Unusual fatty acids in compositae: γ-Linolenic acid in Saussurea spp. seed oils

The plant family Compositae is known to produce a set of unusual fattly acids in their seed oil. Saussurea, a genus of the Compositae is less studied in respect to the fatty acid compsition of their seed oil. Only Saussurea candicans was reported to contain crepenynic acid (33%) as seed oil component. In continuation of our exploration of the portential of wild oil seeds, fatty acids in seed oils of seven Saussurea species (S. amara, S. salicifolia, S. lipschitzii, S. pseudoalpina, S. pricei, S. parviflora, and S. dorogostaiskii) growing in Mongolia a were investigated by means of capillary GLC on capiallary columns of different selectivity (Silar 5 CP and BPX 70). γ-Linolenic acid was found at levels up to 11% of the consitituent fatty acids of Saussurea spp. seed oils. This is the first time that γ-Linolenic acid has been found in members of the plant family Compositae. Moreover, the number, position and configuration of the double bonds in γ-linolenic acid and that of other fatty acids was additionally confirmed by silver ion thin layer chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The occurence and distribution of γ-linolenic acid, which has found considerable interest for pharmaceutical and dietary use, may be of chemotaxonomical significance in the plant family Compositae.     

Capillary GLC fatty acid fingerprints of seed lipids—a tool in plant chemotaxonomy?

The fatty acid composition of the seed lipids of plants, in contrast to leaf lipids, may contain highly specific unusual fatty acids, which are often correlated to plant family. For example, petroselinic acid is typical for the Apiacea family, cyclopropene fatty acids are typical for the Malvaceae family, and cyclopentene-ring containing fatty acids for the Flacourtiaceae family. Other fatty acids may be characteristic for certain sub-families or only for certain species of plants within a family or genus. γ-Linolenic acid, Δ5–18:3 and Δ5–20:3 fatty acids and others may occur in several plant families, but are still linked to certain related species only. They can be analyzed by high-resolution capillary GLC. Particularly interesting is the situation in the family Ranunculaceae. GLC fingerprints of fatty acids are shown that may indicate a closer or less close relationship between species within this family.     

Photoinduced hydrogen abstraction‐coupling reaction mechanism of Δ5‐steroids with substituted 1, 4‐benzoquinones via electron transfer pathways

The photochemical reaction between three A⁵‐steroids (1–3) and a series of substituted 1,4‐benzoquinones and their mechanistic study were reported. The reaction in nitrogen atmosphere led to the formation of three products including the steroid‐quinone coupling compound (A), 7‐hydroxy derivatives of Δ⁵‐steroids (B) and substituted 1, 4‐hydroquinone (C). Both chemical and spectrometric evidences such as UV‐Visible spectra, ESR, chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) verified that the title reaction underwent a predominant photoinduced electron transfer pathway via the triplet quinone.     

Studies on the metabolism of the Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol precursor Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (Δ9‐THCA‐A) in rat using LC‐MS/MS,LC‐QTOF MS and GC‐MS techniques

In Cannabis sativa, Δ9‐Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid‐A (Δ9‐THCA‐A) is the non‐psychoactive precursor of Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‐THC). In fresh plant material, about 90% of the total Δ9‐THC is available as Δ9‐THCA‐A. When heated (smoked or baked), Δ9‐THCA‐A is only partially converted to Δ9‐THC and therefore, Δ9‐THCA‐A can be detected in serum and urine of cannabis consumers. The aim of the presented study was to identify the metabolites of Δ9‐THCA‐A and to examine particularly whether oral intake of Δ9‐THCA‐A leads to in vivo formation of Δ9‐THC in a rat model. After oral application of pure Δ9‐THCA‐A to rats (15 mg/kg body mass), urine samples were collected and metabolites were isolated and identified by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS), liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) and high resolution LC‐MS using time of flight‐mass spectrometry (TOF‐MS) for accurate mass measurement. For detection of Δ9‐THC and its metabolites, urine extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The identified metabolites show that Δ9‐THCA‐A undergoes a hydroxylation in position 11 to 11‐hydroxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinolic acid‐A (11‐OH‐Δ9‐THCA‐A), which is further oxidized via the intermediate aldehyde 11‐oxo‐Δ9‐THCA‐A to 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinolic acid‐A (Δ9‐THCA‐A‐COOH). Glucuronides of the parent compound and both main metabolites were identified in the rat urine as well. Furthermore, Δ9‐THCA‐A undergoes hydroxylation in position 8 to 8‐alpha‐ and 8‐beta‐hydroxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinolic acid‐A, respectively, (8α‐Hydroxy‐Δ9‐THCA‐A and 8β‐Hydroxy‐Δ9‐THCA‐A, respectively) followed by dehydration. Both monohydroxylated metabolites were further oxidized to their bishydroxylated forms. Several glucuronidation conjugates of these metabolites were identified. In vivo conversion of Δ9‐THCA‐A to Δ9‐THC was not observed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous determination of seven phenolic acids in three Salvia species by capillary zone electrophoresis with β‐cyclodextrin as modifier

A capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed for the simultaneous determination of seven phenolic acids, including protocatechuic aldehyde ( 1 ), salvianolic acid C ( 2 ), rosmarinic acid ( 3 ), salvianolic acid A ( 4 ), danshensu ( 5 ), salvianolic acid B ( 6 ), and protocatechuic acid ( 7 ), in Danshen and related medicinal plants. A running buffer composed of 20 mM sodium tetraborate adjusted to pH 9.0, and containing 12 mM β‐cyclodextrin as modifier. Baseline separation was achieved within 17 min running at the voltage of 20 kV, temperature of 25°C and detection wavelength of 280 nm. The relative standard deviations of migration time ranged from 0.2 to 0.7% and the peak area ranged from 1.5 to 3.7% for the seven analytes, indicating the good repeatability of the proposed method. The method was extensively validated by evaluating the linearity (R² ≥ 0.9992), limits of detection (0.14–0.36 μg/mL), limits of quantification (0.47–1.19 μg/mL), and recovery (96.0–102.6%). Under the optimum conditions, samples of Danshen and related medicinal plants were analyzed using the developed method with high separation efficiency.     

Interplay between Metal⋅⋅⋅π Interactions and Hydrogen Bonds: Some Unusual Synergetic Effects of Coinage Metals and Substituents

The ternary systems of C₂H₄ (C₂H₂ or C₆H₆)‐MCN‐HF (M=Cu, Ag, Au) and the respective binary systems were investigated to study the interplay between metal???π interactions and hydrogen bonds. The metal???π interactions in C₂H₄‐MCN become stronger with the irregular order Ag<Cu<Au, while the hydrogen bonds in MCN‐HF become weaker following the same order. The metal???π interactions are weakened as the H atoms in the π system are replaced with electron‐withdrawing groups and enhanced by electron‐donating groups. Type 1 of these ternary systems, in which MCN acts as Lewis base and acid simultaneously, is more stable than type 2, in which C₂H₄ acts as a double Lewis base. Negative cooperativity is present in type 2 ternary systems with a weakening of the metal???π interactions and the hydrogen bonds. Positive cooperativity is found in type 1 ternary systems with an enhancement of the metal???π interactions and the hydrogen bonds, except for C₂(CN)₄‐AuCN‐HF‐1. The weaker metal???π interaction in C₆H₆‐AuCN has a greater enhancing effect on the hydrogen bond in AuCN‐HF than those in C₂H₄‐AuCN and C₂H₂‐AuCN. These synergetic effects were analyzed with the natural bond orbital and energy decomposition.     

Determination of inosine 5′-monophosphate and guanosine 5′-monophosphate in pig feed by capillary zone electrophoresis

A capillary zone clectrophoresis method was developed for the determination of IMP and GIMP, commonly used as flavor enhancers in poultry feed, in a real sample of complex composition. A baseline separation of inosine 5′-monophosphate and guanosine 5′-monophosphate was achieved within 10 min and the other components in the sample did not interfere with the separation. Quantitative results obtained from pig feed samples are presented. The separation conditions and experimental reproducibility are also discussed.     

