Characterization and classification of medicinal plants according to their antioxidant profile estimated by thin layer chromatography assisted by chemometric expertise

This study focuses on the characterization and classification of 42 medicinal plants extracts according to their antioxidant activity. Principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA) and the combination of PCA with linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA) were used as multivariate exploratory techniques for chromatographic data analysis. For the separation of the compounds a mobile phase containing ethyl acetate: toluene: formic acid: water (30:1.5:4:3 v/v/v/v) and different HPTLC plates (Silica gel 60 and HPTLC Silica gel 60?F₂₅₄) were used. The chromatographic plates were evaluated using the images obtained after spraying the plates with 2-aminoethyldiphenylborate solution (NTS, 0.2% in ethanol) and also after their reaction with 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl solution (DPPH^?) (0.2% in ethanol). The score projection on the plane defined by first two components (PC1 and PC2) revealed two large groups of the investigated samples depicted according to their antioxidant capacity. A better classification of samples according to their antioxidant capacity was obtained using the CA and PCA-LDA methodology in all cases. The excellent results obtained in this study concerning the classification of medicinal plants according to their antioxidant capacity using the PCA-LDA methodology applied to TLC chromatograms might lead to a new paradigm in the field of medicinal plant holistic evaluation.     

Monitoring Methylmalonic Aciduria by NMR Urinomics

The paper reports on monitoring methylmalonic aciduria (MMA)-specific and non-specific metabolites via NMR urinomics. Five patients have been monitored over periods of time; things involved were diet, medication and occasional episodes of failing to comply with prescribed diets. An extended dataset of targeted metabolites is presented, and correlations with the type of MMA are underlined. A survey of previous NMR studies on MMA is also presented.     

Testing of microorganisms for ω-transaminase activity

Various bacterial cells were tested to identify ω-transaminase activity. For this purpose, the kinetic resolution of a rac-amine was chosen as an assay reaction transforming, in the ideal case, one enantiomer into the corresponding ketone and leaving the other enantiomer untouched. Sodium pyruvate was employed as an amino acceptor. To test also for the amination of the prochiral ketone various amino donors were investigated. Alanine proved to be the most suitable amino donor especially when coupled with a pyruvate decarboxylase to shift the reaction equilibrium; however, much lower conversions were achieved compared to the kinetic resolution. Janibacter terrae DSM 13953 was identified as the most suitable microorganism to possess ω-transaminase activity.     

Different extraction methods of biologically active components from propolis: a preliminary study

Background  

Propolis is widely used in apitherapy, preparations, and food and beverage additives. Various extraction techniques were applied in the extraction of the biologically active constituents of poplar type propolis in order to compare their efficiency. The methods employed were: traditional maceration extraction, ultrasound extraction (UE), and microwave assisted extraction (MAE).     

TG/DTG/DTA for the oxidation behavior characterization of vegetable and animal fats

TG/DTG/DTA curves can be used to estimate alimentary fats quality and antioxidants insertion efficiency. Sunflower oil obtained from Carnia hybrid and pork lard were used as matrices for the non-isothermal measurements. The first stage of non-isothermal decomposition is mostly important for the characterization of the fats thermal stability. The corresponding onset temperature is a good value for the comparison of different fats thermal stability or for the effectiveness evaluation in case of antioxidant insertion. In this study, it can be seen a considerable improvement of the fats thermal stability by adding small amounts from a natural antioxidant liquid mixture (obtained by alcoholic maceration of equal amounts of seven plants, namely: milfoil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, lovage, oregano, and basil). Chlorophylls removal from the plant extract using two different adsorbents was accompanied by a four time decrease of the antiradical activity (measured by the DPPH method) with Sephadex LH20 and seventeen times decrease when activated carbon was used.     

Extending the use of “Inverted Chirality Columns Approach” for enantiomeric excess determination in absence of reference samples: Application to a water-soluble camptothecin derivative

The aim of the present study was to extend the use of the “Inverted Chirality Columns Approach (ICCA)” previously developed for the identification and quantitation of the trace enantiomer in highly enriched samples of the camptothecin (CPT) family of drugs to a novel water-soluble CPT derivative, namely namitecan (ST1968), currently undergoing phase I clinical trials as anticancer agent. Namitecan, identified from a series of hydrophilic 7-oxyiminomethyl derivatives, contains a free terminal amino group, which traditionally hampers the analysis under normal-phase HPLC conditions. Nevertheless, commercially available Pirkle-type chiral stationary phases (CSPs) available in both the enantiomeric forms (i.e., having the same bound selector with opposite configuration) mainly operate under normal-phase HPLC conditions. For this reason, namitecan was pre-column N-protected with isocyanates A–D and their sulfur analogues E–H to reduce its polarity by converting the amino group into a fragment compatible with the chiral recognition mechanism (i.e., ureido and thioureido groups). Once the optimal columns system and derivatizing agents were selected, an original enantioselective HPLC–MS/MS technique was developed on the Whelk-O1 CSPs.     

Application of Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometric Techniques and Multivariate Statistical Analysis in the Hydrogeochemical Profiling of Caves—Case Study Cloșani,Romania

The aim of the study was to develop the hydrogeochemical profiling of caves based on the elemental composition of water and silty soil samples and a multivariate statistical analysis. Major and trace elements, including rare earths, were determined in the water and soil samples. The general characteristics of water, anions content, inorganic and organic carbon fractions and nitrogen species (NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺) were also considered. The ANOVA—principal component analysis (PCA) and two-way joining analysis were applied on samples collected from Cloșani Cave, Romania. The ANOVA-PCA revealed that the hydrogeochemical characteristics of Ca²⁺-HCO₃⁻ water facies were described by five factors, the strongest being associated with water-carbonate rock interactions and the occurrence of Ca, Mg and HCO₃⁻ (43.4%). Although organic carbon fractions have a lower influence (20.1%) than inorganic ones on water characteristics, they are involved in the chemical processes of nitrogen and of the elements involved in redox processes (Fe, Mn, Cr and Sn). The seasonal variability of water characteristics, especially during the spring, was observed. The variability of silty soil samples was described by four principal components, the strongest influence being attributed to rare earth elements (52.2%). The ANOVA-PCA provided deeper information compared to Gibbs and Piper diagrams and the correlation analysis.     

Comprehensive evaluation of lipophilicity of biogenic amines and related compounds using different chemically bonded phases and various descriptors

The retention behavior for a series of biogenic amines and related sympathomimetic drugs has been investigated in reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography using RP-2, RP-8, RP-18W, and Diol stationary phase and mixtures of phosphate buffer (pH = 7.10) and methanol in different proportions as mobile phases. Several methodologies like arithmetic mean of experimental retention values, extrapolation to zero methanol concentration procedure and principal component analysis were applied to retention data values (R(M)) in order to determine relevant parameters (mean of R(M) - mR(M), R(M0), and scores corresponding to the first principal component - PC1/R(M) respectively) encoding information on the lipophilic behavior of compounds. High similarities in lipophilicity behavior of investigated amines were highlighted by mR(M) and PC1/R(M) lipophilicity indices for all of the studied stationary phases. The experimental results were compared with some computed lipophilicity parameters expressed as distribution coefficients at working pH (logD), partition coefficients (logP(N), logP(I), and diff(logP(N-I))) concerning both neutral and fully protonated species and difference between both species, and also with various lipophilicity values (logP) generated by different commonly used software. Significant correlations were observed between the experimental lipophilicity indices mR(M) respectively PC1/R(M) and diff(logP(N-I) ) values in all cases.