Fast purification of cyclodextrin-glucosyltransferase fromBacillus circulans E 192 by affinity chromatography using an epichlorhydrin-reticulated copolymer of beta-cyclodextrin

Summary Bacillus circulans E 192 Cyclodextrin-glucosyltransferase was purified 40 fold to homogeneity on a large scale, by affinity chromatogrpahy on a β-CD copolymer cross-linked with epichlorhydrin. A preliminary step was necessary to remove maltooligosaccharides and cyclomaltooligosaccharides from the crude extract. The simplest method consists in performing the affinity chromatography directly from a redissolved 65% saturation ammonium sulfate precipitate of the crude extract. Five successive affinity runs of Cetavlon — treated concentrated extract gave about one gram of pure CGTase with a 70% yield, using 50 g of a 750 U/g β-CD copolymer. This rapid purification is described and the advantages of the method are discussed.     

Isolation of cell-free DNA from plasma by chromatography on short monolithic columns and quantification of non-apoptotic fragments by real-time polymerase chain reaction

Human plasma is an important medical substance and a raw material for production of various therapeutics. During blood sampling, storage and processing, genomic DNA is released into plasma from nucleated blood cells that are damaged in the course of the procedure. In order to determine the concentration of contaminating DNA in plasma, we developed a method for DNA isolation by using anion-exchange chromatography on a BIA Separations CIM (convective interaction media) diethylaminoethyl column. DNA was quantified by SYBR Green based real-time polymerase chain reaction. The concentration of cell-free, non-apoptotic DNA in plasma ranged between 0.06 and 22.5 ng/ml. As substantial volumes of plasma or whole blood are administered directly into the vascular system, a recipient is exposed to high amounts of cell-free DNA, several orders of magnitude higher than the amount found in other biologicals.     

Effects of the phosphatidylglycerol head group on the binding of short dermcidin-derived peptides to the phospholipid membrane surface

Dermcidin (DCD) is a human peptide composed of 110 amino acids. When secreted into sweat, DCD undergoes postsecretory proteolytic processing to give the short antimicrobial peptides SSL-23 and SSL-25. As an initial phase of studies directed toward understanding the structural basis of the biological functions of these peptides, we chemically synthesized naturally occurring SSL-23 and SSL-25, as well as the artificial sequences SSL-21 and SSL-27, and analyzed their molecular interaction with bacterial and mammalian model surfaces. While dynamic-coating HPLC and CD spectroscopy revealed that the four SSL peptides selectively bound to a bacterial model membrane containing 1,2-dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) and underwent large structural changes, ³¹P NMR studies of the liposomes suggested that the attractive interaction between the peptides and DMPG did not lead to ion-pore formation or disruption of the model membrane. Our results strongly indicate that the SSL peptides express their selectivity to microorganisms by recognizing the head groups of their cell surface lipid.     

Sampling procedure and a radio-indicator study of mercury determination in whole blood by using an AMA 254 atomic absorption spectrometer

A sampling procedure appropriate for the determination of mercury in whole blood was tested by using both inactive controls and a ¹⁹⁷Hg mercury radio-indicator. To exclude the influence of the instrumental device (an AMA 254 single-purpose mercury atomic absorption spectrometer) on the determination of mercury in whole blood, the function of the instrument was checked by using rat blood with metabolised ¹⁹⁷Hg. The measurement procedure was found to be free of errors. However, the study showed that the material used for the sampling vessels is a crucial parameter for obtaining accurate analytical results. The stability of solutions and samples was tested towards polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) vessels. PE displayed a time-dependent increase in the mercury content both in the samples and in the blood control material. The probable cause of this increase was direct contamination from the material of the vessel and/or diffusion of mercury from the environment through the vessel walls related to a strong complexing affinity of the sample matrix. This assumption was confirmed by supplying the vessels with the complexing agent Na₂EDTA (0.05 mol L^–1). Commercial PP vessels for blood sampling (Sarstedt S-Monovette Metall Analytik) did not give rise to statistically significant variations in mercury content in the samples and blood control material over a 30-day period.     

