Building carbohydrates on the dioxanone scaffold: stereoselective synthesis of d-glycero-d-manno-2-octulose

The title compound has been synthesized via two proline-catalyzed aldol addition reactions of 2,2-dialkyl-1,3-dioxan-5-ones: the first addition to 1,3-dithiane-2-carboxaldehyde, followed by reduction to the corresponding diol, protection of the OH groups and dithiane hydrolysis afforded a protected d-ribose that was used in the second aldol addition reaction.     

Syntheses and structural comparisons of two copper(II) complexes with the same formula having d-(+)- and d,l-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane-1,3-diamine ligands

Two five-coordinate copper(II) complexes, formulated as [Cu(L_a)₂Cl]BF₄ (1) and [Cu(L_b)₂Cl]BF₄ (2) having d-(+)-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane-1,3-diamine (L_a) and d,l-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentane-1,3-diamine (L_b) ligands, have been synthesized and characterized. X-ray diffraction studies of 1 and 2 demonstrate that they crystallize in the different space groups (P2₁2₁2₁ for 1 and Pnma for 2), although they have identical unit cell volumes, due to the use of enantiomeric and racemic diamine ligands. One dimensional (1D) hydrogen-bond-sustained dimeric zigzag chains are formed by means of eight-membered N₂H₂CuBF₂ as well as 10-membered N₂H₄ClBF₂ hydrogen-bonded cycles. Thermal analyses for 1 and 2 are also described herein.     

Fragmentation of deprotonated d-ribose and d-fructose in MALDI—Comparison with dissociative electron attachment

We present a detailed, collaborative study on the fragmentation of deprotonated native d-ribose and d-fructose and the isotopically labelled 1-¹³C-d-ribose, 5-¹³C-d-ribose and C-1-d-d-ribose. The fragmentation is studied in a matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometer (MALDI ToF MS), both in in-source decay (ISD) and post-source decay (PSD) mode and compared with fragmentation through dissociative electron attachment (DEA). Fragmentation of deprotonated monosaccharides formed in the MALDI process, as well as their transient molecular anions formed upon electron attachment are characterized by loss of different numbers of H₂O and CH₂O units. Two different fragmentation pathways leading to cross-ring cleavage are identified. Metastable decay of deprotonated d-ribose proceeds either via an X-type cleavage yielding fragment anions at m/z = 119, 100 and 89, or via an A-type cleavage resulting in m/z = 89, 77 and 71. A fast and early metastable cross-ring cleavage of deprotonated d-ribose observed in in-source decay is dominated by X-type cleavage leading mainly to m/z = 100 and 71. For dissociative electron attachment to d-ribose a sequential dissociation was identified that includes metastable decay of the dehydrogenated molecular anion leading to m/z = 89. All other fragmentation reactions in DEA to d-ribose are likely to proceed directly and on a faster timescale (below 400 ns).     

Quantitative thin-layer chromatography of carbohydrates using pentavalent vanadium in sulphuric acid : Determination of mixtures of d-Fructose, d-Glucose and sucrose

Pentavalent vanadium in sulphuric acid can be used for the quantitative analysis of sugars. The yellow pentavalent vanadium is reduced by carbohydrates to the blue tetravalent form, and either the consumption of vanadium(V) or the amount of vanadium(IV) formed can be measured. For model studies, different d-fructose-d-glucose-sucrose mixtures were used. The monosaccharides were separated from the disaccharide by thin-layer chromatography. Owing to the great difference in reactivity between aldohexoses and ketohexoses, d-fructose and d-glucose can be determined separately without prior separation. The method enables 10 μg of each sugar to be determined.     

Transport characterisation of a PIM system used for the extraction of Pb(II) using d2ehpa as carrier

The facilitated transport of lead(II) through polymeric inclusion membranes consisting of cellulose triacetate as polymeric support, bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid (d2ehpa) as carrier, and tris-(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate as plasticiser (tbep), is investigated. The influence of some of the aqueous and membrane components on the permeability of Pb(II) was studied. The maximum flux obtained with these membranes is 3.5×10⁻⁶ mol m⁻² s⁻¹, which is of the same order of magnitude of those reported for supported liquid membranes and is in the upper range of those reported for polymeric inclusion membranes. Aqueous and membranes resistances were determined from a model that describes the transport mechanism across the membranes using the stoichiometric relationship and the extraction equilibrium constant value of 6.2×10⁻⁴ determined independently by solid–liquid extraction. An activation energy of 11 kJ mol⁻¹ was also determined for Pb(II) migration, which suggest that the transport of Pb(II) is controlled by a membrane diffusion mechanism. Membrane characterisation was performed using several techniques including atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and thermal analysis.     

Synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted-3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) derivatives

In this study, a new synthetic approach to 4,5-branched Kdo trisaccharides based on the common acceptor Kdo(α2-4)Kdo was developed. The synthesis of three types of 4,5-branched trisaccharides, Hep(α1-5)[Kdo(α2-4)]Kdo, Man(α1-5)[Kdo(α2-4)]Kdo, and GalNAc(α1-5)[Kdo(α2-4)]Kdo, was achieved in good yield and high α-selectivity.     

Electro-oxidation of d-mannose on platinum, gold and nickel electrodes in aqueous medium

The oxidation of d-mannose is studied on platinum, gold and nickel in alkaline medium. The electro-reactivity of this compound and the rate determining step of the reactions were determined by cyclic voltammetry. Lead adatoms have important effect on the oxidation of d-mannose on platinum electrode. Five folder of increase in current densities was observed after the addition of 10⁻⁶ M Pb²⁺. Electrolyses carried out on upd-lead modified platinum, and gold electrodes show good conversion yields (75% and 80%, respectively) and reasonable selectivities towards mannonic acid. High amount of cleavage products were detected at the end of the electrolysis at nickel electrode. The reactivity-functional group relationship has been discussed considering the results of the electrolyses.     

Effect of urea on self-organization of sodium N-(11-acrylamidoundecanoyl)-l-valinate in water

In this paper, the hypotheses proposed for the action of urea on the perturbation of molecular assemblies have been tested through studies of the effects of urea on the aggregation properties of a chiral surfactant, sodium N-(11-acrylamidoundecanoyl)-L-valinate in water. Surface tension, fluorescence, and circular dichroism were used to characterize the solution behavior of the amphiphile in the presence of urea. Surface tension measurement indicated decrease of critical aggregation concentration (cac) with the addition of urea in the low concentration range. Fluorescence probe studies using pyrene and 1-anilinonaphthalene indicated solubilization of urea molecules near the aggregate-water interface. Fluorescence anisotropy measurements using 1,6-diphenylhexatriene as probe molecule suggested increase of packing of the hydrocarbon chains of the amphiphiles upon addition of low concentration of urea. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed an increase of the hydrodynamic radius (R(h)) in the presence of increased concentration of urea. At higher concentrations of urea, the R(h) value decreased. Circular dichroism spectra showed the presence of chiral aggregates even in the presence of high concentration of urea.     

Amperometric simultaneous sensing system for d-glucose and l-lactate based on enzyme-modified bilayer electrodes

An amperometric biosensor system which uses screen-printed electrodes to simultaneously detect d-glucose and l-lactate has been developed and applied for simple and rapid determination of d-glucose and l-lactate levels in lactic fermenting beverages. The system was constructed from three-dimensionally layered electrodes. Taking into consideration the effects of easily oxidized substances contained in the samples, ferricyanide ions, which are electrochemically oxidized at a lower voltage, were chosen as a mediator. A linear relationship between steady-state current and concentration was found over a range of 1-100 mM (d-glucose) and 1-50 mM (l-lactate); the variation coefficients were 1.43% (n = 10) and 3.50% (n = 10) for the d-glucose and l-lactate sensors, respectively. When applied to lactic fermenting beverages, there was good agreement between the results obtained by the proposed sensing system and those obtained by the HPLC method. Using the proposed method, assays were completed within 5 min.     

Polarographic studies on the complexation of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) withd-glucosamine andd-galactosamine

D.c. polarography was used to establish the equilibria existing in Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) systems with d-glucosamine and d-galactosamine. The results clearly indicated the formation of 1:1 complexes, ML, and allowed calculation of the stability constants of some complexes. The present results completed very well the potentiometric and spectroscopic data obtained earlier. The reduction mechanisms and the electrochemical behaviour of the formed complexes were also established.     

