Proanthocyanidin glycosides from the leaves of Quercus ilex L. (Fagaceae)

From the polar extracts of the leaves of Quercus ilex L., two new proanthocyanidin glycosides, namely afzelechin-(4α→8)-catechin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (1) and afzelechin-(4α→8)-catechin-3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside (2), were isolated in addition to catechin (3), proanthocyanidin B₃ (4), prodelphinidin C (5), dehydrodicatechin A (6), quercetin (7) and six known flavonol glucosides with their acylated derivatives (8-13) and ellagic acid (14). The structures of all isolated compounds were established by spectroscopic means, mainly 1D and 2D NMR, as well as LC/MS and HR-MS spectrometric analyses. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by CD measurements. The proanthocyanidin glycosides are especially interesting, as they possess the sugar in the upper unit of the dimer, which is rare for this type of compounds.     

A new lignan and a new sesquiterpene from Eurotia ceratoides (L.)

A new lignan, rayalinol (1) and a new sesquiterpene kairatene (2) were isolated from Eurotia ceratoides (L.) along with four hitherto unreported syringaresinol, dehydrodiconiferyl aldehyde, dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol, and dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol and two previously reported constituents ferulic acid and β-sitosterol. The structures of the new constituents were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic means and chemical evidences. Rayalinol is a biogenetically interesting compound with a hitherto unreported 9a homolignane skeleton. Its biosynthetic origin is suggested.     

Fingerprint quality control of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with discriminant analysis

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed in the fingerprint analysis of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. A chromatographic profile of A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels from the Dingxi District of Gansu province, China, was established as the characteristic fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of employing chromatographic fingerprint combined with discriminant analysis were investigated and demonstrated for the evaluation of A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels for the first time. Our results showed that the chromatographic fingerprint combining with discriminant analysis can efficiently distinguish A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels from various areas.     

Microsensor in vivo monitoring of oxidative burst in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) leaves infected by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Oxidative burst is the rapid and transient production of large amounts of reactive oxygen species, including superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and hydroxyl radical. A rapid and simple technique was employed for in vivo detection of oxidative burst in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) leaves, using a modified electrode. Platinum (Pt) micro-particles were dispersed on a Pt electrode, coated with a poly (o-phenylenediamine) film. This exhibited high sensitivity, selectivity and stability in H₂O₂ detection. Amperometry was used to obtain satisfactory linear relationships between reductive current intensities and H₂O₂ concentrations at −0.1 V potential in different electrolytes. This electrode was used in vivo to detect oxidative burst in oilseed rape following fungal infection. Oxidative bursts induced by infection of the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary exhibited notably different mechanisms between a susceptible and a resistant glucose oxidase-transgenic genotype.     

Synthesis of photoaffinity probe based on the leaf-opening factor from genus Albizzia

The circadian rhythmic leaf-movements in legumes, called nyctinasty, are regulated by a pair of leaf-closing and -opening factors. Recent fluorescence studies revealed that cis-p-coumaroylagmatine (1), the leaf-opening factor from genus Albizzia, specifically bound to motor cells in a joint of leaf and stem. In order to identify the receptor protein, which is expected to be involved in the plasma membrane of the cell, we designed and synthesized a photoaffinity probe (2), containing a photoreactive azide group on the aromatic ring and FLAG segment as a peptide antigen for immunoprecipitation.     

Engineering of pha operon on Cupriavidus necator chromosome for efficient biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) from vegetable oil

Cupriavidus necator H16C_Ac, previously constructed for production of poly((R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] from soybean oil, was further engineered aiming to increase 3HHx composition in the copolyester. PHA synthase gene derived from Aeromonas caviae on the H16C_Ac chromosome was replaced by a gene encoding the N149S/D171G mutant and this recombination enhanced PHA productivity as well as slightly increased 3HHx composition. Manipulation of phaA_Cn locus partially reduced the amount of 3HB unit concomitantly with relative increase of 3HHx composition, whereas deletion of phaB1_Cn resulted in drastic decline of 3HB unit in P(3HB-co-3HHx). Insertion of phaJ_Ac encoding (R)-specific enoyl-CoA hydratase from A. caviae into pha operon significantly enlarged 3HHx fraction without negative effects on the cell growth and polyester accumulation. Consequently, efficient production of P(3HB-co-3HHx) with 3HHx composition of 5.7-9.9 mol% was successfully achieved from soybean oil by the engineered strains.     