HPLC-APCI-MS法分析测定白刺籽油中游离脂肪酸

利用荧光衍生试剂1,2-苯并-3,4-二氢咔唑-9-乙基对甲苯磺酸酯(BDETS)作为脂肪酸柱前衍生化试剂,采用梯度洗脱在Eclipse XDB-C8色谱柱上对游离脂肪酸(FFA)(油酸、亚油酸、软脂酸和硬脂酸)衍生物进行分离.利用柱后在线的串联质谱以大气压化学电离源(APCI)正离子模式实现了各组分的质谱定性.荧光检测的激发和发射波长分别为λex=333 nm,λem=390 nm.脂肪酸的线性回归系数大于0.9990,检出限为3.38～6.59 nmol/L.建立的方法具有良好的重现性.利用此方法对超临界CO2提取的唐古特白刺籽油中几种游离脂肪酸进行了分析.结果表明白刺籽油中含有大量的游离不饱和脂肪酸.     

Production of glycerides from glycerol and fatty acids by native lipase ofNigella sativa seed

The possible application of native lipase ofNigella sativa seed in the esterification of fatty acids to glycerol was investigated, and the effect of process parameters and the enzyme selectivity on the reaction were determined. For this aim, the esterification of oleic acid, sunflower oil fatty acids, and coco oil fatty acids with glycerol were studied.     

Synthesis of Racemic Δ3‐2‐Hydroxybakuchiol and Its Analogues

The first synthetic approach to (±)‐Δ³‐2‐hydroxybakuchiol (=4‐[(1E,5E)‐3‐ethenyl‐7‐hydroxy‐3,7‐dimethylocta‐1,5‐dien‐1‐yl]phenol; 14 ) and its analogues 13a – 13f was developed by 12 steps (Schemes 2 and 3). The key features of the approach are the construction of the quaternary C‐center bearing the ethenyl group by a Johnson–Claisen rearrangement (→ 6 ); and of an (E)‐alkenyl iodide via a Takai–Utimoto reaction (→ 11 ); and an arylation via a Negishi cross‐coupling reaction (→ 12e – 12f ).     

Preparative and scaled‐up separation of high‐purity α‐linolenic acid from perilla seed oil by conventional and pH‐zone refining counter current chromatography

α‐Linolenic acid is an essential omega‐3 fatty acid needed for human health. However, the isolation of high‐purity α‐linolenic acid from plant resources is challenging. The preparative separation methods of α‐linolenic acid by both conventional and pH‐zone refining counter current chromatography were firstly established in this work. The successful separation of α‐linolenic acid by conventional counter current chromatography was achieved by the optimized solvent system n‐heptane/methanol/ water/acetic acid (10:9:1:0.04, v/v), producing 466 mg of 98.98% α‐linolenic acid from 900 mg free fatty acid sample prepared from perilla seed oil with linoleic acid and oleic acid as by‐products. The scaled‐up separation in 45× is efficient without loss of resolution and extension of separation time. The separation of α‐linolenic acid by pH‐zone refining counter current chromatography was also satisfactory by the solvent system n‐hexane/methanol/water (10:5:5, v/v) and the optimized concentration of trifluoroacetic acid 30 mM and NH₄OH 10 mM. The separation can be scaled up in 180× producing 9676.7 mg of 92.79% α‐linolenic acid from 18 000 mg free fatty acid sample. pH‐zone refining counter current chromatography exhibits a great advantage over conventional counter current chromatography with 20× sample loading capacity on the same column.     

Observation of CH⋅⋅⋅π Interactions between Methyl and Carbonyl Groups in Proteins

Protein structure and function is dependent on myriad noncovalent interactions. Direct detection and characterization of these weak interactions in large biomolecules, such as proteins, is experimentally challenging. Herein, we report the first observation and measurement of long‐range “through‐space” scalar couplings between methyl and backbone carbonyl groups in proteins. These J couplings are indicative of the presence of noncovalent C−H⋅⋅⋅π hydrogen‐bond‐like interactions involving the amide π network. Experimentally detected scalar couplings were corroborated by a natural bond orbital analysis, which revealed the orbital nature of the interaction and the origins of the through‐space J couplings. The experimental observation of this type of CH⋅⋅⋅π interaction adds a new dimension to the study of protein structure, function, and dynamics by NMR spectroscopy.     

