In vitro antioxidant activity of extracts of Sybaris liquorice roots from Southern Italy

The antioxidant properties of extracts of Sybaris liquorice roots have been assessed using 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity assay. The extracts, obtained by Soxhlet extraction (Et(2)O, AcOEt, MeOH and BuOH) of the yellow (inner part) and brown (cortex) root powders ensuing from decortication of the raw dry roots, followed by separation and powderisation, were analysed for their scavenging activity by evaluating the colourimetric decrease in the absorbance of DPPH. The highest antioxidant activity (98.39?±?0.56%) was observed in the case of the Et(2)O extract of the brown powder, at a concentration of 3.33?mg?mL(-1). Moreover, the total phenolic content of the extracts was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and expressed as milligram gallic acid equivalent per gram of dry extract. Our results show that the Et(2)O extract of the liquorice root cortex could be used as an attractive natural source of antioxidant additives for food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical applications.     

Erratum to: “In vitro biological activity comparison of some hydroxyapatite-based composite materials using simulated body fluid”

The original version of the article was published in Cent. Eur. J. Chem. 11(10) (2013) pp. 1583–1598. Unfortunately, the original version of this article contains a mistake in the affiliation section. The affiliation for R?zvan Stefan is Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, RO-400372 Cluj Napoca, Romania.     

In vitro antitumor activity of titanocene alanine complex and its interaction with nucleic acids

Titanocene alanine complex, Cp2Ti(O2CCH(CH3)NH3+Cl-)2, has been found to have in vitro antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Study of the interaction between Cp2Ti(O2CCH(CH3)NH+Cl-)2 and DNA by UV-VIS spectra, fluorescence spectra, agarose gel elec-trophoresis reveals that Cp2Ti(O2CCH(CH3)NH3 Cl-)2 forms a stable compound with DNA in molar ratio 1:1 and reduces the migration rate of ccc-DNA band and oc-DNA band. However, unlike cis-platin, the complex does not induce nicking of DNA even after a long incubation at a high ratio of the complex to DNA. The results suggest that titanocene-based antitumor agents have different mechanism of action from cisplatin-like antitumor agents.     

In vitro self-assembly of bacteriochlorophyll c derivatives monoesterified with α,ω-diols isolated from the green sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobaculum tepidum

Esterifying chains of chlorophyllous pigments play important roles in the formation of photosynthetic supramolecules, but their effects have not thoroughly been unraveled yet. Substitution of the esterifying chains in these pigments will be one possible strategy to elucidate this enigma. Recently, unnatural bacteriochlorophylls (BChls) c possessing a hydroxy group at the terminus of the esterifying chains were successfully biosynthesised in the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobaculum (Cba.) tepidum grown by supplementation of α,ω-diols. In this paper, in vitro assembling behaviours of unnatural BChls c isolated from Cba. tepidum grown with 1,8-octanediol, 1,12-dodecanediol and 1,16-hexadecanediol were characterised in aqueous Triton X-100 micelles to investigate the effects of the terminal hydroxy group in the esterifying chains of BChls c on self-aggregates such as chlorosomes, major antenna complexes in green photosynthetic bacteria. The bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c derivatives monoesterified with α,ω-diols formed chlorosomal self-aggregates, but their formations were much slower than those of natural BChl c. The Q_y absorption bands of the residual monomers of these BChl c derivatives were larger than those of natural BChl c. These suggest that the esterifying α,ω-diols in these unnatural BChls c somewhat interfered with formation of chlorosome-like aggregates compared with the natural esterifying farnesol.     