An advanced multivariate approach for processing X-ray fluorescence spectral and hyperspectral data from non-invasive in situ analyses on painted surfaces

In the last decades, in situ non-invasive analytical techniques have been widely used for the analysis of paintings. These techniques are useful to extensively map the surface in a non-invasive way, in order to identify the most representative areas to be sampled. When spectroscopic investigations, such as X ray fluorescence (XRF), are conducted, they usually imply the acquisition of a huge amount of measurements. Subsequently, all these data should be processed in situ, in order to immediately support the sampling strategies. To this aim, an appropriate and fast strategy for multivariate treatment of XRF spectral and hyperspectral data sets is presented, able to account for inter-correlation among variables, which is an issue of high importance for elemental analyses. The main advantage of the approach is that XRF spectral profiles are analysed directly, without computation of derived parameters, by means of principal component analysis (PCA). This procedure allows a fast interpretation of results that can be accomplished in situ. Particular attention was paid to the selection of proper spectral pre-treatments to be applied on data together with the use of several chemometric tools (peak alignment, spectra normalisation and exploratory analysis) aimed at improving the interpretation of XRF results. In addition, the application of multivariate exploratory analysis on XRF hyperspectral maps was studied by using an interactive brushing procedure. The multivariate approach was validated on data obtained from the analysis of the famous Renaissance panel painting “The Ideal City”, exhibited in Palazzo Ducale of Urbino, Italy.     

‘Total fluorine’ analysis of seed of Australian Gastrolobium spp. showing temporal, spatial and morphological variation

Alkali-fusion in conjunction with a fluoride selective electrode were used to quantify ‘total fluorine’, being organic fluorine + inorganic fluoride, for the seed of 13 species of Gastrolobium from south-west Western Australia. Intact seed covering spatial and temporal distributions, as well as G. bilobum, G. calycinum and G. parviflorum seed dissected into cotyledons and testa + aril, were analysed. Analysis found significant intra-and inter-species variation, both temporally and spatially, with intact seed concentrations ranging from 1.6 ± 0.3 mg kg⁻¹ in G. spinosum from Mundaring to 1063.9 ± 77.8 mg kg⁻¹ for G. cuneatum from Torbay. Approximately 87% of the ‘total fluorine’ was found to be in the seed cotyledons. Additional analysis detected little inorganic fluoride, indicating the majority of fluorine in the seed is organically bound. Parent compound(s) of the fluorine, seed toxicity and the implications of the results for seed chemical defense are discussed.     

Profiling food volatiles by comprehensive two-dimensional ga schromatography coupled with mass spectrometry: Advanced fingerprinting approaches for comparative analysis of the volatile fraction of roasted hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) from different origins

This study examined how advanced fingerprinting methods (i.e., non-targeted methods) provide reliable and specific information about groups of samples based on their component distribution on the GC × GC chromatographic plane. The volatile fractions of roasted hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) from nine different geographical origins, comparably roasted for desirable flavor and texture, were sampled by headspace-solid phase micro extraction (HS-SPME) and then analyzed by GC × GC-qMS. The resulting patterns were processed by: (a) “chromatographic fingerprinting”, i.e., a pattern recognition procedure based on retention-time criteria, where peaks correspondences were established through a comprehensive peak pattern covering the chromatographic plane; and (b) “comprehensive template matching” with reliable peak matching, where peak correspondences were constrained by retention time and MS fragmentation pattern similarity criteria. Fingerprinting results showed how the discrimination potential of GC × GC can be increased by including in sample comparisons and correlations all the detected components and, in addition, provide reliable results in a comparative analysis by locating compounds with a significant role. Results were completed by a chemical speciation of volatiles and sample profiling was extended to known markers whose distribution can be correlated to sensory properties, geographical origin, or the effect of thermal treatment on different classes of compounds. The comprehensive approach for data interpretation here proposed may be useful to assess product specificity and quality, through measurable parameters strictly and consistently correlated to sensory properties and origin.     

Biotransformation of (+)-(1R,2S)-fenchol by the larvae of common cutworm (Spodoptera litura)

Biotransformation of (+)-(1R,2S)-fenchol by the larvae of Spodoptera litura was carried out. Substrate was converted to three new terpenoids, (+)-(1R,2S)-10-hydroxyfenchol, (+)-(1R,2R,3S)-8-hydroxyfenchol and (−)-(1S,2S,6S)-6-exo-hydroxyfenchol, and one known terpenoid, (−)-(1R,2R,3R)-9-hydroxyfenchol. These structures were established by NMR, IR, specific rotation and mass spectral studies.     