Isolation and purification of phycoerythrin from red algaGracilaria verrucosa by expanded-bed-adsorption and ion-exchange chromatography

Summary R-phycoerythrin was isolated and purified fromGracilaria verrucosa on an expanded-bed adsorption column combined with ion-exchange chromatography, which can effectively solve the problem of blockage of chromatographic column due to polysaccharides during isolation and purification of phycobiliproteins. 0.1 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ proved best to elute R-phycoerythrin from the expanded-bed column, and desalted 0.1 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ eluate was used on an ion-exchange column to purify the R-phycoerythrin. Using this two-stage chromatography, the purity (OD₅₆₅/OD₂₈₀) of the R-phycoerythrin fromG. verrucosa is increased to 4.4, and the yield of purified R-phycoerythrin can reach 0.141 mg·g⁻¹ of the frozen alga.     

Studies on principal components and antioxidant activity of different Radix Astragali samples using high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry

The principal components, isoflavonoids and astragalosides, in the extract of Radix Astragali were detected by a high-performance liquid chromatography couple to electrospray ionization ion trap multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-IT-MSⁿ) method. By comparing the retention time (t_R) of HPLC, the ESI-MSⁿ data and the structures of analyzed compounds with the data of reference compounds and in the literature, 17 isoflavonoids and 12 astragalosides have been identified or tentatively deduced. By virtue of the extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) mode, simultaneous determination of isoflavonoids and astragalosides could be achieved when the different components formed overlapped peaks. And this method has been utilized to analyze the constituents in extracts of Radix Astragali from Helong City and of different growth years. Then the antioxidant activity of different samples has been successfully investigated by HPLC-ESI-MS method in multiple selected ion monitoring (MIM) mode, applying the spin trapping technology, and the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay was applied to support the result. The correlations of the isoflavonoids and astragalosides components and the antioxidant activities of Radix Astragali were summarized. The present paper demonstrates that HPLC-ESI-MSⁿ is a powerful method for the characterization of the principal components and evaluation of the antioxidant activity of Chinese medicinal herbs.     

Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in aqueous samples by on-line membrane disk extraction and capillary gas chromatography

Summary A fast and simple procedure for the analysis of aqueous samples by on-line membrane disk extraction and capillary gas chromatography (GC) is presented. As an example, organophosphorus pesticides are preconcentrated from aqueous samples on three 0.5 mm thick, 4.2 mm diameter extraction disks. The layers are dried by a stream of nitrogen (10–15 min; ambient temperature). Desorption of the analytes is carried out with ethyl acetate which is directly introduced into a retention gap under partially concurrent solvent evaporation conditions, using an early solvent vapour exit. The final analysis is carried out by GC with thermionic detection. The technique is applied to the determination of a series of organophosphorus pesticides in tap water and water from two European rivers. With a sample volume of only 2.5 ml, detection limits of 10–30 ppt are achieved in tap water and of 50–100 ppt in river water.     

Trifluoroacetyl as a protecting group for HYNIC: stability in the presence of electrophiles and application in the synthesis of Tc-radiolabelled peptides

TrifluoroacetylHYNIC-peptides have recently been shown to label directly with ^99mTc as efficiently as their non-trifluoroacetylated analogs. In this work, the trifluoroacetyl (Tfa) moiety has been evaluated as a protecting group for HYNIC against reaction with strong electrophiles. Fmoc-(trifluoroacetylHYNIC)-lysine, the chosen model starting material, was found to be resistant against acetaldehyde and benzylchloroformate challenges, at 1 mol equiv and a 1000 M excess, respectively. In contrast, the Fmoc-(HYNIC)-lysine derivative, with a free hydrazine group, was quantitatively converted to the corresponding hydrazone after a 1 h incubation with acetaldehyde. Fmoc-(trifluoroacetylHYNIC)-lysine was also found to be stable over a wide pH range (3.6-10) to the acetaldehyde challenge. High efficiency ^99mTc-radiolabelling (99%) was achieved in the presence of acetaldehyde using Fmoc-(trifluoroacetylHYNIC)-lysine, as compared to a poor radiolabelling yield (34%) obtained with the non-trifluoroacetylated analog. These findings firmly establish the trifluoroacetyl group as a convenient and effective protecting group for HYNIC, and as a promising alternative to currently available labelling strategies.     

