Accelerated aging and stabilization of radiation-vulcanized EPDM rubber

The effect of different antioxidants and their mixtures on the thermal aging and accelerated weathering of γ-radiation vulcanized EPDM rubber in presence of crosslinking coagent, was investigated. The compounds used were either a synergistic blend of phenolic and phosphite antioxidants, i.e. 1:4 Irganox 1076: Irgafos 168 or a blend of arylamine and quinoline type antioxidants, i.e. 1:1 IPPD:TMQ, at fixed concentration. Tinuvin 622 LD hindered amine light stabilized (HALS) was also used. The response was evaluated by the tensile strength and elongation at break for irradiated samples after thermal aging at 100°C for 28 days and accelerated weathering (Xenon test) up to 200 h.     

Ageing characteristics of styrene-butadiene rubber containing some sulfanilyl derivatives

Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) mixtures containing some sulfanilyl derivatives have been prepared. The effect of the latter compounds on the rate of vulcanization of SBR formulations as well as the ageing characteristics of corresponding vulcanizates were evaluated. In all cases, the efficiency of the compounds under investigation was correlated with their chemical structure. It was found that vulcanizates containing sulfanilyl thiourea compounds deteriorate to a lesser degree than those containing N-isopropyl-N'-phenyl-1, 4-phenylenediamine (IPPD) as conventional antioxidant. In addition, the effect of the type of carbon black on the efficiency of such compounds as antioxidants was evaluated.     

An on-line post-column detection system for the detection of reactive-oxygen-species-producing compounds and antioxidants in mixtures

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can damage proteins, cause lipid peroxidation, and react with DNA, ultimately resulting in harmful effects. Antioxidants constitute one of the defense systems used to neutralize pro-oxidants. Since pro-oxidants and antioxidants are found ubiquitously in nature, pro-and antioxidant effects of individual compounds and of mixtures receive much attention in scientific research. A major bottleneck in these studies, however, is the identification of the individual pro-oxidants and antioxidants in mixtures. Here, we describe the development and validation of an on-line post-column biochemical detection system for ROS-producing compounds and antioxidants in mixtures. Inclusion of cytochrome P450s and cytochrome P450 reductase also permitted the screening of compounds that need bioactivation to exert their ROS-producing properties. This pro-oxidant and antioxidant detection system was integrated on-line with gradient HPLC. The resulting high-resolution screening technology was able to separate mixtures of ROS-producing compounds and antioxidants, allowing each species to be characterized rapidly and sensitively.     

Stabilization of γ-sterilized biomedical polyolefins by synergistic mixtures of oligomeric stabilizers

The stabilization of polyolefins against γ-sterilization has been studied with single or binary additive system. The present attempt is to utilize synergistic mixtures of stabilizers which are approved for food contact applications. Ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymer has been melt-mixed with hindered amine stabilizers (HAS), phenolic antioxidants and organo-phosphites (hydroperoxide decomposer). Samples were sterilized with different doses of γ-radiation. Stabilization was characterized in terms of changes in the functional groups (oxidation products), tensile properties, yellowing and surface morphology by FTIR spectroscopy, Instron, colorimetry (reflectance) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Results were discussed by comparing the stabilizing efficiency of mixtures with and without phenol system. Among phenol containing systems, where we mostly observe discoloration due to the oxidation of hindered phenol and the combination of secondary HAS, tertiary HAS, organo-phosphite and hindered phenol exhibited improved stabilization efficiency than single or binary additive systems. The mixture of secondary HAS and tertiary HAS, has shown antagonistic effect of stabilization whereas their combination with organo-phosphite has exhibited synergistic effect of stabilization even at higher doses of γ-sterilization. The effects have been explained through the interaction between the stabilizers.     

Synergism of antioxidants in high density polyethylene

The effect of several commercial antioxidants (viz. phosphites and hindered phenols) used in synergistic formulations in two grades of high density polyethylene (HDPE), viz. a Ziegler type and a Philips type sample, has been examined using infra-red (ir) spectroscopy. The results show that, in general, and, as expected, synergism is obtained between hindered phenols and phosphites in HDPE films during oven ageing and uv irradiation conditions. However, the degree of synergism is not the same for both grades of HDPE, which differ mainly in their unsaturation and metal impurity content. In some cases, antagonism is observed in one of the HDPE samples whilst synergism is exhibited by the other. There is also a difference regarding the optimum concentration ratio of the antioxidants in each polymer. Formulations which include a commercial metal deactivator (Naugard XL 1) also show synergistic behaviour. The reasons for the observed behaviour are discussed on the basis of the mode of action of the antioxidants and their rate of consumption in the polymer medium.     

