Development of a novel approach for the production of dried genomic DNA for use as standards for qualitative PCR testing of food-borne pathogens

As part of a multi-centre European project, FOOD-PCR, the feasibility of a novel approach for production of dried bacterial DNA that could be used as certified reference materials (CRM) was assessed. Selected strains of Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica were used to produce genomic DNA (gDNA). These preparations gave support to method development for qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection methods for food-borne pathogens. Purified gDNA was transformed into stable and dry gDNA by using polypropylene vials as carrier and applying a vacuum-drying technique. The gDNA preparations were shown to be sufficiently stable under ambient transport conditions without cooling and proved to have long-term stability at 5°C of at least 22 months. The dried DNA was easily reconstituted by addition of distilled water then gentle shaking. These studies have shown that production of stable and dry bacterial gDNA material is feasible and could help satisfy the increasing need for certified reference DNA positive control samples in the field of PCR testing for detection and verification of food-borne microbial pathogens.

     

Evaluation of cyclodextrin polymer as a disintegrating agent

Cyclodextrin polymer was compared to other well known disintegrants concerning the swelling properties /water uptake, moisture uptake, hydration capacity, sedimentation volume in water/. Its high disintegrating effect was proved in directly compressed tablets as well as in tablets made by wet granulation. A remarkable improvement in tablet properties was observed. Not only the disintegration of tablets and the dissolution of the drug was accelerated but also the hardness increased when CDP was used as disintegrant.     

Stability and Asymptotic Stability of Functional-Differential Equations

We investigate asymptotic behaviour of solutions of the functional-differentialequation where f and g arelocally Lipschitz functions, C is a continuous matrix and thesmooth lag function obeys 0 (t) t for t 0. We transformthe equation into a delay equation with an infinity of delaysand use a theorem of Söderlind to derive sufficient conditionsfor stability and for asymptotic stability in the case lim_t (t) = . The situation is qualitatively different when lim_t (t) = * < and we outline stability conditions for thatcase by employing direct techniques.     

Spectroscopic investigation of cyclodextrin monomers,derivatives, polymers and azo dyes (1)

Circular dichroism (CD) and visible spectra of inclusion compounds between Methyl Orange (MO) analogues and -, -, -cyclodextrin (cdx), 2,6-dimethyl-and 2,3,6-trimethyl--cdx, water soluble -, -, -cdx polymer products were investigated. In the CD-spectroscopic investigation, the complex with -cdx epichlorohydrin condensate showed a large amplitude and splitting of the induced ^* band. Fractions of glyceryl ether of less than 2000 and polymer of more than 10000 dalton molecular mass were separated. Complexes of above two fractions and MO showed the same splitting spectral pattern. Job's plots from visible spectra showed the formation of the 11 complex and CD-data suggested the co-existence of the 21 MO-cdx complex. This splitting pattern showed the reversal of the signs when -cdx-ethyleneglycol-bis(epoxypropyl) ether was used and disappeared when larger host molecules and azo dyes were used. The splitting was explained by exciton interaction.     

Water soluble cyclodextrin polymers: Their interaction with drugs

The complex forming ability of a water-soluble -cyclodextrin epichlorohydrin, polymer (CDPS) and its different molecular weight fractions was studied and compared with the complexing properties of -cyclodextrin (CD) and dimethyl-CD (DM-CD). CDPS was separated into two main fractions. CDPS and its fractions formed well soluble inclusion compounds with the studied drugs. The low molecular weight fraction formed rather stable complexes with small guest molecules, the high molecular weight fraction was found to be more efficient in binding larger substrates. Structural studies of furosemide-CD complexes were attempted by NMR spectroscopy.Presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Inclusion Phenomena and the Third International Symposium on Cyclodextrins, Lancaster, U.K., 20–25 July 1986.     

Controlled release of drugs from CD polymers substituted with ionic groups

Various disinfecting drugs (ethacridine lactate, methylene blue, gentian violet, brilliant green, fuchsin acid, cetylpyridinium chloride) were incorporated into CD bead polymers substituted with carboxymetbyl groups and a retarded release rate was measured. These polymers were successfully used as sustained release wound powders as well as in chewing gum formulations.     

Conformational Properties of the Phosphate Rings of Neutral Phosphoramidate Derivatives of Ribo- and 2′-Deoxyribonucleoside Cyclic 3′,5′-Monophosphates

Abstract

An investigation of the effects of changing the nature of X, nitrogen base (B), and amino substituent (R₂N) on the equilibrium 1?2 was carried out.

The influence of the above structural changes on the time-averaged coupling constants J_AP and J_BP, determined at 300 MHz, were used to follow changes in K_eq. With constant R₂N, small effects from variation of X and B were found. A large range in K_eq arose from changes in the steric size of R₂N. These results will be related to the question of the ease of chair to twist interconversion of the phosphate ring essential to the biological activities of the naturally occurring diesters, cAMP and cGMP.     

Inclusion complexing by water-soluble β-cyclodextrin polymers

Cross-linked -cyclodextrin with a molecular weight of less than 10000 has good solubility in water, and it is a better inclusion complexing agent than the parent -cyclodextrin. By including lipophilic guest molecules into the apolar cyclodextrin cavity, their apparent lipophilicity is reduced because the outer surface of the molecular wrapping (the crosslinked -CD) is highly hydrophilic. The relative stability of the inclusion complexes can be rapidly determined by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography. The reversed-phase TLC behaviour of 25 triphenylmethane derivatives and analogues were studied in the presence of -cyclodextrin polymers containing neutral and carboxyl groups. Increasing the molecular weight results in an increased complex-forming capacity. The carboxyl group modifies the accessibility of the CD cavity which in turn results in increased or decreased complex stability, depending on the guest molecule. The presence of organic solvents diminishes the stability of the CD complexes.