Interaction of Antiseptic Compounds with Intercellular Lipids of Stratum Corneum

The interaction between three kinds of antiseptic compounds and components of intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum was characterized in terms of thermodynamics at pH 7.5 and 25°C, and the different mechanisms used to penetrate the stratum corneum were clarified. Anionic surfactants such as benzalkonium chloride and benzethonium chloride mainly bound to cholesterol (CH) and cholesterol sulfate with high affinity (10⁵–10⁶ M⁻¹) to extract endogenous CH from the stratum corneum and penetrated through the intercellular route. Chlorhexidine gluconate also bound to CH and accumulated in the stratum corneum without removing endogenous CH. An amphoteric surfactant of dodecyldiaminoethylglycine hydrochloride seemed to be incorporated into the lipid bilayer and bound to ceramide with its polar end close to the lipid polar heads by hydrophobic interaction. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Standard molar enthalpies and entropies of vaporization for twolow-melting trichlorophenoxy herbicides

The standard sublimation enthalpies of (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetonitrile and (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)aniline were determined by isothermal thermogravimetry using the Langmuir equation and by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry for comparison. The used procedure was previously tested using three reference compounds: benzoic acid, succinic acid and salicylic acid. The results compared to those reported in literature show an excellent agreement for two of the three compounds while the third agrees quite well. For (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetonitrile and (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)aniline, the extrapolation of data at 298.15 K were obtained, respectively: Δ_subH°(298 K)={(106±4) and (101±4)} kJ mol^–1. From Clausius Clapeyron equation obtained after the determination of the vaporization constant α′, the following standard sublimation entropies for (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetonitrile and (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)aniline equal to Δ_subS°(298 K)=(251 and 237) J K^–1 mol^–1, respectively, were derived, with an error of ±4 J K^–1 mol^–1 equal for the studied herbicides.     

Flow injection spectrofluorimetric determination of iron(III) in water using salicylic acid

A simple and fast flow injection fluorescence quenching method for the determination of iron in water has been developed. Fluorimetric determination is based on the measurement of the quenching effect of iron on salicylic acid fluorescence. An emission peak of salicylic acid in aqueous solution occurs at 409 nm with excitation at 299 nm. The carrier solution used was 2 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ salicylic acid in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ NH₄⁺/NH₃ buffer solution at pH 8.5. Linear calibration was obtained for 5–100 μg L⁻¹ iron(III) and the relative standard deviation was 1.25 % (n = 5) for a 20 μL injection volume iron(III). The limit of detection was 0.3 μg L⁻¹ and the sampling rate was 60 h⁻¹. The effect of interferences from various metals and anions commonly present in water was also studied. The method was successfully applied to the determination of low levels of iron in real samples (river, sea, and spring waters).     

Heat capacities and thermodynamic properties of 2-benzoylpyridine (C12H9NO)

The heat capacities of 2-benzoylpyridine were measured with an automated adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature range from 80 to 340 K. The melting point, molar enthalpy, Δ_fusH^m, and entropy, Δ_fusS^m, of fusion of this compound were determined to be 316.49±0.04 K, 20.91±0.03 kJ mol^–1 and 66.07±0.05 J mol^–1 K^–1, respectively. The purity of the compound was calculated to be 99.60 mol% by using the fractional melting technique. The thermodynamic functions (H_T–H_298.15) and (S_T–S_298.15) were calculated based on the heat capacity measurements in the temperature range of 80–340 K with an interval of 5 K. The thermal properties of the compound were further investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). From the DSC curve, the temperature corresponding to the maximum evaporation rate, the molar enthalpy and entropy of evaporation were determined to be 556.3±0.1 K, 51.3±0.2 kJ mol^–1 and 92.2±0.4 J K^–1 mol^–1, respectively, under the experimental conditions.     

