Interaction of antimicrobial arginine-based cationic surfactants with liposomes and lipid monolayers

The present work examines the relationship between the antimicrobial activity of novel arginine-based cationic surfactants and the physicochemical process involved in the perturbation of the cell membrane. To this end, the interaction of these surfactants with two biomembrane models, namely, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) multilamellar lipid vesicles (MLVs) and monolayers of DPPC, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] sodium salt (DPPG), and Escherichia coli total lipid extract, was investigated. For the sake of comparison, this study included two commercial antimicrobial agents, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and chlorhexidine dihydrochloride. Changes in the thermotropic phase transition parameters of DPPC MLVs in the presence of the compounds were studied by differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The results show that variations in both the transition temperature (Tm) and the transition width at half-height of the heat absorption peak (deltaT1/2) were consistent with the antimicrobial activity of the compounds. Penetration kinetics and compression isotherm studies performed with DPPC, DPPG, and E. coli total lipid extract monolayers indicated that both steric hindrance effects and electrostatic forces explained the antimicrobial agent-lipid interaction. Overall, in DPPC monolayers single-chain surfactants had the highest penetration capacity, whereas gemini surfactants were the most active in DPPG systems. The compression isotherms showed an expansion of the monolayers compared with that of pure lipids, indicating an insertion of the compounds into the lipid molecules. Owing to their cationic character, they are incorporated better into the negatively charged DPPG than into zwitterionic DPPC lipid monolayers.     

Solubilization of negatively charged DPPC/DPPG liposomes by bile salts

The interactions of the bile salts sodium cholate (NaC) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) in 0.1 M NaCl (pH 7.4) with membranes composed of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) and mixtures of DPPC and DPPG at molar ratios of 3:1 and 1:1 were studied by means of high-sensitivity isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The partition coefficients and the transfer enthalpies for the incorporation of bile salt molecules into the phospholipid membranes were determined by ITC. The vesicle-to-micelle transition was investigated by ITC, DLS, and DSC. The phase boundaries for the saturation of the vesicles and their complete solubilization established by ITC were in general agreement with DLS data, but systematic differences could be seen due to the difference in detected physical quantities. Electrostatic repulsion effects between the negatively charged bile salt molecules and the negatively charged membrane surfaces are not limiting factors for the vesicle-to-micelle transition. The membrane packing constraints of the phospholipid molecules and the associated spontaneous curvature of the vesicles play the dominant role. DPPG vesicles are transformed by the bile salts into mixed micelles more easily or similarly compared to DPPC vesicles. The saturation of mixed DPPC/DPPG vesicles requires less bile salt, but to induce the solubilization of the liposomes, significantly higher amounts of bile salt are needed compared to the concentrations required for the solubilization of the pure phospholipid systems. The different solubilization behavior of DPPC/DPPG liposomes compared to the pure liposomes could be due to a specific "extraction" of DPPG into the mixed micelles in the coexistence region.     

Thermodynamic and structural characterization of a mixed perfluorocarbon-phospholipid ternary monolayer surfactant system

Pulmonary lung surfactant is a mixture of surfactants that reduces surface tension during respiration. Perfluorinated surfactants have potential applications for artificial lung surfactant formulations, but the interactions that exist between these compounds and phospholipids in surfactant monolayer mixtures are poorly understood. We report here, for the first time, a detailed thermodynamic and structural characterization of a minimal pulmonary lung surfactant model system that is based on a ternary phospholipid-perfluorocarbon mixture. Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of binary and ternary mixtures of the surfactants 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DPPG) and perfluorooctadecanoic acid (C18F) have been studied in terms of miscibility, elasticity and film structure. The extent of surfactant miscibility and elasticity has been evaluated via Gibbs excess free energies of mixing and isothermal compressibilities. Film structure has been studied by a combination of atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Combined thermodynamic and microscopy data indicate that the ternary monolayer films were fully miscible, with the mixed films being more stable than their pure individual components alone, and that film compressibility is minimally improved by the addition of perfluorocarbons to the phospholipids. The importance of these results is discussed in context of these mixtures' potential applications in pulmonary lung surfactant formulations.     