Construction of Hetero‐Four‐Layered Tripalladium(II) Cyclophanes by Transannular π⋅⋅⋅π Interactions

A synthetic strategy for the generation of new molecular species utilizing a provision of nature is presented. Nano‐dimensional (23(2)×21(1)×16(1) ų) hetero‐four‐layered trimetallacyclophanes were constructed by proof‐of‐concept experiments that utilize a suitable combination of π???π interactions between the central aromatic rings, tailor‐made short/long spacer tridentate donors, and the combined helicity. The behavior of the unprecedented four‐layered metallacyclophane system offers a landmark in the development of new molecular systems.     

Quantification of deformed peaks in capillary gas chromatography (CGC): application to simultaneous analysis of free fatty acids and less polar compounds in aqueous distillery effluent

The purpose of this study was to find a simple and rapid method allowing the simultaneous quantification of some alcoholic fermentation inhibitors present in aqueous distillery effluent in order to evaluate its recycling properties. A capillary gas chromatography (CGC) method was tested for the quantification of both short chain fatty acids (acetic to hexanoic) and neutral compounds (butane 2,3-diol, 2-furaldehyde, phenyl-2-ethane1-ol). A polyvalent column coated with ^®trifluoro-propyl-polysiloxane, allowing water injection, was tested and experiments were performed directly on untreated samples. During the development of the method, a deformation of acid peaks was observed; that could be explained by a secondary equilibrium, added to the chromatographic equilibrium. Although the acid peaks were deformed, calibration curves were produced and rigorously validated, proving that quantification is possible even when the best chromatographic conditions have not been achieved. Eventually, the method enabled the concentration of eight major fermentation inhibitors in distillery effluent to be measured.     

Determination of free fatty acids in milk and cheese procedures for extraction,clean up,and capillary gas chromatographic analysis

A rapid, reliable and precise capillary gas chromatographic method for routine quantification of short- and long-chain free fatty acids (FFA) in milk and cheese is described. Procedures of (1) lipid extraction, (2) isolation of the FFA from milk and cheese extracts, and (3) capillary gas chromatographic analysis were developed and optimized. FFA can be extracted from cheese for 95–100% with ether-heptane after grinding with sodium sulfate and addition of 2.5 M sulfuric acid. From milk, 95–100 % of the FFA (≤ C8:0) are also extracted with ether-heptane after addition of ethanol and 2.5 M sulfuric acid. Internal standards are used to compensate for the losses of lower FFA (C2:0–C8:0) in the aqueous phase. In view of the excellent recovery (98–100 %) and a considerable saving of time, the use of an aminopropyl column is preferred for the isolation of the FFA from lipid-extracts. The underivatized FFA are separated directly by capillary gas chromatography making use of columns which enable accurate and rapid (≤ 40 min) determination of FFA C2:0–C20:0. With the method described, all major FFA (C2:0–C18:3) in milk and cheese can be quantified with good repeatability (rsd less then 2 %). The method is also applicable to the analysis of short-chain fatty acids in other products.     

Phosphoryl group differentiating α‐amino acids from β‐ and γ‐amino acids in prebiotic peptide formation

In recent years β‐amino acids have increased their importance enormously in defining secondary structures of β‐peptides. Interest in β‐amino acids raises the question: Why and how did nature choose α‐amino acids for the central role in life? In this article we present experimental results of MS and ³¹P NMR methods on the chemical behavior of N‐phosphorylated α‐alanine, β‐alanine, and γ‐amino butyric acid in different solvents. N‐Phosphoryl α‐alanine can self‐assemble to N‐phosphopeptides either in water or in organic solvents, while no assembly was observed for β‐ or γ‐amino acids. An intramolecular carboxylic–phosphoric mixed anhydride (IMCPA) is the key structure responsible for their chemical behaviors. Relative energies and solvent effects of three isomers of IMCPA derived from α‐alanine (2a–c), with five‐membered ring, and five isomers of IMCPA derived from β‐alanine (4a–e), with six‐membered ring, were calculated with density functional theory at the B3LYP/6‐31G** level. The lower relative energy (3.2 kcal/mol in water) of 2b and lower energy barrier for its formation (16.7 kcal/mol in water) are responsible for the peptide formation from N‐phosphoryl α‐alanine. Both experimental and theoretical studies indicate that the structural difference among α‐, β‐, and γ‐amino acids can be recognized by formation of IMCPA after N‐phosphorylation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 94: 232–241, 2003