Selection of synthetic receptors capable of sensing the difference in binding of d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac ligands by screening of a combinatorial CTV-based library

Screening of a combinatorial CTV-based artificial, synthetic receptor library 1 {1-13, 1-13, 1-13} for binding of a variety d-Ala-d-Ala and d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands (6-11) was carried out in phosphate buffer (0.1 N, pH=7.0). After screening and Edman sequencing, synthetic receptors were found containing amino acid sequences, which are either characteristic for binding dye labeled d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands. For example, receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Ala containing ligands 6, 7, 9 and 11 contained—almost in all cases—at least one basic amino acid residue—predominantly Lys—in their arms. This was really a striking difference with the arms of the receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands 8 and 10, which usually contained a significant number of polar amino acids (Gln and Ser), especially in ligand 8, but hardly any basic amino acids. Use of different (fluorescent) dye labels showed that the label has a profound, albeit not decisive, influence on the binding by the receptor. A hit from the screening of the CTV-library with FITC-peptidoglycan (6) was selected for resynthesis and validation.     

EPR and optical absorption studies of Cr ions in d-gluconic acid monohydrate

EPR studies are carried out on Cr³⁺ ions doped in d-gluconic acid monohydrate (C₆H₁₂O₇·H₂O) single crystals at 77 K. From the observed EPR spectra, the spin Hamiltonian parameters g, |D| and |E| are measured to be 1.9919, 349 (×10⁻⁴) cm⁻¹ and 113 (×10⁻⁴) cm⁻¹, respectively. The optical absorption of the crystal is also studied at room temperature. From the observed band positions, the cubic crystal field splitting parameter Dq (2052 cm⁻¹) and the Racah interelectronic repulsion parameter B (653 cm⁻¹) are evaluated. From the correlation of EPR and optical data the nature of bonding of Cr³⁺ ion with its ligands is discussed.     

Effects of mechanical load on the degradation of poly(d,l-lactic acid) foam

Degradable behaviors of polymer for implantation in body should be evaluated before clinical application. The effect of continuous mechanical load on the degradation progress of poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PDLLA) foam gasket was investigated in detail by specially designed load-providing devices. While PDLLA degraded in the PBS solution (pH, 7.4) at 37 °C for 3 months, the changes of surface morphology, molecular weight, elastic modulus, tensile strength and mass loss were recorded. The results revealed that the degradation rates of PDLLA under continuous loads were obviously quicker than those without load. Moreover, the influence of tensile plus compressive load was larger than that of tensile load. It was indicated that in vivo degradation of PDLLA would not only be influenced by the local solution, but also by the surrounding load. When regulating the degradation rate of bioabsorbable polymer, one should consider the indispensable effect of load where implanted.     

Influence of cellulose nanowhiskers on the hydrolytic degradation behavior of poly(d,l-lactide)

This paper reports the preparation of bionanocomposites based on poly(d,l-lactide) and cellulose nanowhiskers (PDLLA/CNWs) and studies the influence of the CNWs on the hydrolytic degradation behavior of the polylactide. The hydrolytic degradation process was studied in a phosphate buffer medium through the sample weight loss and also by FTIR, DSC and TGA measurements. The presence of CNWs induced a strong delay in the hydrolytic degradation of the PDLLA, even when the concentration of the nanofillers was only 1%. This effect was related to the physical barrier created by the highly crystalline CNWs that inhibited water absorption and hence retarded the hydrolytic degradation of the bionanocomposites. In addition, the incorporation of cellulose nanocrystals in the PDLLA also made the biopolymer more thermally stable, increasing the initial temperature of mass loss even after the degradation in phosphate medium. The results presented here show the possibility of controlling the biodegradability and prolonging the service life of a polylactide through the incorporation of a small quantity of nanofillers obtained from renewable materials.     

Characterization and release of triptolide-loaded poly (d,l-lactic acid) nanoparticles

Triptolide (TP), which has immunosuppressive effect, anti-neoplastic activity, anti-fertility function and severe toxicities on digestive, urogenital, blood circulatory system, was used as a model drug in this study. TP-loaded poly (d,l-lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles were prepared by the modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method (modified-SESD method). Dynamic light scattering system (DLS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) were employed to characterize the nanoparticles fabricated for size and size distribution, surface morphology, the physical state of drug in nanoparticles, and the interaction between the drug and polymer. Encapsulation efficiency (EE) and the in vitro release of TP in nanoparticles were measured by the reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The produced nanoparticles exhibited a narrow size distribution with a mean size of approximately 150 nm and polydispersity index of 0.088. The morphology of the nanoparticles exhibited a fine spherical shape with smooth surfaces without aggregation or adhesion. TP-entrapped in nanoparticles was found in the form of amorphous or semicrystalline. It was found that a weak interaction existed between the drug and polymer. In all experiments, more than 65% of EE were obtained. The in vitro release profile of TP from nanoparticles exhibited a typical biphasic release phenomenon, namely initial burst release and consequently sustained release. In this case, the particle size played an important role for the drug release. The modified-SESD method was a potential and advantage method to produce an ideal polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery system (DDS).     