Influence of lipidation of GBV-C/HGV NS3 (513-522) and (505-514) peptide sequences on its interaction with mono and bilayers

Two decapeptide fragments of the non-structural hepatitis G NS3 protein (GBV-C/HGV), 513-522 (RGRTGRGRSG) and 505-514 (SAELSMQRRG), as well as their palmitoylated derivatives were synthesized. The physico-chemical properties of the peptides were analyzed in both the absence and presence of the zwitterionic 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), the negative 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] (DPPG) and the positive 1,2-dioeloyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) lipid monolayers. Based on their high hydrophilic properties, neither parent peptide presented surface activity and their incorporation into lipid monolayers was low. In contrast, their palmitoylated derivatives showed concentration-dependent surface activity and could be inserted into lipid monolayers to varying degrees depending on their sequence. Compression isotherms showed that the presence of palmitoylated peptides in the subphase resulted in a molecular arrangement less condensed than that corresponding to the pure phospholipid. In concordance with the monolayer results, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that the parent peptides did not have any effect on the thermograms, while the palmitoylated derivatives affected the thermotropic properties of DPPC bilayers.     

Immobilization of phospholipid-avidin on fused-silica capillaries for chiral separation in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

Phospholipid-coated fused-silica capillaries with immobilized avidin were applied in the chiral separation of D,L-tryptophan, D,L-PTH-serine, and D,L-PTH-threonine at pH 7.4 by open-tubular CEC. Liposomes prepared from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(Cap biotinyl), or 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(Biotinyl) with different amounts of phosphatidylserine were assessed as phospholipid coating materials. The stability of the coating and the success of the coating procedure were evaluated in terms of the repeatability of the enantiomer migration times and the resolution of enantiomers. The coating procedure itself significantly affected the migration times and resolution of the enantiomers. Reliable chiral separations with high separation efficiencies were achieved through careful choice of the coating method.     

Interaction of the meso-tetrakis (4-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrin with gel and liquid state phospholipid vesicles

The interaction of the cationic meso-tetrakis 4-N-methylpyridyl porphyrin (TMPyP) with large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) was investigated in the present study. LUVs were formed by mixtures of the zwitterionic 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and anionic 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DPPG) phospholipids, at different DPPG molar percentages. All investigations were carried out above (50 °C) and below (25 °C) the main phase transition temperature of the LUVs (~41 °C). The binding constant values, K(b), estimated from the time-resolved fluorescence study, showed a significant increase of the porphyrin affinity at higher mol% DPPG. This affinity is markedly increased when the LUVs are in the liquid crystalline state. For both situations, the increase of the K(b) value was also followed by a higher porphyrin fraction bound to the LUVs. The displacement of the vesicle-bound porphyrins toward the aqueous medium, upon titration with the salt potassium chloride (KCl), was also studied. Altogether, our steady-state and frequency-domain fluorescence quenching data results indicate that the TMPyP is preferentially located at the LUVs Stern layer. This is supported by the zeta potential studies, where a partial neutralization of the LUVs surface charge, upon porphyrin titration, was observed. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results showed that, for some phospholipid systems, this partial neutralization leads to the LUVs flocculation.     

Preliminary results for 2‐D separation with high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography and pressurized planar electrochromatography

Preliminary results of 2‐D separation of test dye mixture using high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography (HPTLC) and pressurized planar electrochromatography (PPEC) are demonstrated. The advantage of 2‐D HPTLC/PPEC separation is based on different separation selectivities obtained in both HPTLC and PPEC systems. HPTLC RP18 W plates of 5×20 cm from Merck were used in the investigations. In the first dimension, a HPTLC process was performed using 5 cm length of the plate and in the second dimension PPEC separation was obtained applying plate of 20 cm length. PPEC process followed prewetting the chromatographic plate with sample zones on it, which were partly separated after first dimensional (HPTLC) separation. In the experiments, the modified version of PPEC device for 20 cm long chromatographic plate and the reservoir for prewetting the adsorbent layer were applied.     

