Rapid qualitative profiling and quantitative analysis of Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex and seven flavonoids by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex is the bark of Juglans mandshurica Maxim., which has been used as a folk medicine plant in China and India. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry method was developed to clarify and quantify the chemical profiling of Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex rapidly. A total of 113 compounds were characterized. Among them, seven flavonoids were simultaneously quantified in 15 min, including myricetin, myricetrin, taxifolin, kaempferol, quercetin, quercitrin, and naringenin. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, and the limits of detection and quantification. All calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r > 0.9990) within test ranges. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were less than 2.16%. Accuracy validation showed that the recovery was between 95.6 and 101.3% with relative standard deviation values below 2.85%. The validated method was successfully applied to determine the contents of seven flavones in Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex from seven sources and the contents of these places were calculated respectively. This method provides a theoretical basis for further developing the medicinal value of Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex.     

UPLC–ESI–Q-TOF–MS/MS analysis of anticancer fractions from Ophiocordyceps xuefengensis and Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Ophiocordyceps xuefengensis (O. xuefengensis), a new species of caterpillar fungus, has been identified as the sister taxon of Ophiocordyceps sinensis (O. sinensis). The aims of the present study are to evaluate the anticancer activity and to qualitatively analyze the potential bioactive chemical constituents of O. xuefengensis and O. sinensis, comparatively. An MTT assay was used to evaluate the in vitro anticancer activities of different fractions from O. xuefengensis and O. sinensis. The results show that ethyl acetate fractions of O. xuefengensis and O. sinensis have significant in vitro anticancer activity. These two bioactive fractions were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization with quadrupole–time of flight tandem mass spectrometry technology. A total of 82 compounds and 101 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized in the bioactive fractions of O. xuefengensis and O. sinensis, respectively. Among these compounds, 68 existed in both O. xuefengensis and O. sinensis. A total of 67 compounds were reported in O. xuefengensis and 8 compounds were reported in caterpillar fungus for the first time. This is the first detailed comparative analysis of the in vitro anticancer activity and chemical ingredients between O. xuefengensis and O. sinensis. The application of this work will provide reliable fundamental pharmacological substances for the use of O. xuefengensis by Yao people.     

Comparative pharmacokinetic study of four major bioactive components after oral administration of Zhi‐Zi‐Hou‐Po decoction in normal and corticosterone‐induced depressive rats

A highly selective and efficient LC–MS/MS method was developed to determine the plasma concentration of magnolol, hesperidin, neohesperidin and geniposide following oral administration of Zhi‐Zi‐Hou‐Po decoction in normal and depressed rats. Plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with methanol. Chromatographic separation was performed on an XTerra^® MS C₁₈ column using a gradient elution with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile–0.1% aqueous formic acid. The proposed method was validated to be specific, accurate and precise for the analytes determination in plasma samples. The calibration curves displayed good linearity over definite concentration ranges for the analytes. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision of the proposed method at three different levels were all within <11.13% and the relative errors ranged from ?8.46 to 8.93%. The recovery of the four compounds ranged from 82.72 to 89.08% and no apparent matrix effect was observed during sample analysis. After full validation, the established method was successfully applied for comparing the pharmacokinetics of four components between normal and depressed rats. The results showed that the AUC and C_max of four analytes in depressed rats were significantly different from those in normal rats and might provide helpful information to guide the clinical use of Zhi‐Zi‐Hou‐Po to treat depression.     

New strategy for reversal tolerant anode for automotive polymer electrolyte fuel cell

New approach for the reversal tolerant anode for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is suggested by using the multifunctional IrRu alloy catalyst having concurrent superior activities towards hydrogen oxidation reaction and oxygen evolution reaction to mitigate the degradation of anode under the fuel starvation condition.     

Rate sensitivity and deformation mechanism of semi-crystalline polymers during instrumented indentation

Instrumented indentation tests using both constant loading rate (CLR) and continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) operation modes were performed to investigate the deformation mechanism and their sensitivity to the deformation rate in semi-crystalline polymers through the quantitative analysis of load-depth loading and unloading curves. The strain rate was constant during the CSM tests, while the strain rate decreased with the increasing of loading time in CLR tests. The mechanical response mechanism of the semi-crystalline polymers to these tests was very complicated because of the combined effects of strain-hardening in the crystal phase and strain-softening in the amorphous phase. Results show that the loading index m reflects the strain-hardening or strain-softening response during indentation. When m > 2, the mechanical response was due to the strain-hardening, and when m < 2, the response was due to strain-softening. A method based on the measured contact hardness was proposed to obtain the unloading stiffness, and the other mechanical parameters could then be determined according to the unloading stiffness.     

