Liquid Chromatographic Resolution of Racemic α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acids on Ligand Exchange Chiral Stationary Phases

Two ligand exchange chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on (S)-leucinol derivative, sodium N-((S)-1-hydroxymethyl-3-methylbutyl)-N-undecylaminoacetate, and (R)-phenylglycinol derivative, sodium N-((R)-2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)-N-undecylaminoacetate, covalently bonded to silica gel have been successfully applied in the resolution of nine -hydroxycarboxylic acids. The latter was more effective than the former, the separation factors () being 1.05 to 2.12 while the resolution factors (R_S) varying from 0.18 to 5.29 on the latter. The chromatographic resolution behaviors were dependent on the type and the content of organic modifier and the content of CuSO₄ in aqueous mobile phase and the column temperature. A possible chiral recognition mechanism was also proposed based on the chromatographic resolution behaviors.     

CFD evaluation of drop retraction methods for the measurement of interfacial tension of surfactant-laden drops

Drop retraction methods are popular means of measuring the interfacial tension between immiscible polymers. Experiments show that two different drop retraction methods, imbedded fiber retraction (IFR) and deformed drop retraction (DDR), give inconsistent results when a surfactant is present on the surface of the drop. These inconsistencies are deemed to be due to dilution of the surfactant and due to gradients in interfacial concentration of surfactant along the drop surface. This physical picture is quantified for the simple case of a Newtonian drop in a Newtonian matrix, with an insoluble, nondiffusive surfactant at the interface. The drop is deformed in computational fluid dynamics simulations by shearing the matrix, and then allowed to retract. Dilution and interfacial tension gradients effects are found to be especially large at the early stages of retraction, making IFR unsuitable for measuring the interfacial tension of surfactant-laden interfaces. The effects of surfactant dilution and gradients are found to persist even at late stages of retraction, causing the DDR method to underestimate the equilibrium interfacial tension significantly. The largest underestimates occur when the drop viscosity is lower than the matrix viscosity.     

Sustainable biorefinery processes using renewable deep eutectic solvents

1. Download : Download high-res image (194KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Metabolic fingerprinting of Ephedra species using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and principal component analysis

The metabolomic analysis of Ephedra species was performed using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. A broad range of metabolites could be detected by 1H-NMR spectroscopy without any chromatographic separation. The principal component analysis used to reduce the huge data set obtained from the 1H-NMR spectra of the plant extracts clearly discriminated three different Ephedra species. The major differences in Ephedra sinica, Ephedra intermedia and Ephedra distachya var. distachya were found to be due to benzoic acid analogues in the aqueous fraction and ephedrine-type alkaloids in the organic fraction. Based on this metabolomic recognition, one of nine commercial Ephedra materials evaluated was shown to be a mixture of Ephedra species. This method will be a useful tool for chemotaxonomic analysis and authentification of Ephedra species including quality control of plant materials.     

Determination of protein phosphorylation by extracellular signal-regulated kinase using capillary electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is a key regulatory enzyme mediating cell responses to mitogenic stimulation and is one of the key components in linking growth factor receptor activation to serine/threonine protein phosphorylation processes. Phosphorylation reaction by ERK plays an important role in many signal transduction pathways. ERK phosphorylates numerous substrates such as MBP, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and nuclear protein. In particular, MBP is a substrate commonly employed for the detection of ERK activity and contains the consensus primary sequence PRT97P. In this paper, we compared the degree of the phosphorylation reaction of MBP substrate peptides by ERK with the three different MBP substrate peptides, MBP1(KNIVTPRTPPPSQGK), MBP2(VPRTPGGRR) and MBP3(APRTPGGRR) in order to select an efficient substrate peptide for phosphorylation reaction by ERK. The results showed that the MBP3 peptide is the most efficient substrate for phosphorylation reaction by ERK. Using MBP3 peptide, the phosphorylation reaction of MBP by ERK was monitored with both matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). Our results demonstrate the feasibility of the CE method, the method being a simple and reliable technique in determining and characterizing various kinds of enzyme reaction especially including kinase enzymes.     

