Effects of fatty acids on growth and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate production in bacteria

The effects of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (lauric acid, palmitic acid, steric acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, soybean oil) on Sphaerotilus natans, 0B17 (Pseudomonas sp.), and recombinant Escherichia coli DH5(/pUC19/CAB were studied. Oleic acid enhances Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production in these three bacterial strains, suggesting that the single double bond of the acid activates the polyhydroxylkanoate accumulation enzymatic reaction. Under the effect of lauric acid and linoleic acid, the growth of S. natans and 0B17 were totally inhibited. However, the enhanced PHB accumulation in recombinant E. coli was observed.     

Direct chiral separation of abscisic acid by high-performance liquid chromatography with a phenyl column and a mobile phase containing γ-cyclodextrin

Abscisic acid (2-cis,4-trans-abscisic acid) is a plant hormone that has an asymmetric carbon atom. We tried to separate the enantiomers of native abscisic acid by HPLC using a phenyl column and a chiral mobile phase containing γ-cyclodextrin. The optimum mobile phase conditions were found to be 0.8% (w/v) γ-cyclodextrin, 4% (v/v) acetonitrile, and 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.0). It was found that (R)-abscisic acid was earlier detected than (S)-abscisic acid. Since γ-cyclodextrin is hardly retained on a phenyl column, it was suggested that (R)-abscisic acid formed a more stable complex with γ-cyclodextrin than the (S)-abscisic acid. Abscisic acid in an acacia honey sample was successfully enantioseparated with the proposed method and only (S)-abscisic acid was detected. A biologically inactive 2-trans,4-trans-abscisic acid, which was prepared by irradiation of abscisic acid with a light-emitting diode lamp at 365 nm, was partially enantioseparated by the proposed method. Since the irradiation of (S)-abscisic acid-induced cis-to-trans isomerization to produce one 2-trans,4-trans-abscisic acid enantiomer, it is reasonable that racemization did not proceed during the cis-to-trans isomerization. (S)-Abscisic acid and probably (S)-2-trans,4-trans-abscisic acid were detected in a honey sample, where the peak area of (S)-abscisic acid was 7 times larger than that of (S)-2-trans,4-trans-abscisic acid.     

Mutual viscosity and NMR spin-lattice relaxation time in some benzoic acids

Experimental values of the NMR spin-lattice relaxation time (T ₁) of o-aminobenzoic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, o-chlorobenzoic acid, p-chlorobenzoic acid and 2,4-dinitrobenzoic acid and mutual viscosity (η₁₂) of o-chlorobenzoic acid, m-chlorobenzoic acid and p-chlorobenzoic acid have been reported. The experimental values of T ₁ have been correlated with the calculated value of T ₁ obtained using different equations of dielectric relaxation time (τ). It is concluded from this comparative study that Murty's equation is a better representation of the dielectric relaxation phenomenon. It is also concluded that the mutual viscosity (η₁₂) is a better substitute for the resistance to the rotation of the individual solute molecule.     

Triterpenoids from Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. Tissue Cultures

A chemical study on tissue cultures from leaves and flowers of E. camaldulensis Dehnh . afforded the new natural product (2α,3β)‐2,3,23‐trihydroxy‐13,28‐epoxyurs‐11‐en‐28‐one (dryobalanolide) together with the known pentacyclic triterpenoids: betulinic acid, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, (2α,3β)‐2,3,23‐trihydroxyolean‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid (arjunolic acid), (2α,3β)‐2,3,23‐trihydroxyurs‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid (asiatic acid), (2α)‐2‐hydroxyursolic acid, (2α)‐2‐hydroxyoleanolic acid (maslinic acid), as well as β‐sitosterol. The extracts and the isolated compounds were evaluated against eleven human pathogenic microorganisms, exhibiting a very interesting antibacterial spectrum of activities.     

