Comparative assessment of solid-phase extraction clean-up procedures, GC columns and perfluoroacylation reagents for determination of type B trichothecenes in wheat by GC-ECD

Various solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures for clean-up, two perfluoroacylation reagents (pentafluoropropionic anhydride (PFPA) and heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA)) and two chromatographic columns (HP-1701 and HP-5) have been assessed comparatively to achieve the determination of type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3- and 15-ADON)) in wheat grain by gas chromatography (GC)-electron-capture detection (ECD). Spiked wheat samples were extracted with acetonitrile-water (84:16, v/v). Tested SPE procedures were MycoSep 225 column, Florisil and different cartridges prepared in the laboratory with mixtures of various sorbents like alumina, Celite 545, C18, silica and charcoal. We propose MycoSep 225 column, and cartridges made with alumina-charcoal-silica and alumina-charcoal-C18 silica mixtures as clean-up procedures on the basis of recovery values (89.6, 87.3 and 86.1% for deoxynivalenol, respectively, at 1.0 mg/kg spiking level). The two last procedures are less expensive. Pentafluoropropionic anhydride was more stable against moisture and less expensive, while recoveries were similar to those obtained with heptafluorobutyric anhydride. HP-1701 column can separate 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol derivatives while HP-5 cannot, although this last column provided lower bleed and better sensitivity.     

A unique tautomer of 1‐n‐hexyl‐3‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐ol

In the title compound, C₁₅H₂₀N₂O, the bond distances and angles are consistent with the presence of the hydroxy tautomer. This tautomer was unambiguously determined by the clear presence of a H atom bonded to oxygen, as well as the total absence of any residual electron density around the N atom in the heterocycle, thus precluding any possibility of desmotropism.     

PHOTOSENSITIZATION BY FENOFIBRATE. II. In vitro PHOTOTOXICITY OF THE MAJOR METABOLITES

Fenofibric acid, the major metabolite of fenofibrate, was found to be photolabile. Its irradiation in aqueous solution gave rise to two photoproducts, whose formation involves photodecarboxylation of the dissociated acid to an aryloxy-substituted carbanion, which is directly protonated or, alternatively, undergoes a Wittig rearrangement. A comparative in vitro phototoxicity study has been carried out on the anti-hyperlipoproteinemic drug fenofibrate, its metabolites and the photoproducts of fenofibric acid. Fenofibrate, fenofibric acid and its two photoproducts were found to be active when examined by the photohemolysis test and were able to photosensitize peroxidation of linoleic acid, as evidenced by the UV monitoring of dienic hydroperoxides. In summary, the major metabolite of fenofibrate (fenofibric acid), as well as its photoproducts, are phototoxic in vitro . This behavior can be attributed to the fact that the four compounds retain the benzophenone chromophore present in fenofibrate and is indicative of free radicalmediated photosensitization. In agreement with this rationalization, the metabolites with a reduced ketone functionality exhibit no detectable in vitro phototoxicity.     

Stability and magnetic characterization of oleate-covered magnetite ferrofluids in different nonpolar carriers

This work describes the preparation and stability evaluation of suspensions consisting of hydrophobic magnetite nanoparticles dispersed in different organic solvents. The ferrite particles are covered by a shell of chemisorbed oleate ions following a procedure that is described in detail. The oleate-covered particles were dispersed in different organic solvents with dielectric constants, epsilon(r), ranging between 1.8 and 9, and the centrifugal field strength needed to remove particle aggregates formed during the synthesis was determined for the different liquid carriers used. A thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the observed stability of the suspensions in liquids with epsilon(r) < 5 is well correlated with the very low lyophobic attraction between the particles. This can easily be surmounted by thermal agitation, since the van der Waals attraction is negligible. In contrast, for liquids with epsilon(r) > 9, the suspensions become unstable because of the combined action of the van der Waals and lyophobic attractions, the latter being dominant for very polar solvents. Finally, a complete magnetic characterization of the oleate-magnetite powder, as well as of several stable ferrofluids prepared with it, was carried out. From this characterization, the magnetic diameters and magnetic moments of the particles immersed in the different liquid carriers were estimated and compared to those corresponding to the dry magnetic particles. This made it possible to estimate the thickness of the nonmagnetic layer on the particles.     

A ferrocene-based heteroditopic ligand for electrochemical sensing of cations and anions

A ferrocene-based heteroditopic receptor containing urea and crown ether units shows electrochemical responses to dihydrogenphosphate and fluoride anions. K+ cations can only be detected in the presence of dihydrogenphosphate.     

2,6-diaminopurine in TNA: effect on duplex stabilities and on the efficiency of template-controlled ligations

Replacement of adenine by 2,6-diaminopurine-two nucleobases to be considered equivalent from an etiological point of view-strongly enhances the stability of TNA/TNA, TNA/RNA, or TNA/DNA duplexes and efficiently accelerates template-directed ligation of TNA ligands. [reaction: see text]     

Constant neutral loss scanning for the characterization of glycerol phosphatidylcholine phospholipids

The product-ion spectra of the sodiated molecules of glycerol phosphatidylcholine phospholipids (GPC) were obtained, using fast-atom bombardment (FAB) as the ionization method, in a tandem mass spectrometer. The product-ion spectra of these sodiated molecules of GPCs were found to differ significantly from those of the protonated GPC molecules. This difference is due to the absence of the ion of m/z 184 (protonated-phosphocholine moiety) and to the presence of an ion resulting from the loss of trimethylamine (m=59 Da) from the polar head group, which is the dominant fragmentation. This characteristic neutral loss provides a means of identification of this class of phospholipids and of differentiation from other phospholipid classes in complex mixtures by performing a constant-neutral-loss scan of 59.     

Michael additions of benzoins versus Michael-Stetter additions of aldehydes

Triethylamine catalyzed Michael additions of benzoins to chalcone can prevail over the expected Michael-Stetter additions when certain thiazolium ion conjugate bases - prepared $\text{in situ}$ from the pertinent thiazolium salts and triethylamine- are used as catalysts.     

Can chlorine anion catalyze the reaction of HOCl with HCl?

The reaction of HOCl + HCl → Cl₂ + H₂O in the presence of chlorine anion Cl⁻ has been studied using ab initio methods. The overall exothermicity is 15.5 kcal mol⁻¹ and this reaction has been shown to have a high activation barrier of 46.5 kcal mol⁻¹. Cl⁻ is found to catalyze the reaction via the formation of HOCl·Cl⁻, ClH·HOCl·Cl⁻ and Cl⁻·H₂) intermediate ion-molecule complexes or by interacting with a concerted four-center transition state of the reaction of HOCl + HCl.     

Incorporation conditions guiding the aggregation of a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored protein in Langmuir monolayers

This work investigates the process of incorporation of a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored alkaline phosphatase into Langmuir monolayers of dimyristoyl phosphatidic acid (DMPA). Three different methods of protein incorporation were assayed. When the protein solution was injected below the air–water interface after formation of the lipid monolayer a micro-heterogeneous distribution of alkaline phosphatase throughout the interface was observed. Adsorption kinetics studied by fluorescence microscopy, associated with surface pressure measurements, led to the proposition of a model in which the protein penetration is modulated by the surface packing of the monolayer and intermolecular interactions occurring between the phospholipid and the protein. At initial surface pressures higher than 20 mN m⁻¹, the protein is quickly adsorbed on the interface and the lateral diffusion drives the alkyl chains to turn towards the air phase while the polypeptide moiety faces the aqueous subphase.