In vitro antibacterial activity of medicinal plant extracts against Escherichia coli strains from human clinical specimens and interactions with antimicrobial drugs

The biological properties of medicinal plants have been documented worldwide for many centuries. We aimed to evaluate interactions between crude extracts from Psidium guajava, Zingiber officinale, Cymbopogon citratus, Caryophyllus aromaticus, Mikania glomerata and Allium sativum samples and antimicrobial drugs against Escherichia coli strains. The susceptibility test performed was disc diffusion, and crude extracts were diluted (%v/v) into Müller-Hinton agar (MHA) at one quarter of the minimal inhibitory concentration for 90% (MIC(90%)) of E. coli strains found previously. Synergistic interactions were observed between C. citratus and polymyxin, and A. sativum extracts and gentamicin. The crude A. sativum extract was the only one that did not show any antagonism with the antimicrobial drugs. The results thus showed the potential use of these medicinal plants against E. coli strains, although antagonism with antimicrobial drugs is a negative aspect in the combined therapy of infectious diseases caused by E. coli.     

In vitro biological evaluations of Fe3O4 compared with core–shell structures of chitosan-coated Fe3O4 and polyacrylic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Today the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is widely investigated because of their biocompatibility and nontoxicity. The objective of this study was to...     

In vitro antioxidant activities of the methanol extract and its different solvent fractions obtained from the fruit pericarp of Terminalia bellerica

Terminalia bellerica has been used as a traditional medicine in a variety of ailments including anaemia, asthma, cancer, inflammation, rheumatism and hypertension. In this study, the free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of methanol extract (ME) and its different solvent fractions (namely hexane (HE), ethyl acetate (EA), butanol (BL) and water (WA)) of the T. bellerica fruit pericarp were evaluated and compared with standard antioxidant compounds like gallic acid (GA), catechin and ascorbic acid. Among the different fractions tested, the EA fraction exhibited higher antioxidant and radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide and hydroxyl radicals than the other fractions, which may be attributed to its higher phenolic and flavonoid content, since a linear relation was observed between the phenolic content and the antioxidant parameters. The HPTLC analysis of the EA fraction revealed that it mainly contains GA and ferulic acid (FA) as major phenolics, and the higher antioxidant activities of EA fraction may be due to the presence of these compounds.     

A facile metal-free approach to N,N′-bis(1-oxidopyrimidin-4-yl)diamines with promising biological activity

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Synthesis and characterization of phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide oligomers derived from 2,3,3′,4′-diphenyl ether tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and 3,4′-oxydianiline

With the goal of improving processability of imide oligomers and achieving high toughness of thermosetting polyimides, a series of 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride(PEPA)-terminated imide oligomers prepared by the reaction of 2,3,3',4'-diphenyl ether tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride(a-ODPA) and 3,4'-oxydianiline(3,4'-ODA) with different molecular weights(degree of polymerization: n = 1?9) were formed. The resultant oligomers with different molecular weights were characterized for their chemical architecture, cure behavior, thermal properties, solubility in organic solvents and rheological characteristics. Besides, the thermal properties and tensile test of cured polyimide films were also evaluated. The imide oligomer(degree of polymerization: n = 1) has some somewhat crystalline phase, and imide oligomers(degree of polymerization: n = 2?9) showed excellent solubility(40 wt%) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone(NMP) and N,Ndimethylacetamide(DMAc) at room temperature. Furthermore, the rheological properties of imide oligomers showed very low melt viscosity and wider processing window. The cured films exhibited good thermal properties with the glass transition temperatures of 282?373 ?C and 5 wt% thermal decomposition temperatures higher than 551 ?C in nitrogen atmosphere. The elongation at break of the prepared films was found to be high(almost 9.3%).     

Phthalide-derived oxaspiroangelioic acids A–C with an unprecedented carbon skeleton from an aqueous extract of the Angelica sinensis root head

Three phthalide-derived analogues, oxaspiroangelioic acids A–C (1–3), were isolated as minor components of an aqueous extract of the Angelica sinensis root heads (guitou). Oxaspiroangelioic acids A and B were racemates separated into enantiomers by chiral HPLC. Their structures including absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction, exciton chirality method and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation. These compounds share an undescribed carbon skeleton, for which biosynthetic pathways are proposed. Compound 1 and its enantiomers showed almost identical activity inhibiting Tandem of P domains in a weak inwardly rectifying K⁺ channel 1 (TREK-1).     

UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS phenolic compounds identification and quantification from ethanolic extract of Myrtus communis ‘Variegatha’: In vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic potentials

Global public health is seriously threatened by diabetes and its complications. Although several synthetic drugs are currently employed for managing diabetes, however, the adverse effects associated with their use cannot be underestimated. Thus, the quest for a safe and cost-effective alternative is highly imperative. In the present study, the phenolic contents, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic potentials of 70% ethanolic crude extract of Myrtus communis ‘Variegatha’ were investigated using in vitro biochemical protocols. The total polyphenols content was 116.44 mg GAE/g, flavonols (6.74 mg QE/g), flavanols (2.46 mg CE/g) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value was 1267.28 µmol AAE/g, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (1165.37 µmol TE/g), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) (775.52 µmol TE/g). High-resolution ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionisation/quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) was explored to identify the phenolic compounds, most of which were flavonoids. The extract demonstrated a strong α-glucosidase inhibition potential in a concentration-dependent manner with IC₅₀ (3.159 µg/mL), which was higher than epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) (6.208 µg/mL), a positive control antidiabetic drug. A slight increase in glucose utilization was observed after 24 h of treatment in C3A hepatocytes at 25 μg/mL whereas an increase in glucose uptake was recorded at 25 and 50 μg/mL. The extract exhibited a cytotoxic effect (IC₅₀ 76.85 µg/mL) against C3A hepatocytes at 100 µg/mL, which correlates to the glucose utilization and uptake recorded. The findings from the study show the prospect of M. communis ‘Variegatha’ as a promising source of bioactive compounds that could be used in the development of new anti-diabetic agents, thus, further research into the plant is recommended.     

Synthesis,characterization and biological activity of copper(II) complexes with ligands derived from β-amino acids

Transition Metal Chemistry - Two copper(II) complexes with ligands derived from β-amino acids, 2-(1-aminocyclohexyl)acetic acid L1 and 2-(1-amino-4-(tert-butyl)cyclohexyl)acetic acid L2, were...     

In vitro antimycobacterial activity and HPLC-DAD screening of phenolics from Ficus benjamina L. and Ficus luschnathiana (Miq.) Miq. leaves

The total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu) of the leaves of Ficus benjamina and Ficus luschnathiana was evaluated and screened by HPLC-DAD. Ficus luschnathiana crude extract (CE) presented phenolic content higher than that of F. benjamina (149.92?±?3.65 versus 122.63?±?2.79?mg of GAE). Kaempferol (1.63?±?0.16?mg?g(-1) dry weight of CE) and chlorogenic acid (17.77?±?0.57?mg?g(-1) of butanolic fraction) were identified and quantified in F. benjamina, whereas rutin (1.39?±?0.20?mg?g(-1)), caffeic (1.14?±?0.13?mg?g(-1)) and chlorogenic (3.73?±?0.29?mg?g(-1)) acids were quantified in the CE of F. luschnathiana. Additionaly, rutin (15.55?±?1.92?mg?g(-1)) and quercetin (3.53?±?0.12?mg?g(-1)) were quantified in ethyl acetate and butanolic fractions, respectively. Antimycobacterial activity of CEs and fractions was evaluated against Mycobacterium smegmatis by broth microdilution method. Ethyl acetate fraction from F. benjamina and n-butanol fraction from F. luschnathiana displayed the highest inhibitory activity (MIC?=?312.50?μg?mL(-1) and 156.25?μg?mL(-1), respectively). Further studies are required to identify the compounds directly related to antimycobacterial activity.     

Hydroxylating activity of a water-soluble manganese porphyrin associated with potassium hydrogen persulfate: Formation of 8-hydroxyadenosine-5′-mono-phosphate from AMP.

