Preparative Isolation and Purification of Flavonoids and Protocatechuic Acid from Sea Buckthorn Juice Concentrate (Hippophaë rhamnoides L. ssp. rhamnoides) by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC)—a support free all liquid–liquid chromatography technique—has been successfully used for the preparative isolation of isorhamnetin 3-O-β-d-glucoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-β-rutinoside, quercetin 3-O-β-d-glucoside, syringetin 3-O-β-d-glucoside and protocatechuic acid from sea buckthorn juice concentrate (Hippophaë rhamnoides L. ssp. rhamnoides, Elaeagnaceae). The preparative HSCCC instrument was a multilayer coil planet centrifuge equipped with three preparative coils. Separation was performed with a two phase solvent system (n-hexane–n-butanol–water, 1:1:2 v/v/v) in ‘head-to-tail’ mode. Each injection of 4.1 g crude ethyl acetate extract yielded isorhamnetin 3-O-β-d-glucoside (95 mg), isorhamnetin 3-O-β-rutinoside (10 mg), quercetin 3-O-β-d-glucoside (5 mg), and protocatechuic acid (34 mg) with purities >98%. The flavonoid syringetin 3-O-β-d-glucoside (2 mg) was a novel compound for H. rhamnoides. Chemical structures of all compounds were determined by HPLC–ESI–MS–MS, 1D-NMR (¹H, ¹³C, DEPT 135) spectroscopy and for elucidation of glycosidic linkages 2D-NMR (HMBC) spectroscopy was used.     

LC-MS Determination and Pharmacokinetic Study of Luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside in Rat Plasma after Administration of the Traditional Chinese Medicinal Preparation Kudiezi Injection

A rapid and sensitive LC-MS method has been developed for the determination of luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside in rat plasma after solvent extraction. Separation was on an Elite Hypersil ODS2 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm) with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.3% acetic acid (26:74, v/v). The samples were analyzed by using positive electrospray ionization MS in selected ion monitoring mode. The selected ions for luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside and the internal standard, isoquercitrin, were m/z 448.95 and m/z 464.95. Good linearity was observed over the range of 20–2,000 ng mL^?1 with a lower limit of quantification of 20 ng mL^?1. No interference peaks or matrix effects were observed. The validated method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside in rat plasma after intravenous administration of Kudiezi Injection.     

Biosynthesis of Glucosyl Glycerol,a Compatible Solute,Using Intermolecular Transglycosylation Activity of Amylosucrase from Methylobacillus flagellatus KT

A putative α-amylase gene (accession number, CP000284) of Methylobacillus flagellatus KT ATCC51484 was cloned in Escherichia coli, and its gene product was expressed and characterized. The purified recombinant enzyme (MFAS) displayed a typical amylosucrase (ASase) activity by the demonstration of multiple activities of hydrolysis, isomerization, and polymerization although it was designated as an α-amylase. The optimal reaction temperature and pH for the sucrose hydrolysis activity of MFAS were determined to be 45 °C and pH 8.5, respectively. MFAS has relatively high thermostable characteristics compared with other ASases, as demonstrated by a half-life of 19.3 min at 50 °C. MFAS also showed polymerization activity using sucrose as a sole substrate. Glycerol was transglycosylated by the intermolecular transglycosylation activity of MFAS. Two major products were observed by thin-layer chromatography and isolated by paper chromatography and recycling HPLC. Using ¹H and ¹³C NMR, their chemical structures were determined to be (2S)-1-O-α-d-glucosyl-glycerol or (2R)-1-O-α-d-glucosyl-glycerol and 2-O-α-d-glucosyl-glycerol, in which a glucose molecule is linked to glycerol via an α-glycosidic linkage.     