巨型囊泡的侧向相分离与出芽

用电形成法制备含三组分二油酰磷脂酰胆碱(DOPC)/二棕榈酰磷脂酰胆碱(DPPC)/胆固醇(Chol)的巨型囊泡, 以TR-DPPE为荧光染色剂, 在荧光显微镜下直接观察膜的侧向相分离与微区相凸起出芽的耦合. 发现囊泡膜内的相分离具有诱导期, 相分离速度很快, 形成的微相区在整个囊泡球面上均衡分布. 各微相区的出芽不是同时进行, 为逐个随机发生. 每次出芽的时间小于0.5 s. 分相与出芽的耦合使球面上的不同微区之间不会相互融合成更大的微区.     

Application of a new chiral derivatizing agent to the enantioseparation of secondary amino acids

A new chiral derivatizing agent, (S)-N-(4-nitrophenoxycarbonyl)phenylalanine methoxyethyl ester, (S)-NIFE, was applied for the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers of 19 unnatural secondary amino acids: proline, pipecolic acid analogues, piperazine-2-carboxylic acid, morpholine-3-carboxylic acid, thiomorpholine-3-carboxylic acid and analogues containing the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronorharmane, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-carboline and 2-benzazepine skeletons. Excellent resolutions were achieved for most of the investigated compounds by using a reversed-phase mobile phase system. The conditions of separation were optimized by variation of the mobile phase composition.     

Effect of polymer chain length on membrane perturbation activity of cationic phenylene ethynylene oligomers and polymers

The interactions of poly(phenylene ethynylene)- (PPE-) based cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) and oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s (OPEs) with different model lipid membrane systems were investigated to gain insight into the relationship between molecular structure and membrane perturbation ability. The CPE and OPE compounds exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and cell walls and membranes are believed to be their main targets. To better understand how the size, in terms of the number of repeat units, of the CPEs and OPEs affects their membrane disruption activities, a series of PPE-based CPEs and OPEs were synthesized and studied. A number of photophysical techniques were used to investigate the interactions of CPEs and OPEs with model membranes, including unilamellar vesicles and lipid monolayers at the air/water interface. CPE- or OPE-induced dye leakage from vesicles reveals that the CPEs and OPEs selectively perturb model bacterial membranes and that their membrane perturbation abilities are highly dependent on molecular size. Consistent with dye-leakage assay results, the CPEs and OPEs also exhibit chain-length-dependent ability to insert into 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (DPPG) monolayers. Our results suggest that, for PPE-based CPE and OPE antimicrobials, chain length can be tuned to optimize their membrane perturbation ability.     

Multiple orientation of melittin inside a single lipid bilayer determined by combined vibrational spectroscopic studies

Despite the availability of several mature structure determination techniques for bulk proteins, determination of structural and orientational information of interfacial proteins, e.g., in cell membranes or on biomaterial surfaces, remains a difficult problem. We combine sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) to investigate the orientation of alpha-helical peptides reconstituted in substrate supported lipid bilayers. Melittin was chosen as a model for alpha-helical peptides, and its orientation when interacting with a supported 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DPPG) bilayer has been examined. Through polarization analysis using amide I signals obtained from both SFG and ATR-FTIR measurements, the orientation distribution of melittin inside a DPPG bilayer was deduced using several trial distribution functions. Melittin was modeled as either an ideal helix or a helix with a bent structure. It was found that a simple distribution function such as a delta-distribution or a Gaussian distribution was not adequate to describe the melittin orientation distribution inside a DPPG bilayer. Instead, two populations of melittin, corresponding to two melittin-bilayer association states, could be used to interpret the experimentally observed result. The method employed in this study demonstrates the feasibility of acquiring a more accurate orientation distribution of peptides/proteins in situ using a combination of vibrational spectroscopic techniques without exogenous labeling.     

Validated HPTLC method for simultaneous estimation of levofloxacin hemihydrate and ornidazole in pharmaceutical dosage form

A simple, rapid, and accurate high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method is described for the simultaneous determination of levofloxacin hemihydrate and ornidazole in tablet dosage form. The method is based on the HPTLC separation of the two drugs followed by densitometric measurements of their spots at 298 nm. The separation is carried out on Merck TLC aluminium sheets of silica gel 60 F254 using n-butanol-methanol-ammonia (5:1:1.5, v/v/v) as mobile phase. The linearity is found to be in the range of 50-250 and 100-500 ng/spot for levofloxacin hemihydrate and ornidazole, respectively. The method is successively applied to pharmaceutical formulation because no chromatographic interferences from the tablet excipients are found. The suitability of this HPTLC method for the quantitative determination of the compounds is proved by validation in accordance with the requirements laid down by International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines.     