The association of potassium monopersulfate, KHSO₅, with a water-soluble manganese porphyrin complex has been recently reported as being a very efficient system for the oxidative cleavage of DNA (Fouquet et al., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1987, 1169); similar results are observed with RNA. As puzzle piece of the mechanism of this oxidative degradation of nucleic acids, we report in the present communication the identification of 8-hydroxyadenosine-5′-monophosphate as oxidation product of adenosine-5′-monophosphate (AMP) by KHSO₅/[Mn(Mepy)₄P](OAc)₅. In the absence of manganese catalyst, the only detectable compound is the adenosine-N¹-oxide- 5′-monophosphate.     

Synthesis,structure, photophysical properties and biological activity of a cobalt(II) coordination complex with 4,4′-bipyridine and porphyrin chelating ligands

A new bioactive material of cobalt(II) with 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4 (benzoyloxy)phenyl] porphyrin (TPBP) and bpy ligands ([Co^II(TPBP)(bpy)₂] 1) has been synthesized and characterized by Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), spectroscopic methods and quantum-chemistry calculations. In the crystalline structures of six coordinated Co(II) [Co^II(TPBP)(bpy)₂] 1, linear 1D polymeric chains were observed in which all the porphyrin units are aligned parallel to each other. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter-and intramolecular C–H⋯O and C–H⋯N hydrogen bonds, and by weak C–H⋯Cg π interactions. Interestingly, NBO–Second-order perturbation theory analysis, carried out at the UB3LYP/6-31G(d)/SDD DFT level of theory, demonstrated that a two-center bond between the nitrogen atoms and the cobalt ions (Co) was not found, the Co–N_py/bp interactions are coming from an electronic delocalization between the N_py/N_bp filled orbitals to the anti-bonding LP*(4) and LP*(5) metal NBOs. Mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis were also investigated to confirm the molecular structure. The downfield shift and the peak broadening of the axial ligand resonances observed in the ¹H NMR indicated the contiguity to the paramagnetic Co(II) center. Additionally, the photophysical properties have been evaluated by UV–visible absorption, and fluorescence emission spectroscopies. Finally, bioactivity investigations revealed that free porphyrin TPBP, Co^IITPBP and complex 1 could be used as potential antioxidant agents.     

Use of magnetic effervescent tablet-assisted ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction to extract fungicides from environmental waters with the aid of experimental design methodology

In this work, a novel effervescence-assisted microextraction technique was proposed for the detection of four fungicides. This method combines ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with the magnetic retrieval of the extractant. A magnetic effervescent tablet composed of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles, sodium carbonate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) was used for extractant dispersion and retrieval. The main factors affecting the extraction efficiency were screened by a Plackett–Burman design and optimized by a central composite design. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity was obtained for all analytes in pure water model and real water samples. Just for the pure water, the recoveries were between 84.6% and 112.8%, the limits of detection were between 0.02 and 0.10 μg L⁻¹ and the intra-day precision and inter-day precision both are lower than 4.9%. This optimized method was successfully applied in the analysis of four fungicides (azoxystrobin, triazolone, cyprodinil, trifloxystrobin) in environmental water samples and the recoveries ranged between 70.7% and 105%. The procedure promising to be a time-saving, environmentally friendly, and efficient field sampling technique.     

Synthesis,characterization, and biological activity of complexes derived from E-N′-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene)benzofuran-2-carbohydrazide and ortho-phenylenediamine/ 2,6-diaminopyridine

Mixed ligand complexes of the type MLL′Cl₂ (where M?=?Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II), L?=?ligand derived from the reaction between benzofuran-2-carbohydrazide and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde (TMeOBFC), and L′?=?ortho-phenylenediamine (opd)/2,6-diaminopyridine (2,6-dap)) have been synthesized. The complexes have been characterized by analytical data, IR, UV-Vis, ¹H NMR, DART-MS and ESR spectral data, and magnetic studies. Molar conductance values indicate that the complexes are non-electrolytic in DMF. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of the ligands and complexes have been screened against bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and against fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus.