Synthetically Tuning the 2‐Position of Halogenated Quinolines: Optimizing Antibacterial and Biofilm Eradication Activities via Alkylation and Reductive Amination Pathways

Agents capable of eradicating bacterial biofilms are of great importance to human health as biofilm‐associated infections are tolerant to our current antibiotic therapies. We have recently discovered that halogenated quinoline (HQ) small molecules are: 1) capable of eradicating methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) and vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) biofilms, and 2) synthetic tuning of the 2‐position of the HQ scaffold has a significant impact on antibacterial and antibiofilm activities. Here, we report the chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of 39 HQ analogues that have a high degree of structural diversity at the 2‐position. We identified diverse analogues that are alkylated and aminated at the 2‐position of the HQ scaffold and demonstrate potent antibacterial (MIC≤0.39 μm ) and biofilm eradication (MBEC 1.0–93.8 μm ) activities against drug‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecium strains while demonstrating <5 % haemolysis activity against human red blood cells (RBCs) at 200 μm . In addition, these HQs demonstrated low cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. Halogenated quinolines are a promising class of antibiofilm agents against Gram‐positive pathogens that could lead to useful treatments against persistent bacterial infections.     

On-tissue protein identification and imaging by MALDI-Ion mobility mass spectrometry

MALDI imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) has become a powerful tool for the detection and localization of drugs, proteins, and lipids on-tissue. Nevertheless, this approach can only perform identification of low mass molecules as lipids, pharmaceuticals, and peptides. In this article, a combination of approaches for the detection and imaging of proteins and their identification directly on-tissue is described after tryptic digestion. Enzymatic digestion protocols for different kinds of tissues—formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) and frozen tissues—are combined with MALDI-ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS). This combination enables localization and identification of proteins via their related digested peptides. In a number of cases, ion mobility separates isobaric ions that cannot be identified by conventional MALDI time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The amount of detected peaks per measurement increases (versus conventional MALDI-TOF), which enables mass and time selected ion images and the identification of separated ions. These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of direct proteins identification by ion-mobility-TOF IMS from tissue. The tissue digestion combined with MALDI-IM-TOF-IMS approach allows a proteomics “bottom-up” strategy with different kinds of tissue samples, especially FFPE tissues conserved for a long time in hospital sample banks. The combination of IM with IMS marks the development of IMS approaches as real proteomic tools, which brings new perspectives to biological studies.     

Proteomic maps-toxicity relationship of halocarbons studied with similarity index and genetic algorithm

In this work we analyzed proteomic maps obtained from hepatocytes, which were treated with 14 halocarbons. A similarity index was introduced as a robust measure of similarity between two maps or between two selections of spots within the maps. A searching algorithm was used to identify the spots that may play an important role in toxicity mechanism. The highest correlation coefficients obtained between the similarity index and biological parameter were larger than 0.9.     

Thin film flow over a non-linear stretching sheet in presence of uniform transverse magnetic field

A thin viscous liquid film flow is developed over a stretching sheet under different non-linear stretching velocities in presence of uniform transverse magnetic field. Evolution equation for the film thickness is derived using long-wave approximation of thin liquid film and is solved numerically by using the Newton–Kantorovich method. It is observed that all types of stretching produces film thinning, but non-monotonic stretching produces faster thinning at small distance from the origin. Effect of the transverse magnetic field is to slow down the film thinning process. Observed flow behavior is explained physically.     

Chemical composition and In vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis Dehnh. essential oil

The present study was designed to determine the composition of the essential oil of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. leaves and to examine its in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. The chemical composition of the essential oil from Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. leaves was analyzed by GC/GC-MS, twenty-nine compounds representing 99.10% of the total oil were identified. The major components of the oil were p-cymene (68.43%), 1,8-cineole (13.92%), 1-(S)-α-pinene (3.45%) and R-(+)- limonene (2.84%). The antioxidant features of the essential oil were evaluated using inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals, inhibition of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation assays. We also studied α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition in vitro to assess the antidiabetic properties of the essential oil. Both α-amylase and α-glucosidase were inhibited by a non-competitive mechanism.     

Interlocked multiplets in anisotropically scattering medium with exponential Planck function

The equation of transfer for interlocked multiplets in anisotropically scattering atmosphere with planetary phase function has been considered. The Planck function is considered as exponential function of optical depth. The diffusely reflected intensity and emergent intensity in nth approximation has been obtained. Attempt has been made to get exact diffusely reflected intensity and emergent intensity.     

A sequential Pummerer-Diels-Alder route for the generation and trapping of furo[3,4-c]pyridines: synthesis of heterocyclic analogues of 1-arylnaphthalene lignans

The Pummerer reaction of an o-benzoyl-substituted pyridylmethyl sulfoxide generates an alpha-thiocarbocation, the interception of which by a neighboring keto functionality produces an alpha-thio-substituted furo[3,4-c]pyridine as transient intermediate; the latter undergoes a Diels-Alder cycloaddition with an added dienophile. Base-induced ring opening of the cycloadduct followed by aromatization gives an isoquinoline derivative that may be looked upon as a heterocyclic analogue of 1-arylnaphthalene lignans. This procedure occurs readily with electron-poor dienophiles and the entire sequence can be run in one pot. The facility of the sequential Pummerer-Diels-Alder reaction hinges on the experimental conditions, the best results being obtained with heptafluorobutyric anhydride as the triggering agent in toluene containing a catalytic amount of p-toluenesulfonic acid. In the absence of a dienophile it is possible to isolate and characterize a rather unstable furo[3,4-c]pyridine derivative. An intramolecular variant of this protocol is also feasible with use of unactivated alkenyl tethers of variable length; however, the bridged cycloadducts are unisolable in these cases as they undergo spontaneous ring opening and aromatization to yield cycloalka[h]isoquinolines. The usefulness of the sequential Pummerer-Diels-Alder reaction is further demonstrated through the synthesis of a heterolignan with a built-in lactone ring via oxidation of the initial [4+2]-cycloadduct followed by extrusion of phenyl sulfinate and elaboration of the resulting hydoxylated isoquinoline derivative.