A simple solid phase spectrofluorimetric method combined with flow analysis for the rapid determination of salicylamide and salicylic acid in pharmaceutical samples

A new, sensitive and very simple spectrofluorimetric biparameter sensor is described for the determination of salicylamide and/or salicylic acid in pharmaceutical preparations. The method integrates the transitory retention and fluorescence detection of both compounds on Sephadex QAE A-25 resin packed into a conventional flow-through cell. A monochannel manifold with two alternative carriers is used. At pH 2.0 (first carrier) salicylic acid is selectively retained on the solid support and after developing the analytical signal it is desorbed. At pH 11.0 (second carrier) both salicylic acid and salicylamide are simultaneously and transitorily retained on the solid, the analytical signal now corresponding to both analytes. The monochromators were tuned at 260 (excitation) and 415 (emission) nm, respectively. The calibration graph for salicylamide is linear over the range 0.01 to 0.32 μg mL^–1 and for salicylic acid from 0.04 to 1.0 μg mL^–1 in the presence of each other. The relative standard deviation and the sampling frequency for the determination of salicylamide (0.20 μg mL^–1) and salicylic acid (0.50 μg mL^–1) were 1.1% and 35 h^–1, and 0.9% and 45 h^–1, respectively. Good results on application to individual determination or mixture resolution in pharmaceutical samples testify to the usefulness of the proposed sensor. Received: 20 April 1999 / Revised: 7 June 1999 / Accepted: 12 June 1999     

Stabilization of antibodies by haptens

A new, sensitive and very simple spectrofluorimetric biparameter sensor is described for the determination of salicylamide and/or salicylic acid in pharmaceutical preparations. The method integrates the transitory retention and fluorescence detection of both compounds on Sephadex QAE A-25 resin packed into a conventional flow-through cell. A monochannel manifold with two alternative carriers is used. At pH 2.0 (first carrier) salicylic acid is selectively retained on the solid support and after developing the analytical signal it is desorbed. At pH 11.0 (second carrier) both salicylic acid and salicylamide are simultaneously and transitorily retained on the solid, the analytical signal now corresponding to both analytes. The monochromators were tuned at 260 (excitation) and 415 (emission) nm, respectively. The calibration graph for salicylamide is linear over the range 0.01 to 0.32 μg mL^–1 and for salicylic acid from 0.04 to 1.0 μg mL^–1 in the presence of each other. The relative standard deviation and the sampling frequency for the determination of salicylamide (0.20 μg mL^–1) and salicylic acid (0.50 μg mL^–1) were 1.1% and 35 h^–1, and 0.9% and 45 h^–1, respectively. Good results on application to individual determination or mixture resolution in pharmaceutical samples testify to the usefulness of the proposed sensor. Received: 20 April 1999 / Revised: 7 June 1999 / Accepted: 12 June 1999     

Simultaneous LC–MS Quantification of 15 Lignans in Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. Fruit

For the first time a simple, rapid, and specific liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric (LC–MS) method for simultaneous quantification of 15 lignans from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. fruit has been developed and fully validated. Samples were ultrasonically extracted with methanol. Chromatographic separation was performed on a C₁₈ column with methanol–0.1% aqueous acetic acid 72:28 (v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min⁻¹; the run time was 40 min. The analytes were monitored by selected ion monitoring (SIM) with electrospray ionization (ESI). Fifteen regression equations revealed good linear relationships (r ² > 0.99) between peak area and concentration. Within-batch and between-batch precision of the method for the 15 lignans was <9.5% and accuracy was 93.1–107.5%. The validated method was successfully used to determine the 15 compounds in the fruits of Schisandra chinensis procured from different regions of China. The results indicated the method could be used for quality control of Schisandra chinensis fruit and might also useful for further studies of lignans.     