Isolierung,Konstitution und Synthese der (R)-(−)-Eucominsäure

From the bulbs of Eucomis punctata L'Hérit. (Liliaceae) and of a hitherto undefined species of Eucomis a new optically active phenolic carboxylic acid, eucomic acid, was isolated. Structure 1 was assigned on the basis of chemical and spectral evidence. The absolute configuration of eucomic acid was determined by its correlation with piscidic acid ((2 R, 3 S)-2-(4′-hydroxybenzyl)-tartaric acid) ( 8 ). Consequently, eucomic acid is (R)-(?)-2-(4′-hydroxybenzyl)-malic acid ( 1 ). For the stereospecific synthesis, methyl cis-p-methoxybenzylidene-succinic acid ( 22 ) was transformed into the γ-lactone 24 which, by catalytic hydrogenolysis, yielded (±)-2-(4′-hydroxybenzyl)-malic acid 1-methyl ester ( 27 ). Resolution with (?)-quinine led to the enantiomeric acids 29 and 30 . The methyl ester of the levorotatory enantiomer 30 was identical with the dimethyl ester 3 of 4′-O-methyl-eucomic acid.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Photocleavage of Bis-decyl Pteroic Acid: A Folate Derivative with Affinity to Biomembranes†

Here, we provide mechanistic insight to the photocleavage of a compound in the folate family, namely pteroic acid. A bis-decyl chain derivative of pteroic acid was synthesized, structurally characterized and photochemically investigated. We showed that, like folic acid, pteroic acid and the decylated derivative undergo a photocleavage reaction in the presence of H₂O, while no reaction was observed in methanol solution. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations were carried out to predict relative stabilities of hypothetical mono-, bis- and tris-decylated pteroic acid derivatives to help rationalize the regioselectivity of the bis-decyl pteroic acid product. Additionally, the lipophilicity of the bis-decyl pteroic acid appears to confer a hydrophobic property enabling an interaction with biomembranes.     

Competition Between Intra- and Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding: o-Anisic Acid⋅⋅⋅Formic Acid Heterodimer

Four conformers of the heterodimer o-anisic acid–formic acid, formed in a supersonic expansion, have been probed by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Two of these forms have the typical double intermolecular hydrogen-bond cyclic structure. The other two show the o-anisic acid moiety bearing a trans-COOH arrangement supported by an intramolecular O−H⋅⋅⋅O bond to the neighbor methoxy group. In these conformers, formic acid interacts with o-anisic acid mainly through an intermolecular O−H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bond either to the O−H or to the C=O moieties, reinforced by other weak interactions. Surprisingly, the most abundant conformer in the supersonic expansion is the complex in which the o-anisic acid is in trans arrangement with the formic acid interacting with the O−H group. Such a trans-COOH arrangement in which the intramolecular hydrogen bond dominates over the usually observed double intermolecular hydrogen bond interaction has never been observed previously in an acid–acid dimer.     

Synthesis and Hepatic Metabolism of Xanthobilirubinic Acid Regioisomers

Summary.  A set of four regioisomeric dipyrrinone propionic acids has been synthesized and their hepatic metabolism examined in rats: xanthobilirubinic acid and pseudo-xanthobilirubinic acid each with a propionic acid on a pyrrole ring; exo-ψ-xanthobilirubinic acid and endo-ψ-xanthobilirubinic acid, each with a propionic acid transposed to a lactam ring. After intravenous injection all four isomers were excreted to some degree in unchanged form in bile in normal rats. Xanthobilirubinic acid, the structurally closest dipyrrinone to bilirubin, and exo-ψ-xanthobilirubinic acid were excreted almost entirely in unchanged form. However, a small fraction of xanthobilirubinic acid acyl glucuronide was also detected. More extensive acyl glucuronidation was observed for pseudo-xanthobilirubinic acid, and endo-ψ-xanthobilirubinic acid underwent slow metabolism to unidentified more polar products that did not seem to be glucuronides.     

