The protonation thermodynamics of cyclodextrin-containing polymers for drug inclusion

A poly(amido-amine), PAA, bearing β-CD units in the side chain was synthesized by a polyaddition reaction of 1,4-bis-acryloyl-piperazine with 6-monodeoxy-6-monoamino-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-NH₂). Unlike the simple β-CD-NH₂ with a greater basicity constant (log K = 8.60), the polymer revealed an unusual polyelectrolyte behaviour with a lower basicity constant (log K° = 6.29) of the tertiary nitrogen atom, that is strongly dependent on the degree of protonation α of the whole macromolecule. It follows the modified Henderson–Hasselbalch equation with n = 1.75, in a wide α-range. The greater (?46.1 kJ/mol) and the lower (?27.6 kJ/mol) enthalpy (ΔH°) changes of the compounds were in line with the protonation of a primary or a tertiary nitrogen atom. The calorimetric data suggested that the PAA protonation destroyed a packing structure formed by two rigid β-CD side chains interacting head-to-head. The UV spectrophotometric data showed that the PAA exhibits affinity towards the l-ascorbic acid at low pH (pH 2.46) with an isosbestic point at 241 nm and a slight blue shift of the maximum absorption of the ascorbic acid (244 nm) on PAA additions.     

Spectroelectrochemical Study of 9‐Substituted Acridines with Potential Antitumor Activity

The electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical behavior of 9‐substituted with ? CN and ? COOH acridine N‐oxides with potential antitumor activity was investigated. In SER spectra of the investigated compounds, the ring stretching vibration at 1568 cm^?1 for 9‐CN‐substituted compound respectively 1639 cm^?1 for 9‐COOH‐substituted compound was analyzed. Cyclic voltammograms indicates that the reduction potential ?0.766 V for ? CN substituted compound increase towards ?0.745 V for ? COOH substituted compound. The proposed theoretical method in the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy uses a reference redox dielectrode and a multielectrode containing the compound. To account for the change of electrochemical impedance we have considered two theoretical quantities: a pseudocapacitance and a pseudo inductance. Two possible arrangements of them: in series, respective in parallel can be used like criteria of drug classification.     

Classification of wines from five Spanish origin denominations by aromatic compound analysis

Wine is a complex matrix in which aroma compounds play an important role in the characterization of the flavor pattern of a given wine. Twelve volatile compounds were determined in 244 samples of Spanish red wines from different denominations of origin: Rioja, Navarra, Valdepe?as, La Mancha, and Cari?ena. The samples were analyzed by GC using headspace solid-phase microextraction. The concentration (mg/mL) intervals obtained were 3-methyl-butyl acetate (3.9 to 116), 3-methyl-1-butanol (93 to 724), ethyl hexanoate (0.8 to 39), 1-hexanol (0.3 to 6.7), ethyl octanoate (1.4 to 41), diethyl succinate (0.2 to 13), 2-phenyl ethyl acetate (0 to 5.3), hexanoic acid (0 to 8.3), geraniol (0 to 3.0), 2-phenylethanol (1.5 to 56), octanoic acid (0 to 20), and decanoic acid (0 to 3.3). Wines were classified by multivariate statistical methods: principal component analysis, and lineal discriminant analysis. A correct differentiation among wines according to their origin was obtained by lineal discriminant analysis.     

Novel and highly sensitive mixed-polymeric electrokinetic chromatography system for determination of contaminants and impurities of heparin samples

A mixed‐polymeric electrokinetic chromatography system has been developed for the simultaneous determination of a contaminant like oversulfated condroitin sulfate (OSCS) and impurities expressed as dermatan (Der) in heparin (Hep) samples. The EKC system consisted of 0.5% w/v polymeric β‐CD, 0.4% w/v tetronic^® 1107 and 400 mM tris‐phosphate buffer at pH 3.5. The optimized electrophoretic conditions included the use of an uncoated‐silica capillary of 50 cm of total length and 75 μm id, an applied voltage of ?7 kV, a temperature of 30°C and 200 nm UV‐detection. The highly sensitive method developed showed low values of LOD, 0.07% w/w (0.07 μg/mL) (OSCS) and 0.1% w/w (0.1 μg/mL) (Der), and values of LOQ 0.2% w/w (0.2 μg/mL) (OSCS) and 0.3% w/w (0.3 μg/mL) (Der) with a concentration level of Hep sample as low as 0.1 mg/mL. Additional parameters of validation such as specificity, linearity, accuracy, and robustness were evaluated according to international guidelines. Owing to its simplicity, high sensitivity, and reliability, the proposed method can be an advantageous alternative to the traditional methodologies for the analysis of Hep in raw material and specially in finished products because of the low amounts of Hep sample required.     