On the sol–gel preparation of different tungstates and molybdates

The preparation and characterization of the M′–M′′–O nitrate–tartrate (M′ = Ca, Ba, Gd and M′ = W, Mo) precursor gels synthesized by simple, inexpensive, and environmentally benign aqueous sol–gel method is reported. The obtained gels were studied by thermal (TG/DSC) analysis. TG/DSC measurements revealed the possible decomposition pathway of synthesized M′–M′′–O nitrate–tartrate gels. For the synthesis of different metal tungstates and molybdates, the precursor gels were calcined at different temperatures (650, 800, and 900 °C). According to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis data, the crystalline compounds CaMo_1-x W _x O₄ doped with Ce³⁺ ions, BaMo_1-x W _x O₄ doped with Eu³⁺ ions and Gd₂Mo₃O₁₂ were obtained from nitrate–tartrate gels annealed at 650–900 °C temperatures. The XRD data confirmed that the fully crystalline single-phase powellite, scheelite, or Gd₂(MoO₄)₃ structures were formed already at 650 °C. Therefore, the suggested sol–gel method based on the complexation of metal ions with tartaric acid is suitable for the preparation of mixed tungstates–molybdates at relatively low temperature in comparison with solid-state synthesis.     

Synthesis,structural and thermal characterization of metaphosphatecobalt(II) salt

A new inorganically template metaphosphate of Co(II) complex has been synthesized and characterized by different measurements such as DSC, FT-IR, C–H–N–O–S, ESR, TG-DTA and X-RD. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) elucidated negative specific heat of the system and has used to evaluate some thermo dynamical constants like activation energy (E _a), frequency factor (A), enthalpy and entropy of that system. The specific heat capacity of the system is measured both in atmospheric O₂ and N₂ atmosphere at different heating rates of 278, 283, 293 and 298 K min⁻¹ in room atmosphere and 288 K min⁻¹ in N₂ atmosphere.     

Heat capacity and heat content of BiNb<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>14</Subscript>

The heat capacity and the heat content of bismuth niobate BiNb₅O₁₄ were measured by the relaxation time method, DSC and drop method, respectively. The temperature dependence of heat capacity in the form C _pm=455.84+0.06016T–7.7342·10⁶/T ² (J K^–1 mol^–1) was derived by the least squares method from the experimental data. Furthermore, the standard molar entropy at 298.15 K S _m=397.17 J K^–1 mol^–1 was derived from the low temperature heat capacity measurement.     

Thiocarbamoylation of amine-containing compounds

Thiocarbamoylation of 5-aminosalicylic acid with tetramethylthiuram disulfide afforded 5-(N′,N′-dimethylthioureido)salicyclic acid. Treatment of the latter with mineral acids or Ac₂O gave 5-isothiocyanatosalicylic acid whose reaction with ethanolamine yielded 5-[N′-(2-hydroxyethyl)thioureido]salicylic acid. The latter underwent cyclization under the action of TsOH to form 5-(2-thiazolin-2-ylamino)salicylic acid. For Part 2, see Ref. 1. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2315–2318, December, 1999.     

Thermal dependence of Raman descriptors of ceramides. Part II: effect of chains lengths and head group structures

The outermost layer of the mammalian skin, the stratum corneum (SC), represents the main skin barrier. The SC lipids have a very exceptional composition, as the main lipid classes are ceramides (CER), long-chain fatty acids and cholesterol. Information on the function of each CER subclass and on the relation between CER lipid organisation and composition is of great importance to unravel the mechanism controlling the skin barrier function. Raman spectroscopy has been increasingly used for the study of intra- and inter-molecular structures of long-chain lipid compounds. In this study, we employed Raman spectroscopy to evaluate the effect of (1) the chain length and (2) the polar head architecture on the conformational order and organisational behaviour of CERs. The relation between the structure and the stability of the organisation was studied by monitoring the thermotropic response of each CER in the temperature range between 25 and 95 °C. This work enabled the determination of a correlation between the gauche/trans ratio in the νCC region and the state of the lateral packing. Moreover, it was shown that –OH groups in the α position of the fatty acids reduce the stability while long alkyl chains reinforces the intra- and inter-chains order.     