Immobilized Cytochrome c Sensor in Organic/Aqueous Media for the Characterization of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Antioxidants

A method for the characterization of antioxidants is introduced, which allows the measurement of pure hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances as well as complex cosmetic creams. The sensor is based on cytochrome c covalently immobilized on a gold wire electrode working in mixtures of phosphate buffer and organic solvents. It is combined with a superoxide generating enzyme system. The decrease of the superoxide concentration in the test solution by the added antioxidants is detected and used for the quantification of their antioxidative efficiency. Electrochemical properties of immobilized cytochrome c, such as formal potential and heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, have been investigated in mixtures of aqueous buffer and DMSO, methanol, butanediol, and THF. The maximum organic solvent content for quasi‐reversible electrode behavior was correlated to spectroscopic measurements. The activity of the radical producing enzyme in such media was determined and the radical generation characterized. The antioxidative properties of pure substance such as ascorbic acid and Biochanin A as well as of five anti‐ageing cosmetic creams were studied. This showed also the influence of matrix composition on the efficiency of antioxidative supplements.     

Differential spectrophotometric determination of micro amounts of metal ions in mixtures

A differential spectrophotometric method is described for the simultaneous determinations of iron and molybdenum, iron and titanium, iron and uranium, molybdenum and titanium, and molybdenum and uranium in mixtures, in a single solution at room temperature. The general method consists in treating the mixture with 5 ml of 1 M sodium acetate and 1 ml of 1% pyrocatechol in 25-ml volumetric flasks. The optical density of color of mixed complexes is determined at the corresponding pair of wavelengths suggested. From the optical density and molar extinction coefficient, the concentration of each ion in mixtures has been calculated. By this procedure, the metal ions can be determined even if they differ by large ratios. Procedures have been extended for the analysis of mixtures containing iron, molybdenum, and titanium (or uranium). These procedures can be applied for the analysis of any type of materials, like minerals, rocks, ores, alloys, steels and refractory materials. Spectra of each complex and their Beer's law were studied in detail. Experiments were also made to show that the calculated and observed optical density of mixture complexes is the same, thereby the additive of optical density of mixtures at each pair of wavelengths suggested for individual determinations of ions have been verified.     

Comparative evaluation of three methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography analysis combined with a 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay for the rapid screening of antioxidants from Pueraria lobata flowers

Traditional activity-guided fractionation of natural products is a time-consuming, labor intensive, and expensive strategy, which cannot compete with high-throughput and rapid screening of natural products. Therefore, more efficient approaches are necessary for searching active compounds from natural products. Three main methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis combined with 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, DPPH spiking HPLC analysis, on-line post-column HPLC-DPPH analysis, and HPLC-based DPPH activity profiling, were then developed for the rapid screening of antioxidants from complex mixtures. In the present study, a comparative study of these three methods has been conducted to identify antioxidants from an ethyl acetate fraction of Pueraria lobata flowers. The parameters in HPLC analysis and DPPH assay were optimized. The results indicated that all three methods could achieve similar information with regard to antioxidants, without the need for preparative isolation techniques. However, there were differences in instrumental set-up, sensitivity, and efficiency. DPPH spiking HPLC analysis seemed to be more sensitive and effective with simpler instrumental set-up and easier operation, which could also detect the total antioxidant capacity of color complexes. Eighteen antioxidants were tentatively screened and identified from P. lobata flowers by DPPH spiking HPLC-MS/MS. Among them, ten compounds including one new compound were first isolated from P. lobata flowers, and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the new compound was reported for the first time.     