Carbohydrate recognition of symmetrical tripodal receptor type tris(2-aminoethyl)amine derivatives

Carbohydrate recognition of some bioactive symmetrical tripodal receptor type tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA) derivatives was investigated. In calorimetric experiments, the highest binding constant (Ka) of compound C (C₃₅H₄₉N₅O₄S) with methyl α-d-mannopyranoside was Ka = 858 M^?1 with 1:1 stoichiometry. Formation of hydrogen bonds in binding between symmetrical tripodal receptor type compound C and sugars was suggested by the large negative values of ?H° (=?34 to ?511 kJ mol^?1). In a comparison of each set of α- and β-anomers of some monosaccharides (methyl α/β-d-galactopyranoside, methyl α/β-d-glucopyranoside, and methyl α/β-l-fucopyranoside), compound C showed that the binding constant of β-anomer was larger than that of the corresponding α-anomer, indicating higher β-anomer selectivity. The calculated energy-minimized structure of the complex of compound C with guest methyl α-d-mannopyranoside is also presented. The experimental results obtained from this work indicated that symmetrical tripodal receptor type TAEA derivative C has a lectin-like carbohydrate recognition property.     

UPLC-PDA Analysis for Simultaneous Quantification of Four Active Compounds in Crude and Processed Rhizome of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb

A novel, rapid and specific ultra performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array detection method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-glucoside (TSG), emodin-8-O-β-d-glucoside (EMG), emodin (EM) and physcion (PS). The chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity BEH C₁₈ column (100 × 2.1 mm i.d., 1.7 μm). The mobile phase was a mixture of 0.3% acetic acid–water and 0.3% acetic acid–acetonitrile employing gradient elution at the flow rate of 0.4 mL min^?1. The four compounds behaved linearly in the concentration range between 60.80–3040.00 μg mL^?1 (TSG), 0.50–25.00 μg mL^?1 (EMG), 2.16–108.00 μg mL^?1 (EM) and 1.56–78.00 μg mL^?1 (PS), respectively with correlation coefficients >0.999. The precision of the method were below 5% RSD. Recoveries of the four compounds ranged from 95.71 to 102.97%, with RSD values less than 2%.     

Characteristics of α-l-Arabinofuranosidase from Streptomyces sp I10-1 for Production of l-Arabinose from Corn Hull Arabinoxylan

Streptomyces sp I10-1 α-l-arabinofuranosidase efficiently produced l-arabinose from high arabinose-content corn hull arabinoxylan (ratio of arabinose to xylose, 0.6). The optimum pH at 40 °C was around 6, and the enzyme was stable from pH 5 to 11. The optimum temperature was 50 °C at pH 5, and the activity was stable at 40 °C. The enzymatic activity against corn hull arabinoxylan was 2.3 times higher than towards p-nitrophenyl-α-l-arabinofuranoside. Approximately 45 % l-arabinose recovery was achieved from corn hull arabinoxylan. It was considered that l-arabinose residues not removed by the enzyme were attributable to those linked with ferulic acid. The open reading frame of the enzyme gene consisted of 1,224 bp, and the predicted peptide was 408 amino acids, which corresponded to a molecular size of 45, 248 Da. It was presumed that the smaller molecular size (31,000 Da) estimated on SDS-PAGE resulted from proteolysis by proteases. I10-1 α-l-arabinofuranosidase belongs to the Alpha-l-AF C superfamily, which is associated with glycoside hydrolase family 51, but the properties were unique.     

Molecular dynamics simulation study of xyloglucan adsorption on cellulose surfaces: effects of surface hydrophobicity and side-chain variation