Metabolism of eupatilin in rats using liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry

Eupatilin (5,7-dihydroxy-3',4',6-trimethoxy flavone) is an active ingredient of an ethanol extract of Artemisia asiatica (DA-9601) that is used in the treatment of gastritis. In vitro and in vivo metabolism of eupatilin in the rats has been studied by LC-electrospray mass spectrometry. Rat liver microsomal incubation of eupatilin in the presence of NADPH and UDPGA resulted in the formation of four metabolites (M1-M4). M1, M2, M3 and M4 were tentatively identified as 3'- or 4'-O-demethyl-eupatilin glucuronide, eupatilin glucuronide, 6-O-demethyleupatilin and 3'- or 4'-O-demethyl-eupatilin, respectively. Those metabolites from in vitro study were also characterized in bile, plasma or urine samples after an intravenous administration of eupatilin to rats. In rat bile, plasma and urine samples, eupatilin glucuronide (M2) was a major metabolite, whereas M3, M4 and M4 glucuronide (M1) were the minor metabolites.     

Decarbonylative ether dissection by iridium pincer complexes

A unique chain-rupturing transformation that converts an ether functionality into two hydrocarbyl units and carbon monoxide is reported, mediated by iridium(i) complexes supported by aminophenylphosphinite (NCOP) pincer ligands. The decarbonylation, which involves the cleavage of one C–C bond, one C–O bond, and two C–H bonds, along with formation of two new C–H bonds, was serendipitously discovered upon dehydrochlorination of an iridium(iii) complex containing an aza-18-crown-6 ether macrocycle. Intramolecular cleavage of macrocyclic and acyclic ethers was also found in analogous complexes featuring aza-15-crown-5 ether or bis(2-methoxyethyl)amino groups. Intermolecular decarbonylation of cyclic and linear ethers was observed when diethylaminophenylphosphinite iridium(i) dinitrogen or norbornene complexes were employed. Mechanistic studies reveal the nature of key intermediates along a pathway involving initial iridium(i)-mediated double C–H bond activation.

A unique chain-rupturing transformation that converts an ether functionality into two hydrocarbyl units and carbon monoxide is reported.     

Evaluation of biological monitoring markers using genomic and proteomic analysis for automobile emission inspectors and waste incinerating workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or 2,3,7,8,-tetracholrodedibenzo-p-dioxins

In this study, we investigated the effects of PAHs and dioxin on mRNA and plasma protein expression using genomic and proteomic analysis for automobile emission inspectors and waste incineration workers. About 54 workers from automobile emission inspection offices, 31 workers from waste incinerating company and 84 unexposed healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Urine and air samples were collected and analyzed by HPLC and GC/MS. Comet assays were carried out to evaluate any DNA damage in mononuclear and polynuclear cells. A significant difference in Olive tail moments in mononuclear cells was observed between exposed and control subjects (P < 0.0001). To examine the differences of the gene expression profile in automobile emission inspectors and waste incineration workers, radioactive complementary DNA microarrays were used to evaluate changes in the expression of 1,152 total genes. The gene expression profiles showed that 11 genes were up-regulated and 4 genes were down-regulated in waste incinerating workers as compared with controls. Plasma proteins were analyzed by 2-dimentional electrophoresis with pH 3-10 NL IPG Dry strip. The protein expression profiles showed that 8 proteins were up- regulated and 1 protein, haptoglobin, was down- regulated in automobile emission inspectors and waste incineration workers. Serum paraoxonase/ arylesterase was found only in the plasma of waste incineration workers. The expression of genes and proteins involved in oxidative stress were up-regulated in both automobile emission inspectors and waste incineration workers. Several proteins, such as transthyrethin, sarcolectin and haptoglobin, that were highly up- or down-regulated, could serve as biological monitoring markers for future study.     

Novel and efficient method for esterification, amidation between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols, and amines utilizing Me2NSO2Cl and N,N-dimethylamines; its application to the synthesis of coumaperine, a natural chemopreventive dieneamide

Various carboxylic esters or amides were prepared in good to excellent yield between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols or amines under very mild conditions (0-45°C; within 3 h) using dimethylsulfamoyl chloride (Me₂NSO₂Cl; 1) combined with N,N-dimethylamines (Me₂NR: 2a; R=Me, 2b; R=Bu). The choice of the sulfamoyl chloride and the amine is crucial for the reaction; that is, sterically uncrowded amines accelerated the present esterification and amidation. This agent had some advantages over methanesulfonyl chloride (3)/amines as for the atom-economy, avoidance of side reactions, and had very high chemoselectivity toward the carboxyl group vs the hydroxyl group; the experiment was performed by the addition of 1 to the mixture of carboxylic acids and alcohols. Application of this method to the synthesis of coumaperine, a chemopreventive natural product, was performed using the present amidation as a key step.