Investigation of the degradation behaviour of poly(ethylene glycol-co-d,l-lactide) copolymer

The aim was to investigate the degradation behaviour of poly(ethylene glycol-co-d,l-lactide) (PEG-d,l-PLA) multiblock copolymer, in bulk and as microspheres, in aqueous medium. The degradation behaviour of PLA homopolymers in bulk and microspheres was evaluated as comparison.Microsphere preparation was performed by the double emulsion solvent evaporation method. Physical-chemical characterization of the raw polymers and the microspheres was performed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). Polymer molecular weight, before and after incubation in aqueous environment, was evaluated by GPC; water uptake and mass loss were determined gravimetrically.The presence of PEG segments inside PLA chains gave a characteristic spongy structure to the microspheres. A significant increase in polymer T_g values was found for the microsphere formulations compared to polymer in bulk. After 63 days of incubation in the aqueous environment, the PEG-d,l-PLA microspheres achieved an average M_w reduction of 47% compared to 20% for PLA microspheres. The corresponding M_w decrease of the polymers in bulk was significantly higher: 72% and 41% for PEG-d,l-PLA and PLA, respectively.The data show how the degradation behaviour of polymer in bulk in an aqueous environment is significantly different from the behaviour of the corresponding microspheres. These results highlight the importance of performing a thorough physical-chemical characterization on microsphere formulations.     

Prevailing mechanisms of the hydrolytic degradation of oligo(d,l-lactide)-grafted dextrans

The predominant mechanism of the hydrolytic degradation of oligo(d,l-lactide)-grafted dextrans in phosphate buffer was followed by quantifying both released dextran and lactic acid from the copolymers. The studied amphiphilic copolymers, with well-defined structure, exhibited various oligo(d,l-lactide) weight fractions (F^OLA) while having a quite high extent of free hydroxyl groups (>90%). Depending on their F^OLA, oligo(d,l-lactide)-grafted dextrans were soluble either in water or in organic solvents (THF, toluene, …) and different prevailing mechanisms of hydrolytic degradation were observed. The copolymer soluble in THF, with longer oligo(d,l-lactide) grafts and higher F^OLA, was found to degrade via a particular mechanism by which the greatest part of dextran was released into buffer medium during the first two weeks of degradation. During the initial stage of degradation, the hydrophilicity of dextran backbone was considered to be the main driving force for the hydrolytic cleavage of the ester linkage between backbone and grafts. Released oligo(d,l-lactide) grafts were found to be degraded via chain-end degradation or random degradation depending on their solubility in buffer medium. In case of water-soluble copolymers with shorter oligo(d,l-lactide) grafts and lower F^OLA, the chain-end degradation was exclusively observed.     

Ninhydrin reaction on thiol-reactive solid and its potential for the quantitation of d-penicillamine

While aminothiols produce weak purple-colored reactions with ninhydrin, we demonstrate for the first time that this color could be intensely developed. Using a d-penicillamine paradigm, adsorption of this compound via a disulfide bond onto thiol-reactive solid prior to ninhydrin reaction allowed spectrophotometrical monitoring of the supernatant at 570 nm. Compared with off-solid method, this approach expanded the linear concentration range to 50-600 μg mL⁻¹ and enhanced the sensitivity so that d-penicillamine with the concentrations of less than 100 μg mL⁻¹ could be accurately quantitated by using a second-order polynomial calibration curve. Additionally, this assay was unaffected by disulfide adduct interference, highlighting its potential for the analysis of d-penicillamine as well as other aminothiols.     

Swelling and hydrolytic degradation of poly(d,l-lactic acid) in aqueous solutions

Low molecular weight poly(lactic acid) was synthesized by direct polycondensation of lactic acid. The oligomers were characterized by viscometry, light scattering, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The swelling behaviour of tablets made of the above polymer immersed in buffer solutions at 37 °C was studied. In the same experiments, the hydrolytic stability of d,l-PLA was assessed by measuring the weight loss after drying the tablets. In order to inhibit any degradation due to bacteria, formaldehyde was added in the solution as biostatic factor. The effect of an incorporated drug on the swelling behaviour of d,l-PLA tablets was also considered. It was found that the incorporation of drug in d,l-PLA tablets increases their swelling index, probably due to the creation of additional porosity in the specimens or other interaction between drug and polymeric matrix.