The effect of surface hydrophobicity and side-chain variation on xyloglucan adsorption onto cellulose microfibrils (CMF) is investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. A molecular model of CMF with (100), (010), (1–10), (110) and (200) crystal faces was built. We considered xylogluco-oligosaccharides (XGO) with three repeating units, namely (XXXG)_3, (XXLG)₃, and (XXFG)₃ (where each (1,4)-β-d-glucosyl residue in the backbone is given a one-letter code according to its substituents: G = β-d-Glc; X = α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc; L = β-d-Gal-(1,2)-α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc; F = α-l-Fuc-(1,2)-β-d-Gal-(1,2)-α-d-Xyl-(1,6)-β-d-Glc). Our work shows that (XXXG)₃ binds more favorably to the CMF (100) and (200) hydrophobic surfaces than to the (110), (010) and (1–10) hydrophilic surfaces. The origin of this behavior is attributed to the topography of hydrophobic CMF surface, which stabilizes (XXXG)₃ in flat conformation. In contrast, on the rough hydrophilic CMF surface (XXXG)₃ adopts a less favorable random-coil conformation to facilitate more hydrogen bonds with the surface. Extending the xyloglucan side chains from (XXXG)₃ to (XXLG)₃ hinders their stacking on the CMF hydrophobic surface. For (XXFG)₃, the interaction with the hydrophobic surface is as strong as (XXXG)₃. All three XGOs have similar binding to the hydrophilic surface. Steered molecular dynamics simulation was performed on an adhesive model where (XXXG)₃ was sandwiched between two CMF hydrophobic surfaces. Our analysis suggests that this sandwich structure might help provide mechanical strength for plant cell walls. Our study relates to a recently revised model of primary cell walls in which extensibility is largely determined by xyloglucan located in limited regions of tight contact between CMFs.     

N-羟基邻苯二甲酰亚胺/Co(acac)_2催化的α-紫罗兰酮的氧化反应

以分子氧(O_2)为氧化剂,在无溶剂条件下,研究了N-羟基邻苯二甲酰亚胺/乙酰丙酮亚钴(Ⅱ)体系对α-紫罗兰酮的催化氧化反应,分析了氧化产物,主要得到α-紫罗兰酮的烯丙位氧化产物5-氧代-α-紫罗兰酮,同时生成少量环氧α-紫罗兰酮及重排产物4-氧代-β-紫罗兰酮和环氧β-紫罗兰酮,提出了可能的反应机理,化合物的结构经IR、~1H NMR、MS和EA等测试技术得以表征;为了提高5-氧代-α-紫罗兰酮的选择性和催化氧化反应的转化率,优化了催化氧化反应的工艺条件:当反应温度为70 ℃,氧气压力为1.0 Mpa,N-羟基邻苯二甲酰亚胺和乙酰丙酮亚钴(Ⅱ)用量分别为α-紫罗兰酮的25%和1.0%,反应10 h,5-氧代-α-紫罗兰酮的产率达53.4%,反应转化率达95.0%以上,平行实验表明,实验重复性良好.     

A colorimetric assay for d-Penicillamine in urine and plasma samples based on the aggregation of gold nanoparticles

We report herein the development of a highly sensitive colorimetric method for detection of d-Penicillamine using citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This assay relies upon the distance-dependent of gold nanoparticles surface plasmon resonance band of gold nanoparticles. By replacing the thiol-containing chelator drug, d-Penicillamine, with citrate on the gold nanoparticles surface, a new peak appearing at a longer wavelength intensifies and shifts further to the red from the original peak position due to aggregation of gold nanoparticles which depends on ionic strength, gold nanoparticles and d-Penicillamine concentration. During this process, the plasmon band at 521 nm decreases gradually along with the formation of a new red-shifted band at 630 nm. The calibration curve which is derived from the ratio intensities of absorbance at longer wavelength (630 nm) to original wavelength (521 nm) displays a linear relation in the range of 5.0 × 10^?6–3.0 × 10^?4 M d-Penicillamine. Lower limit of detection for d-Penicillamine, at the signal-to-noise ratio of 3 (3σ), was 3.8 × 10^?6 M. The developed methodology was successfully applied for the determination of d-Penicillamine in human urine and plasma.     