THE 7F0→5D0 EXCITATION SPECTRA OF EUROPIUM(III) COMPLEXES OF AMINOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS

Abstract

The complexation of ethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine, acetic acid, glutaric acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, malonic acid, iminodiacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, N ¹-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)di-ethylene-triaminetetraacetic acid, trans-1, 2-diaminocyclohexane-N, N, N, N'-tetraacetic acid and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) with Eu³⁺ ion in aqueous solution has been studied by using the ⁷F_O→⁵D_O excitation spectroscopy of the Eu³⁺ ion. Because the energy of the ⁷F_O→⁵D_O transition of Eu³⁺ is dependent on the coordinating oxygen atoms, the “nephelauxetic” shift parameters for most typical coordinating atoms, such as in the carboxylate group, aliphatic amino nitrogen and the pyridine nitrogen atom were recalculated by multilinear regression with the present set of 22 complexes. The calculated shift parameters were used for the analysis of the excitation spectra of the complexes of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, trans-1, 2-diaminocyclo-hexane-N, N, N, N', -tetraacetic acid and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid.     

Zur Bildung isomerer Trihydroxy-octadecensäuren bei der enzymatischen Oxydation von Linolsäure durch Gerstenmehl

Incubation of linoleic acid with barley flour at pH 6.8 leads to the formation of three isomeric trihydroxy octadecenoic acids, namely: 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-trans-octadecenoic acid, 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-trans-octadecenoic acid and 9,10,11-trihydroxy-12-trans-octadecenoic acid. The acids were isolated by column chromatography using silicic acid and boric acid impregnated silicic acid and their structures were ascertained by means of IR, NMR and mass spectroscopy.

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Mit 4 Abbildungen     

Zur Synthese sulfonierter Derivate von 2-Amino-p-xylol

Synthese of sulfonated derivatives of 2-amino-p-xylene Sulfonation of 2-amino-p-xylene (2) gave 2-amino-p-xylene-5-sulfonic acid (1) . The 2-amino-p-xylene-6-sulfonic acid (3) was prepared via three routes: (1) sulfonation of 2-amino-5-chloro-p-xylene (19) to 5-amino-2-chloro-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (20) followed by hydrogenolysis; (2) sulfur dioxide treatment of the diazonium salt derived from 2-amino-6-nitro-p-xylene (21) to 2-nitro-p-xylene-6-sulfonyl chloride (11) followed by hydrolysis to 2-nitro-p-xylene-6-sulfonic acid (4) and Béchamp reduction; (3) Béchamp reduction of 2-chloro-3-nitro-p-xylene-5-sulfonic acid (13) to 3-amino-2-chloro-p-xylene-5-sulfonic acid (16) and subsequent hydrogenolysis. Catalytic reduction of 13 in aqueous sodium carbonate solution gave mixtures of 3 and 16 . 2-Amino-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (27) was synthesized via two routes: (1) reaction of 19 with sulfamic acid to 2-amino-5-chloro-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (26) followed by hydrogenolysis; (2) sulfur dioxide treatment of the diazonium salt derived from 2-amino-3-nitro-p-xylene (28) to 2-nitro-p-xylene-3-sulfonyl chloride (12) , hydrolysis to 2-nitro-p-xylene-3-sulfonic acid (7) and Béchamp reduction.     

Simultaneous Quantification of Seven Caffeoylquinic Acids in Ecotypes of Blumea balsamifera at Various Life Stages by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Blumea balsamifera is a traditional Chinese medicine containing various bioactive caffeoylquinic acids and usually used for the treatment of rheumatism, eczema, and dermatitis. An accurate and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography method was established for simultaneous determination of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 1,3-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid in B. balsamifera. The method was rigorously verified and was successfully applied to simultaneous quantification of seven caffeoylquinic acids in four ecotypes of B. balsamifera at five life stages. The results showed that the highest concentrations of seven compounds were present in September, October, and November, indicating that the optimal harvest time of B. balsamifera is in the autumn. Therefore, this method is suitable for the quantification of the seven compounds and quality control for B. balsamifera.     