Structures of new phenylphenalene-related compounds from Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)

Two new compounds identified as methyl derivatives of phenyl naphthalenedicarboxylic acid and phenyl naphthalenecarboxylic acid linked to a phenylphenalene unit were isolated from the extract of Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth). The structures have been determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, mainly using 2D NMR techniques.     

Absolute stereostructure of Andirolides A-G from the flower of Carapa guianensis (Meliaceae)

A new gedunin, three new mexicanolides and three new phragmalin-type limonoids named Andirolides A (1), B (2), C (3), D (4), E (5), F (6), and G (7) were isolated from oil of the flower of Carapa guianensis Aublet (Meliaceae). Their absolute stereostructures were determined by 2D NMR and CD spectra, and single-crystal X-ray analysis, and all compounds were confirmed to have the C-17βH configuration. Considering the similarity in CD spectra between Andirolide G (7) and the xyloccensins reported by Wu, we concluded that the structures of xyloccensins should be revised so as to have the absolute configuration of 17R.     

Crystal Structure of Pseudorhombohedral InFe1−xTixO3+x/2 (x=2/3)

The structure of pseudorhombohedral-type InFe_1−xTi_xO_3−x/2 (x=2/3) was refined by Rietveld profile fitting. The crystal is a commensurate member of a series in a solution range on InFeO₃-In₂Ti₂O₇ including incommensurate structures. The structure with the unit cell of a=5.9188(1), b=10.1112(2), and c=6.3896(1) Å, β=108.018(2)°, and a space group P2₁/a is the alternate stacking of an edge-shared InO₆ octahedral layer and an Fe/Ti-O plane along c^*. Metal sites on the Fe/Ti-O plane are surrounded by four oxygen atoms on the Fe/Ti-O plane and two axial ones. Electric conductivities of the order 10⁻⁴ S/cm were observed for the samples at 1000 K, while the oxide ion transport number is almost zero as no electromotive force was detected by an oxygen concentration cell.     

Quality control and discrimination of pericarpium citri reticulatae and pericarpium citri reticulatae viride based on high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprints and multivariate statistical analysis

High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) fingerprints of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (PCR) and Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride (PCRV) were firstly measured for deliberately collected 39 authentic samples and 21 commercial samples. Both correlation coefficients of similarity for chromatograms and absolute peak areas of characteristic compounds were calculated for quantitative expression of the HPLC fingerprints. After principal component analysis (PCA) successfully distinguished the ‘mixed peels’ samples from authentic samples, partial least squares-linear discrimination analysis (PLS-LDA) was then effectively applied to class separation between authentic PCR and PCRV. Furthermore, the unequivocally determined compounds, hesperidin, nobiletin and tangeretin, were screened out by loadings plots of PCA and PLS-LDA. The results indicated that they could be used as chemical markers for discrimination among different groups of samples. The proposed method shows an efficient strategy for quality control of PCR and PCRV, which cannot only distinguish the ‘mixed peels’ but also discriminate authentic PCR and PCRV. This method has potential perspective for quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).     

A Novel Boron-Rich Scandium Borocarbide; Sc4.5−xB57−y+zC3.5−z(x=0.27, y=1.1, z=0.2)

A novel ternary boron-rich scandium borocarbide Sc_4.5−xB_57−y+zC_3.5−z (x=0.27, y=1.1, z=0.2) was found. Single crystals were obtained by the floating zone method by adding a small amount of Si. Single-crystal structure analysis revealed that the compound has an orthorhombic structure with lattice constants of a=1.73040(6), b=1.60738(6) and c=1.44829(6) nm and space group Pbam (No. 55). The crystal composition ScB_13.3C_0.78Si_0.008 calculated from the structure analysis agreed with the measured composition of ScB_12.9C_0.72Si_0.004. The orthorhombic crystal structure is a new structure type of boron-rich borides and there are six structurally independent B₁₂ icosahedra I1—I6, one B₈/B₉ polyhedron and nine bridging sites all which interconnect each other to form a three-dimensional boron framework. The main structural feature of the boron framework structure can be understood as a layer structure where two kinds of boron icosahedron network layer L1 and L2 stack each other along the c-axis. There are seven structurally independent Sc sites in the open spaces between the boron icosahedron network layers.     

