A new conjugated addition of trialkyl phosphites and alkylidenephosphoranes to 3‐ω‐azideoacetyl coumarin synthesis of some 1,2,3,4‐triazaphospholes,triazoles, and azido‐coumarin derivatives

A new and efficient conjugate addition of trimethyl and triethyl phosphites to 3‐ω‐azidoacetylcoumarin ( 1 ) has been studied. The reaction proceeded smoothly at r.t. furnishing 1,2,3,4‐triazaphosphole coumarin derivatives 4a , 4b in ～75% yields. Linear substituted triazoles 10b , 11a were also obtained from the reactions of 1 with α‐keto ylides, acetyl‐ and benzoylmethylene triphenylphosphoranes. Contrary to these results, Wittig reaction was occurred when 1 was allowed to react with α‐alkoxycarbonylmethylene‐ and cyanomethylenetriphenylphosphoranes 7c , 7d , 7e as well as with methylidene‐ and benzylidenetriphenylphosphoranes 8b , 10a resulting in the formation of the corresponding olefins either as an intermediate 14b or as final products 11b , 11c , 12a . J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Self-Assembly Behavior of Benzotriazole in Water

The self-assembly behavior of ¹H-benzotriazole (BTA) in aqueous solutions below its solubility limit has been revealed for the first time using NMR and light scattering techniques. Relaxation time, diffusion and chemical shift NMR techniques in addition to various light scattering techniques were used to study the aqueous behavior of ¹H-Benzotriazole (BTA). These studies have revealed the self assembly of BTA molecules in water. Results show that BTA molecules tend to aggregate in water to form nanoparticles with radius in the range of 5 nm. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) is estimated based on NMR data to be ～16–20 mM. Such a critical aggregation concentration is comparable with the typical critical micelle concentration (CMC) for surfactants that have moderate aqueous solubility. The self-assembly behavior of BTA may not be limited to benzotriazole. It might be generally true for all poorly water soluble species to aggregate at concentrations below their solubility.     

Behaviour of phenol red pH-sensors in the presence of different surfactants using the sol-gel process

Phenol red was immobilised into a polysiloxane matrix using a sol-gel process to form pH optical sensors. The sol-gel was obtained by hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the presence of phenol red (PR) and the appropriate surfactant. Different surfactants, namely cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), dodecyldimetyl amino-oxide (GLA) and Triton X-100 (TX-100), were employed. Interestingly, the use of surfactants significantly improved the mesostructure of the silica and increased the porosity of the system. The two response pH ranges were shifted to pH 0.0–3.0 and pH 10.5–1.5M [OH^?] compared with those of the free PR (pH 0.0–3.0 and pH 6.5–9.5). It is found that the pH response and the pKa shift of the phenol red were dependent, not only on the silica matrix but also on the ionic properties of surfactants. In the case of ionic surfactants such as CTAB or GLA, there was further shift to more acidic and more basic pH, whereas in the case of non-ionic surfactants such as TX-100 no significant change of the pH curve was observed.     

DC Electrical Conductivity of Some Oligoazomethines Doped with Nanotubes

Three aromatic oligoazomethines containing seven benzene rings each were synthesized. The terminal rings were substituted with different organic groups; namely, OH, H, and NO₂. Synthesis was carried out according to the literature by condensing the para-substituted benzaldehydes with benzidine to give the three rings compound, which is then condensed with terephthaldehyde to give the respective seven benzene rings oligomer. The oligomers were used to investigate the effects of molecular structure on the electronic structure, as well as electronic and electrical properties. DC electrical conductivity variation of oligoazomethines is studied in the temperature range 300–500 K after annealing for 24 h at 100°C and after doping with 25 and 50 wt% Multi Wall Nanotubes (MWNTs). An attempt is made to relate DC electrical conductivity and electronic properties to chain length, substituted groups and coplanarity. The different groups attached to the ends showed a small effect on conductivity of the different oligomers in the following order: electron donating > neutral > electron withdrawing groups. Oligoazomethines-MWNTs gave a value of (10^?4 Scm^?1) as the highest electrical conductivity at higher temperatures. DC electrical conductivity was interpreted using the band energy model. The narrow-gap activation energies noted suggest its application in formulation of photovoltaic panels.     

A new antibacterial lupane ester from the seeds of Acokanthera oppositifolia Lam.

As a part of ongoing investigation of Acokanthera oppositifolia (Lam.) Codd., four compounds were isolated from its seeds, a new compound; lup-20(29)-en-3β-O-(3′-β-hydroxy) palmitate (1), three known compounds; a triterpene; lupeol (2), a cardiac glycoside; acovenoside A (3) and a sterol; β-sitosterol (4). Their structures were investigated using 1D & 2D- ¹H and ¹³CNMR spectroscopy. Antimicrobial potential of the compounds was evaluated against 10 microorganisms responsible for endocarditis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the compounds was determined using broth microdilution method. The new compound (1) evidenced significant antibacterial activity especially aganist Pseudomonas aeruginosa with (MIC 7.81 μg/ml). Lupeol (2) exhibited remarkable antimicrobial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus fumigates and Candida albicans (MIC 3.9, 0.24 and 3.9 μg/ml, respectively). On the other hand, acovenoside A (3) inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli (MIC 0.98 μg/ml). We herein present the potential of A. oppositifolia as a cardioprotective agent against the microorganisms responsible for endocarditis.     

