Insulin Complexation with Cyclodextrins—A Molecular Modeling Approach

Around 5% of the population of the world is affected with the disease called diabetes mellitus. The main medication of the diabetes is the insulin; the active form is the insulin monomer, which is an instable molecule, because the long storage time, or the high temperature, can cause the monomer insulin to adapt an alternative fold, rich in β-sheets, which is pharmaceutically inactive. The aim of this study is to form different insulin complexes with all the cyclodextrin used for pharmaceutical excipients (native cyclodextrin, methyl, hydroxyethyl, hydroxypropyl and sulfobutylether substituted β-cyclodextrin), in silico condition, with the AutoDock molecular modeling program, to determine the best type of cyclodextrin or cyclodextrin derivate to form a complex with an insulin monomer, to predict the molar ratio, the conformation of the complex, and the intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed between the cyclodextrin and the insulin. From the results calculated by the AutoDock program it can be predicted that insulin can make a stable complex with 5–7 molecules of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin or sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin, and by forming a complex potentially can prevent or delay the amyloid fibrillation of the insulin and increase the stability of the molecule.     

Optical Resolution of Two Pharmaceutical Bases with Various Uses of Tartaric Acid Derivatives and Their Sodium Salts: Racemic Ephedrine and Chloramphenicol Base

The optically active dibenzoyltartaric acid, tartaric acid, and its sodium salts were successfully applied to the optical resolution of (1R,2S)(1S,2R)-2-(methylamino)-1-phenylpropan-1-ol (EPH) and (1R,2R)(1S,2S)-2-amino-1-(4-nitrophenyl)propane-1,3-diol (AD) as resolving agents. It was observed that both compounds’ resolution using a mixture of salts of quasi-racemic resolving agents showed a change in chiral recognition under the same conditions compared to the result of the use of the single enantiomeric resolving agent. The changes are followed by detailed analytical (XRD, FTIR, and DSC) studies. Meanwhile, the DASH indexing software package was also tested on powder XRD patterns of pure initial materials and intermediate salt samples of high diastereomeric excess.     

Non-adiabatic interactions in charge transfer collisions

An analysis of the charge transfer mechanism in the collision of multiply charged ions with molecular and biomolecular targets is performed, considering the non-adiabatic interactions between the molecular states involved. Collisions of doubly charged C ²⁺ ions on small molecular targets, CO and OH, have been investigated, together with the analysis of charge transfer between C ⁴⁺ ions on uracil and halouracil biomolecular targets. The process is studied theoretically by means of ab-initio molecular calculations followed by a semi-classical treatment of the collision dynamics. The influence of rotational couplings is discussed with regard to the collision energy. Strong anisotropic and vibration effects are pointed out.     

Atmospheric chemistry of 2,3-pentanedione: photolysis and reaction with OH radicals

The kinetics of the overall reaction between OH radicals and 2,3-pentanedione (1) were studied using both direct and relative kinetic methods at laboratory temperature. The low pressure fast discharge flow experiments coupled with resonance fluorescence detection of OH provided the direct rate coefficient of (2.25 ± 0.44) × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The relative-rate experiments were carried out both in a collapsible Teflon chamber and a Pyrex reactor in two laboratories using different reference reactions to provide the rate coefficients of 1.95 ± 0.27, 1.95 ± 0.34, and 2.06 ± 0.34, all given in 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The recommended value is the nonweighted average of the four determinations: k(1) (300 K) = (2.09 ± 0.38) × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), given with 2σ accuracy. Absorption cross sections for 2,3-pentanedione were determined: the spectrum is characterized by two wide absorption bands between 220 and 450 nm. Pulsed laser photolysis at 351 nm was used and the depletion of 2,3-pentanedione (2) was measured by GC to determine the photolysis quantum yield of Φ(2) = 0.11 ± 0.02(2σ) at 300 K and 1000 mbar synthetic air. An upper limit was estimated for the effective quantum yield of 2,3-pentanedione applying fluorescent lamps with peak wavelength of 312 nm. Relationships between molecular structure and OH reactivity, as well as the atmospheric fate of 2,3-pentanedione, have been discussed.     