Determination of kynurenic acid levels in rat brain microdialysis samples and changes in kynurenic acid levels induced by N‐acetylaspartic acid

The levels of kynurenic acid, an endogenous antagonist of α₇ nicotinic acetylcholine and N‐methyl‐D ‐aspartate receptors, were measured in microdialysis samples obtained from the prefrontal cortices of rats using column‐switching high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. When the perfusate was constantly infused at a rate of 1.0 μ/min, the in vitro recovery of kynurenic acid through the dialysis membrane was approximately 20.4%, and the precision was within 1.31%. Endogenous kynurenic acid in the microdialysis sample was clearly detected using column‐switching high‐performance liquid chromatography. As an application study, N‐acetyl‐L ‐aspartic acid, an endogenous metabolite and precursor of N‐acetyl‐L ‐aspartyl‐L ‐glutamic acid, which is an agonist of metabotropic glutamate receptors, was infused for 120 min through the microdialysis probe. The kynurenic acid level significantly increased during the infusion of N‐acetyl‐L ‐aspartic acid, suggesting that kynurenic acid might have some association with N‐acetyl‐L ‐aspartic acid in vivo. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solutions of alkali soaps and water in fatty acids IX. The location of theL 2-phase in three-component systems of sodium soap — fatty acid — water,in view of the occurrence of acid soaps

Previous studies of the occurrence of acid soaps in systems containing a longchain sodium soap and the corresponding fatty acid, and the study of phase equilibria in the system sodium octanoate — octanoic acid — water, performed by our group at the beginning of the 1960s, show that the isotropic liquidL ₂-phase of the last mentioned system in its whole region of existence is situated in that part in which acid soaps occur. This provides an explanation for the fact that theL ₂-phase itself contains acid sodium octanoates in all regions. TheL ₂-phase has its origin in the water-free melt of fatty acid and neutral soap in which these components react with each other under the formation of an acid soap. When water is added to the system, this water-free acid soap is transformed into different hydrated acid soaps. In a large region of concentration, there is an extremely close relation between theL ₂-phase and the liquid-crystalline lamellarD-phase, which itself consists of hydrated acid soaps. At its outermost water-rich tip, theL ₂-phase is in equilibrium with theL ₁-phase of the system, just above the+LAC, that is, with the most dilute aqueous soap solution in which acid soap still may be formed in aqueous environment. Formation of acid soap is a fundamental requirement for the existence of this isotropic liquidL ₂-phase.     

Studies on the Ion-Exchange Chromatographic Separation of L-Ascorbic Acid and Oxalic Acid

L-Ascorbic acid and oxalic acid could be successfully separated with a column of 8% cross-linked sulfonated polystyrene cation-exchange resin in hydrogen form, and eluted with 0.01% aqueous solution of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or phosphoric acid. Among the mineral acids used, nitric acid showed the best separatory effect. The minimum detectable quantities of the acids were 0.05 μg and 0.5 μg per 0.5 ml sample solution for L-ascorbic acid and oxalic acid, respectively. Under this condition, the acids could be detected by using automatic UV-monitor apparatus.     

Chemical compositions and antibacterial activity of extracts obtained from the inflorescences of Cirsium canum (L.) all

The aim of this study was to investigate phenolic acids and flavonoids in methanolic, dichloromethane, acetone and ethyl acetate extracts and fractions from inflorescences of Cirsium canum (L.). RP-HPLC analysis enabled identification of the following: chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, luteolin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-glucoside, kaempferol-3-glucoside, linarin, apigenin, rutoside, luteolin and kaempferol. The antimicrobial activity of tested extracts was determined in vitro against reference microorganisms, including bacteria or fungi, belonging to yeasts. Our data showed that the tested extracts had no influence on the growth of the reference strains of Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts belonging to Candida spp. Among them, the fractions possessed the highest activity against Gram-positive bacteria, especially Streptococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae belonging to pathogens and Streptococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis belonging to opportunistic microorganisms.     

Molar Mass and Structural Characteristics of Poly[(lactide-co-(aspartic acid)] Block Copolymers

Summary: We report on various synthetic procedures for the preparation of biodegradable and biocompatible poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) block copolymers based on natural monomeric units – lactic acid and aspartic acid. Multiblock poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) copolymers of different comonomer composition were synthesized by heating a mixture of L-aspartic acid and L,L-lactide in melt without the addition of any catalyst or solvent and with further alkaline hydrolysis of the cyclic succinimide rings to aspartic acid units. Diblock poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) copolymers with different block lengths were prepared by copolymerization of amino terminated poly(β-benzyl-L-aspartate) homopolymer and L,L-lactide with subsequent deprotection of the benzyl protected carboxyl group by hydrogenolysis. The differences in the structure, composition, molar mass characteristics, and water-solubility of the synthesized multiblock and diblock poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) copolymers are discussed.     

