Synthesis of Highly Potent Anti-Inflammatory Compounds (ROS Inhibitors) from Isonicotinic Acid

In search of anti-inflammatory compounds, novel scaffolds containing isonicotinoyl motif were synthesized via an efficient strategy. The compounds were screened for their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Remarkably high activities were observed for isonicotinates 5–6 and 8a–8b. The compound 5 exhibits an exceptional IC₅₀ value (1.42 ± 0.1 µg/mL) with 95.9% inhibition at 25 µg/mL, which is eight folds better than the standard drug ibuprofen (11.2 ± 1.9 µg/mL). To gain an insight into the mode of action of anti-inflammatory compounds, molecular docking studies were also performed. Decisively, further development and fine tuning of these isonicotinates based scaffolds for the treatment of various aberrations is still a wide-open field of research.     

Measurement of radon concentration and assessment of associated cancer risk in some fertilizer warehouses in the Punjab province of Pakistan

Radon concentration was measured by using ³⁹CR track etched detectors in five fertilizer warehouses in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The average concentration of radon was determined to be 20–88 Bq m⁻³. Annual effective dose (AED) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) have also been assessed using the models of UNSCEAR and ICRP. The corresponding annual dose and ELCR to the workers of warehouses have been estimated to be 0.30–1.02 mSv year⁻¹ and 0.44–1.02%, respectively.

     

Seimatoric acid and colletonoic acid:Two new compounds from the endophytic fungi,Seimatosporium sp.and Colletotrichum sp.

A new metabolite,named seimatoric acid(1),representing a new oxobutanoic acid derivative has been isolated from Seimatosporium sp., in addition to four known compounds viz.,2-hydroxymethyl-4β,5α,6β-trihydroxycyclohex-2-enone(2),(-)-phyllostine(3),(+)-epiepoxydon(4) and(+)-epoxydon monoacetate(5).Similarly one new benzoic acid derivative,named colletonoic acid(6) was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Colletotrichum sp.The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by detailed ~1 H NMR,~(13)C NMR,COSY,HMQC.HMBC spectroscopic analysis,and HR-E1-MS.Seimatoric acid(1)was also isolated from another taxonomical unidentified fungal strain 4295 in ourgroup.The structures of the known compounds were elucidated by their spectral data comparison to literature data.Preliminary studies showed that colletonoic acid(6) showed good antibacterial,antifungal,and antialgal activities.     

On fractional programming containing support functions

Optimality conditions are derived for a nonlinear fractional program in which a support function appears in the numerator and denominator of the objective function as well as in each constraint function. As an application of these optimality conditions, a dual to this program is formulated and various duality results are established under generalized convexity. Several known results are deduced as special cases.     

Biological characteristics of Edgeworthia tomentosa (Thunb.) Nakai flowers and antimicrobial properties of their essential oils

Edgeworthia tomentosa (Thunb.) Nakai belongs to Thymelaeaceae family, its alabastrum is used as the traditional Chinese medicine ‘Buddleja Officinalis Maxim’. The present study was to elucidate the ultrastructure characteristics of the flower, the phytochemical composition of the aroma essential oils (EOs) and the relevant antimicrobial properties. There were exclusive characters of calyx, ovule, anther and pollen grain of the flowers under scanning electron microscopy. A total of 40 phytochemical components representing 98% of the EOs were successfully identified: monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were the dominant terpenoids according to Kovats retention index and MS database. EOs exhibited a broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, the best bacteriostatic effect was against Diplococcus pneumonia with MIC and MBC values ranging between 7.8 and 62.5 and 26.0–71.0 μg/mL, respectively. These results demonstrate that the surface microscopic morphological characteristics of Edgeworthia chrysantha Lindl. flowers, are full-scale chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of the EOs.     

Sensitized Photooxidation of Ortho-Prenyl Phenol: Biomimetic Dihydrobenzofuran Synthesis and Total 1O2 Quenching†

The sensitized photooxidation of ortho-prenyl phenol is described with evidence that solvent aproticity favors the formation of a dihydrobenzofuran [2-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran], a moiety commonly found in natural products. Benzene solvent increased the total quenching rate constant (k_T) of singlet oxygen with prenyl phenol by ~10-fold compared to methanol. A mechanism is proposed with preferential addition of singlet oxygen to prenyl site due to hydrogen bonding with the phenol OH group, which causes a divergence away from the singlet oxygen ‘ene’ reaction toward the dihydrobenzofuran as the major product. The reaction is a mixed photooxidized system since an epoxide arises by a type I sensitized photooxidation.     