Construction of a novel molecularly imprinted sensor for the determination of O,O-dimethyl-(2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetoxyl)(3′-nitrophenyl)methinephosphonate

A novel voltammetric sensor for O,O-dimethyl-(2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetoxyl)(3′-nitrophenyl)methinephosphonate (Phi-NO₂) based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film electrode is constructed by using sol-gel technology. The sensor responds linearly to Phi-NO₂ over the concentration range of 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ and the detection limit is 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). This sensor provides an efficient way for eliminating interferences from coexisting substances in the solution. The high sensitivity, selectivity and stability of the sensor demonstrates its practical application for a simple and rapid determination of Phi-NO₂ in cabbage samples.     

Trypanocidal labdane diterpenoids from the seeds of Aframomum aulacocarpos (Zingiberaceae)

Two novel labdane type diterpenoids, 8β(17)-epoxy-14,15,16-trihydroxylabd-12(E)-ene (aulacocarpin C) and 15,16-epoxy-14ξ,16ξ-dimethoxylabda-8(17),12-(E)-diene (aulacocarpin D) together with the known aulacocarpin A and B; 14,15-epoxy-8(17),12(E)-labdadien-16-al, coronarin E, and 15,16-epoxy-12β-hydroxy-labda-8(17)-13(16),14-triene were isolated from the seeds of Aframomum aulacocarpos. To the best of our knowledge, the last compound was isolated from a natural source for the first time. Acid hydrolysis of aulacocarpin D led to another new labdane type diterpenoid, 15,16-epoxy-12β-methoxylabda-8(17)-13(16),14-triene. The structures of all compounds were established on the basis of their spectroscopic data. These new compounds exhibit moderate trypanocidal activity.     

Structural and spectroscopic characteristics of two new dibenzylbutane type lignans from Taxus baccata L.

Chromatographic separation of chloroform extracts of the heartwood of Taxus baccata L. has yielded two new dibenzylbutane type lignans, together with a known lignan. Their structures were established as 3′-demethylisolariciresinol-9′-hydroxy isopropylether (1) and 3-demethylisolariciresinol (2) and isolariciresinol (3) on the basis of 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 were identified as new lignans of isolariciresinol derivatives. Compound 1 is the first lignan with a hydroxyisopropyl group at C-9′. Molecular mechanic calculations of these compounds were carried out by using mm3 program. Furthermore, the conformations of these three compounds were computed with the semi-empirical molecular orbital methods AM1 and PM3 by using X-ray crystal structure results of similar compounds. So, three-dimensional, the most probable structure of these compounds were obtained, compared and discussed.     

Two novel yellow pigments natronochrome and chloronatronochrome from the natrono(alkali)philic sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Thialkalivibrio versutus strain ALJ 15

Two novel membrane-bound yellow pigments natronochrome (1) and chloronatronochrome (2) were isolated from the obligately chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing natrono(alkali)philic bacterium Thialkalivibrio versutus strain ALJ 15. They were derivatives of fully unsaturated fatty acids with a phenyl group, and their structures were determined by spectral data.     

Salmonella typhi determination using voltammetric amplification of nanoparticles: A highly sensitive strategy for metalloimmunoassay based on a copper-enhanced gold label

A highly sensitive electrochemical amplification immunoassay for Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) determination has been developed for the first time by using a copper-enhanced gold nanoparticle label coupled with anodic stripping voltammetry. Monoclonal antibodies for S. typhi were first immobilized on polystyrene microwells and then captured by S. typhi bacteria. After an immunoreaction occurred, a polyclonal, antibody-colloidal gold conjugate was added to bind to the S. typhi bacteria. Next, a copper-enhancer solution containing ascorbic acid and copper (II) sulfate was added into the polystyrene microwells. The ascorbic acid was employed to reduce the copper (II) ions to copper (0), which was subsequently deposited onto the gold nanoparticle tags. After the copper was dissolved in nitric acid, the released copper ions were detected by anodic stripping voltammetry. The amount of deposited copper was related to the amount of gold nanoparticle tag present, which was controlled by the amount S. typhi attached to the polyclonal antibody-colloidal gold conjugate. Therefore, the anodic stripping peak current was linearly dependent on the S. typhi concentration over concentration range of 1.30 × 10² cfu/mL to 2.6 × 10³ cfu/mL in a logarithmic plot, with a detection limit as low as 98.9 cfu/mL. The influences of the relevant experimental variables, such as the concentration of copper and the reaction time of S. typhi with antibody, were investigated. We also successfully applied this method to determine the presence of S. typhi in human serum. Our results are a step towards developing more sensitive and reliable nanoparticle immunoassays.