An amperometric method for the detection of amitrole, glyphosate and its aminomethyl-phosphonic acid metabolite in environmental waters using passive samplers

The herbicides amitrole and glyphosate, and its metabolite aminomethyl-phosphonic acid (AMPA), in water samples have been directly analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography using an electrochemical (EC) detector. Limits of detection of 0.3 μg mL⁻¹ for glyphosate, 0.05 μg mL⁻¹ for AMPA and 0.03 μg mL⁻¹ for amitrole were comparable to those obtained by other authors using EC and also by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, but the latter method requires derivatisation and pre-concentration of the sample whereas EC methods show similar sensitivity without the need of any derivatisation. The method was specifically designed to analyse extracts from passive samplers used for monitoring of polar herbicide residues in waters. To this purpose, three types of Empore^® disks were tested for their ability to adsorb and desorb these ionic, polar analytes. A procedure for their extraction from the membranes and reducing the interferences from other substances present in natural waters (i.e. humic acids) is described. The method is simple, does not require sophisticated equipment and is valid for the analysis and monitoring of herbicides residues using passive samplers.     

Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopic studies on coordination between carbonyl group of butanone and metalions

Two dimensional asynchronous spectra were used to characterize coordination between carbonyl group of butanone and metal ions by using an approach proposed in our recent paper.Spectral variation of n-π~*transition band of carbonyl group is used to probe the coordination even if metal ions does not possess any characteristic peak in spectra.Experimental results indicate that Ca~(2+) and Al~(3+) show considerable ability to coordinate with the carbonyl group of butanone and bring about spectral variation of the n-π~*transition band,which is manifested by cross peaks in 2D asynchronous spectra.     

Isolation of isomangiferin from honeybush (Cyclopia subternata) using high-speed counter-current chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography

Isomangiferin was isolated from Cyclopia subternata using a multi-step process including extraction, liquid–liquid partitioning, high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) and semi-preparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Enrichment of phenolic compounds in a methanol extract of C. subternata leaves was conducted using liquid–liquid partitioning with ethyl acetate–methanol–water (1:1:2, v/v). The enriched fraction was further fractionated using HSCCC with a ternary solvent system consisting of tert-butyl methyl ether–n-butanol–acetonitrile–water (3:1:1:5, v/v). Isomangiferin was isolated by semi-preparative reversed-phase HPLC from a fraction containing mostly mangiferin and isomangiferin. The chemical structure of isomangiferin was confirmed by LC–high-resolution electrospray ionization MS, as well as one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.     

A study of the analytical behaviour of selected psycho-active drugs using liquid chromatography, ion trap mass spectrometry, gas chromatography and polarography and the construction of an appropriate database for drug characterisation

This paper provides analytical chemical information on a range of psycho-active drugs. This analytical chemical information on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS), ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-MSⁿ), gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GLC-FID) and polarographic behaviour is then incorporated into a database which is of use in drug characterisation. Application is found in the determination of selected drug compounds in hair samples.     

A study of the analytical behaviour of selected synthetic and naturally occurring coumarins using liquid chromatography, ion trap mass spectrometry, gas chromatography and polarography and the construction of an appropriate database for coumarin characterisation

The aim of this paper is to provide analytical chemical information on a range of naturally occurring and synthetic coumarins. This analytical chemical information on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS), ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-MSⁿ), gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GLC-FID) and polarographic behaviour is then incorporated into a database which is of use in identifying unknown coumarins isolated from natural sources. This paper is also concerned with understanding the effect of functional groups in coumarins on their analytical chemical behaviour using the above techniques.     

Isolation and purification of Pseudostellarin B (cyclic peptide) from Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax by high-speed counter-current chromatography

Pseudostellarin B (cyclic peptide) was isolated and purified from the herbs of Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax for the first time by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) using a two-phase solvent system consisting of n-butanol-ethyl acetate-water (0.6:4.4:5, v/v). The technique can isolate mg levels of the target compound per run with purity better than 96%. The chemical structure of the compound has been positively confirmed by electrospray ionization time of flight (TOF) MS, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR and ¹H-¹³CCOSY analyses.     

