Flavanone Glycosides,Triterpenes, Volatile Compounds and Antimicrobial Activity of Miconia minutiflora (Bonpl.) DC. (Melastomataceae)

Chemical composition of the essential oils and extracts and the antimicrobial activity of Miconia minutiflora were investigated. The flavanone glycosides, pinocembroside and pinocembrin-7-O-[4″,6″-HHDP]-β-D-glucose, were identified, along with other compounds that belong mainly to the triterpene class, besides the phenolics, gallic acid and methyl gallate. Sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes were the major compounds identified from the essential oils. Screening for antimicrobial activity from the methanolic extract of the leaves showed that the MIC and MMC values against the tested microorganisms ranged from 0.625 to 5 mg·mL⁻¹ and that the extract was active against microorganisms, Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus.     

Photochromic Properties of New Benzoindene‐Fused 2H‐Chromenes

The synthesis and the photochromic properties of new photochromic 6,7‐ and 7,8‐benzoindene annellated benzopyrans are described. When compared to parent indeno‐fused 2H‐chromenes (2H‐[1]benzopyrans), compounds 10 and 12 exhibit a significant bathochromic shift of maximum‐absorption wavelength, an increase in the colorability, and similar fading rates.     

Determination of cadmium, lead and thallium in highly saline hemodialysis solutions by potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA)

Potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) was investigated to assay simultaneously cadmium, lead and thallium present as contaminants in highly saline solutions used in hemodialysis. The saline matrices were sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium chlorides, sodium acetate, sodium bicarbonate and glucose, which constitute concentrates for hemodialysis. A 1000 μg mL⁻¹ Hg(II) solution was used to prepare the mercury film electrode (MFE) and to carry out the stripping step. After a 30 s accumulation interval the analytes were simultaneously detected in the saline matrices without using masking agents. Determination limits of 80 ng L⁻¹ for cadmium and thallium, and 50 ng L⁻¹ for lead were calculated and a R.S.D. ranging from 0.5 to 2.2% (n = 3) was obtained measuring the analytes directly in commercial hemodialysis saline solutions. Recoveries from spiked samples ranging from 94.6 to 102.0% were obtained. The investigated metals were found in concentrations ranging from 2.7 to 5.7 μg L⁻¹ for cadmium, 27.7 to 75.8 μ L⁻¹ for lead and 9.6 to 18.7 μg L⁻¹ for thallium in commercial hemodialysis solutions. The PSA method showed to be adequate to the quality control of saline concentrates for hemodialysis.     

Cytotoxic pyranonaphthoquinones from Melloa quadrival vis (Bignoniaceae)

Three new pyranonaphthoquinones: 5-hydroxy-6-methoxy-alpha-lapachone, 5,6-dihydroxy-a-lapachone and 4',5-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-alpha-lapachone, and two known compounds: lapachol and 5,5'-dihydroxy-3',4',7-trimethoxyflavanone, were isolated from the stem bark of Melloa quadrivalvis. Their structures were established by spectrometric data, mainly 1D- and 2D-NMR and mass spectra. The methylazoetetrazolium (MTT) method using viable cells of the strain Hep2 and the strain NCIH-292 demonstrated cytotoxic activity. The CI50 was also calculated. The chloroform extract and 5-hydroxy-6-methoxy-alpha-lapachone inhibited cell growth.     

Assessment of trace metals contamination in estuarine sediments using a sequential extraction technique and principal component analysis

Fractionation of the metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in sediments was performed for samples collected from eight locations in the Poxim river estuary of Sergipe State, northeast Brazil, using the 3-stage sequential extraction procedure proposed by the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR). The extraction method was found to be satisfactory for analysis of certified reference material BCR-701, with recovery values ranging from 85% (Cu) to 117% (Cr). The detection limits obtained were 0.001 to 0.305 µg g^− 1. Zn exhibited greatest mobility and bioavailability, indicative of anthropogenic sources, while Cr was mainly found in the residual fraction and could be used as an indicator for the contribution from natural sources. Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb were associated with the oxidizable fraction, and Pb, Cr and Ni with the reducible fraction. Principal component analysis (PCA) clearly separated the metals into three groups: I (Zn); II (Pb); III (Cd, Cu, Cr and Ni). These groupings were mainly due to different distributions of the metals in the various fractions, in sediments from the different locations. Risk assessment code (RAC) analysis indicated that although the metals presented a moderate overall risk to the aquatic environment, nickel showed a low risk (RAC < 10%) at three sites, while zinc presented a high risk (RAC > 30%) at four other sites.     

