Co-solubilization of the Hydrophobic Drugs Carbamazepine and Nifedipine in Aqueous Nonionic Surfactant Media

Co-solubilization of the hydrophobic drugs Carbamezipine (CBZ) and Nifedipine (NFD) by micellar solutions at 25 °C, using two series of polyoxyethylene based nonionic surfactants, was measured and compared. The first series is composed of surfactants with a 12 carbon (C₁₂) hydrophobic chain while the second series had 16 carbon (C₁₆) hydrophobic chains. Experimental results were obtained for solubilization and co-solubilization of CBZ and NFD within the micelles at saturation and quantification was done in terms of the molar solubilization ratio and the micelle–water partition coefficient employing spectrophotometric and tensiometric techniques. The extent of micellar solubilization of CBZ is much greater than NFD. The C₁₂ series of surfactants exhibit higher solubilization capacities for CBZ than the C₁₆ series while the reverse is the case for NFD. Co-solubilization results showed competitive solubilization of the drugs. A synergistic effect on the solubilization of NFD was observed in the presence of CBZ in Brij30 and Brij56 surfactant systems while, in the remaining surfactants, the solubility of NFD was slightly reduced. Since the surfactants used in the present study are either nontoxic or have minimal toxicity, it is expected that they can be employed as drug delivery vehicles for co-administration of the two drugs in vivo. Both from industrial and research points of view, this paper reports a comprehensive study for co-solubilization of differently structured drugs in micellar media.     

Scaling in Electrical Conductivity Measurements and Rheological Measurements of Monarch 700 Dispersions Stabilized by Polymers

For making stable dispersions of graphitic carbon black (Monarch 700), the effectiveness of three dispersants/polymers (hypermer LP1, hypermer B246, and OLOA 11000) in xylene is investigated. Hypermer LP1 (polyhydroxystearic acid) is a homopolymer and hypermer B246 (PEG 30-dipolyhydroxystearate) is a polyhydroxystearic acid/polyethylene oxide/polyhydroxystearic acid ABA block copolymer, while OLOA 11000 (polyisobutylene succinimide) has a polar head group (polyamine) attached to a hydrocarbon chain (polyisobutylene). Well-dispersed graphitic carbon black dispersions were prepared using dispersants at optimum concentrations. Percolation threshold and rheological threshold were determined by analyzing the variations in electrical conductivity and elastic modulus with concentration of carbon black. Above threshold concentration, scaling law was applied to experimental data of rheology (dynamic measurements) and electrical conductivity measurements to evaluate quality of the system. Effectiveness of polymers was investigated on the basis of value of critical exponent (t and t′, respectively) in scaling power law. Hypermer LP1 was proved to be a poor dispersant for Monarch 700 dispersions while other two polymers were found to be effective stabilizers.     

Chemo‐ and Regioselective C(sp3)?H Arylation of Unactivated Allylarenes by Deprotonative Cross‐Coupling

The combination of aryl bromides, allylbenzene, base and a palladium catalyst usually results in a Heck reaction. Herein we combine these same reagents, but override the Heck pathway by employing a strong base. In the presence of LiN(SiMe₃)₂, allylbenzene derivatives undergo reversible deprotonation. Transmetalation of the resulting allyllithium intermediate to LPdAr(Br) and reductive elimination provide the 1,1‐diarylprop‐2‐enes, which are not accessible by the Heck reaction. The regioselectivity in this deprotonative cross‐coupling process is catalyst‐controlled and very high.     

Polyvinylimidazole/sol–gel composite as a novel solid‐phase microextraction coating for the determination of halogenated benzenes from aqueous solutions

A polyvinylimidazole/sol–gel composite is proposed as a novel solid‐phase microextraction fiber to extract five halobenzenes from the headspace of aqueous solutions in combination with gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The prepared fiber was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The obtained results showed that porous polyvinylimidazole/sol–gel composite was chemically deposited on fused silica fiber. The effect of important extraction parameters including extraction temperature, extraction time, and salt content were investigated. The optimum conditions were as follows: extraction temperature 25°C, extraction time 20 min, and salt concentration 30 w/v%. Detection limits and relative standard deviations of the developed method for halogenated benzenes were below 0.1 pg/mL and 15%, respectively. Repeatability of the proposed method, explained by relative standard deviation, varied between 5.48 and 9.15% (n = 5). The limits of detection (S/N = 3) ranged between 0.01 and 0.10 ng/L using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring mode. For real sample analysis, three types of water samples with different matrices (ground, surface, and tap water) were studied. The optimized procedure was applied to extraction and method validation of halogenated benzenes in spiked water samples.     

