The investigation of thermodynamic parameters of kinetic reaction between o-phenylenediamine and gold (III)

A visible spectrophotometric method has been developed for the reaction kinetics of o-phenylenediamine in the presence of gold (III). The method is based on the measurement of the absorbance of the reaction o-phenylenediamine and gold (III). Optimum conditions for the reaction were established as pH 6 at λ = 466 nm.When the reaction kinetic of o-phenylenediamine by gold (III) was investigated, it was observed that the following rate formula was found as ln (A/A₀) = −kt, according to absorbance measurements. The activation energy E_a and Arrhenius constant A were calculated from the Arrhenius equation as 1.009 kJ · mol⁻¹ and 3.46 · 10⁻² s⁻¹, respectively. Other activation thermodynamic parameters, entropy, ΔS (J · mol⁻¹ · K⁻¹), enthalpy, ΔH (kJ · mol⁻¹), Gibbs free energy, ΔG (kJ · mol⁻¹) and equilibrium constant, K_e were calculated at T = (283.2, 303.2, 323.2, and 343.2) K. The study was exothermic due to the decrease of entropy and was a non-spontaneous process during activation.     

Combined effect of γ-irradiation and bacterial-fermented dextrose on microbiological quality of refrigerated pork sausages

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a concentrated fermented dextrose (FD), a natural antimicrobial product, combined with low dose γ-irradiation (1.5 kGy) on the microbiological quality of fresh pork sausages. Fresh pork sausages containing the FD (0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75%) were prepared in a meat pilot plant and were irradiated using a UC-15A irradiator equipped with a ⁶⁰Cobalt source. The γ-irradiation treatment alone was able to reduce the initial psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria by more than 2 log CFU/g and kept the lactobacillus population under the detection limit (100 CFU/g). Results also showed that the FD alone was able to extend the shelf life of the sausages from 5 days up to 13 days. At day 13, the FD or irradiation alone showed 2 log CFU/g less mesophilic bacteria than the control. After combining FD and irradiation another reduction of the microbial count of 1 log CFU/g was observed. When combining the irradiation treatment with the FD results it showed a reduced growth rate of the psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria compared to both treatments alone. This study demonstrated that FD with low dose gamma irradiation act in synergy to reduce the multiplication of the total bacterial flora in fresh sausages.     

Determination of the iodine value and the free fatty acid content of waste animal fat blends using FT-NIR

This study determined iodine value (IV) and free fatty acids (FFA) content of four different animal fat wastes and their blends using Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR). Chemometric analysis by partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to correlate spectral data with IV and FFA reference values of the samples. The effects of four spectra pre-processing (first derivative (FD), second derivative (SD), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and vector normalization (VN)) methods were investigated to predict the reproducibility and robustness of the PLS-NIR model developed. A set of 70% of animal fat wastes and their blends were used for developing PLS calibration models for measuring IV and FFA content using the remaining 30% samples as an independent test set validation. The coefficient of determination (R²), the root mean square error estimation (RMSEE), and the residual prediction deviation (RPD) were used as indicators for the predictability of the PLS models. PLS-NIR models developed using first derivative and second derivative spectral preprocessing methods were the best for both IV and FFA content analysis (For IV, FD; R² = 0.9870, RMSEE = 1.40 gI₂/100 g, RPD = 8.76, SD; R² = 0.9892, RMSEE = 1.28 gI₂/100 g, RPD = 9.64 while For FFA, FD; R² = 0.9991, RMSEE = 0.195%, RPD = 34.00, SD; R² = 0.9993, RMSEE = 0.182%, RPD = 36.8). Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the suitability of FT-NIR spectroscopy for the quality control analysis of feedstocks for biodiesel production.     

Nanoencapsulation and characterization of Albizia chinensis isolated antioxidant quercitrin on PLA nanoparticles

The plant isolated antioxidant quercitrin has been encapsulated on poly-d,l-lactide (PLA) nanoparticles by solvent evaporation method to improve the solubility, permeability and stability of this molecule. The size of quercitrin-PLA nanoparticles is 250 ± 68 nm whereas that PLA nanoparticles is 195 ± 55 nm. The encapsulation efficiency of nanoencapsulated quercitrin evaluated by HPLC and antioxidant assay is 40%. The in vitro release kinetics of quercitrin under physiological condition reveals initial burst release followed by sustained release. Less fluorescence quenching is observed with equimolar concentration of PLA encapsulated quercitrin than free quercitrin. The presence of quercitrin specific peaks on FTIR of five times washed quercitrin loaded PLA nanoparticles provides an extra evidence for the encapsulation of quercitrin into PLA nanoparticles. These properties of quercitrin nanomedicine provide a new potential for the use of such less useful highly active antioxidant molecule towards the development of better therapeutic for intestinal anti-inflammatory effect and nutraceutical compounds.     