Effect of Buffer Species on the Complexation of Basic Drug Terfenadine with β-Cyclodextrin

The complexation of terfenadine (Terf) with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) in solution and solid state has been investigated by phase solubility diagram (PSD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXD) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR). The PSD results indicated that the salt saturation with the buffer counter ion (citrate⁻², H₂PO₄⁻¹ and Cl⁻¹ ions) of Terf (pK _a = 9.5) and the hydrophobic effect play in tandem to increase the value of the complex formation constant (K₁₁) measured at different conditions of pH, ionic strength, buffer type and buffer concentration. The correlation of the free energy of complex formation (ΔG₁₁) with the free energy of inherent solubility of Terf (ΔG_So) obtained by changing the pH, ionic strength and buffer concentration was used to measure the contribution of the hydrophobic effect (desolvation) to complex formation. The hydrophobic effect was found to constitute 57.8% of the driving force for complex stability, while other factors including specific interactions contribute −13.4 kJ/mol. ¹H-NMR spectra of Terf–citrate and Terf–HCl salts gave identical chemical shift displacements (ΔΔ) upon complexation, thus indicating that the counter anions are positioned somewhere outside of the β-CD cavity. DSC, XRPD and ¹H-NMR proved the formation of solid Terf/acid/β-CD ternary complexes.     

Thermal analysis of lipids isolated from various tissues of sheep fats

The physical–chemical properties and fatty acid composition of sheep subcutaneous, tallow, intestinal, and tail fats were determined. Sheep fat types contained C_16:0, C_18:0, and C_18:1 as the major components of fatty acid composition (19.56–23.40, 20.77–29.50, 32.07–38.30%, respectively). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study revealed that two characteristic peaks were detected in both crystallization and melting curves. Major peaks (T _peak) of tallow and intestinal fats were similar and determined as 31.25–24.69 and 7.44–3.90 °C, respectively, for crystallization peaks and 15.36–13.44 and 45.98–44.60 °C, respectively, for melting peaks in DSC curves; but those of tail fat (18.29 and −2.13 °C for crystallization peaks and 6.56 and 33.46 °C for melting peaks) differed remarkably from those of other fat types.     

Interaction of Stratum Corneum Components With Benzalkonium Chloride. Isothermal titration calorimetric study

The interactions of benzalkonium chloride (BC)with components of stratum corneum, a model system of intercellular lipids in human stratum corneum and homogenized rat stratum corneum were characterized in terms of thermodynamics at pH 7.5 and 37°C. BC was strongly bound to cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate with higher affinities (10⁵~10⁶ M^-1) than to any other components of the stratum corneum by hydrophobic interaction and ionic interaction, respectively. BC binding to the model system of intercellular lipids significantly decreased only in the absence of cholesterol. It is indicated that cholesterol and its derivatives play an important role in the penetration and/or accumulation of BC in stratum corneum. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dioxovanadium(V) Complexes Incorporating Tridentate ONO Donor Hydrazone Ligands Derived from Acetylhydrazide and 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde/2-hydroxyacetophenone. Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity

Reaction of VOSO₄ with the tridentate ONO donor ligand derived from the condensation of acetylhydrazide with either 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (H₂L¹) or 2-hydroxyacetophenone (H₂L²) (general abbreviation H₂L) in an equimolar ratio in the presence of two equivalents of sodium acetate in aqueous-methanolic medium in air produces yellow dioxovanadium(V) complexes of the type, [V^vO₂(H⁺-L)], (1) and (2) in good yield. Aerial oxygen is most likely the oxidant (for the oxidation of V^IV→V^V) assisted by the ligand basicity. Complexes are characterized by elemental analyses and by i.r., n.m.r. and u.v.–vis. spectroscopies. I.r. spectra of the complexes indicate the tridentate dinegative forms of the ligands. The ¹H-n.m.r. spectrum of (2) in CD₃CN solvent indicates the presence of a strongly deshielded N–H proton. Conductivity measurements in DMF solution indicate that the complexes are non-electrolytic and so the H⁺ ion is strongly bonded probably with the uncoordinated imine-N nitrogen of the coordinated Schiff base moiety. Both complexes exhibit only the LMCT band in the u.v. region in MeOH and they are electroactive, displaying an irreversible reduction peak near −0.35 V versus s.c.e. in methanol solution. Methanol solutions of the complexes are reversibly reduced by ascorbic acid to the corresponding V^IV analogue as is evident from their u.v.–vis. spectra. The CH₂Cl₂ suspension of these complexes (1) and (2) reacts separately with 8-hydroxyquinoline (Hhq) in air to produce the mixed-ligand complexes of the type [V^vO(L)(hq)].     