Lipid binding interactions of antimicrobial plant seed defence proteins: puroindoline-a and β-purothionin

The indolines and thionins are basic, amphiphilic and cysteine-rich proteins found in cereals; puroindoline-a (Pin-a) and β-purothionin (β-Pth) are members of these families in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Pin-a and β-Pth have been suggested to play a significant role in seed defence against microbial pathogens, making the interaction of these proteins with model bacterial membranes an area of potential interest. We have examined the binding of these proteins to lipid monolayers composed of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (DPPG) using a combination of neutron reflectometry, Brewster angle microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that both Pin-a and β-Pth interact strongly with condensed phase DPPG monolayers, but the degree of penetration was different. β-Pth was shown to penetrate the lipid acyl chain region of the monolayer and remove lipids from the air/liquid interface during the adsorption process, suggesting this protein may be able to both form membrane spanning ion channels and remove membrane phospholipids in its lytic activity. Conversely, Pin-a was shown to interact mainly with the head-group region of the condensed phase DPPG monolayer and form a 33 ? thick layer below the lipid film. The differences between the interfacial structures formed by these two proteins may be related to the differing composition of the Pin-a and β-Pth hydrophobic regions.     

Chromatographic Separation on Silica of Polar Aromatic Compounds II) Research of the Best Chromatographic System by Different Preloading in Thin Layer for a Transposition on Column

Abstract

A high performance thin layer chromatographic method for aromatic compounds separation with absorbant deactivation has been given in the precedent work. Our aim was to transpose the results obtain from HPTLC to HPLC. The two types of results were then related by a transposition coefficient, K_tR which interprets the geometrical variations of the two chromatographic methods. The values obtained for K_tR represent fairly well the linear relation between the retentions in thin layer chromatography and those in column chromatography. We have thus desmontrated the possibility of modifying adsorbent activity in the same manner in thin layer as in column chromatography by the fixation of chemical compounds, thus allowing the separation of relatively polar compounds.     

Separation and quantification of terpenoids of Boswellia serrata Roxb. extract by planar chromatography techniques (TLC and AMD)

An high-performance TLC (HPTLC) method for the separation of boswellic acids, the active constituents in Boswellia serrata extract, has been developed and TLC of these compounds on silica by automated multiple development (AMD) using solvent gradients was performed. Enhancement of the separation of boswellic acids on HPTLC plates was carried out by AMD chromatography. Densitometric analysis of the developed plate was carried out to quantify the four boswellic acids. 11-Keto-beta-boswellic acid (KBA) and acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA) were quantified by densitometric scanning of the developed plate at 254 nm. beta-Boswellic acid (BA) and acetyl-beta-boswellic acid (ABA) were quantified after derivatization with anisaldehyde sulfuric acid reagent at 560 nm. The AMD system provided a clean separation according to polarity for each of the four groups studied and good results were obtained. The proposed HPTLC method for the simultaneous quantification of the major boswellic acids BA, ABA, KBA, and AKBA was found to be simple, precise, specific, sensitive, and accurate and can be used for routine quality control and for the quantification of these compounds in plant materials. The study of market products revealed significant variations in the content of these pharmacologically active compounds in commercial samples.     

Using a differential refractive index detector as a pressure transducer for online viscometry in exclusion chromatography

A macrocyclic glycopeptide, ristocetin A, was used as chiral stationary phase for the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers of 28 unnatural amino acids, such as analogues of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, and analogues containing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, tetraline or 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-carboline skeletons. Excellent resolutions were achieved for most of the investigated compounds by using reversed-phase or a new polar-organic mobile phase system. The conditions of separation were optimized by variation of the mobile phase composition, temperature and flow-rate.     