Effect of arsenic species on the kinetics of GaAs nanowires growth by molecular beam epitaxy

GaAs nanowires (NWs) are grown on GaAs (1 1 1) B substrates in a molecular beam epitaxy system, by Au-assisted vapor–liquid–solid growth. We compare the characteristics of NWs elaborated with As₂ or As₄ molecules. In a wide range of growth temperatures, As₄ leads to growth rates twice faster than As₂. The shape of the NWs also depends on the arsenic species: with As₄, regular rods can be obtained, while pencil-like shape results from growth with As₂. From the analysis of the incoming fluxes, which contributes to the NWs formation, we conclude that the diffusion length of Ga adatoms along the NW sidewalls is smaller under As₂ flux as compared to that under As₄ flux. It follows that As₂ flux is favourable to the formation of radial heterostructures, whereas As₄ flux is preferable to maintain pure axial growth.     

The Adsorption of Herbicides and Pesticides on Clay Minerals and Soils. Part 2. Atrazine

The adsorption of atrazine and two model compounds,2-chloropyrimidine and 3-chloropyridine on clay minerals(bentonite, montmorillonite and kaolinite), organic matter (humic acid) and soil (with and without organic matter) has beenstudied using FT-infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high pressureliquid chromatography (HPLC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).3-Chloropyridine, 2-chloropyrimidine and atrazine were adsorbedthrough hydrogen bonding on bentonite, montmorillonite, humic acid and soil. In addition tohydrogen bonding, protonation of 3-chloropyridine and atrazine was also observed.In the adsorption of 2-chloropyrimidine on bentonite and montmorillonitean ion exchange mechanism also occurred. No adsorption of 3-chloropyridine or 2-chloropyrimidine wasobserved on the kaolinite clay mineral.Both the clay minerals and organic matter of soil contribute tothe adsorption of organic compounds on soil but the clay minerals bentonite and montmorilloniteplay a major role in their adsorption on soil.     

Synthesis, characterization and interaction of a new chiral trinuclear complex [bis(aquodiaminotryptophanato) CuII–Sn2IV]chloride with calfthymus DNA

The new chiral trinuclear complex, [bis(aquodiaminotryptophanato)Cu^II–Sn₂^IV] chloride (1) was synthesized by employing a well-designed three-step pathway under anhydrous conditions. Interaction of the complex (1) with calf-thymus DNA was studied by spectrophotometry, cyclic voltammetry and viscosity measurements. The kinetic studies of calf-thymus DNA binding were carried out at 260 nm (λ_max of calf-thymus DNA) under pseudo-first order conditions. The rate constants, k_obs, were evaluated by the linear least squares regression method. The absorption spectra of the complex with calf-thymus DNA shows ‘hyperchromism’ which is attributed to the electrostatic interaction with calf-thymus DNA. The electrochemical behavior of complex (1) was studied in DMSO/H₂O (5:5) solution and showed a quasireversible Cu^II/Cu^I redox couple. The voltammetric studies of the complex in the absence and in the presence of DNA exhibit a shift in the formal potential E ⁰ and ratio of cathodic to anodic peak currents i_pa/i_pc indicating strong binding of the complex to calf-thymus DNA. The viscosity of DNA decreases with increasing concentration of the complex, suggesting that complex (1)binds to calf-thymus DNA by electrostatic association.     

Novel asymmetric heterobimetallic complexes of transition metals and the kinetics of oxygen binding to a cobalt(II) complex

A series of asymmetric heterobimetallic complexes of the type [LMLSn]Cl and [LMLSn]Cl₂, where L = ethylene diamine, M = Mn^II, Co^II, Ni^II and Cu^II, M = Cr^III and Fe^III and L = 1-tryptophan and 1-valine, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, u.v.–vis., i.r., e.p.r., n.m.r., cyclic voltammetry and conductivity measurements. The Co^III analogue of these complexes was characterized by two dimensional n.m.r. COSY data. The kinetics of oxygen binding with the complex [C₁₅H₂₃N₄O₂SnCo]Cl has also been studied. The kinetic data proves that Co^II of a coordinated molecule participates in the rate-determining step of the dioxygen binding process. The plots of the pseudo-first-order rate k _obs versus [O₂] are linear passing through an intercept. The electrochemical behaviour of [C₁₅H₂₃N₄O₂SnCo]²⁺ and [C₁₅H₂₃N₄O₂SnCu]⁺ was monitored by cyclic voltammetry. Comparison of the electrochemical properties of [Co^IIISn^IV]²⁺ and [Cu^IISn^IV]⁺ reveal that, in both the species, one electron transfer reaction takes place. For the [Co^IIISn^IV]²⁺ species E ⁰ = 0.272 and –1.1 V and for the [Cu^IISn^IV]⁺ species E ⁰ = 0.078 and –0.300 V values were obtained, respectively.