Adsorption of chlorhexidine on synthetic hydroxyapatite and in vitro biological activity

The kinetic of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHXDG) uptake from aqueous solution by hydroxyapatite (HA) was investigated by ultraviolet (UV) analysis performed in HA powder (UV-solid) after the CHX adsorption. Adsorption isotherm of chlorhexidine (CHX) uptake was modeled by a combination of Languimir and Langmuir-Freundlich mechanisms. Strong molecule-molecule interactions and positive cooperativity predominated in the surface when CHX concentration was above 8.6 μg(CHX)/mg(HA). UV-solid spectra (shape, intensity and band position) of CHX bound to HA revealed that long-range molecular structures, such as aggregates or micelles, started to be formed at low CHX concentrations (1.52 μg(CHX)/mg(HA)) and predominated at high concentrations. Grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) analysis from synchrotron radiation discarded the formation of crystalline structures on HA surface or precipitation of CHX crystalline salts, as suggested in previous works. The effect of the HA/CHX association on HA in vitro bioactivity, cytotoxicity and CHX antimicrobial activity was evaluated. It was shown that CHX did not inhibit the precipitation of a poorly crystalline apatite at HA/CHX surface after soaking in simulating body fluid (SBF). Cell viability studies after exposure to extracts of HA and HA/CHX showed that both biomaterials did not present significant in vitro toxicity. Moreover, HA/CHX inhibited Enterococcus faecalis growth for up to 6 days, revealing that binding to HA did not affect antimicrobial activity of CHX and reduced bacterial adhesion. These results suggested that HA/CHX association could result in a potential adjuvant antimicrobial system for clinical use.     

Adsorption and preconcentration of divalent metal ions in fossil fuels and biofuels: gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, diesel-like and ethanol by using chitosan microspheres and thermodynamic approach

Biodiesel and diesel-like have been obtained from soybean oil by transesterification and thermal cracking process, respectively. These biofuels were characterized as according to ANP standards by using specific ASTM methods. Ethanol, gasoline, and diesel were purchased from a gas station. Deacetylation degree of chitosan was determined by three distinct methods (conductimetry, FTIR and NMR), and the average degree was 78.95%. The chitosan microspheres were prepared from chitosan by split-coating and these spheres were crosslinked using glutaraldehyde. The surface area of microspheres was determined by BET method, and the surface area of crosslinked microspheres was 9.2 m² g⁻¹. The adsorption isotherms of cooper, nickel and zinc on microspheres of chitosan were determined in petroleum derivatives (gasoline and diesel oil), as well as in biofuels (alcohol, biodiesel and diesel-like). The adsorption order in all fuels was: Cu > Ni > Zn. The elution tests presented the following preconcentration degrees: >4.5 to ethanol, >4.4 to gasoline, >4.0 to diesel, >3.8 to biodiesel and >3.6 to diesel-like. The application of chitosan microspheres in the metal ions preconcentration showed the potential of this biopolymer to enrich fuel sample in order to be analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Natural glycoconjugates with antitumor activity

Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. As a consequence, many different therapeutic approaches, including the use of glycosides as anticancer agents, have been developed. Various glycosylated natural products exhibit high activity against a variety of microbes and human tumors. In this review we classify glycosides according to the nature of their aglycone (non-saccharidic) part. Among them, we describe anthracyclines, aureolic acids, enediyne antibiotics, macrolide and glycopeptides presenting different strengths and mechanisms of action against human cancers. In some cases, the glycosidic residue is crucial for their activity, such as in anthracycline, aureolic acid and enediyne antibiotics; in other cases, Nature has exploited glycosylation to improve solubility or pharmacokinetic properties, as in the glycopeptides. In this review we focus our attention on natural glycoconjugates with anticancer properties. The structure of several of the carbohydrate moieties found in these conjugates and their role are described. The structure–activity relationship of some of these compounds, together with the structural features of their interaction with the biological targets, are also reported. Taken together, all this information is useful for the design of new potential anti-tumor drugs.     

