To Sandwich Technetium: Highly Functionalized Bis-Arene Complexes [99mTc(η6-arene)2]+ Directly from Water and [99mTcO4]−

The labeling of (bio)molecules with metallic radionuclides such as ^99mTc demands conjugated, multidentate chelators. However, this is not always necessary since phenyl rings can directly serve as integrated, organometallic ligands. Bis-arene sandwich complexes are generally prepared by the Fischer–Hafner reaction. In extension of this, we show that [^99mTc(η⁶-C₆R₆)₂]⁺-type complexes are directly accessible from water and [^99mTcO₄]⁻, even using arenes incompatible with Fischer–Hafner conditions. To unambiguously confirm the nature of these unprecedented ^99mTc complexes, their rhenium homologous have been prepared by substituting naphthalene ligands in [Re(η⁶-C₁₀H₈)₂]⁺ with the corresponding phenyl groups. The ease with which highly stable [^99mTc(η⁶-C₆R₆)₂]⁺ complexes are formed under standard labeling conditions enables a multitude of new potential imaging agents based on commercial pharmaceuticals or lead structures.     

Engineered Biocatalytic Synthesis of β-N-Substituted-α-Amino Acids

Non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) are useful synthons for the development of new medicines, materials, and probes for bioactivity. Recently, enzyme engineering has been leveraged to produce a suite of highly active enzymes for the synthesis of β-substituted amino acids. However, there are few examples of biocatalytic N-substitution reactions to make α,β-diamino acids. In this study, we used directed evolution to engineer the β-subunit of tryptophan synthase, TrpB, for improved activity with diverse amine nucleophiles. Mechanistic analysis shows that high yields are hindered by product re-entry into the catalytic cycle and subsequent decomposition. Additional equivalents of l -serine can inhibit product reentry through kinetic competition, facilitating preparative scale synthesis. We show β-substitution with a dozen aryl amine nucleophiles, including demonstration on a gram scale. These transformations yield an underexplored class of amino acids that can serve as unique building blocks for chemical biology and medicinal chemistry.     

A review on immobilised aptamers for high throughput biomolecular detection and screening

The discovery of Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) assay has led to the generation of aptamers from libraries of nucleic acids. Concomitantly, aptamer-target recognition and its potential biomedical applications have become a major research endeavour. Aptamers possess unique properties that make them superior biological receptors to antibodies with a plethora of target molecules. Some specific areas of opportunities explored for aptamer-target interactions include biochemical analysis, cell signalling and targeting, biomolecular purification processes, pathogen detection and, clinical diagnosis and therapy. Most of these potential applications rely on the effective immobilisation of aptamers on support systems to probe target species. Hence, recent research focus is geared towards immobilising aptamers as oligosorbents for biodetection and bioscreening. This article seeks to review advances in immobilised aptameric binding with associated successful milestones and respective limitations. A proposal for high throughput bioscreening using continuous polymeric adsorbents is also presented.     

Screening of drugs of abuse and toxic compounds in human whole blood using online solid‐phase extraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

A novel method for the screening of 151 drugs of abuse and toxic compounds in human whole blood has been developed and validated by online solid‐phase extraction with liquid chromatography coupled to time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Analytes were extracted and separated by using a fully automated online solid‐phase extraction liquid chromatography system with total chromatographic run time of 26 min. Time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry screening of 151 drugs of abuse and toxic compounds was performed in a full‐scan (m/z 50–800) mode using an MS^E acquisition of molecular ions and fragment ions data at two collision energies (one was 6 eV and another one was in the range of 5–45 eV). The compounds were identified based on retention times and exact mass of molecular ions and fragment ions. The limit of detection ranged from 1 to 100 ng/mL and the recovery of the method ranged from 6.3 to 163.5%. This method is proved to be a valuable screening method allowing fast and specific identification of drugs in human whole blood.     

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor curcumin upregulates mitochondrial uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) and mitochondrial function in brown adipocytes,in-silico study and screening natural drug library

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with diverse pathological conditions globally. Specifically, in adipose tissues, mitochondrial dysfunction is the primary cause of obesity and obesity-related illnesses. An existing drugs such as atorvastatin and other lipid-lowering drugs demonstrated adverse effects and initiated other diseases. Thus, we need to explore new methods to prevent and treat obesity. In this study, we used the cell screening method to identify several natural compounds that increase adipocyte UCP1 gene expression. The identified drug Curcumin was evaluated in cell models and the In-silico model. We found curcumin is an active compound of turmeric belonging to Zingiberaceae (ginger family), which activates the Nrf2 mechanism. Curcumin potentially endorses the expression of UCP1 in the brown adipocyte in vitro cellular model. Curcumin plays an important role that modulating mitochondrial function and improving mitochondrial DNA quantification, ATP production, and cell viability. We have established an efficient in vitro cell experiment system to study the metabolic regulation of UCP1. The in-silico model revealed curcumin-UCP1 interaction. Curcumin, via enhancing mitochondrial activity, could be a helpful therapeutic molecule against metabolic disorders or obesity-related diseases. Curcumin will be the subject of more research in both human and murine models, which will provide novel therapeutic pathways for the treatment of metabolic illnesses by modulating the control of mitochondrial function.     