A novel application of immobilization on membranes for the separation and spectrofluorimetric quantification of amiloride and furosemide in pharmaceutical samples

A new, simple and highly sensitive method for spectrofluorimetric determination of amiloride (AMI) and furosemide (FUR) in pharmaceuticals is presented. The proposed method is based on the separation of AMI from FUR by solid-phase extraction using a nylon membrane, followed by spectrofluorimetric determination of both drugs, on the solid surface and the filtered aqueous solution, respectively. AMI shows low native fluorescence, but its separation-preconcentration by immobilization (solid-phase extraction) on nylon membrane surface provides a considerable enhancement in fluorescence intensity. The fluorescence determination is carried out at λ_ex = 237, λ_em = 415 nm for FUR; and λ_ex = 365, λ_em = 406 nm for AMI. The calibration graphs are linear in the range 3.20 × 10⁻⁴ to 0.8 μg mL⁻¹and 1.33 × 10⁻³ to 4.0 μg mL⁻¹, for AMI and FUR, respectively, with a detection limit of 9.62 × 10⁻⁵ and 4.01 × 10⁻⁴ μg mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The commonly found excipients in commercial pharmaceutical formulations do not interfere. The developed method is successfully applied to the determination of both drugs in pharmaceutical formulations.     

Hydrogen‐bonded nucleophile effects in ANS: the reactions of 1‐chloro and 1‐fluoro‐2,4‐dinitrobenzene with 2‐guanidinobenzimidazole, 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperidine and N‐(3‐aminopropyl)morpholine in aprotic solvents

The kinetics of the reactions of 2,4‐dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) and 2,4‐dinitrochlorobenzene (DNClB) with 2‐guanidinobenzimidazole (2‐GB) at 40 ± 0.2 °C in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), toluene, and in toluene–DMSO mixtures, and with 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperidine (2‐AEPip) and N‐(3‐aminopropyl)morpholine (3‐APMo) in toluene at 25 ± 0.2 °C were studied under pseudo first‐order conditions. For the reactions of 2‐GB carried out in pure DMSO, the second‐order rate coefficients were independent of the amine concentration. In contrast, the reactions of 2‐GB with DNFB in toluene, showed a kinetic behaviour consistent with a base‐catalysed decomposition of the zwitterionic intermediate. These results suggest an intramolecular H‐bonding of 2‐GB in toluene, which is not present in DMSO. To confirm this interpretation the reactions were studied in DMSO–toluene mixtures. Small amounts of DMSO produce significant increase in rate that is not expected on the basis of the classical effect of a dipolar aprotic medium; the effect is consistent with the formation of a nucleophile/co‐solvent mixed aggregate. For the reactions of 3‐APMo with both substrates in toluene, the second‐order rate coefficients, k_A, show a linear dependence on the [amine]. 3‐APMo is able to form a six‐membered ring by an intramolecular H‐bond which prevents the formation of self‐aggregates. In contrast, a third order was observed in the reactions with 2‐AEPip: these results can be interpreted as a H‐bonded homo‐aggregate of the amine acting as a better nucleophile than the monomer. Most of these results can be well explained within the frame of the ‘dimer nucleophile’ mechanism. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Building the Additive Utility Functions for CAD-UFRJ Evaluation Staff Criteria

This paper presents an application of the UTA method for building utility functions for the evaluation criteria defined by the Staff Evaluation Commission (CAD) of the Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ). Every year, the CAD-UFRJ gives the staff evaluation results for each Postgraduate Engineering Programme. However, the method used to generate the staff evaluation is assumed unknown. Trying to find the CAD-UFRJ preference structure, the evaluation results supplied by CAD-UFRJ are used to apply the UTA method. Some additional information obtained from the CAD-UFRJ data is incorporated in the optimal solutions analysis.     

New Features in the Lipid A Structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella suis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella abortus</Emphasis> Lipopolysaccharide

Brucellaceae are Gram-negative bacteria that cause brucellosis, one of the most distributed worldwide zoonosis, transmitted to humans by contact with either infected animals or their products. The lipopolysaccharide exposed on the cell surface has been intensively studied and is considered a major virulence factor of Brucella. In the last years, structural studies allowed the determination of new structures in the core oligosaccharide and the O-antigen of this lipopolysaccharide. In this work, we have reinvestigated the lipid A structure isolated from B. suis and B. abortus lipopolysaccharides. A detailed study by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in the positive and negative ion modes of the lipid A moieties purified from both species was performed. Interestingly, a new feature was detected: the presence of a pyrophosphorylethanolamine residue substituting the backbone. LID-MS/MS analysis of some of the detected ions allowed assurance that the Lipid A structure composed by the diGlcN3N disaccharide, mainly hexa-acylated and penta-acylated, bearing one phosphate and one pyrophosphorylethanolamine residue.

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Pore Shape Effects on the Relative Permeability of Gas and Condensate in Three-Dimensional Pore Networks

Transport in Porous Media -