Heterogeneous copper‐catalyzed oxidative coupling of oxime acetates with sodium sulfinates: An efficient and practical synthesis of β‐keto sulfones

An efficient and practical route to β‐keto sulfones has been developed through heterogeneous oxidative coupling of oxime acetates with sodium sulfinates by using an MCM‐41‐supported Schiff base‐pyridine bidentate copper (II) complex [MCM‐41‐Sb,Py‐Cu (OAc)₂] as the catalyst and oxime acetates as an internal oxidant, followed by hydrolysis. The reaction generates a variety of β‐keto sulfones in good to excellent yields. This new heterogeneous copper (II) catalyst can be easily prepared via a simple procedure from readily available and inexpensive reagents and exhibits the same catalytic activity as Cu (OAc)₂. MCM‐41‐Sb,Py‐Cu (OAc)₂ is also easy to recover and is recyclable up to eight times with almost consistent activity.     

Lysosome‐targeted potent half‐sandwich iridium(III) α‐diimine antitumor complexes

Fifteen organometallic Ir(III) half‐sandwich complexes ( 1A – 5C ) having the general formula [(η⁵‐Cp^x)Ir(N^N)Cl]PF₆ (Cp^x = Cp*, tetramethyl(phenyl)cyclopentadienyl (Cp^xph) or tetramethyl(biphenyl)cyclopentadienyl (Cp^xbiph); N^N = diamine) have been synthesized and characterized. The molecular structure of 1A was determined using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The hydrolysis of 1A – 5C was monitored using UV–visible spectra. Complexes 3A – 3C showed catalytic activity for the oxidation of NADH to NAD⁺, where 3C showed the highest turnover number of 29.9 within 450 min. Cytotoxicity examination by MTT assay was carried out against two human cancer cell lines (HeLa and A549) after 24 or 48 h drug treatment. The complexes showed high potency, where the most potent complex ( 3C ; IC₅₀ = 3.4 μM) was six times more active than cisplatin against A549 cells after 24 h drug exposure. Cytotoxic potency towards A549 cells increased with phenyl substitution on Cp ring: Cp^xbiph > Cp^xph > Cp*. In addition, the biological studies showed that 3C caused cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G₁ phase in A549 cancer cells. Moreover, 3C increased the level of reactive oxygen species markedly after 24 h, which may provide an important basis for killing cancer cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to track 3C in A549 cells. The cellular localization experiment showed that 3C targeted lysosomes and caused lysosomal damage.     

Constrained Extremum Problems and Image Space Analysis–Part I: Optimality Conditions

Image space analysis is a new tool for studying scalar and vector constrained extremum problems as well as generalized systems. In the last decades, the introduction of image space analysis has shown that the image space associated with the given problem provides a natural environment for the Lagrange theory of multipliers and that separation arguments turn out to be a fundamental mathematical tool for explaining, developing and improving such a theory. This work, with its 3 parts, aims at contributing to describe the state-of-the-art of image space analysis for constrained optimization and to stress that it allows us to unify and generalize the several topics of optimization. In this 1st part, after a short introduction of such an analysis, necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are treated. Duality and penalization are the contents of the 2nd part. The 3rd part deals with generalized systems, in particular, variational inequalities and Ky Fan inequalities. Some further developments are discussed in all the parts.     

Lipase‐Supported Metal–Organic Framework Bioreactor Catalyzes Warfarin Synthesis

A green and sustainable strategy synthesizes clinical medicine warfarin anticoagulant by using lipase‐supported metal–organic framework (MOF) bioreactors (see scheme). These findings may be beneficial for future studies in the industrial production of chemical, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical precursors.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric chlorinative dearomatization of naphthols

An organocatalytic asymmetric chlorinative dearomatization of naphthols was realized for the first time, providing chiral naphthalenones with a Cl-containing all-substituted stereocenter in excellent yields and enantioselectivity (up to 97% yield and 96% ee). The reaction features mild reaction conditions, good tolerance of diverse functional groups and simple reaction operation.