Resolution of mixtures of three nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by fluorescence using partial least squares multivariate calibration with previous wavelength selection by Kohonen artificial neural networks

A spectrofluorometric method for the quantitative determination of flufenamic, mefenamic and meclofenamic acids in mixtures has been developed by recording emission fluorescence spectra between 370 and 550 nm with an excitation wavelength of 352 nm. The excitation–emission spectra of these compounds are deeply overlapped which does not allow their direct determination without previous separation. The proposed method applies partial least squares (PLS) multivariate calibration to the resolution of this mixture using a set of wavelengths previously selected by Kohonen artificial neural networks (K-ANN). The linear calibration graphs used to construct the calibration matrix were selected in the ranges from 0.25 to 1.00 μg ml⁻¹ for flufenamic and meclofenamic acids, and from 1.00 to 4.00 μg ml⁻¹ for mefenamic acid. A cross-validation procedure was used to select the number of factors. The selected calibration model has been applied to the determination of these compounds in synthetic mixtures and pharmaceutical formulations.     

Voltammetric detection of synthetic water-soluble phenolic antioxidants using carbon nanotube based electrodes

Glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) modified with carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been created for detection of phenolic compounds—one of the important group of antioxidants in life sciences. The surface of electrode has been characterized by atomic force microscopy. The presence of CNT leads to an at least 20-fold increase in the surface roughness of the electrode. The CNT layer displays closely intertwined vermicular structures with high degree of homogeneity at CNT suspension concentration of 0.2–0.5 mg L⁻¹. Synthetic water-soluble antioxidants (hydroquinone, catechol, pyrogallol, and their derivatives) are electrochemically active on bare GCE and CNT-modified GCE in phosphate buffer solution pH 7.4. Effect of substitutes in molecular structure of phenolic antioxidants has been evaluated. In several cases, oxidation at CNT-modified GCE occurs at potentials that are less positive by 100–200 mV in comparison to bare GCE. The electrodes were studied with respect to their capability of phenols voltammetric sensing. CNT-modified GCE display an enlarged linear range in the calibration graphs and lower detection limits. Voltammetric method for determination of hydroquinone, catechol, pyrogallol, and their derivatives has been developed.     

SOME FACTORS AFFECTING THE DROPLET SIZE AND CHARGE OF DILUTE OIL-IN-WATER EMULSIONS PREPARED BY SELF-EMULSIFICATION

The equilibrium particle size and zeta potential of emulsions prepared by self-emulsification of various hydrocarbon oils in water with mixtures of surfactants have been measured under different environmental conditions. Both factors were observed to be influenced by the nature and concentration of the surfactant mixtures, the type of hydrocarbon oil and the presence of electrolytes.     

Antioxidant activity assays on-line with liquid chromatography

Screening for antioxidants requires simple in vitro model systems to investigate antioxidant activity. High resolution screening (HRS), combining a separation technique like HPLC with fast post-column (bio)chemical detection can rapidly pinpoint active compounds in complex mixtures. In this paper both electrochemical and chemistry-based assays are reviewed and discussed. The focus is on the mechanisms involved and differences between the assays, rather than on the matrix or analytes. With 45 applications high resolution antioxidant screening has now become an almost routine tool for the rapid identification of antioxidants in plant extracts, foods and beverages. The methods based on true reactive oxygen species (ROS) provide the most realistic measure of antioxidant activity. Unfortunately these methods are difficult to set up and control and have not been applied since they were reported. The methods based on electrochemical detection are more practical, but have still received only limited attention for practical screening purposes. The methods based on a single relatively stable reagent such as DPPH and ABTS(+) have become most popular, because of their simple set-up and ease of control. The methods have been combined with on-line DAD, MS and NMR detection for rapid identification of active constituents.     

Mixtures of monodentate P-ligands as a means to control the diastereoselectivity in Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of chiral alkenes

The previously reported concept of using mixtures of monodentate ligands in a combinatorial manner in order to influence enantio- or regioselectivity of transition metal catalyzed processes has been extended to include diastereoselectivity. Accordingly, 1,2- and 1,3-asymmetric induction in the Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of a chiral allylic alcohol and a chiral homo-allylic alcohol has been studied by using mixtures of monodentate P-ligands. It was found that appropriate 1:1 mixtures of two different P-ligands enhance the degree of diastereoselectivity relative to the use of the respective pure ligands themselves. Here, as in the previous cases regarding enantio- or regioselectivity, this type of combinatorial catalysis leads to improved catalytic profiles without the need to prepare new ligands.     