Organo-Laponites as novel mesoporous supports for manganese(III) salen catalysts

A Mn(III) salen complex was immobilized onto the Laponite surface using three different methodologies: method A, direct immobilization of the complex on the parent Laponite; method B, covalent anchoring through cyanuric chloride (CC); and method C, covalent anchoring through CC into a 3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) modified Laponite. All of the materials were characterized by FTIR, XPS, thermogravimetry, XRD, and nitrogen isotherms at 77 K, to gather information on the modifications introduced by the organo spacers within the Laponite surface, as well as on the anchored complex integrity; the Mn based materials were screened in the heterogeneous epoxidation of styrene. The results have shown that the immobilization of the manganese(III) salen complex by methods B and C have occurred at the edges of the clay particles through the spacers (APTES and CC) that have been anchored onto the Si-OH groups, whereas in method A, the complex is distributed throughout the clay surface, including the interlayer region. Therefore, the manganese loadings on the Laponites were as follows: materials prepared by method A > method B > method C. All of the heterogeneous catalysts showed high styrene epoxide selectivity, with that prepared by method A showing comparable styrene epoxide selectivity as the homogeneous phase reaction. The styrene epoxide yields decrease in the following order: materials prepared by method A > method B > method C (1st cycles), which parallel the respective support catalytic activity and decreasing of manganese content. The heterogeneous catalysts prepared using methods B and C could be reused at least for four times, with the former exhibiting the most stable catalytic activity, but that prepared by method A showed a significant decrease after two catalytic cycles.     

Mixed monolayers of Bauhinia monandra and concanavalin A lectins with phospholipids, part II

Isotherms of surface pressure and surface potential versus mean molecular area for dibehenoylphosphatidylcholine (DBPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE), and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) monolayers were shown to be greatly modified when these lipids were cospread with either Bauhinia monandra (BmoLL) or Concanavalin A (Con A) lectins. For the binary films of DBPC, DPPC, and DPPE cospread with each of these two lectins, there was both a displacement of the Pi-A and DeltaV-A isotherms toward higher molecular areas relative to pure lipids and an increase in the maximum surface potential values relative to the DeltaV-A relationships observed for the corresponding single-lectin systems. Both effects can be understood in terms of the occurrence of an explicit interaction between the lipids and the lectins. The plots of the corresponding compressibilities versus molecular areas reveal that, for all lipids but DOPC, the extent of this interaction was always larger for BmoLL than for Con A. The DPPC and DPPE mixed films with BmoLL differed in compressibility. Owing to the small DPPE polar headgroup, the DPPE-BmoLL film was much more incompressible than the DPPC-BmoLL mixed monolayer. However, for the DOPC-BmoLL and DOPC-Con A mixed films there was no evidence that an interaction between the lectins and the lipid took place, a fact attributed to the unsaturated character in the DOPC aliphatic chains, which leads to an expanded Pi-A isotherm.     

Thermochemical study of the dicyanoimidazole isomers

The standard (p° = 0.1 MPa) molar enthalpy of formation at T = 298.15 K for 4,5-dicyanoimidazole, in the crystalline phase, was derived from the standard molar energy of combustion measured by static bomb combustion calorimetry. This value and the literature value of the standard molar enthalpy of sublimation of the compound allow the calculation of the corresponding gas-phase standard molar enthalpy of formation, at T = 298.15 K. Additionally, theoretical calculations for 4,5-dicyanoimidazole were performed by density functional theory with the hybrid functional B3LYP and the 6-31G(d) basis set, extending the study to the 2,4- and 2,5-dicyanoimidazole isomers. Single-point energy calculations for both molecules were determined at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2df,2p) level of theory. With the objective of assessing the quality of the results, standard ab initio molecular orbital calculations at the G3 level were also performed. Enthalpies of formation, obtained using appropriate working reactions, were calculated and compared with the experimental data.     

Spectrophotometric and derivative spectrophotometric determination of nickel with hydroxynaphthol blue

The reaction of nickel(II) cation with hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) in aqueous media at pH 5.2–6.0 results in a red complex that is stable for at least 2h. Beer's Law is obeyed up to 3.2 g/ml of nickel(II) with an apparent molar absorptivity of 1.38 × 10⁴l/mol/cm at 563 nm. This paper proposes procedures for nickel determination by ordinary and first-derivative spectrophotometry. The results demonstrate that the linear dynamic range is 0.08–3.20 g/ml with a limit of detection of 23 ng/ml for ordinary spectrophotometry, compared with 21–800 ng/ml and 6 ng/ml, respectively, for first-derivative spectrophotometry. Calcium(II), magnesium(II), barium(II), strontium(II), cadmium(II), lead(II), manganese(II), bismuth(III) and molybdenum(VI) ions do not interfere for at least 1001 mass ratios. The main interferents are cobalt(II), titanium(IV), aluminium(III), mercury(II) and copper(II). The interferences of titanium(IV), aluminium(III), zirconium(IV) and iron(III) can be masked by fluoride and mercury(II) and copper(II) with thiosulfate or thiourea. The derivative method is applied to nickel determination in standard brasses and the results demonstrate that there is no significant difference between the results and certified values at the 95% confidence level.