Phytochemical and antioxidant properties of some Cassia species

In this study, the antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of four plants from the genus Cassia were evaluated by various antioxidant assays, including ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), DPPH free radical scavenging, metal chelating activity, phosphomolybdenum reducing power, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, deoxyribose degradation and β-carotene bleaching assay. The various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidant such as ascorbic acid. All the extracts showed antioxidant activity in the tested methods. Among the four species, Cassia auriculata has been found to possess highest activity in most of the tested models. In addition to the antioxidant activity, the total phenolics and flavonoids were measured in the extracts. The ethanolic extract exhibited highest phenolics and flavonoid contents and had also shown potent antioxidant activity in comparison to the aqueous extracts. The possible antioxidant mechanism of the ethanol extract can be due to its hydrogen or electron donating and direct free radical scavenging properties. Hence, the ethanol extract represents a source of potential antioxidants that could be used in pharmaceutical industries.     

Phosphate diester hydrolysis and DNA damage promoted by new cis-aqua/hydroxy copper(II) complexes containing tridentate imidazole-rich ligands

The tridentate Schiff base [(2-(imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)methyl)imine (HISMIMI) and its reduced form HISMIMA were synthesized and characterized, as well their mononuclear cis-dihalo copper(II) complexes 1 and 2, respectively. In addition, the dinuclear [CuII(mu-OH)2CuII](2+) complexes (3) and (4) obtained from complexes 1 and 2, respectively, were also isolated and characterized by several physicochemical techniques, including magnetochemistry, electrochemistry, and EPR and UV-vis spectroscopies. The crystal structures of 1 and 2 were determined by X-ray crystallography and revealed two neutral complexes with their tridentate chelate ligands meridionally coordinated. Completing the coordination spheres of the square-pyramidal structures, a chloride ion occupies the apical position and another is bonded in the basal plane. In addition, complexes 1 and 2 were investigated by infrared, electronic, and EPR spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, and potentiometric equilibrium studies. The hydrolytic activity on phosphate diester cleavage of 1 and 2 was investigated utilizing 2,4-BDNPP as substrate. These experiments were carried out at 50 degrees C, and the data treatment was based on the Michaelis-Menten approach, giving the following kinetic parameters (complex 1/complex 2): vmax (mol L(-1) s(-1))=16.4x10(-9)/7.02x10(-9); KM (mol L(-1))=17.3x10(-3)/3.03x10(-3); kcat (s(-1))=3.28x10(-4)/1.40x10(-4). Complex 1 effectively promoted the hydrolytic cleavage of double-strand plasmid DNA under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, with a rate constant of 0.28 h(-1) for the decrease of form I, which represents about a 10(7) rate increase compared with the estimated uncatalyzed rate of hydrolysis.     

Cyclometallated gold(III) hydroxides as versatile synthons for Au-N, Au-C complexes and luminescent compounds

The gold(III) hydroxide κ(3)-(C^N^C)*Au(OH) reacts with C-H and N-H compounds and arylboronic acids to produce a range of perfluoroaryls, N-heterocyclic and alkynyl compounds in high yields; some of which show unexpectedly strong modulation of their photoluminescence from yellow to blue [(C^N^C)* = 2,6-(C(6)H(3)Bu(t))(2)pyridine].     

Synthesis of 2′-Iodo Analogues of β-Rhodomycins1

Abstract

10-O-(R/S)Tetrahydropyranosyl-β-rhodomycinone (5a,b) was prepared via 7,9-O-phenylboronyl-β-rhodomycinone (3) from β-rhodomycinone (1). Glycosidation of 5a,b with 3,4-di-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2,6-dideoxy-L-arabino-hex-1-enitol (3,4-di-O-acetyl-L-rhamnal) (6) and 3,4-di-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2,6-dideoxy-L-lyxo-hex-1-enitol (3,4-di-O-acetyl-L-fucal) (7) using N-iodosuccinimide gave the corresponding 7-O-glycosyl-β-rhodomycinones 8a,b, 9a,b and 10a,b, 11a,b. After cleavage of the THP-ether and O-deacetylation 7-O-(2,6-dideoxy-2-iodo-α-L-manno-hexopyranosyl)-β-rhodomycinone (14) and 7-O-(2,6-dideoxy-2-iodo-α-L-talo-hexopyranosyl)-β-rhodomycinone (16) were obtained.     

A new synthetic approach for imidazo[1,2-a]imidazoles and pyrrolo[1,2-a]imidazoles

Substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]imidazoles and imidazo[1,2-a]imidazoles are prepared in a simple one pot reaction sequence from esters of heterocyclic or aromatic α-amino acids. The reaction involves condensation with acetoine followed by cyclization with either malonodinitrile, ethyl cyanoacetate or cyanamide.     

Parallel synthesis of 2-substituted 6-(5-oxo-1-phenylpyrrolidin-3-yl)pyrimidine-5-carboxamides

A library of 24 6-(5-oxo-1-phenylpyrrolidin-3-yl)pyrimidine-5-carboxamides 10{1,2; 1-12} was prepared by a parallel solution-phase approach. The synthesis comprises a five-step transformation of itaconic acid (11) into 1-methyl and 1-phenyl substituted 6-(5-oxo-1-phenylpyrrolidin-3-yl)pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acids 17{1,2} followed by parallel amidation of 17{1,2} with a series of 12 aliphatic amines 18{1-12} to afford the corresponding carboxamides 10 in good overall yields and in 80-100% purity.     

Etching of polyethylene terephthalate thin films by neutral oxygen atoms in the late flowing afterglow of oxygen plasma

Films of polyethylene terephthalate were deposited on quartz crystals and exposed to oxygen atoms to study their etching characteristics and quantify the etching rate. Oxygen (O) atoms were created by passing molecular oxygen through plasma created in a microwave discharge. The discharge power was fixed at 250 W, while the pressure of oxygen was 50 Pa. Before exposure to oxygen atoms, a thin polymer film of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was deposited uniformly over a crystal with a diameter of 12 mm. The crystal was mounted on a quartz crystal microbalance to accurately determine the thickness of the polymer film. The polymer film was exposed to O atoms in the flowing afterglow. The density of O atoms was measured with a cobalt catalytic probe mounted next to the sample and was determined to be 1.2 × 10²¹ m^–3. Samples were treated with O atoms for different periods of up to 120 min. The thickness of the film decreased linearly with treatment time. After 90 min of treatment, a 65‐nm‐thick polymer film was completely removed. Therefore, the etching rate was 0.5 nm/min, so the interaction probability between an O atom and an atom in the sample was extremely low, just 1.4 × 10^–6. Samples treated for different periods were investigated by atomic force microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to examine the etching characteristics of O atoms in the flowing afterglow. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interaction between model poly(ethylene terephthalate) thin films and weakly ionised oxygen plasma

Model films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) were treated by oxygen plasma in order to quantify the etching rate and estimate the contribution of charged and neutral particles to the reaction probability. Model films with a thickness of 50 nm were deposited on a quartz crystal of a microbalance (QCM) by spin‐coating technique. The samples were exposed to oxygen plasma with the positive ion density of 4 × 10¹⁵ m^?3 and neutral oxygen atom density of 6 × 10²¹ m^?3. The etching rate was determined from the QCM signal and was 4.7 nm s^?1. The etching was found rather inhomogeneous as the atomic force microscopic images showed an increase of the surface roughness as a result of plasma treatment. The model films were completely removed from the surface of the quartz crystals in about 12 s. Knowing the etching rate and the flux of oxygen atoms to the surface allowed for calculation of the reaction probability which was found to be rather low at the value of 1.6 × 10^?4. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.