Exploring structural effects of levoglucosenone derived chiral auxiliaries in asymmetric Diels-Alder cycloadditions

New chiral auxiliaries derived from levoglucosenone were developed in a simple and efficient way and evaluated as chiral inductors in asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions between the corresponding acrylate derivatives and cyclopentadiene. The results showed an important influence of the absolute configuration of the C(2) center of the auxiliary on the level of stereoinduction obtained.     

Comparison of shikimic acid determination by capillary zone electrophoresis with direct and indirect detection with liquid chromatography for varietal differentiation of red wines

Two capillary zone electrophoretic (CZE) methods for determination of shikimic acid in Chilean red wine were developed and compared with a HPLC method. Both electrophoretic methods were carried out by using a reversed electroosmotic flow induced by trimethyl(tetradecyl)ammoniumbromide (TTAB) with indirect detection at 260 nm using p-aminobenzoic acid as a UV-absorbing co-ion or by direct detection at 213 nm. In both cases, the separation was carried out in a 50 microm I.D. uncoated capillary with an effective length of 48 cm, a negative power supply of 30 kV, using a buffer based on bis[2-hydroxyethyl]imino-tris[hydroxymethyl]methane (Bis-Tris), pH 7.0 or 7.5 and hydrodynamic injection. The chromatographic separations were carried out on a C-18 reversed phase column followed by a sulfonyl-styrene-divinylbenzene (S-DVB) ion exclusion column at 70 degrees C with H2SO4 0.02 M as isocratic mobile phase and a flow rate of 0.5 mL min(-1). The three methods allowed the quantification of shikimic acid with quantification limits between 1.0 and 12.0 mg L(-1) and precision between 7.3 and 10.1%, however, only the concentrations obtained by CZE with direct detection were statistically similar to those of HPLC. This parameter was evaluated as analytical tool to verify varietal authenticity of red wines. In all cases, the Cabernet Sauvignon wines presented higher concentrations of shikimic acid, compared with Merlot or Carmenère wines.     

Efficacy of DA-7218, a new oxazolidinone prodrug, in the treatment of experimental actinomycetoma produced by Nocardia brasiliensis

Two recently synthesized oxazolidinones: (R)-3-(4-(2-(2-methyltetrazol-5-yl)-pyridin-5-yl)-3-fluorophenyl)-5-hydroxymethyloxazolidin-2-one (DA-7157) and its corresponding pro-drug (R)-3-(4-(2-(2-methyltetrazol-5-yl)-pyridin-5-yl)-3-fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-5-oxazolidinyl) methyl disodium phosphate (DA-7218), have shown very good activity against several Gram positive bacteria, including Nocardia and Mycobacterium. In the present work we evaluated the therapeutic in vivo effects of DA-7218 on Nocardia brasiliensis. We first determined the plasma concentration of the prodrug in BALB/c mice using several doses and then tested its activity in an in vivo experimental actinomycetoma murine model. At the end of treatment, there was a statistically significant difference between the three drug receiving groups (25, 12.5 and 5 mg/kg) and the control group(saline solution) (p=0.001), proving that DA-7218 is effective for the treatment of experimental murine actinomycetoma. This compound could be a potential option for patients affected with mycetoma by Nocardia brasiliensis.     

Conformational preferences of alpha-substituted proline analogues

DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level have been used to investigate how the replacement of the alpha hydrogen by a more sterically demanding group affects the conformational preferences of proline. Specifically, the N-acetyl-N'-methylamide derivatives of L-proline, L-alpha-methylproline, and L-alpha-phenylproline have been calculated, with both the cis/trans isomerism of the peptide bonds and the puckering of the pyrrolidine ring being considered. The effects of solvation have been evaluated by using a Self-Consistent Reaction Field model. As expected, tetrasubstitution at the alpha carbon destabilizes the conformers with one or more peptide bonds arranged in cis. The lowest energy minimum has been found to be identical for the three compounds investigated, but important differences are observed regarding other energetically accessible backbone conformations. The results obtained provide evidence that the distinct steric requirements of the substituent at C (alpha) may play a significant role in modulating the conformational preferences of proline.     

The use of thermogravimetry as a means of predicting the performance of coke in delayed coking of a residue of Venezuelan origin

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A study, which shows the similarities in the results obtained through this technique and those corresponding to a process of delayed coking at...     