Regioselectivity and regiospecificity of benzoxazinone (2-isopropyl-4H-3,1-benzoxazinone) derivatives toward nitrogen nucleophiles and evaluation of antimicrobial activity

A novel group of 6-iodoquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives was prepared. The reaction of the benzoxazinone 3 with various nitrogen nucleophiles such as formamide and hydrazine hydrate and also the reaction of the isopropylquinazolinone 4 with hydrazonyl chloride have been shown to proceed with a high degree of regioselectivity at C(2). Spiro heterocycles have been found to play fundamental roles in biological processes and have exhibited diversified biological activity and pharmacological and therapeutical properties; thus reaction of acetohydrazides 10a–c afforded the spiro compounds 11a–c. The acetohydrazide derivative 7 reacted with carbon electrophiles such as acetylacetone, ethyl acetoacetate, acid chlorides, and benzaldehyde to give some interesting heterocyclic compounds 12–16, respectively. The structures of all the synthesized compounds were inferred by infrared, ¹H NMR, and mass spectra as well as elemental analyses. The antimicrobial activities of some of the synthesized products were preliminarily evaluated.     

Proteomic Analysis of the Protein Expression Profile in the Mature <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nigella sativa</Emphasis> (Black Seed)

Nigella sativa (N. sativa) seed has been used as an important nutritional flavoring agent and in traditional medicine for treating many illnesses since ancient times. Understanding the proteomic component of the seed may lead to enhance the understanding of its structural and biological functional complexity. In this study, we have analyzed its proteome profile based on gel-based proteome mapping technique that includes one-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry strategy. We have not come across any such studies that have been performed in N. sativa seeds up to date. A total of 277 proteins were identified, and their functional, metabolic, and location-wise annotations were carried out using the UniProt database. The majority of proteins identified in the proteome dataset based on their function were those involved in enzyme catalytic activity, nucleotide binding, and protein binding while the major cellular processes included regulation of biological process followed by regulation of secondary biological process, cell organization and biogenesis, protein metabolism, and transport. The identified proteome was localized mainly to the nucleus then to the cytoplasm, plasma membrane, mitochondria, plastid, and others. A majority of the proteins were involved in biochemical pathways involving carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid and shikimate pathway, lipid metabolism, nucleotide, cell organization and biogenesis, transport, and defense processes. The identified proteins in the dataset help to improve our understanding of the pathways involved in N. sativa seed metabolism and its biochemical features and detail out useful information that may help to utilize these proteins. This study could thus pave a way for future further high-throughput studies using a more targeted proteomic approach.     

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using root extract of Duchesnea indica and assessment of its biological activities

Treatment of microbial infections and inflammatory conditions have many challenges in terms of efficacy and safety issues. Novel approaches such as nanoparticles based drug delivery system have shown promising results to solve some of these problems. The aim of this study was to exploit the efficacy of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using root extract (aqueous) of Duchesnea indica. They were characterized using different techniques such as, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry, transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zetasizer. The UV–Vis spectra gave a characteristic peak at 423 nm; XRD confirmed its crystalline structure; FTIR confirmed the involvement of phytochemicals in their capping and reduction; TEM images confirmed their spherical shape with average width of 20.49 nm and average area of 319.25 nm². Various biological activities were performed on these NPs, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and muscle relaxant, which showed significant results as follow. Among bacterial strains, Salmonella typhi (MIC: 0.01 mg/ml) and Escherichia coli (MIC: 0.01 mg/ml), while among that of fungal Microsporum canis (MIC: 0.53 mg/ml) and Alternaria alternata (MIC: 0.51 mg/ml) were most susceptible. The AgNPs showed maximum anti-inflammatory activity (46.15 and 56.85%) at 20 mg/kg after 3 and 5 h of drug administration, comparable to that of standard. In-vivo model exhibited concentration dependent inhibition of both COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes. Similarly, it exhibited maximum analgesic activity (54.24%) at 20 mg/kg dose after 60 min. of pain induction. Furthermore, they depicted maximum muscle relaxation (P < 0.01) after 60 and 90 min of drug administration. Above results suggest that these AgNPs can be studied further for the development of more effective and safe formulations.     

Electroanalysis of Benzalkonium Chloride in Ophthalmic Formulation by Boron-doped Diamond Electrode

Benzalkonium chloride (BAK) is a mixture of alkyl benzyl dimethyl ammonium chlorides, which is used primarily as a biocide, surfactant, preservative, and antimicrobial agent in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular in ophthalmologic and nasal solutions. However, BAK may cause harmful consequences on the eye structures of the anterior segment. Control of BAK identity and content is necessary by applying a sensitive detection method. This study unravels the use of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode and a pristine boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD) for the detection of four BAK homologs in a non-aqueous medium using square wave voltammetry (SWV). The BDD provided more reproducibility of the oxidation potential than GC with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The irreversible oxidation peak was very broad and deconvoluted into 3 peaks corresponding to C₁₂, C₁₄, and combined C₁₆–C₁₈ to reflect their concentration ratio in the mixture. The method was then extended to the detection of the C₁₂ homolog in the ophthalmic formulations with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.4 μg/mL. The estimated BAK levels in three  ophthalmic formulations were in agreement with the specified values by the manufacturers. The results were validated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection, confirming the presence of a single homolog (C₁₂) in the eye drops.