Raman and cathodoluminescence spectroscopic investigations on Permian fossil wood from Chemnitz--a contribution to the study of the permineralisation process

Samples of different three-dimensionally preserved fossil plants (Medullosa sp., Dadoxylon sp., Calamodendron striatum, Psaronius sp.) from the Lower Permian petrified forest of Chemnitz were examined with regard to their chemical composition and structural order. Raman spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence microscopy are shown to be powerful tools for such investigations. Silicified wood from Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf generally shows yellow cathodoluminescence (CL) of the cell walls and only weak yellow-brownish CL of the cell lumina. By time-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, a secondary mineralisation of hydrothermal origin was recognized. The latter is shown by short-lived blue CL at the cell walls extinguishing the yellow signal. Therefore, after the primary silicification step a secondary mineralisation step initiated by hydrothermal processes, seems to have taken place at probably slightly higher temperatures. The resulting silica matrix consists of phanerocrystalline and microcrystalline alpha-quartz as well as microcrystalline moganite, both partially associated with iron oxides. Dadoxylon sp. is a prominent example for parallel permineralisation by alpha-quartz and fluorspar, which is outstanding for the Chemnitz Petrified Forest. CL on this samples shows parallel silicification and fluoritisation, followed by infiltration of iron oxides. Permineralised samples show very low percentage of original organic remains. The seed fern Medullosa, for example, shows dispersed carbon, which is mainly restricted to the centres of the typical star-shaped vascular bundles. Raman spectroscopy revealed that these carbonaceous particles are of an anthracite structure. For experimental confirmation coal samples of different rank, especially anthracite from different geological times and localities, were studied by means of Raman spectroscopy. The remaining pith of the vascular bundles is white-coloured and consists of alpha-quartz and moganite, whereas surrounding tracheides exhibit white and reddish coloured parts. The reddish parts, mainly found in the rays, additionally contain alpha-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 among the SiO2 polymorphs of alpha-quartz and moganite. Sometimes iron oxides could have dominated permineralisation processes as the peak intensities of distinct parts of the samples suggest.     

Fourier transform Raman spectral measurements of powdered quaternary mixtures of organic compounds: Exceptional pure component spectral reconstruction using band-target entropy minimization (BTEM)

Fourier transform Raman spectra of eight mixtures of four organic solids, namely dicyandiamide, melamine, acetamide and urea were measured. Matrices formed from these spectra were first subjected to singular value decomposition to obtain the right singular vectors. The right singular vectors were then subjected to blind source separation using band-target entropy minimization (BTEM), thus no a priori information (i.e. involving the nature of the components present, their spectra, nor their concentrations) was included in the analysis. The recovered pure component spectra are of exceptionally high quality and are consistent with pure reference spectra. Various empirical and statistical tests, such as the Euclidean norm and target transform factor analysis, were employed to assess the quality of the recovered spectra. The present results indicate the applicability of combined Raman and BTEM analysis for solid mixtures.     

Simultaneous determination of amoxycillin trihydrate and clavulanate potassium in pharmaceutical preparations by thin-layer chromatography/densitometry

A simple and rapid densitometric method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of amoxycillin trihydrate and clavulanate potassium in pharmaceutical preparations. After extraction of the analytes with distilled water, the extracts were spotted on precoated silica gel plates, which were then eluted with butyl acetate-methanol-glacial acetic acid-water (15 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 3, v/v). Quantitative evaluation was performed by measuring the absorbance reflectance of the analyte spots at lambda = 240 nm. The densitometric method is rapid, selective, precise, and accurate and, thus, can be used for routine analysis of pharmaceutical preparations in quality control laboratories of the pharmaceutical industry.     

The Synthesis and Characterization of the Tri-rhenium(VI) Capped Wells–Dawson Polyoxometalate, [{(C4H9)4N)5(C2H5)3NH}{Re3P2W15O62}]

The tri-rhenium(VI) capped Wells–Dawson polyoxometalate, [Re₃P₂W₁₅O₆₂]^6– with quaternary ammonium cations was synthesized by reacting the trivacant lacunary species, [P₂W₁₅O₅₆]^12– with [ReOCl₃(PPh₃)₂] in an organic solvent. Elemental analysis by thermogravimetry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroctrometry confirmed the substitution of three rhenium atoms, single-crystal X-ray diffraction as well as infra red spectroscopy showed the complete Wells–Dawson structure. The presence of all three rhenium atoms in one cap is indicated by ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the electron spin resonance spectrum shows that the tri-rhenium(V) species with three unpaired electrons is low spin, S = ½.     

Coexpression of CPR from Various Origins Enhances Biotransformation Activity of Human CYPs in S. pombe

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs or P450s) are the most important enzymes involved in the phase I metabolism of drugs (and other xenobiotics) in humans, and the corresponding drug metabolites are needed as reference substances for their structural confirmation and for pharmacological or toxicological characterization. We have previously shown that biotechnological synthesis of such metabolites is feasible by whole-cell biotransformation with human CYPs recombinantly expressed in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. It was the aim of this study to compare the activity of seven human microsomal CYPs (CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, CYP3A7, CYP17, and CYP21) upon coexpression with NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductases (CPRs) from various origins, namely, human CPR (hCPR) and its homologues from fission yeast (ccr1) and the bishop’s weed Ammi majus (AmCPR), respectively. For this purpose, 28 recombinant strains were needed, with five of them having been constructed previously and 23 strains being newly constructed. Bioconversion experiments showed that coexpression of a CPR does not only influence the reaction rate but, in some cases, also exerts an influence on the metabolite pattern. For CYP3A enzymes, coexpression of hCPR yielded the best results, while for another two, hCPR was equally helpful as ccr1 (both CYP17 and CYP21) or AmCPR (CYP17 only), respectively. Interestingly, CYP2D6 displayed its highest activity when coexpressed with ccr1 and CYP2C9 with AmCPR. These results corroborate the view of CPR as a well-suited bio-brick in synthetic biology for the construction of artificial enzyme complexes.     

Development of a general approach to the synthesis of a library of isoflavonoid derivatives

Isoflavonoids are a class of organic compounds that act primarily as antioxidants. They are produced almost exclusively by various members of the bean family including soybeans, tofu, peanuts, chick peas, and alfalfa. The antioxidant characteristics that isoflavonoids exhibit help hinder the progression of certain cancers, primarily breast, prostate, and colon cancer. We have developed a three-five step synthesis for obtaining a suite of isoflavonoid derivatives. The synthesis involves an enamine formation, a ring closure and halogenation, a Suzuki coupling, and finally a global deprotection to obtain the respective isoflavonoid derivatives.