鞘氨醇与DPPC, DPPE单层膜的热力学特性及形态观察

鞘氨醇(sphingosine)是生物体内合成鞘脂的母体化合物, 是生物膜中的重要组分之一. 通过分析表面压力和平均分子面积(π-A)等温线数据分别研究了鞘氨醇与二棕榈酰基磷脂酰胆碱(DPPC)和二棕榈酰基磷脂酰乙醇胺(DPPE)二元组分单层膜的热力学特性, 并在恒定膜压下制备不同摩尔比例的混合脂膜用原子力显微镜进行观测. 实验结果表明: (1)鞘氨醇与DPPC组成的系统中, XD-Sph＝0.2, 0.4, 0.6时, 过量分子面积与过量吉布斯自由能在所研究的表面压力下表现为负值, 而当XD-Sph＝0.8时, 表现为正值; (2)鞘氨醇与DPPE组成的系统中, 当表面压力 π＜25 mN•m－1时, 过量分子面积与过量吉布斯自由能在所研究的组分比例下表现为负值, 当π≥25 mN•m－1时为正值. 混合单层膜的分子面积与表面吉布斯自由能决定了分子间的相互作用, 当为负值时分子间相互作用表现为吸引力, 出现凝聚现象; 为正值时分子间相互作用表现为排斥力, 促使单层膜出现相分离现象. 过量吉布斯自由能值越小, 单层膜的热稳定性越高. 弹性系数曲线分析和AFM图片观测进一步验证了理论分析的结果.     

Tritium isotope effect in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of dopamine and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid

A tritium isotope effect has been demonstrated in the high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of dopamine and its acidic metabolite dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. The chromatographic system consisted of tributyl-n-phosphate, bound to a ChromSpher C8 column, as stationary phase, and a citrate buffer, containing the ion-pairing agent perchlorate, as the mobile phase. For detection we used continuous electrochemical monitoring (for the total amount of solutes) and discontinuous liquid scintillation counting (for radiolabelled molecules) of the column effluent. [3H]Dopamine and [3H]dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were biosynthesized by incubation of homogenates of striatal tissue from rat brains with 3H-labelled L-tyrosine. The tritium-labelled compounds were eluted before the corresponding unlabelled analogues. The capacity factor reduction increased with the number of tritium atoms incorporated in the molecules: for single, double and triple tritium-labelled dopamine the separation factors amounted to 1.015, 1.028 and 1.033, respectively. No isotope separation was observed for 7-14C-labelled dopamine and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. The isotope effect observed is ascribed to a decrease in lipophilicity following tritium substitution for hydrogen.     

Miniaturized HPTLC of Vitamin B12 Compounds in Foods

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is a separation technique commonly used to identify and quantify compounds in chemical mixtures. Preliminary experiments indicated that Lichrospher silica gel 60 F254s HPTLC sheets were the most suitable for analyzing vitamin B₁₂ compounds. This study revealed the advantages of miniaturized Lichrospher HPTLC for analyzing authentic vitamin B₁₂ compounds as short migration distances (5 cm) and short development times (<45 min) in combination with high separation efficiency and sensitivity (>25 pmol at 254 nm). The practicability of using miniaturized HPTLC was demonstrated by the separation and identification of vitamin B₁₂ compounds purified from foods using an immunoaffinity column.     

Ethylene Glycol as New Mobile Phase for Resolution of Two-Component Mixture of Cationic Surfactants on Alumina Surface

Aqueous ethylene glycol (ethane 1,2 diol) as a green mobile phase has been used for thin layer chromatographic (TLC) studies of cationic surfactants on alumina layers. Nineteen solvent systems were used to examine the mobility of the surfactants and to discover the best TLC system for the selective separation of dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) from multi-component mixture of other surfactants. Among the TLC systems studied, M₃ (ethylene glycol: water, 8:2) was best for achieving the selective separation of DTAB from multi-component mixture of other surfactants because in this mobile phase mobility of all surfactants except DTAB were insignificant. Effect of organic additives in aqueous ethylene glycol mobile phase on the mobility of surfactants was examined. The results obtained on laboratory made alumina TLC plates and commercially available precoated alumina HPTLC plates were compared. The lower limits of detection of DTAB, CPC, CTAB, HDTAC, and TTAB were 0.02, 0.05, 0.04, 0.06, or 0.08 µg per zone respectively. The resolution of mixture of cationic surfactants was also examined in the presence metal cations as an impurity in the analyzed sample.