Comparative Analysis of the Major Constituents in the Traditional Tibetan Medicinal Plants Saussurea laniceps and S. medusa by LC–DAD–MS

Liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was developed for the qualitative and quantitative comparison of the main constituents in Saussurea laniceps (SL) and S. medusa (SM), two species of plants used under the name “Xuelianhua” in traditional Tibetan medicine. A method validation including linearity, limit of detection, precision and recovery was performed. The results showed that a good linearity with R ² > 0.99 was achieved, and the limit of detection of the quantified constituents was reported to be between 0.8 and 3.3 ng. The relative standard deviation value was below 3.82% for repeatability, and recovery studies for the quantified compounds were found to be within the range 90.92–103.12%. The unique properties of the present method were evaluated by analyzing twelve related herbal samples including five S. laniceps samples and seven S. medusa samples. Twenty-two compounds including phenolic acids, cumarins, lignanoids and flavonoids were identified by online ESI–MS and by comparison with literature data and standard compounds, and seven of them were quantified by LC–DAD simultaneously. The results demonstrated that the common constituents in the two herbs were protocatechuic acid, syringoside, chlorogenic acid, isoquercitroside, 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, apigenin 7-O-β-d-glucoside, chrysoeriol 7-O-β-d-glucoside, acacetin 7-O-β-d-glucoside, apigenin and chrysoeriol. In the present study, it was found that the characteristic constituents were umbelliferone, scopoletin and their glucosides in S. laniceps, as well as arctiin and arctigenin in S. medusa. It was feasible to choose these characteristic compounds for the quality evaluation as well as chemical authentication of the two related herbs. The results also support discrimination between the two species when using them in folk medicine.     

GC–MS Determination of Sucralose in Splenda

Sucralose (1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-β-d-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside) is a high-intensity non-nutritive sweetener derived from sucrose. Determination of sucralose in food is important to ensure consistent product quality. The authors have developed a new method for determination of sucralose. The sucralose was converted into its trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether and qualitative and quantitative analysis were achieved by GC–MS and GC–FID, respectively, using myo-inositol ester as the internal standard. A good linear relationship between response and amount of sucralose TMS ether was obtained in the range 0.005–0.06 mg mL^?1 (r = 0.9994). The detection limit was 0.25 ng.     

Screening of a Glucoside 3-Dehydrogenase-Producing Strain,Sphingobacterium faecium,Based on a High-Throughput Screening Method and Optimization of the Culture Conditions for Enzyme Production

The objective of this study was to screen glucoside 3-dehydrogenase (G3DH)-producing strain based on a high-throughput G3DH screening method. Optimization of culture conditions of the isolated strain was also applied in this study. This screening method employed electron transfer reaction in 96-well microtiter plates, α-methyl-d-glucoside, galactose, 2-deoxy-d-glucose, and 3-O-methyl-d-glucose were used as substrates. Using this screening method, one out of 78 strains isolated from different soil samples was obtained with high G3DH activity. The accuracy of the screening method was proved by alkaline treatment analysis of 3-keto sugars. The isolated strain was identified as Sphingobacterium faecium ZJF-D6 by phenotypic characterization and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The culture conditions of S. faecium for G3DH production were optimized. Sucrose was found as the most suitable carbon source for the G3DH production. The highest G3DH production and cell growth were achieved using the medium at the initial pH of 7.0 at 25 °C for 36 h with activity of 8.03?×?10^?2 U/mL culture. This strain appears promising for potential application in the industry to produce 3-keto sugars. To our knowledge, this is the first report on S. faecium for G3DH production. The method described herein represents a useful tool for the high-throughput isolation of G3DH.     

Chiral resolution of l- and d-alanine and a racemic macrocyclic nickel(II) complex: synthesis and crystal structures

The reactions of a racemic four-coordinate Ni(II) complex [Ni(rac-L)](ClO₄)₂ with l- and d-alanine in acetonitrile/water gave two six-coordinate enantiomers formulated as [Ni(RR-L)(l-Ala)](ClO₄)·2CH₃CN (1) and [Ni(SS-L)(d-Ala)](ClO4) (2) (L = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclo-tetradecane, Ala^? = alanine anion), respectively. Evaporation from the remaining solutions gave two four-coordinate enantiomers characterized as [Ni(SS-L)](ClO₄)₂ (S-3) and [Ni(RR-L)](ClO₄)₂ (R-3), respectively. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of complexes 1 and 2 revealed that the Ni(II) atom has a distorted octahedral coordination geometry, being coordinated by four nitrogen atoms of L in a folded configuration, plus one carboxylate oxygen atom and one nitrogen atom of l- or d-Ala^? in mutually cis-positions. Complexes 1 and 2 are supramolecular stereoisomers, constructed via hydrogen bonding between [Ni(RR-L)(l-Ala)]⁺ or [Ni(SS-L)(d-Ala)]⁺ monomers to form 1D hydrogen-bonded zigzag chains. The homochiral natures of complexes 1 and 2 have been confirmed by CD spectroscopy.     