FUNCTIONS OF LIPIDS ON HUMAN SKIN

In order to clarify the roles of lipids in the water-holding property of stratum corneum, the forearm skin of healthy male volunteers was treated with acetone/ether (1/1) or sodium dodecyl sulfate (5%) for 1-30 min. A prolonged treatment period of 5-30 min produced a chapped and scaly appearance of the stratum corneum without any inflammatory reactions. Under these conditions, there was a marked decrease in the water-holding capacity of the stratum corneum accompanied by a selective loss of stratum corneum lipids such as cholesterol, cholesterol esters, and sphingolipids. Two daily applications of the isolated stratum corneum lipids to experimentally induced dry skins caused a significant increase of conductance, accompanied by a marked improvement in the level of scaling. Meanwhile, the isolated sebaceous lipids exhibited no significant recovery in both the conductance value and the scaling. Out of chroma-tographically separated fractions of the stratum corneum lipids, topical applications of ceramide fraction induced the highest increase in the conductance value. Topical applications of synthesized pseudo-ceramides also showed a significant recovery of the water-retaining properties accompanied by an improvement in the scaling only when the polar group has an amide bond in the major linkage. Analysis of the alkyl chain structures has revealed that a structural requirement for the recovery of the water retaining capacity is the presence of saturated-straight alkyl chains, not unsaturated or branched alkyl chains. These structural characteristics required for water-retaining function also paralleled their capacity to form multiconcentric lamellae vesicles in vitro which is also capable of acquiring bound water as shown by DSC thermograms. The present study suggests that ceramides with relatively shorter alkyl chain length serve as a water modulator in the multi-lipid bilayers through the stratum corneum.     

Phase equilibria in binary subsystems of urea–biuret–water system

Joint results of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) experiments were the basis for the fusion enthalpy and temperature determination of the biuret (NH₂CO)₂NH (synthesis by-product of the urea fertilizer (NH₂)₂CO). Recommended values are Δ_m H = (26.1 ± 0.5) kJ mol⁻¹, T _m = (473.8 ± 0.4) K. The DSC method allowed for the phase diagrams of “water–biuret,” “water–urea,” “urea–biuret” binary systems to be studied; as a result, liquidus and solidus curves were precisely defined. Stoichiometry and decomposition temperature of the biuret hydrate identified, composition of the compound in “urea–biuret” system was suggested.     

Crystallization and melting behaviour of poly(m-xylene adipamide)

The melting and crystallisation behaviour of poly(m-xylene adipamide) (MXD6) are investigated by using the conventional DSC, X-ray diffraction and polarised light microscopy. Triple, double or single melting endotherms are obtained in subsequent heating scan for the samples after isothermal crystallisation from the melt state at different temperatures. The lowest melting peak can be ascribed to the melting of secondary crystals. The melting of primary crystals causes the medium melting peak and the highest melting peak is attributed to the melting of recrystallised species formed during heating. Following the Hoffman–Weeks theory, the equilibrium melting temperature is equal to 250°C and the equilibrium melting enthalpy ΔH _m ⁰ to 175 J g^–1. Then, using the Lauritzen–Hoffmann theory of secondary crystallisation, the analyse of the spherulitic growth shows that the temperature of transition between the growing regimes II and III is equal to 176°C. Finally the Gibbs-Thomson relationship allows the determination of the distribution function of crystalline lamellae.