Characterisation of α-chitin extracted from a lichenised fungus species Xanthoria parietina

Lichens are symbiotic associations formed mainly by ascomycete fungi and green algae or cyanobacteria. The presence of chitin in the fungal cell wall has been revealed by previous studies. Considering the presence of fungi in the lichens, this work determines the presence of chitin in a cosmopolitan lichen species Xanthoria parietina. In this study, chitin was derived from a lichen species for the first time and its physicochemical properties were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis. The dry weight chitin content of X. parietina was 4.23%, and this chitin was in the α-form. The crystalline index value of the lichen chitin was calculated as 70.1%. The chitin from X. parietina had a smooth surface.     

N‐Phenyl‐substituted carbene precursors and their silver complexes: synthesis,characterization and antimicrobial activities

A series of unsymmetrically substituted N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors ( 1a , 1b , 1c , 1d , 1e ) were synthesized from the reaction of N‐phenylbenzimidazole with various alkyl halides. These compounds were used to synthesize NHC–silver(I) complexes ( 2a , 2b , 2c , 2d , 2e ). The five new 1‐phenyl‐3‐alkylbenzimidazolium salts ( 1a , 1b , 1c , 1d , 1e ) and their NHC–silver complexes ( 2a , 2b , 2c , 2d , 2e ) were characterized by the ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and FT‐IR spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis techniques. Also, the two NHC–silver complexes 2b and 2c were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography, which confirmed the linear C―Ag―Cl arrangements. The antibacterial activities of the NHC precursor and NHC–silver complexes were tested against three Gram‐positive bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and three Gram‐negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) using the microdilution broth method. The NHC–silver complexes showed higher antibacterial activity than the NHC precursors. In addition, silver complexes 2a , 2b , 2c , 2d showed high antibacterial activity against the Gram‐positive bacteria L. monocytogenes and S. aureus compared to the standard, tetracycline. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal and kinetic analyses of 2,5-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole

Thermal behavior and UV–Vis absorption properties of 2,5-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole were investigated in the present study. It was found that decomposition occurs in two stages which correspond to removal of both phenolic rings and degradation of remaining core structure, respectively. After the characterization of decomposition stages, apparent activation energy values of each stage were calculated using model-free isoconversional methods (FWO and KAS). Apparent activation energies of decomposition stages are determined by both methods. Their averages are calculated as 98.232 and 123.253 kJ mol^?1 in consecutive order. UV–Vis absorption properties of this compound have been determined with using different solvents.     

Synthesis,characterization and biological evaluation of some novel sulfonylthiosemicarbazides

Abstract

A series of thiosemicarbazides were synthesized and structurally characterized by spectroscopic techniques (NMR, FT-IR) besides elemental analysis. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cell line MCF7 and prostate cancer cell line PC3 and nonmalignant fibroblast L929 cell line by MTT assay. Among the compounds, N-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-2-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]hydrazinecarbothioamide (3d) and 2-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]-N-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]hydrazinecarbothioamide (3f) were found to display significant cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ of 13.87?μM (against PC3 cell line) and 1.47?μM (against MCF7 cell line), respectively. These compounds were non-cytotoxic to normal cell line with IC₅₀>100?μM. Western blotting studies demonstrated that compound 3f induced apoptosis and caused cell death in the MCF7 and PC3 cell lines via an increase in Bax protein expression and a slight decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression. The gene expression ratio Bax/Bcl-2 showed the induction of mitochondrial apoptosis in cancer cell lines. All of synthesized compounds have also been tested for antioxidant activity and all compounds achieved strong inhibition of the DPPH radical. These findings showed that compound 3f, displays potential to be further explored in the development of new anticancer agents.     

New Organophosphorus Proligands and Amide Precursors: Crystal and Molecular Structures of Ph2P(X)NH(C6H3Pri 2-2,6) (X = O,S) and (OPPh2)(O2SMe)N(C6H3Pri 2-2,6)

The new organophosphorus proligand (OPPh₂)(O₂SMe)NR (R = C₆H₃Prⁱ ₂–2,6) (3) was prepared as a white crystalline solid by reacting the lithiated compound Li[Ph₂P(O)NR] with MeSO₂Cl in a 1:1 molar ratio. The precursor Ph₂P(O)NHR (1), as well as its thio analogue Ph₂P(S)NHR (2), were obtained in the reaction between the lithiated amine RNHLi and the corresponding organophosphorus chloride. All compounds were characterized by multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P) NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of 1–3 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A zigzag polymeric chain is formed in the crystals of 1 and 2 by hydrogen N–H···X (X = O, S) bonding, while the crystal of 3 contains discrete monomeric units with a syn–syn conformation of the O?P(C)₂–N–S(C)(?O)₂ skeleton.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

Investigation of Some Functionalization Reactions of 4‐Benzoyl‐5‐phenyl‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbonyl Chloride and Their Antimicrobial Activity

The 1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylic acid 1 was converted via reactions of its acid chloride 3 with various asymmetrical disubstituted urea and alcohol derivatives into the corresponding novel 4‐benzoyl‐N‐(N′,N′‐dialkylcarbamyl)‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxamide 4a , b and alkyl 4‐benzoyl‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylate 7a‐c , respectively, in good yields (57%‐78%). Friedel‐Crafts reactions of 3 with aromatic compouns for 15 min.‐2 h led to the formation of the 4‐3‐diaroyl‐1‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐5‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles 9a‐c , 4‐benzoyl‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐aroyl‐5‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles 10a , b and than from the acylation reactions of 9a‐c were obtained the 3,4‐diaroyl‐1‐(4‐acyloxyphenyl)‐5‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles 13a‐d . The structures of all new synthesized compounds were established by NMR experiments such as ¹H, and ¹³C, as well as 2D COSY and IR spectroscopic data, and elemental analyses. All the compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities (agar diffusion method) against eight bacteria and two yeasts.     

A short review on jet identification

Jets can be used to probe the physical properties of the high energy density matter created in collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Measurements of strong suppression of inclusive hadron distributions and di-hadron correlations at high p _T have already provided evidence for partonic energy loss. However, these measurements suffer from well-known geometric biases due to the competition of energy loss and fragmentation. These biases can be avoided if the jets are reconstructed independently of their fragmentation details—quenched or unquenched. In this paper, we discuss modern jet reconstruction algorithms (cone and sequential recombination) and their corresponding background subtraction techniques required by the high multiplicities of heavy ion collisions. We review recent results from the STAR experiment at RHIC on direct jet reconstruction in central Au+Au collisions at  GeV.     

The cell-penetrating peptide TAT(48-60) induces a non-lamellar phase in DMPC membranes.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short polycationic sequences that can translocate into cells without disintegrating the plasma membrane. CPPs are useful tools for delivering cargo, but their molecular mechanism of crossing the lipid bilayer remains unclear. Here we study the interaction of the HIV-derived CPP TAT (48-60) with model membranes by solid-state NMR spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The peptide induces a pronounced isotropic (31)P NMR signal in zwitterionic DMPC, but not in anionic DMPG bilayers. Octaarginine and to a lesser extent octalysine have the same effect, in contrast to other cationic amphiphilic membrane-active peptides. The observed non-lamellar lipid morphology is attributed to specific interactions of polycationic peptides with phosphocholine head groups, rather than to electrostatic interactions. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy indicates that TAT(48-60) induces the formation of rodlike, presumably inverted micelles in DMPC, which may represent intermediates during the translocation across eukaryotic membranes.