Conductivity and fluorescence studies on the micellization properties of sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate in aqueous medium at different temperatures: Effect of selected amino acids

In order to add to the existing knowledge of aqueous solution behavior of bile salts in presence of amino acids, the micellization properties of sodium cholate (NaC) (1 to 20) mmol · kg⁻¹, and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) (0.5 to 10) mmol · kg⁻¹ in 0.1 mol · kg⁻¹ aqueous solution of glycine, leucine, methionine, and histidine have been investigated at different temperatures (293.15 to 318.15) K at intervals of T = 5 K by using conductivity and fluorescence probe studies. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values have been determined and elucidated in terms of hydrophobicity as well as hydrophilicity of NaC and NaDC in aqueous solution of these additives. Thermodynamic parameters of micellization viz. standard Gibbs free energy (Δ_micG^o), standard enthalpy (Δ_micH^o), and standard entropy (Δ_micS^o) have also been calculated to extract information regarding the nature of micellization of bile salts in aqueous solutions. The (enthalpy + entropy) compensation plots have been interpreted to the contribution of chemical part towards micellization or stability of the micelle formed.     

Equilibrium solubility of sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate in binary (sodium chloride + water), (sodium sulfate + water), and (ethanol + water) solvent mixtures at temperatures from (278.15 to 323.15) K

The equilibrium solubility of sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate in binary (sodium chloride + water), (sodium sulfate + water), and (ethanol + water) solvent mixtures was measured at elevated temperatures from (278.15 to 323.15) K using a steady-state method. With increasing temperatures, the solubility increases in aqueous solvent mixtures. The results of these results were regressed by a modified Apelblat equation. The dissolution entropy and enthalpy determined using the method of the least-squares and the change of Gibbs free energy calculated with the values of Δ_diffS^o and Δ_diffH^o at T = 278.15 K.     

Synthesis and structures of N,N,O-scorpionatoruthenium(II) complexes featuring “non-innocent” o-benzoquinonediimines

A series of ruthenium(II) complexes bearing redox-active o-benzoquinonediimines (o-bqdi) was synthesized and characterized. Reactions of [RuCl(bdmpza)(η⁴-cod)] (bdmpza = bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)acetato; cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and 1,2-benzenediamines such as o-phenylenediamine (o-pdaH₂), 4,5-difluoro-1,2-benzenediamine (o-pdaF₂), 4,5-dichloro-1,2-benzenediamine (o-pdaCl₂), and 4,5-dimethoxy-1,2-benzenediamine (o-pda(OMe)₂) afforded [RuCl(bdmpza)(o-bqdiX₂)] (X = H, 1; X = F, 2; X = Cl, 3; X = OMe, 4).     

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of nitrite in environmental and biological samples using 4-amino-5-hydroxynaphthalene-2,7-disulphonic acid monosodium salt

A very simple, sensitive, fairly selective and rapid spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of nitrite has been described. This method is based on the diazotized intramolecular coupling of electrophilic diazonium cation with the phenolic group of 4-amino-5-hydroxynaphthalene-2,7-disulphonic acid monosodium salt (AHNDMS) in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 7.5. The cyclic product has a purple color with maximum absorbance at 560 nm and is stable for 6 h. Optimum reaction conditions and other important analytical parameters for the maximum color development were established. Beer's law was found to obey for nitrite in the concentration range of 0.1–1.6 μg ml^?1 with molar absorptivity of 2.6 × 10⁴ l mol^?1 cm^?1 and Sandell's sensitivity of 0.0075 μg ml^?1. The effect of interfering ions on the determination is described. The recommended method was applied for the determination of nitrite in different water, soil and human saliva samples. The performance of the recommended method was evaluated in terms of Student's t-test and variance ratio F-test, which indicated the significance of proposed method over the reference method.     

Kinetic spectrophotometric determination of hyoscine butylbromide in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations

A simple and sensitive kinetic method was described for the determination of hyoscine butylbromide in pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based upon a kinetic investigation of the oxidation reaction of the drug with alkaline potassium permanganate at room temperature for a fixed time of 15 min. The absorbance of the colored manganate ion was measured at 610 nm. The absorbance–concentration plot was rectilinear over the range of 1.0–10 μg mL^?1 (r = 0.9999) and detection limit of 0.092 μg mL^?1. The concentration of hyoscine butylbromide was calculated using the corresponding calibration equation for the fixed-time method. The determination of hyoscine butylbromide by the fixed-concentration and rate constant methods is also feasible with the calibration equations obtained but the fixed-time method has been found to be more applicable. The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of the colors were carefully studied and optimized. The proposed method was applied to the determination of hyoscine butylbromide in pharmaceutical formulations. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using the official British Pharmacopeial method (2004).     

Kinetic spectrophotometric determination of pravastatin in drug formulations via derivatization with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl)

A simple and sensitive kinetic spectrophotometric method for the quantitative analysis of pravastatin sodium (PVS) in pure and pharmaceutical formulations has been described. The method is based on the formation of colored product between PVS and 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) in acetone medium at 55 ± 2 °C. The reaction is followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the increase in absorbance at 462 nm as a function of time. The initial rate and fixed time methods were adopted for constructing the calibration curves. The linearity ranges were found to be 15.0–50.0 and 10.0–70.0 μg mL^?1 for initial rate and fixed time methods, respectively. The limits of detection for initial rate and fixed time methods are 0.029 and 0.086 μg mL^?1, respectively. Both methods have been applied successfully for the estimation of PVS in commercial dosage forms with no interference from the excipients. The results are compared with the HPLC pharmacopoeial method.     

Utilization of oxidation reactions for the spectrophotometric determination of captopril using brominating agents

Three simple, accurate and sensitive methods (A–C) for the spectrophotometric assay of captopril (CPL) in bulk drug, in dosage forms and in the presence of its oxidative degradates have been described. The methods are based on the bromination of captopril with a solution of excess brominating mixture in hydrochloric acid medium. After bromination, the excess brominating mixture is followed by the estimation of surplus bromine by three different reaction schemes. In the first method (A), the determination of the residual bromine is based on its ability to bleach the indigo carmine dye and measuring the absorbance at 610 nm. Method B, involves treating the unreacted bromine with a measured excess of iron(II) and the remaining iron(II) is complexed with 1,10-phenanthroline and the increase in absorbance is measured at 510 nm. In method (C), the surplus bromine is treated with excess of iron(II) and the resulting iron(III) is complexed with thiocyanate and the absorbance is measured at 478 nm. In all the methods, the amount of bromine reacted corresponds to the drug content. The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of the color are carefully studied and optimized. Beer's law is valid within a concentration range of 0.4–6.0, 0.4–2.8 and 1.2–4.8 μg mL^?1 for methods A, B and C, respectively. The calculated apparent molar absorptivity was found to be 5.16 × 10⁴, 9.95 × 10⁴ and 1.74 × 10⁵ L mol^?1 cm^?1, for methods A, B and C, respectively. Sandell's sensitivity, correlation coefficients, detection and quantification limits are also reported. No interference was observed from common additives found in pharmaceutical preparations. The proposed methods are successfully applied to the determination of CPL in the tablet formulations with mean recoveries of 99.94–100.11% and the results were statistically compared with those of a reference method by applying Student's t- and F-test.     

New,simple and validated kinetics spectrophotometric method for determination of moxifloxacine in its pharmaceutical formulations

The objective of this research was to develop a kinetic spectrophotometric method for determination of moxifloxacine (MOXF) in pure form and pharmaceutical formulations. The method was based on the formation of a colored N-vinyl chlorobenzoquinone derivative of MOXF by its reaction with 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone in presence of acetaldehyde.The formation of the colored product was monitored spectrophotometrically by measuring the absorbance at 652 nm. Factors affecting the reaction were studied and optimized. The stoichiometry of the reaction was determined, and the reaction pathway was postulated. The activation energy of the reaction was calculated and found to be 6.65 kJ mol^?1. Under the optimized conditions, the initial rate and fixed time (at 5 min) methods were utilized for constructing the calibration graphs. The graphs were linear in concentration ranges 5–100 and 15–150 μg ml^?1 with limit of detection of 2.0 and 5.0 μg ml^?1 for the initial rate and fixed time methods, respectively. The analytical performance for both methods was fully validated, and the results were satisfactory. No interference was observed from the excipients that are commonly present in the pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of MOXF in its pharmaceutical formulations. The label claim percentages were 101.25 ± 0.73% and 100.92 ± 0.65% for the initial rate and fixed time method, respectively. Statistical comparison of the results with those obtained by a reference spectrophotometric method showed excellent agreement between the accuracy and precision of the two methods. The proposed method has great value in its application to the analysis of MOXF in quality control laboratories.     

The standard molar enthalpy of sublimation ofη5-bis-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl iron measured with an electrically calibrated vacuum-drop sublimation microcalorimetric apparatus

A heat-flow Calvet microcalorimeter was adapted for the measurement of sublimation enthalpies by the vacuum-drop method, with samples of masses in the range 1 mg to 5 mg. The electrically calibrated apparatus was tested by determining the enthalpies of sublimation of benzoic acid and ferrocene, at T =  298.15 K. The obtained results, Δ_cr^gH_m^o(C₇H₆O₂)  =  (88.3  ±  0.5)kJ · mol ^− 1and Δ_cr^gH_m^o(C₁₀H₁₀Fe) =  (73.3  ±  0.1)kJ · mol ^− 1, are in excellent agreement with the corresponding values recommended in the literature. Subsequent application of the apparatus to the determination of the enthalpy of sublimation of η⁵-bis-pentamethylcyclopentadyenyl iron, at T =  298.15 K, led to Δ_cr^gH_m^o(C₂₀H₃₀Fe)  =  (96.8  ±  0.6)kJ · mol ^− 1.     

Adsorption of methyl orange on nanoparticles of a synthetic zeolite NaA/CuO

CuO supported on an NaA zeolite (CuO/NaA) was prepared with an NaA zeolite through the ion-exchange (CuO/NaA) method. The morphology and the physicochemical properties of the prepared samples were investigated by XRD, MEB, and EDS. The various parameters, such as contact time, catalyst dose, initial dye concentration, initial pH, and temperature, influencing the adsorption of methyl orange (MO) were optimized. The MO adsorption equilibrium was reached after 240 min of contact time. Removal of MO is better at neutral pH than in acidic and alkaline solutions. Among the tested models, the equilibrium adsorption data are well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption kinetics is best described by the pseudo-second-order model. The evaluation of the thermodynamic parameters, i.e. ΔG^o, ΔH^o, and ΔS^o, revealed that MO adsorption was spontaneous, while the activation energy (20.98 kJ/mol) indicates a physical adsorption. The photodegradation of MO decreased from 100 mg/L down to 2 mg/L when the solution is exposed to visible light.     

Development of an enzymatic microreactor based on microencapsulated laccase with off-line capillary electrophoresis for measurement of oxidation reactions

Microencapsulation is used here as a new technique to immobilize enzymes in a microreactor coupled off-line to capillary electrophoresis (CE), allowing the determination of enzymatic reaction products. The redox enzyme laccase was encapsulated using the method of interfacial cross-linking of poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI). The 50 μm diameter capsules were slurry packed from a suspension into a capillary-sized reactor made easily and quickly from a short length of 530 μm diameter fused-silica tubing. The volume of the bed of laccase microcapsules in the microreactor was in the order of 1.1 μL through which 50 μL of the substrate o-phenylenediamine (OPD) was flowed. The oxidation product 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP) and the remaining OPD were quantified by CE in a pH 2.5 phosphate buffer. Peak migration time reproducibility was in the order of 0.4% RSD and peak area reproducibility was less than 1.7% RSD within the same day. Using the OPD peak area calibration curve, a conversion efficiency of 48% was achieved for a 2-min oxidation reaction in the microreactor.     

Anti-Cancer Effect of Kaffir Lime (Citrus Hystrix DC) Leaf Extract in Cervical Cancer and Neuroblastoma Cell Lines

Previous study showed that kaffir lime leaf contains alkaloid, flavonoid, terpenoid, tannin and saponin. The objective of this study was to examine the cytotoxic effect of kaffir lime leaf extract on cervical cancer and neuroblastoma cell lines. The method used for this research to determine cell viability was an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results showed that an ethyl acetate extract had an IC50 for HeLa cells, UKF-NB3, IMR-5 and SK-N-AS parental cells of 40.7 μg · mL^–1, 28.4 μg · mL^–1, 14.1 μg · mL^–1, and 25.2 μg · mL^–1 respectively. Furthermore, the IC50 of chloroform extracts for HeLa cells, UKF-NB3, IMR-5 and SK-N-AS parental were 17.6 μg · mL^–1, 18.9 μg · mL^–1, 6.4 μg · mL^–1, and 9.4 μg · mL^–1 respectively. These data showed that kaffir lime extract reduces the viability of cervical and neuroblastoma cell lines and may have potential as anti-cancer compounds.     

Internal standardization in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry: Comparative use of As and Ge to minimize matrix effects on Se determination in milk

Arsenic and germanium have been evaluated as internal standards to minimize matrix effects on the direct determination of selenium in milk by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) using tubes with integrated platform, pre-treated with W together with Pd as chemical modifier. The efficiency of As and Ge as internal standards for 25 μg L^− 1 Se plus 500 μg L^− 1 As or Ge in diluted (1 + 9 v/v) milk plus 1.0% (v/v) HNO₃ was evaluated by means of correlation graphs plotted from the normalized absorbance signals (n = 20) of internal standard (axis y) versus analyte (axis x). The equations that describe the linear regression were: A^As = − 0.004 ± 0.019 + 1.02 ± 0.019 A^Se (r = 0.9967 ± 0.005); A^Ge = − 0.017 ± 0.015 + 1.01 ± 0.015 A^Se (r = 0.9978 ± 0.004). Samples and reference solutions were automatically spiked with 500 μg L^− 1 Ge or As and 1.0% (v/v) HNO₃ by the autosampler. For 20 μL of aqueous standard solutions, analytical curves in the 5.00–40.0 μg L^− 1 Se range were established using the ratio of Se absorbance to internal standard absorbance (A^Se / A^IS) versus analyte concentration, and good linear correlations were obtained. The characteristic mass was 40 pg Se. Limits of detection were 0.55 and 0.40 μg L^− 1 with As and Ge as the internal standard, respectively. Relative standard deviations (RSD) for a sample containing 25 μg L^− 1 Se were 1.2% and 1.0% (n = 12) using As and Ge, respectively. The RSD without internal standardization was about 6%. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by an addition-recovery experiment and all recovered values were in the 99–105% range with IS and in the 70–80% range without IS. Using Ge as the internal standard, results of analysis of standard reference materials were in agreement with certified values at a 95% confidence level. The selenium concentration for 10 analyzed milk samples varied from 5.0 to 20 μg L^− 1.     

Flexible free-standing graphene-silicon composite film for lithium-ion batteries

Flexible, free-standing, paper-like, graphene-silicon composite materials have been synthesized by a simple, one-step, in-situ filtration method. The Si nanoparticles are highly encapsulated in a graphene nanosheet matrix. The electrochemical results show that graphene-Si composite film has much higher discharge capacity beyond 100 cycles (708 mAh g^? 1) than that of the cell with pure graphene (304 mAh g^? 1). The graphene functions as a flexible mechanical support for strain release, offering an efficient electrically conducting channel, while the nanosized silicon provides the high capacity.     

Solubility and dissolution enthalpy of xanthine

At a constant ionic strength corresponding to human urine (I_c =  0.300 mol · dm ^− 3), the solubilities of xanthine were measured as a function of  − lg{c (H ⁺ ) / c^o} (c^o =  1 mol · dm ^− 3) at the temperatures T =  298.15 K and T =  310.15 K, respectively. Highly reproducible solubility and dissociation constants were obtained. Also, for the first time, the dissolution enthalpy of xanthine was determined calorimetrically. The values of this quantity obtained from both calorimetric determination and temperature dependence of solubility equilibrium constants are thermodynamically consistent.     

Standard molar enthalpies of combustion of five trans -dimethoxycinnamic acids

The standard (p^o =  0.1 MPa) molar enthalpies of formation for 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 3,4- and 3,5- trans -dimethoxycinnamic acids, in the gaseous phase, were derived from the standard molar enthalpies of combustion in oxygen, of the crystalline compounds, determined by static bomb combustion calorimetry at T =  298.15 K and from the literature values for the respective enthalpies of sublimation.