Interactions of some protonated α-amino acid methyl esters with hexaethyl p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene hexaacetate in nitrobenzene saturated with water

The exchange extraction constants corresponding to the general equilibrium C⁺(aq) + 1·Cs⁺(nb) ? 1·C⁺ (nb) + Cs⁺(aq) occurring in the two-phase water–nitrobenzene system (C⁺ = protonated α-amino acid methyl ester, 1 = hexaethyl p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene hexaacetate; aq = aqueous phase, nb = nitrobenzene phase) were evaluated on the basis of extraction experiments and γ-activity measurements. Further, the stability constants of the 1·C⁺ cationic complex species in nitrobenzene saturated with water were calculated; they were found to increase in the following cation order: protonated l-tryptophan methyl ester < protonated l-phenylalanine methyl ester < protonated l-leucine methyl ester < protonated l-methionine methyl ester < protonated l-valine methyl ester.     

Enzymatic Oxidation and Separation of Various Saccharides with Immobilized Glucose Oxidase

Glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger, the specific enzyme for β-d-glucose oxidation, can also oxidize other related saccharides at very slow or negligible rates. The present study aimed to compare the kinetics of d-glucose oxidation using immobilized glucose oxidase on bead cellulose for the oxidation of related saccharides using the same biocatalyst. The significant differences were observed between the reaction rates for d-glucose and other saccharides examined. As a result, k _cat/K _M ratio for d-glucose was determined to be 42 times higher than d-mannose, 61.6 times higher than d-galactose, 279 times higher than d-xylose, and 254 times higher than for d-fructose and d-cellobiose. On the basis of these differences, the ability of immobilized glucose oxidase to remove d-glucose from d-cellobiose, d-glucose from d-xylose, and d-xylose from d-lyxose was examined. Immobilized catalase on Eupergit and mixed with immobilized glucose oxidase on bead cellulose or co-immobilized with glucose oxidase on bead cellulose was used for elimination of hydrogen peroxide from the reaction mixture. The accelerated elimination of d-glucose and d-xylose in the presence of co-immobilized catalase was observed. The co-immobilized glucose oxidase and catalase were able to decrease d-glucose or d-xylose content to 0–0.005% of their initial concentrations, while a minimum decrease of low oxidized saccharides d-xylose, d-cellobiose, and d-lyxose, respectively, was observed.     

Simultaneous Determination of Ten Sugars in Tinospora cordifolia by Ultrasonic Assisted Extraction and LC-ELSD

Sugars present in medicinal plants are known for protecting and stimulating the immune system against various biological disorders. Tinospora cordifolia is a reputed Indian herb used for immunity enhancing which is mainly attributed to saccharides. In the present study, a simple, sensitive, and reliable liquid chromatography method based on ultrasonic assisted extraction and evaporative light scattering detection was developed for simultaneous determination of ten sugars comprising of monosaccharides (l-(+)-rhamnose, d-(+)-xylose, d-(?)-arabinose, β-d-(+)-glucose), disaccharides (sucrose, d-(+)-cellobiose, α-lactose), alditols (xylitol, d-(+)-mannitol) and a polyalcohol (myo-inositol) in T. cordifolia. The separation was achieved on Zorbax-NH₂ column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) in gradient elution of acetonitrile: water as mobile phase with flow rate of 0.5 mL min^?1. The drift tube temperature and nitrogen flow-rate were optimized at 70 °C and 2.0 standard litres per minute, respectively. The method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, limits of detection and quantification. The calibration equation revealed a good linear relationship (r ²  = 0.959–0.999). The sufficient recovery was observed in the range of 94.1–99.9%. The method showed good reproducibility with intra- and inter-day precision of <0.99 and 0.97% (RSD), respectively. The detection and quantification limits for the compounds were in the range of 8.32–44.29 and 25.23–134.20 μg mL^?1, respectively.     