Encaging the Verkade's superbases: thermodynamic and kinetic consequences

Proazaphosphatranes, also known as Verkade's superbases, are nonionic species, which exhibit catalytic properties for a wide range of reactions. The properly designed host molecule 3 and its protonated counterpart [3·H](+)Cl(-) were synthesized to study how confinement can modify the stability and the reactivity of a Verkade's superbase. The results show that the encapsulation does not alter the strong basicity of the proazaphosphatrane, but dramatically decreases the rate of proton transfer.     

Development of hybrid elution systems for efficient purification of stilbenoids using centrifugal partition chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

The phytochemical study of the root extract of the stilbenoid-rich Vitis riparia × Vitis berlandieri grapevine was carried out by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). For this reason, we developed a new elution mode we named back-step, which allowed us to obtain cleaner fractions and a more efficient separation process when used in conjunction with a classical elution approach. Three hydroxystilbenes: (E)-resveratrol, (E)-?-viniferin and (E)-vitisin C, with greater than 90% purity were thus obtained through such process, with minimal sample handling and purification steps. Online coupling of CPC to ESI mass spectrometry was used for optimization of the separation parameters and to facilitate the characterization of the stilbenoids. This study details the first phytochemical investigation of stilbenoids from the hybrid species together with a new elution mode able to widen the range of ARIZONA biphasic systems.     

Development of a Carbon Paste Electrode for Lactate Detection Based on Meldola’s Blue Adsorbed on Silica Gel Modified with Niobium Oxide and Lactate Oxidase

A reagentless amperometric biosensor sensitive to lactate was developed. The sensor employs a carbon paste electrode modified with lactate oxidase (LOx) and Meldola’s Blue (MB) adsorbed on silica gel coated with niobium oxide. The dependence on the biosensor response was investigated in terms of pH, supporting electrolyte, ionic strength, lactate oxidase (LOx) amounts and applied potential. The biosensor showed an excellent operational stability (96 % of the activity was maintained after 150 determinations) and storage stability (allowing measurements for more than 1.5 months, when stored in a refrigerator). The proposed biosensor also presented good sensitivity allowing lactate quantification at levels down to 6.5×10^?7 mol L^?1. Moreover, the biosensor showed a good linear response range (from 0.1 to 5.0 mmol L^?1 for lactate). Lactate analysis in biological samples such as blood was also performed. The precision of the data obtained by the proposed biosensor showed reliable results for real complex matrices.     

Two flavors of PEPPSI-IPr: activation and diffusion control in a single NHC-ligated Pd catalyst?

Abnormal reactivity has been observed in Negishi, Suzuki-Miyaura, and Kumada-Tamao-Corriu cross-couplings in which PEPPSI-IPr (where PEPPSI stands for pyridine enhanced precatalyst preparation, stabilization, and initiation and IPr refers to the NHC ligand) is employed, implicating the presence of two distinct Pd(0) species in the catalytic cycle. Polybrominated arenes and organometallic reagents react selectively to give the product of exhaustive polysubstitution regardless of the initial reaction stoichiometry. Competition experiments suggest that, after an initial activation controlled oxidative addition, reductive elimination produces an ultrareactive Pd(0) species which consumes all remaining C-Br bonds in the molecule under diffusion control.     

Gold-catalyzed oxidative acyloxylation of arenes

A variety of nonactivated hindered aromatic rings are acyloxylated (22 examples, up to 83% yield) in the presence of PPh(3)AuCl as the catalyst and di(acetoxy)iodobenzene as the oxidant. The reaction proceeds at 110 °C in an acid media and allows the formation of both hindered acetoxy and acyloxy derivatives. This methodology nicely complements the Pd-catalyzed arene acyloxylation reaction, which is not operating on hindered substrates and allows the Au-catalyzed unprecedented acyloxylation reaction of arenes, implying various carboxylic acids.     

A non-autonomous strongly damped wave equation: Existence and continuity of the pullback attractor

In this paper we consider the strongly damped wave equation with time-dependent terms

u_tt−Δu−γ(t)Δu_t+β_ε(t)u_t=f(u),