Spin-spin coupling constant 3JH,F of the 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl group as a useful tool for recognition of regioisomeric and tautomeric pairs of organofluoric compounds

The spin-spin coupling constant ³ J _H,F of the H(CF₂)₂ group varies within 1.6—6.5 Hz (in CDCl₃) depending on the structure of the molecular fragment, which is linked with the group, and can be used for the recognition of regioisomeric and tautomeric pairs of organofluoric compounds.     

Electrostatic Effects on the Inclusion Process of Sodium p-(3-t-Butyl-4-Hydroxyphenylazo)Benzene Sulfonate with Modified Cyclodextrin and Its Metal Complex

Abstract

The electrostatic interaction between charged β-cyclodextrin having ethylenediamine group and the title azo compound was investigated by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy.     

Experimental and theoretical studies on group 1 metallacarboranes: Synthesis, structure and ab initio calculations of the NMR chemical shifts of the 1-(THF)-1-(TMEDA)-1-Na-2,4-(SiMe3)2-2,4-C2B4H5 and related carboranes

The reaction of gaseous HCl with either the disodium or dilithium compound of the [nido-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₄]²⁻ dianion (I) in 1:1 stoichiometry in THF produced the monoprotonated species 1-Na(THF)₂-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₅ (II) or 1-Li(THF)₂-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₅ (III), in 81% and 80% yields, respectively. This method proved superior to that involving the direct reduction of the closo-C₂B₄ carborane by metal hydrides. II and III were characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H, ¹¹B and ¹³C NMR and IR spectra. Compound II was recrystallized from a mixture THF, hexane and TMEDA (1:2:1) to isolate colorless crystals of the mixed solvated species, 1-(THF)-1-(TMEDA)-1-Na-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₅ (IV), which were subsequently used for X-ray diffraction studies. The structure of IV showed that the capping metal occupied the apical position above the open C₂B₃ face of the carborane and that a hydrogen atom was bridging the two adjacent boron atoms on that face. The ¹¹B and ¹³C NMR spectra calculated by GIAO (gauge independent atomic orbital) methods at the 6-311G^** level on the B3LYP/6-31G^* optimized geometries of I–III, and a number of related nido- and closo-carboranes, gave excellent agreement with experiment, even in compounds where electron correlation effects are known to be important.     

Determination of indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-butyric acid in mung bean sprouts using high performance liquid chromatography with immobilized Ru(bpy)3-KMnO4 chemiluminescence detection

A novel method for determination of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in an extract from mung bean sprouts using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with chemiluminescence (CL) detection is described. The method is based on the CL reaction of auxin (indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-butyric acid) with acidic potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) and tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II), which was immobilized on the cationic ion-exchange resin. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Nucleosil RP-C18 column (i.d.: 250 mm × 4.6 mm, particle size: 5 μm, pore size: 100) with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of methanol-water-acetic acid (45:55:1, v/v/v). At a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹, the total run time was 20 min. Under the optimal conditions, the linear ranges were 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹ and 5.0 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ g mL⁻¹ for IAA and IBA, respectively. The detection limits were 2.0 × 10⁻⁸ g mL⁻¹ and 2.0 × 10⁻⁷ g mL⁻¹ for IAA and IBA, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intra-day were 3.1% and 2.3% (n = 11) for 2 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹ IAA and 2 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹ IBA; The relative standard deviations of inter-day precision were 6.9% and 4.9% for 2 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹ IAA and 2 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹ IBA. The proposed method had been successfully applied to the determination of auxin in mung bean sprouts.     

Elucidation of sulfur mobility on Cr, Mo and W-based catalysts in hydrodesulfurization using a35S pulse tracer method

In hydrodesulfurization of radioactive³⁵S-labeled dibenzothiophene catalyzed by CrO₃/Al₂O₃, it was found that sulfur on sulfided CrO₃/Al₂O₃ was more labile than those on MoO₃/Al₂O₃ and WO₃/Al₂O₃, while the amount of sulfur was less than that on MoO₃/Al₂O₃. Dedicated to Professor Pál Tétényi on the occasion of his 70th birthday