Phytochemical profiling,in vitro biological activities,and in-silico molecular docking studies of Typha domingensis

A comparative study between methanolic extract and n-hexane fraction of Typha domingensis (Typhaceae) was conducted for the evaluation of phytochemical potential, in vitro biological activities, and in-silico molecular docking studies. The phytochemical composition was estimated by total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, and by GC–MS analysis. Several biological activities were performed such as antioxidant assays (ABTS, FRAP, DPPH, & CUPRAC), enzyme inhibition activity (Tyrosinase, Acetylcholinesterase & Butyrylcholinesterase), thrombolytic activity, and antimicrobial activity (antibacterial & antiviral) to evaluate the medicinal importance of Typha domingensis. The results of the comparative study showed that methanolic extract has more total phenolic and total flavonoid contents (95.72 ± 5.76 mg GAE/g, 131.66 ± 7.92 mg QE/g, respectively) as compared to n-hexane fraction which confirms its maximum antioxidant potential (ABTS 114.31 ± 8.17, FRAP 116.84 ± 3.01, DPPH 283.54 ± 7.3 & CUPRAC 284.16 ± 6.5 mg TE/g). In the case of in vitro enzyme inhibition study and thrombolytic activity, better results were observed for methanolic extract. Almost similar antimicrobial patterns were observed for both methanolic extract and n-hexane fraction of Typha domingensis. The major bioactive phytochemicals identified by GC–MS were further analyzed for in-silico molecular docking studies to determine the binding affinity between ligands and the enzymes. The docking study indicated that most of the bioactive compounds showed a better binding affinity with enzymes as compared to the standard compounds (kojic acid & galantamine). The results of this study recommended that Typha domingensis has promising pharmaceutical importance and it should be further analyzed for the isolation of bioactive phytochemicals which may be useful for the treatment of several diseases.     

超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱法快速筛查农药制剂中非法添加的化学杀菌剂

建立了超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱法(UPLC-Q-TOF MS)快速筛查农药制剂中35种非法添加化学杀菌剂的方法.农药制剂样品经甲醇超声溶解提取后,采用Zorbax C18色谱柱(100 mm×1.8 mm,2.1μm)进行分离,以0.1%甲酸-乙睛作为流动相进行梯度洗脱,采用正离子全扫描模式进行分析.在所建立的条件下,35种杀菌剂在0.2,0.4和2.0 mg/kg水平下的添加回收率为81.0%~101.3%,相对标准偏差为1.0%~4.4%.在100份样品有6份样品中筛查出添加了化学杀菌剂,并进行了含量分析.本方法分析效率高,结果准确可靠,适用于农药制剂中非法添加化学杀菌剂的定性筛查.     

QuEChERS-同位素稀释-液相色谱-高分辨飞行时间质谱法高通量筛查化妆品中86种糖皮质激素

建立了QuEChERS-同位素稀释-液相色谱-四极杆串联飞行时间质谱同时快速筛查化妆品中86种糖皮质激素(Glucocorticoids, GCs)的高通量方法.样品经乙腈提取,改进的QuEChERS法净化,待测物选用具有多重色谱保留机理的新型色谱柱Poroshell 120 PFP (100 mm×2.1 mm,2.7 μm),以0.2% (V/V)乙酸和乙腈为流动相进行梯度洗脱分离,在电喷雾离子源的正离子模式下建立了一级精确质量数及二级碎片离子质谱图数据库,无需标准品即可完成化妆品中86种GCs的全面筛查与确证.所有待测物在2~200 μg/L浓度范围内线性良好,相关系数均大于0.99, 3个添加水平的平均回收率为66.2%~112.8%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为4.6%~13.9%,检出限(LOD,S/N≥3) 为0.006~0.015 mg/kg,定量限(LOQ,S/N≥10)为0.02~0.05 mg/kg.本方法简便高效、定性可靠、定量准确,适用于化妆品中非法添加GCs的高通量筛查.     

Screening,isolation and selection of a potent lipase producing microorganism and its use in the kinetic resolution of drug intermediates

Lipases are ubiquitous enzymes that belong to family of serine hydolases with a wide variety of industrial applications. This study reports isolation, screening and identification of enantioselctive lipase producing microorganism for kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols. For this, we collected soil samples from different oil rich environments and we performed primary screening that was by carried out by using MSM-tributryin clear zone assay. The selected samples from first screen were subjected to secondary screening to distinguish lipase producing strains from esterase producing strains using p-nitrophenyl palmitate lipase assay. In tertiary screening, 16 lipase producing strains that were identified in secondary screening were employed for resolution of 5 different (RS)-alcohols. Out of all 16 lipase producing strains, only one strain selectively converted 3 racemic alcohols. Based on morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the strain was identified as Pseudomonas beteli. The strain was found to be S-selective and there been no reports on use of Pseudomonas beteli lipase for kinetic resolution of alcohols. The lipase activity was further increased by media optimization and by improving growth conditions, and production of lipase in shake flask study as well as in laboratory scale fermenter. The optimum time for enzyme production by Pseudomonas beteli was 96 ​h whereas cell mass growth was highest at 72 ​h. Optimum temperature and pH were 30 ​°C and 6, respectively. Beef extract (5 ​g/L), peptone (5 ​g/L), sodium chloride (5 ​g/L), yeast extract (1 ​g/L) and glucose (5 ​g/L) were found as optimum nutrition sources for the cell mass growth and lipase production by Pseudomonas sp. Overall, 3.4 times higher enzyme activity and 2.75 times higher cell mass growth were achieved in bioreactor in comparison to the shake flask study. Lipase having high titer was employed successfully for the kinetic resolution of several drug intermediates.