高效液相色谱-质谱联用快速筛选并鉴定黄芩甲醇提取物中抗氧化活性成分

建立了高效液相色谱-质谱联用技术快速筛选和鉴定黄芩甲醇提取物中抗氧化活性成分的方法.在黄芩甲醇提物中加入适量的二苯基三硝基苯肼( DPPH)作为实验组,避光室温反应30 min后直接经液相色谱分析,并与不加入DPPH的空白组进行比较.有抗氧化活性的成分因会与DPPH反应而使峰面积减少,而不具有抗氧化活性的成分峰面积则不变.基于色谱数据可以获得有抗氧化活性组分的相对活性强度,基于质谱数据可获得活性组分的结构信息用于结构鉴定.本方法成功地从黄芩甲醇提取物中筛选并鉴定出了黄芩苷、千层纸素A-7-O-B-D-葡萄糖醛酸苷、汉黄芩苷和千层纸素A4种较强的抗氧化活性成分.本方法利用HPLC-MS技术对复杂体系(如中药提取物)中小分子的分离和鉴定优势,可以直接筛选出黄芩甲醇提取物中的抗氧化活性成分,而不需要繁琐的前期分离和纯化,并且不需要仪器改装工作,有利于实现复杂体系中抗氧化活性成分的高通量筛选.     

Phase and interface behaviors in type-I and type-V Lennard-Jones mixtures: theory and simulations

Density gradient theory (DGT) and molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations have been used to predict subcritical phase and interface behaviors in type-I and type-V equal-size Lennard-Jones mixtures. Type-I mixtures exhibit a continuum critical line connecting their pure critical components, which implies that their subcritical phase equilibria are gas liquid. Type-V mixtures are characterized by two critical lines and a heteroazeotropic line. One of the two critical lines begins at the more volatile pure component critical point up to an upper critical end point and the other one comes from the less volatile pure component critical point ending at a lower critical end point. The heteroazeotropic line connects both critical end points and is characterized by gas-liquid-liquid equilibria. Therefore, subcritical states of this type exhibit gas-liquid and gas-liquid-liquid equilibria. In order to obtain a correct characterization of the phase and interface behaviors of these types of mixtures and to directly compare DGT and MD results, the global phase diagram of equal-size Lennard-Jones mixtures has been used to define the molecular parameters of these mixtures. According to our results, DGT and MD are two complementary methodologies able to obtain a complete and simultaneous prediction of phase equilibria and their interfacial properties. For the type of mixtures analyzed here, both approaches have shown excellent agreement in their phase equilibrium and interface properties in the full concentration range.     

Solvent-free sonochemical kabachnic-fields reaction to synthesize some new α-aminophosphonates catalyzed by nano-BF3•SiO2

To obtain a rapid, efficient synthesis of some new α-aminophosphonates, ultrasonic irradiation has been applied to the reaction mixtures containing amine, aromatic or heteroaromatic aldehydes and triethyl phosphite. The Kabachnik-Fields reaction was performed by using nano-BF₃?SiO₂ as a recyclable catalyst under solvent free conditions. Key advantages of this procedure consist in the eco-friendly and highly efficient reaction conditions, high yields, an easy work-up procedure, short reaction times and solvent free conditions. All title compounds were characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. They were further screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity by the DPPH, O^2? and NO methods. The majority of the title compounds showed good antioxidant activity when compared with the standard antioxidants.     