Synthesis,spectroscopic characterization,X-ray crystal structure,biological screening and catalytic studies of organotin(IV) carboxylates of 3-(4-cyanophenyl) acrylic acid

A series of six organotin(IV) carboxylates [Me₂SnL₂] (1), [n-Bu₂SnL₂] (2), [n-Oct₂SnL₂] (3), [Me₃SnL] (4), n-Bu₃SnL (5) and [Ph₃SnL] (6), where L = 3-(4-cyanophenyl) acrylic acid have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C). The complex (4) was also analyzed by single crystal X-ray analysis which showed distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry with polymeric bridging behavior. The complexes 1–6 were screened for antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity. The results showed significant activity with few exceptions. The catalytic activity of complexes was assessed in transesterification reaction of Brassica campestris oil (triglycerides) to produce biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters). The results showed that triorganotin(IV) complexes exhibited good catalytic activity than their di-analogues.     

Phenylpropanoids from Tanacetum baltistanicum with Nematocidal and Insecticidal Activities

Chemistry of Natural Compounds - One new and seven known secondary metabolites 1–8 were isolated, and the nematocidal and insecticidal activities of major compounds from Tanacetum...     

Structures and Bioactivities of Steroidal Saponins Isolated from the Genera Dracaena and Sansevieria

The species Dracaena and Sansevieria, that are well-known for different uses in traditional medicines and as indoor ornamental plants with air purifying property, are rich sources of bioactive secondary metabolites. In fact, a wide variety of phytochemical constituents have been isolated so far from about seventeen species. This paper has reviewed the literature of about 180 steroidal saponins, isolated from Dracaena and Sansevieria species, as a basis for further studies. Saponins are among the most characteristic metabolites isolated from the two genera. They show a great variety in structural motifs and a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-proliferative effects and, in most case, remarkable cytotoxic properties.     

Protease Inhibitors Purified from the Canola Meal Extracts of Two Genetically Diverse Genotypes Exhibit Antidiabetic and Antihypertension Properties

Valorization of vegetable oil waste residues is gaining importance due to their high protein and polyphenol contents. Protease inhibitors (PIs), proteins from these abundantly available waste residues, have recently gained importance in treating chronic diseases. This research aimed to use canola meal of genetically diverse Brassica napus genotypes, BLN-3347 and Rivette, to identify PIs with diverse functionalities in therapeutic and pharmacological applications. The canola meal PI purification steps involved: native PAGE and trypsin inhibition activity, followed by ammonium sulfate fractionation, anion exchange, gel filtration, and reverse-phase chromatography. The purified PI preparations were characterized using SDS-PAGE, isoelectric focusing (IEF), and N terminal sequencing. SDS-PAGE analysis of PI preparations under native reducing and nonreducing conditions revealed three polymorphic PIs in each genotype. The corresponding IEF of the genotype BLN-3347, exhibited three acidic isoforms with isoelectric points (pI) of 4.6, 4.0, and 3.9, while Rivette possessed three isoforms, exhibiting two basic forms of pI 8.65 and 9.9, and one acidic of pI 6.55. Purified PI preparations from both the genotypes displayed dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition activities; the BLN-3347 PI preparation exhibited a strong inhibitory effect with lower IC₅₀ values (DPP-IV 37.42 µg/mL; ACE 129 µg/mL) than that from Rivette (DPP-IV 67.97 µg/mL; ACE 376.2 µg/mL). In addition to potential human therapy, these highly polymorphic PIs, which can inhibit damaging serine proteases secreted by canola plant pathogens, have the potential to be used by canola plant breeders to seek qualitative trait locus (QTLs) linked to genes conferring resistance to canola diseases.     

Aptamer Laden Liquid Crystals Biosensing Platform for the Detection of HIV-1 Glycoprotein-120

We report a label-free and simple approach for the detection of glycoprotein-120 (gp-120) using an aptamer-based liquid crystals (LCs) biosensing platform. The LCs are supported on the surface of a modified glass slide with a suitable amount of B40t77 aptamer, allowing the LCs to be homeotropically aligned. A pronounced topological change was observed on the surface due to a specific interaction between B40t77 and gp-120, which led to the disruption of the homeotropic alignment of LCs. This results in a dark-to-bright transition observed under a polarized optical microscope. With the developed biosensing platform, it was possible to not only identify gp-120, but obtained results were analyzed quantitatively through image analysis. The detection limit of the proposed biosensing platform was investigated to be 0.2 µg/mL of gp-120. Regarding selectivity of the developed platform, no response could be detected when gp-120 was replaced by other proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), hepatitis A virus capsid protein 1 (Hep A VP1) and immunoglobulin G protein (IgG). Due to attributes such as label-free, high specificity and no need for instrumental read-out, the presented biosensing platform provides the potential to develop a working device for the quick detection of HIV-1 gp-120.