2,5-Dimethylfuran Production by Catalytic Hydrogenation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Using Ni Supported on Al2O3-TiO2-ZrO2 Prepared by Sol-Gel Method: The Effect of Hydrogen Donors

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) has been described as one of the 12 key platform molecules derived from biomass by the US Department of Energy, and its hydrogenation reaction produces versatile liquid biofuels such as 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF). Catalytic hydrogenation from 5-HMF to 2,5-DMF was thoroughly studied on the metal nickel catalysts supported on Al₂O₃-TiO₂-ZrO₂ (Ni/ATZ) mixed oxides using isopropanol and formic acid (FA) as hydrogen donors to find the best conditions of the reaction and hydrogen donor. The influence of metal content (wt%), Ni particle size (nm), Nickel Ni⁰, Ni⁰/NiO and NiO species, metal active sites and acid-based sites on the catalyst surface, and the effect of the hydrogen donor (isopropanol and formic acid) were systematically studied. The structural characteristics of the materials were studied using different physicochemical methods, including N₂ physisorption, XRD, Raman, DRS UV-Vis, FT-IR, SEM, FT-IR Py_ad, H₂-TPD, CO₂-TPD, H₂-TPR, TEM and XPS. Second-generation 2,5-DMF biofuel and 5-HMF conversion by-products were analyzed and elucidated using ¹H NMR. It was found that the Ni⁰NiO/ATZ3_WI catalyst synthesized by the impregnation method (WI) generated a good synergistic effect between the species, showing the best catalytic hydrogenation of 5-HMF to 2,5-DMF using formic acid as a hydrogen donor for 24 h of reaction and temperature of 210 °C with 20 bar pressure of Argon (Ar).     

Characterization of Cabernet Sauvignon Wines by Untargeted HS-SPME GC-QTOF-MS

Untargeted metabolomics approaches are emerging as powerful tools for the quality evaluation and authenticity of food and beverages and have been applied to wine science. However, most fail to report the method validation, quality assurance and/or quality control applied, as well as the assessment through the metabolomics-methodology pipeline. Knowledge of Mexican viticulture, enology and wine science remains scarce, thus untargeted metabolomics approaches arise as a suitable tool. The aim of this study is to validate an untargeted HS-SPME-GC-qTOF/MS method, with attention to data processing to characterize Cabernet Sauvignon wines from two vineyards and two vintages. Validation parameters for targeted methods are applied in conjunction with the development of a recursive analysis of data. The combination of some parameters for targeted studies (repeatability and reproducibility < 20% RSD; linearity > 0.99; retention-time reproducibility < 0.5% RSD; match-identification factor < 2.0% RSD) with recursive analysis of data (101 entities detected) warrants that both chromatographic and spectrometry-processing data were under control and provided high-quality results, which in turn differentiate wine samples according to site and vintage. It also shows potential biomarkers that can be identified. This is a step forward in the pursuit of Mexican wine characterization that could be used as an authentication tool.     

Evaluation of Plant-Based Byproducts as Green Fining Agents for Precision Winemaking

Consumers are increasingly looking for foods, including wine, that are free of animal-derived proteins. This study seeks to evaluate patatin, a new, plant-based and allergen-free fining agent, by comparing it with the fining agents polyvinipolypyrrolidone, bovine serum albumin, and methylcellulose. Specifically, its effects on the phenolic profile of enological tannins were analyzed with four spectrophotometric assays: OD 280 nm, Folin–Ciocâlteu, Adams–Harbertson, and methylcellulose. In addition, changes in the polyphenol composition of Sangiovese red wine were determined by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC with adsorption trials, and the solid–liquid interaction in a wine solution was modeled by both Langmuir and Freundlich equations. Our findings highlight the occurrence of systematic proportional error between the selected spectrophotometric assays. As a result, direct comparisons of protein precipitation assays can be made only among results obtained with the same spectrophotometric method. However, it is clear that patatin has an impact on the phenolic profile of Sangiovese red wine: it removes simple phenolics (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (–)-epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, syringic acid, fertaric acid, coutaric acid, and rutin) as well as both oligomeric and polymeric tannins to different extents. In concentrations of less than 1 g/L, the patatin isotherm showed a linear relation between the equilibrium concentration and the quantity absorbed, obeying the Freundlich model reasonably well (K_F 1.46; 1/n 1.07; R² 0.996 with 1/n > 1). Thus, the adsorption process is strongly dependent on the fining dosage.     

Crystallization of metallic nanoparticles on short DNA oligonucleotides in alkaline aqueous solution

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - A series of nickel phosphide catalysts with adjustable Brønsted acid sites and Lewis acid sites has been prepared by liquid-phase method using...     

Trends on CO2 Capture with Microalgae: A Bibliometric Analysis

The alarming levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) are an environmental problem that affects the economic growth of the world. CO₂ emissions represent penalties and restrictions due to the high carbon footprint. Therefore, sustainable strategies are required to reduce the negative impact that occurs. Among the potential systems for CO₂ capture are microalgae. These are defined as photosynthetic microorganisms that use CO₂ and sunlight to obtain oxygen (O₂) and generate value-added products such as biofuels, among others. Despite the advantages that microalgae may present, there are still technical–economic challenges that limit industrial-scale commercialization and the use of biomass in the production of added-value compounds. Therefore, this study reviews the current state of research on CO₂ capture with microalgae, for which bibliometric analysis was used to establish the trends of the subject in terms of scientometric parameters. Technological advances in the use of microalgal biomass were also identified. Additionally, it was possible to establish the different cooperation networks between countries, which showed interactions in the search to reduce CO₂ concentrations through microalgae.