctional Supramolecular Dendrimers with an s‐Triazine Ring as the Central Core: Liquid Crystalline,Fluorescence and Photoconductive Properties

Novel liquid crystal (LC) dendrimers have been synthesised by hydrogen bonding between an s‐triazine as the central core and three peripheral dendrons derived from bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid. Symmetric acid dendrons bearing achiral promesogenic units have been synthesised to obtain 3:1 complexes with triazine that exhibit LC properties. Asymmetric dendrons that combine the achiral promesogenic unit and an active moiety derived from coumarin or pyrene structures have been synthesised in order to obtain dendrimers with photophysical and electrochemical properties. The formation of the complexes was confirmed by IR and NMR spectroscopy data. The liquid crystalline properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and X‐ray diffractometry. All complexes displayed mesogenic properties, which were smectic in the case of symmetric dendrons and their complexes and nematic in the case of asymmetric dendrons and their dendrimers. A supramolecular model for the lamellar mesophase, based mainly on X‐ray diffraction studies, is proposed. The electrochemical behaviour of dendritic complexes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The UV/Vis absorption and emission properties of the compounds and the photoconductive properties of the dendrons and dendrimers were also investigated     

Fluorescence of New o‐Carborane Compounds with Different Fluorophores: Can it be Tuned?

Two sets of o‐carborane derivatives incorporating fluorene and anthracene fragments as fluorophore groups have been successfully synthesized and characterized, and their photophysical properties studied. The first set, comprising fluorene‐containing carboranes 6 – 9 , was prepared by catalyzed hydrosilylation reactions of ethynylfluorene with appropriate carboranylsilanes. The compound 1‐[(9,9‐dioctyl‐fluorene‐2‐yl)ethynyl]carborane ( 11 ) was synthesized by the reaction of 9,9‐dioctyl‐2‐ethynylfluorene and decaborane (B₁₀H₁₄). Furthermore, reactions of the lithium salt of 11 with 1 equivalent of 4‐(chloromethyl)styrene or 9‐(chloromethyl)anthracene yielded compounds 12 and 13 . Members of the second set of derivatives, comprising anthracene‐containing carboranes, were synthesized by reactions of monolithium or dilithium salts of 1‐Me‐1,2‐C₂B₁₀H₁₁, 1‐Ph‐1,2‐C₂B₁₀H₁₁, and 1,2‐C₂B₁₀H₁₂ with 1 or 2 equivalents of 9‐(chloromethyl)anthracene, respectively, to produce compounds 14 – 16 . In addition, 2 equivalents of the monolithium salts of 1‐Me‐1,2‐C₂B₁₀H₁₁ (Me‐o‐carborane) and 1‐Ph‐1,2‐C₂B₁₀H₁₁ (Ph‐o‐carborane) were reacted with 9,10‐bis(chloromethyl)anthracene to produce compounds 17 and 18 , respectively. Fluorene derivatives 6 – 9 exhibit moderate fluorescence quantum yields (32–44 %), whereas 11 – 13 , in which the fluorophore is bonded to the C_cluster (C_c), show very low emission intensity (6 %) or complete fluorescence quenching. The anthracenyl derivatives containing the Me‐o‐carborane moiety exhibit notably high fluorescence emissions, with ?_F=82 and 94 %, whereas their Ph‐o‐carborane analogues are not fluorescent at all. For these compounds, we have observed a correlation between the C_c?C_c bond length and the fluorescence intensity in CH₂Cl₂ solution, comparable to that observed for previously reported styrene‐containing carboranes. Thus, our hypothesis is that for systems of this type the fluorescence may be tuned and even predicted by changing the substituent on the adjacent C_c.     

Conversion of 3‐amino‐4‐arylamino‐1H‐isochromen‐1‐ones to 1‐arylisochromeno[3,4‐d][1,2,3]triazol‐5(1H)‐ones: synthesis,spectroscopic characterization and the structures of four products and one ring‐opened derivative

An efficient synthesis of 1‐arylisochromeno[3,4‐d][1,2,3]triazol‐5(1H)‐ones, involving the diazotization of 3‐amino‐4‐arylamino‐1H‐isochromen‐1‐ones in weakly acidic solution, has been developed and the spectroscopic characterization and crystal structures of four examples are reported. The molecules of 1‐phenylisochromeno[3,4‐d][1,2,3]triazol‐5(1H)‐one, C₁₅H₉N₃O₂, (I), are linked into sheets by a combination of C—H…N and C—H…O hydrogen bonds, while the structures of 1‐(2‐methylphenyl)isochromeno[3,4‐d][1,2,3]triazol‐5(1H)‐one, C₁₆H₁₁N₃O₂, (II), and 1‐(3‐chlorophenyl)isochromeno[3,4‐d][1,2,3]triazol‐5(1H)‐one, C₁₅H₈ClN₃O₂, (III), each contain just one hydrogen bond which links the molecules into simple chains, which are further linked into sheets by π‐stacking interactions in (II) but not in (III). In the structure of 1‐(4‐chlorophenyl)isochromeno[3,4‐d][1,2,3]triazol‐5(1H)‐one, (IV), isomeric with (III), a combination of C—H…O and C—H…π(arene) hydrogen bonds links the molecules into sheets. When compound (II) was exposed to a strong acid in methanol, quantitative conversion occurred to give the ring‐opened transesterification product methyl 2‐[4‐hydroxy‐1‐(2‐methylphenyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐5‐yl]benzoate, C₁₇H₁₅N₃O₃, (V), where the molecules are linked by paired O—H…O hydrogen bonds to form centrosymmetric dimers.     

Stereoselective syntheses of polyhydroxylated azepane derivatives from sugar-based epoxyamides. Part 1: synthesis from d-mannose

An approach to the synthesis of polyhydroxyazepane derivatives from sugar-based epoxyamides or epoxyalcohols, in which the total regioselective epoxide opening by nitrogen nucleophiles is the key step, is described. Thus, novel polyhydroxyazepane carboxamides and aminomethyl polyhydroxyazepanes, with potential pharmacological interest, are synthesized from diacetone d-mannose. Configurational assignments of the obtained products were determined.