Comparative evaluation of Fe(III) reducing power-based antioxidant capacity assays in the presence of phenanthroline, batho-phenanthroline, tripyridyltriazine (FRAP), and ferricyanide reagents

The chemical diversity of antioxidants in complex matrices such as plant extracts makes it difficult to separate and quantify antioxidants from these solutions. Therefore it is desirable to establish methods that can measure the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels directly from plant extracts. Iron(III)-based TAC assays, especially the most widely used FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power), play an important role in this regard. However, many problems have been reported in the application of the FRAP assay, the most serious one being the incomplete oxidation of a number of antioxidants during the time protocol of the assay. Thus, six different ferric ion-based total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays have been comparatively tested, modified, and improved so as to obtain more sensitive and precise results for complex mixtures, namely: 1,10-phenanthroline (o-phen) method (with incubation), batho-phenanthroline method (with incubation), original FRAP method, modified FRAP method (with incubation), original ferricyanide method, and modified ferricyanide method (with incubation). Two new assays in this regard (i.e., o-phen and batho-phen) have been established, and the existing assays (FRAP and ferricyanide) have been modified so as to let the oxidation reactions of antioxidants reach completion. The molar absorptivity for a variety of antioxidants was highest for modified FRAP, batho-phen, and original FRAP methods. The absorption maximum wavelength shifted batochromically to a higher extent for modified ferricyanide, FRAP, and batho-phen procedures, decreasing the possibility of interferences due to organics absorbing in the near-UV range of the visible spectrum where most antioxidant assays are performed. The linear concentration ranges were shown to be further extended and linear correlation coefficients improved with respect to the most widely used ferric-based assay, FRAP. Of the six assays tested and developed, only the modified ferricyanide procedure gave high intercept values and low addivitity of TAC values of constituents in complex mixtures, requiring further attention of method optimization. Thus, it was shown that the most widely used FRAP could be effectively modified, and o-phen, batho-phen, and ferricyanide methods constitute cheaper alternatives to FRAP under certain conditions, with partly improved molar absorptivity (and thus sensitivity) for antioxidants, lower intercept values (and higher precision), broader linear range (and higher flexibility), and better additivity of TAC values of antioxidant constituents in mixtures.     

The study of the lipophilicity of alpha-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)-gamma-phthalimidobutyramides using chromatographic and computational methods

The lipophilicity of the series of alpha-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)-gamma-phthalimido-butyramides (1-8) has been investigated. Several methods, like reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography using reversed-phase RP18 and IAM.DD2 columns, were applied to determine RMO, log k0 and log k(0IAM) factors. The RP-TLC investigations were performed in mixtures of acetone-water and acetonitrile-water. For RP-HPLC method mixtures of acetonitrile, water and 0.01% TFA were used as the mobile phases while for IAM.DD2 investigations mixtures of acetonitrile and water were applied. The partition coefficients of compounds (1-8) were also calculated with the Pallas and CAChe programs. All the obtained data, both from experimental methods and computational calculations, were compared and a suitable conclusion was reached.     

On‐line HPLC method for screening of antioxidants against superoxide anion radical from complex mixtures

A practical approach for rapidly screening antioxidants against superoxide anion radicals from complex mixtures was developed based on the quantitative difference in active compounds before and after their reaction. To test the effectiveness of the approach, seven flavonoids with antioxidative properties were investigated both individually and in a mixture. Using the approach, antioxidants could be rapidly separated and screened with a ranked order of activities in the meantime. The radical scavenging activities were in the following order: quercetin > kaempferol > fisetin > puerarin > luteolin > rutin > baicalein. The order of activity was conducted by comparing the scavenging ratio of the antioxidant, which was completely consistent with the results obtained from the traditional electronic spin resonance. Then, the method was successfully applied to black tea extracts. This approach is fast and convenient for screening, isolating, and analyzing potential antioxidants from a mixture with good quantitative and reproducible ability.     

Low‐density‐solvent‐based air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection for the determination of synthetic phenolic antioxidants in milk samples

A simple and rapid sample pretreatment technique termed low‐density‐solvent‐based air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction has been developed for the extraction and preconcentration of three synthetic phenolic antioxidants including butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and tert‐butyl hydroquinone from milk samples prior to their analysis by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. In this method, initially trichloroacetic acid as a proteins precipitation agent is added to the sample, and then it is sonicated and centrifuged. The obtained aqueous phase is removed and the analytes extracted by the proposed method using a low‐density organic solvent. Some important parameters such as type and volume of extraction solvent, ionic strength, pH, and centrifugation rate and time were studied. Under the optimum conditions, enrichment factors were obtained in the range of 501–614. LODs and quantification were between 0.76–1.16 and 2.66–3.96 ng mL^–1, respectively. This method is rapid and requires less than 15 min for sample preparation.