Characterization of nucleobases in sea buckthorn leaves: An HPTLC approach

The present study aims to establish a high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)-based comparative analysis, directed toward characterization of nucleobases in aqueous and alcoholic extracts of sea buckthorn leaves from three different varieties: Hippophae salicifolia, Hippophae rhamnoides mongolica, and Hippophae rhamnoides turkestanica. The alcoholic and aqueous leaf extracts from these sea buckthorn varieties were prepared using accelerated solvent extraction technique. A novel HPTLC method for separating and identifying six nucleobases, namely, guanosine, guanine, cytosine, adenine, uracil, and thymine were adopted. HPTLC analysis indicated the presence of one or more of these nucleobases in a total of six leaf extracts evaluated, their quantities varying from 0.23 to 7.76?µg nucleobase per mg of extract. Though a typical trend could not be observed in the values obtained, the extracts were found to be considerably rich with respect to nucleobase contents. The results acquired from HPTLC were subsequently validated by hyphenation with mass spectrometry and also by applying chemometric tools in form of heat maps, hierarchical cluster dendrograms, and principal component analysis. The presence of nucleobases in the leaf extracts was confirmed by HPLC as well but HPTLC proved to be a better approach for characterization of nucleobases in plant extracts, than high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).     

Human Serum Albumin−Gold Nanoparticle Based Impedimetric Sensor for Sensitive Detection of miRNA-200c

Here, human serum albumin conjugated gold nanoparticles (HSA−AuNPs) were synthesized by a simple route to develop an impedimetric sensor for miRNA-200c detection based on a selective oligo-hybridization process without any labeling. The synthetic DNA capture probe for miRNA-200c was decorated onto the HSA−AuNPs modified pencil graphite electrodes. Impedimetric signals were monitored after the hybridization process between the DNA probe and target miRNA-200c. HSA−AuNPs adsorption time, incubation time of the capture probe and hybridization time-temperature were optimized. The proposed miRNA-200c biosensor demonstrated proper sensitivity and selectivity, low detection limit (1.13 fM), good reproducibility and simple direct detection of miRNA-200c in serum.     

PM3 semiempirical study and its comparison with X-ray crystal structure of 4-[2-Methyl-4-(4-methoxyphenylazo)] phenoxyphtalonitrile

  The molecular and crystal structures of the title compound, C₂₂H₁₆N₄O₂, were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The title compound crystallizes in monoclinic space group P1 2 ₁ /n1, with a=12.7811(9) ?, b=8.2002(4) ?, c=17.8772(14) ?, Z=4, D _calc=1.3112(1) g/cm³, μ (Mo-K_α)=0.087 mm⁻¹. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to a final R=0.056 for 1891 reflections with I > 2σ (I). The asymmetric unit in the crystal structure contains only one neutral molecule. The positions of nitrogen atoms in the azo groups were disordered. There is no classic hydrogen bond in the crystal structure. The molecules in the crystal structure are stacked by π–π stacking and one edge-to-face interactions. In order to determine conformational flexibility and crystal packing effects on the molecules, molecular energy profile of the title compound was obtained with respect to the selected torsion angle, which is varied from −180° to +180° in every 10° via PM3 semi-empirical method.     

Crystallographic and conformational analyses of zwitterionic form of (<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>)-2-methoxy-6-[(2-morpholinoethylimino)methyl]phenolate

The single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the title compound, C₁₄H₂₀N₂O₃, reveals that the structure is adapted to its zwitterionic form and centrosymmetric dimers are formed by N⁺–H···O⁻ type ionic weak hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure. The title compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P−1 with a = 5.9255(13) ?, b = 9.853(3) ?, c = 12.248(3) ?, α = 101.793(19)°, β = 94.941(17)°, γ = 104.36(2)°, Z = 2, D_x = 1.308 g/cm³, μ (Mo-K_α) = 0.092 mm⁻¹. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to a final R = 0.0371 for 2183 reflections with I > 2σ (I). The crystal structure is stabilized by N⁺–H···O⁻ type intra-molecular hydrogen bonds and N⁺–H···O⁻ type packing interactions referred to as weak hydrogen bonds. To elucidate conformational flexibility of the title molecule, the selected torsion angle is varied from −180° to +180° in every 10° separately and then molecular energy profile is calculated and construed. In addition, charge-population analysis of the crystallographically observed structure confirms its zwitterionic form.     

Determination of olanzapine for therapeutic drug monitoring in schizophrenia patients by LC/MS method

Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug from the thienobenzodiazepine family which displays efficacy in patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses. A novel LC/MS method was developed and validated for determination of olanzapine in schizophrenia patients' plasma. A liquid–liquid extraction procedure was carried out using 5 mL diethyl ether–diisopropyl ether mixture (1:1, v/v). Average recovery of the extraction procedure was 94.8%. Chromatographic separation was performed on reversed‐phase C₁₈ column (250 × 2.0 mm, 5 μm) using mixture of deionized water (trifluoro acetic acid 0.1%)–acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Irbesartan was used as internal standart and total run time was 2.5 min. Mass spectrometric analysis were carried out in selective‐ion montoring mode, and detected olanzapine at m/z 313.1 and IS at m/z 429.4 in all forms of the ions. The calibration curve of olanzapine was linear in the range 2–300 ng/mL (r² > 0.9993). The interday and intraday precisions (RSD) were <7.55%, and accuracy was >7.59% (n = 6). The proposed study was successfully validated with respect to the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines.     

Use of atomic absorption spectrometry in assessment of biomonitor plants for lead, cadmium and copper pollution

Eleven plant species were collected from the vicinity of lead-battery plant in the city of Gaziantep,Turkey.Lead,cadmium and copper concentrations in the soil and leaves of plants were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry.Lead,Cd and Cu concentrations in the soil samples taken from battery area were found to be in the ranges of 304～602,0.4～0.44 and 31～37 mg·kg-1,respectively.Significantly increased lead concentration up to 2 750 mg·kg-1 was found in the leaves of Eleagnus angustifolia L.plant.The lead concentrations in the other plant leaves taken from 50 m around battery factory followed the order Ailanthus altissima>Morus sp.>Juglans regia L.>Ficus carica L.>Cydonia oblonga Miller>Prunus x domestica L.The plants,Populus nigra L.,Eleagnus angustifolia L.and Salix sp.were found useful for Cd,and the plant,Eleagnus angustifolia L.for Pb,to be considered as potential biomonitor.Especially,leaves of trees and plants taken from the distance of 50 m from battery plant have relatively higher Pb concentrations.Therefore,people who and animals which live in this area and benefit from these soil and plants have vital risks.     

The proton transfer process observed in the structure analysis and DFT calculations of (E)-2-ethoxy-6-[(2-methoxyphenylimino)methyl]phenol

The crystal and molecular structures of an o-hydroxy Schiff base derivative, (E)-2-ethoxy-6-[(2-methoxyphenylimino)methyl]phenol, have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses at 296 and 100 K. The results from temperature-dependent structural analysis regarding the tautomeric equilibrium of the compound were interpreted with the aid of quantum chemical calculations. To clarify the tautomerization process and its effects on the molecular geometry, the gas-phase geometry optimizations of two possible tautomers of the title molecule, its OH and NH form, were achieved using DFT calculations with B3LYP method by means of 6-31 + G(d,p) basis set. In order to describe the potential barrier belonging to the phenolic proton transfer, nonadiabatic Potential Energy Surface (PES) scan was performed based on the optimized geometry of the OH tautomeric form by varying the redundant internal coordinate, O–H bond distance. The Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity (HOMA) indices were calculated in every step of the scan process so as to express the deformation in the aromaticities of principal molecular moieties of the compound. The results show that there is a dynamic equilibrium between the aromaticity level of phenol and chelate ring and furthermore π-electron coupling affecting overall molecule of the title compound. Charge transfer from phenol ring to pseudo-aromatic chelate ring increases with increasing temperature, whereas π-electron transfer from chelate ring to anisole ring is decreased as temperature increases. The most strength intramolecular H-bonds are observed for conformers close to transition state.     

Anodic stripping voltammetric determination of vardenafil hydrochloride at pencil graphite electrode

In this paper, we present a very popular and low-cost sensor material as disposable pencil graphite electrode (PGE) system for the trace-level determination of vardenafil hydrochloride (VRL). Electrochemical behavior and determination of VRL was carried out by cyclic and square-wave adsorptive anodic stripping (SW-AdAS) voltammetry. The proposed method was highly sensitive and had a linear calibration range from 3 × 10^?10 to 1 × 10^?7 M with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation values were calculated as 1 × 10^?10 and 3 × 10^?10 M, respectively. Developed method with disposable PGE shows high sensitivity, selectivity and stability in a wide concentration range for VRL determination without the necessity of any modification. Additionally, this system was successfully applied in Levitra^® tablets and spiked human serum in trace level of VRL. Some kinetic parameters of VRL’s were represented for the first time. The results showed that the proposed method is highly sensitive, easy and low cost for trace-level determination of VRL.     

An intermodal multicommodity routing problem with scheduled services

We study a multicommodity routing problem faced by an intermodal service operator that uses ground and maritime transportation. Given a planning horizon, a?set of commodities to be picked up at their release times and to be delivered not later than their duedates, the problem is to decide on routes for these commodities using trucks and scheduled and capacitated maritime services at minimum cost of transportation and stocking at the seaports. Two mixed integer programming formulations and valid inequalities are proposed for this problem. The results of a computational study to evaluate the strength of the linear programming relaxations and the solution times are reported.     

Solid phase extraction and determination of nickel in water samples by using novel thiol-containing sulfonamide polymeric resin and atomic absorption spectrophotometer

Interest in preconcentration techniques for the determination of metals at ultratrace levels still continues increasingly because of some disadvantages of flameless atomic absorption spectrometry as well as the high costs of other sensitive methods in compared to flame atomic absorption spectrometry.In this study,thiol-containing sulfonamide resin was synthesized,characterized and applied as a new sorption material for solid phase extraction of nickel in drinking water samples.After preconcentration procedure,flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used for determinations.Optimum parameters were found to be pH=3.2,contact time =20 min and eluate volume=3 mL.The limit of detection was found to be 0.75 ng · mL-1.The synthesized resin exhibits the superiority in compared to the other adsorption reagents because of the fact that there is no necessity of any complexing reagent,high sorption capacity as well as the relatively fast extraction rate.The Ni concentrations in the studied 21 kind of water samples were found to be in the range of BDL-4.0 ng ·mL-1.