Synthesis of Cyclosporine. I. Synthesis of enantiomerically pure (2S,3R,4R,6E)-3-hydroxy -4-methyl-2-methylamino-6-octenoic acid starting from tartaric acid

Starting from R,R-(+)-tartaric acid, the synthesis of (2S,3R,4R6E)-3-hydroxy -4-methyl-2-methylamino-6-octenoic acid in 24 steps is reported. This novel amino acid is found in the cyclic undecapeptide cyclosporin A, isolated from the fungal strain Tolypocladium inflatum GAMS . Its stereospecific synthesis allowed, for the first time, the isolation and characterization of the new amino acid previously reported as the ‘C-9-amino acid’ [1].     

HPTLC–densitometric and HPTLC–MS methods for analysis of flavonoids

HPTLC silica gel plates without and with fluorescence indicator F₂₅₄ in combination with n-hexane–ethyl acetate–formic acid (20:19:1, v/v/v) as a developing solvent were explored for the HPTLC–densitometric and HPTLC–MS/(MSⁿ) analyses of flavonoids. Pre-development of the plates with chloroform–methanol (1:1, v/v) was needed for reliable HPTLC–densitometric analyses of flavonoid aglycones in the whole R_F range, while 2-step pre-development (1^st methanol–formic acid (10:1, v/v), 2^nd methanol), that decreased background signals of formic acid adducts, was required for HPTLC–MS analyses. Optimization with conditioning of the adsorbent layer with water before development and saturation of the twin trough chamber resulted in required decrease of the R_F values of studied flavonoids (flavone, apigenin, luteolin, chrysin, quercetin dihydrate, myricetin, kaempferide, kaempferol, naringenin, pinocembrin).

Detection was performed based on fluorescence quenching (on the plates with F₂₅₄), natural fluorescence and after post-chromatographic derivatization with natural product reagent without or with further enhancement and stabilization of fluorescent zones with polyethylene glycol (PEG 400 or PEG 4000) or paraffin–n-hexane reagents. For all three reagents, drying temperature and time passed after drying influenced the intensity, which was increasing the first 20?min, and the stability (less than 2?h for PEGs and at least 24?h for paraffin–n-hexane) of the standards’ zones.

Optimal wavelengths for densitometric evaluation were selected based on in-situ absorption spectra scanned before and after derivatization and after stabilization. The developed method was tested via analyses of propolis, roasted coffee, rose hip, hibiscus, rosemary and sage crude extracts. To further increase the reliability of the obtained densitometric results HPTLC–MS/(MSⁿ) analyses of all crude extracts were performed. Several phenolic and non-phenolic compounds were tentatively identified.

Some possible interferences with phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, syringic acid, ellagic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, o-coumaric acid, m-coumaric acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid) that are often present in the extracts together with flavonoids were also examined.     

Synthesis of 5-aryl-2-oxazolepropionic acids and analogs. Antiinflammatory agents

Condensation of 2-bromoacetophenones with sodium succinimide gave N-phenacylsuccinimides ( 1 ) which were opened with sodium hydroxide to N-phenacylsuccinamic acids ( 2 ). The latter were cyclized to 5-aryl-2-oxazolepropionic acids ( 3 ) in sulfuric acid. Similar cyclization of N-phenacylphthalamic acid ( 5 ) and succinic acid 2-benzoylhydrazide ( 7 ) gave o-(5-phenyl-2-oxazolyl)benzoic acid ( 6 ) and 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-propionic acid ( 8 ). The succinamic acids 2 and the phthalamic acid 5 were observed to recyclize to the corresponding imides ( 1 and 4 ) on heating, and the succinic acid hydrazide 7 was similarly cyclized to N-benzamidosuccinimide ( 9 ) with acetic anhydride. Antiinflammatory screening data are reported for 3 , 6 and 8 .