Characterization of a d-Stereoselective Aminopeptidase (DamA) Exhibiting Aminolytic Activity and Halophilicity from Aspergillus oryzae

β-Aminopeptidases exhibit both hydrolytic and aminolytic (peptide bond formation) activities and have only been reported in bacteria. We identified a gene encoding the β-aminopeptidase homolog from a genome database of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae. The gene was overexpressed in A. oryzae, and the resulting recombinant enzyme was purified. Apart from bacterial homologs [β-Ala-para-nitroanilide (pNA)], the enzyme preferred d-Leu-pNA and d-Phe-pNA as substrates. Therefore, we designated this gene as d-stereoselective aminopeptidase A (damA). The purified recombinant DamA was estimated to be a hexamer and was composed of two subunits with molecular masses of 29.5 and 11.5 kDa, respectively. Optimal hydrolytic activity of DamA toward d-Leu-pNA was observed at 50 °C and pH 8.0. The enzyme was stable up to 60 °C and from pH 4.0–11.0. DamA also exhibited aminolytic activity, producing d-Leu-d-Leu-NH₂ from d-Leu-NH₂ as a substrate. In the presence of 3.0 M NaCl, the amount of pNA liberated from d-Leu-pNA by DamA was 3.1-fold higher than that in the absence of NaCl. Thus, DamA is a halophilic enzyme. The enzyme was utilized to synthesize several hetero-dipeptides containing a d-amino acid at the N-terminus as well as physiologically active peptides.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 111In-labeled d-glucose as a potential SPECT imaging agent

The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient synthetic method for labeling d-Glucosamine with indium-111 (¹¹¹In), and to investigate the imaging properties of the resulting radiotracer in MDA-MB-468 xenograft models using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The precursor compound, 2-(4-Isothiocyanato benzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-deoxyglucosone (DOTA-DG), was synthesized from 2-d-Glucosamine. DOTA-DG was labeled with ¹¹¹In within 20 min. The labeling efficiency and radiochemical purity of ¹¹¹In-DOTA-DG were >95 and >96 % as determined by radio-HPLC. SPECT imaging studies were performed using nude mice bearing MDA-MB-468 mammary tumors after intravenous injection of at a dose of 1.11 MBq (0.1 mL) ¹¹¹In-DOTA-DG. Tumors were clearly delineated by SPECT imaging at 120 min after injection.     

Molecular Cloning and Expression of a Novel β-Glucosidase Gene from Phialophora sp. G5

A novel β-glucosidase gene, bgl1G5, was cloned from Phialophora sp. G5 and successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris. Sequence analysis indicated that the gene consists of a 1,431-bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 476 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of bgl1G5 showed a high identity of 85 % with a characterized β-glucosidase from Humicola grisea of glycoside hydrolase family 1. Compared with other fungal counterparts, Bgl1G5 showed similar optimal activity at pH 6.0 and 50 °C and was stable at pH 5.0–9.0. Moreover, Bgl1G5 exhibited good thermostability at 50 °C (6 h half-life) and higher specific activity (54.9 U mg^–1). The K _m and V _max values towards p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside (pNPG) were 0.33 mM and 103.1 μmol?min^–1?mg^–1, respectively. The substrate specificity assay showed that Bgl1G5 was highly active against pNPG, weak on p-nitrophenyl β-d-cellobioside (pNPC) and p-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside (ONPG), and had no activity on cellobiose. This result indicated Bgl1G5 was a typical aryl β-glucosidase.