Iodine-catalyzed stepwise [4+2] cycloaddition of phenothiazine- and ferrocene-containing Schiff bases with DHP promoted by microwave irradiation

On simultaneous effect of iodine-catalysis and microwave irradiation Schiff bases deactivated by electron-donating C-phenothiazinyl- and ferrocenyl-substituents, respectively, underwent formal inverse electron demand aza-Diels-Alder (DA) cycloaddition with 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrane (DHP) employed as donor component. Depending on the substitution pattern of the N-phenyl group the reactions of phenothiazine-containing imines afforded 2H-pyrano[3,2-c]quinolines or 3-(3-hydroxypropyl)quinolines. Irrespective of the electronic properties of the N-phenyl substituent the less reactive ferrocene-based imines were directly converted into quinoline products. The intermediate iodoiminium ions were analysed by B3LYP/DGZVP calculations suggesting stepwise mode for the cycloaddition process. In one case the regioselectivity of the second step of cycloaddition was also interpreted by DFT analysis of the alternative rotamers of the primarily formed DHP adduct.     

Comparative study of the corrosion and surface chemical effects of the decontamination technologies

Decontamination technologies are generally developed to reduce the collective dose of the maintenance and operation personnel at nuclear power plants (NPP). The highest efficiency (i.e., the highest decontamination factors) available without detrimental modification of the treated surface of structural material is the most important goal in the course of the application of a decontamination technology. At the Paks NPP the AP-CITROX procedure has been utilized for the decontamination of the primary coolant circuit’s components (e.g., main circulating pump (MCP) and steam generators (SGs)). Our previous studies have revealed that a ‘hybrid’ structure of the amorphous and crystalline phases was formed in the outermost surface region of the austenitic stainless steel tubes of SGs as an undesired consequence of the industrial application of the AP-CITROX decontamination technology during the period of 1993–2001. In this paper, we report some comparative findings on the corrosion and surface chemical effects of the AP-CITROX procedure and the novel decontamination technology elaborated at our institution. On optimizing the operational parameters the latter technology may become suitable for the effective decontamination of both dismountable (e.g., MCP swivel) and separable (e.g., SGs) equipments. For this purpose experiments were performed. In this laboratory scale experiments, the passivity, morphology and chemical compositions of the treated surfaces of tube specimens were investigated by voltammetry, and SEM–EDX methods, respectively. The SEM–EDX results have revealed that the oxide removal is surprisingly uniform even after 2 or 3 consecutive cycles. The electrochemical studies have provided evidences that no unfavorable tendencies in the general corrosion state of the tube samples can be detected in the course of the chemical treatments.     

Chromium(II)-complex mediated formation of C-glycosides from glycosyl halides under aqueous biphasic conditions

C-Glycosyl compounds were formed in the reactions of hydrolytically sensitive glycosyl halides with electron deficient alkenes mediated by the complex [Cr^II(EDTA)]²⁻ under aqueous conditions.     

Conducting polymer based multifunctional composite electrodes

In this paper, we report a novel pattern of composite electrocatalysts. PPy/iron-oxalate films exhibit photo-electrochemical activity. The PPy/B12 composite electrode on stainless steal (SS) support shows high catalytic activity in the electrochemical reduction of methylviologen. Thin polymer layers filled with magnetite particles can be applicable in magneto-selective electrochemical reactions.     

Minimizing analyte electrolysis in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using a redox buffer coated emitter electrode

An emitter electrode with an electroactive poly(pyrrole) (PPy) polymer film coating was constructed for use in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). The PPy film acted as a surface‐attached redox buffer limiting the interfacial potential of the emitter electrode. While extensive oxidation of selected analytes (reserpine and amodiaquine) was observed in positive ion mode ESI using a bare metal (gold) emitter electrode, the oxidation was suppressed for these same analytes when using the PPy‐coated electrode. A semi‐quantitative relationship between the rate of oxidation observed and the interfacial potential of the emitter electrode was shown. The redox buffer capacity, and therefore the lifetime of the redox buffering effect, correlated with the oxidation potential of the analyte and with the magnitude of the film charge capacity. Online reduction of the PPy polymer layer using negative ion mode ESI between analyte injections was shown to successfully restore the redox buffering capacity of the polymer film to its initial state. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.