Effect of microwave irradiation on polyphenolic compounds from Satureja hortensis L.

Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is most often used as a culinary herb, but it also has medicinal benefits. The extracts from control and irradiated savory were obtained by ultrasound extraction for 30 minutes in an ethanol — water (80:20, v/v) mixture. Polyphenolic compounds from savory were identified and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector and mass spectrometer. The separation was performed using an Altima C18 column (100×3 mm, 3 μm) and as mobile phase two solvent mixture: A — acetonitrile and B — water-formic acid (99.9:0.1, v/v). Peaks were identified with authentic standards in accordance to retention time, UV spectra and molecular mass. It was identified as caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, luteolin, naringenin and apigenin. A quantitative determination of polyphenolic compounds was performed applying the external standard method. Our study showed large quantitative differences between the control plant and the irradiated plant.      

A Simple Method for the Synthesis of Acylated Pyranoid Glycals Under Aprotic Conditions

Abstract

Per-O-acylated glycals³ (1,4- or 1,5-anhydro-2-deoxyald-1-enitols, e. g., 9) represent one of the most useful types of carbohydrate derivatives available for various syntheses. The classical method⁴ for their preparation is the reaction of acetobromo sugars (e. g., 2) with zinc dust in aqueous acetic acid, but the yields are variable and solvolysis products, among others, are formed in side reactions.⁵     

Mono and Bisphosphonates from Perfluoro Olefins and Polyfunctional Fluoro Ketones. Syntheses,Molecular Structure and Derivatives

Perfluoroalkenyl phosphonates were formed along with Me₃SiF using CF₃CF=CF₂, CF₃CH=CF₂, F₅SCF=CF₂ or F₅SCH=CF₂ and silylated phosphites, (R¹O)₂POSiMe₃ (R¹=Et, SiMe₃). This straightforward method could be extended to perfluorobutadienes CF₂=C(R^F)C(R^F)=CF₂ (R^F F=F, CF₃). The formation of CF₃C(=O)P(=O)(OSiMe₃)₂ and further reactions to yield bisphosphonates will be described. Acetylphosphonates, R²C(=O)P(=O)(OSiMe₃)₂ (R²=CH₃, CF₃) reacted with the ketimine, CH₃C(=NiPr)Ph to give α-hydroxy-γ-imino phosphonates. Trifluoroacetylphenol and 2,6-bis(trifluoracetyl)-4-methyl-phenol have been proven to be versatile precursors for α-and γ-hydroxy phosphonates. Intermediates in these reactions were found to be cyclic λ⁵σ⁵P species.     

Determination of mercury in fish by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry using a multicommuted flow injection analysis system.

A flow system was developed for the determination of total mercury concentration in fish samples by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CVAAS), based on the multicommuted flow injection analysis (MCFIA) approach. The system uses independently controlled solenoid valves for the introduction of reagents and samples. When not injected, solutions were recirculating to the reservoir bottles, in this way reducing the waste produced by the analytical system and also the sample consumption. Results were compared to those obtained by the reference flow injection procedure. Accuracy was also assessed by recovery studies using a certified reference material as well as spiked samples; recovery percentages in the range of 90.7% to 99.8% were found. The repeatability of the method was better than 6.0% (RSD, n = 10). A limit of detection of 4.8 microg of mercury per kg of fresh fish sample was achieved. The total waste produced was reduced to 30% of that from the reference flow injection CVAAS procedure.     

Selective complex formation of some chromogenic calix[4]arene derivatives detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy 1. Solution experiments

A calix[4]arene derivative containing ethoxycarbonylmethoxy groups in the coordination sphere and an iminopyridinium indicator group was studied by FT-IR spectroscopy in acetonitrile solution. The characteristic changes of v(C=O) stretching vibration offered an opportunity for the improvement on selectivity of the ion recognition process of this ligand. The shift of the carbonyl stretching vibration band depended on complex formation as well as on the equilibrium constants of complex formation. In the case of sodium complex, a well-defined isobestic point was detected in the v(C=O) region while altering the sodium concentration. The affinity of thallium(III) to form complex with calixarene 1 was found comparable with those of lithium, sodium or calcium. The complex was found to be an M2L type supramolecule, whereas one molecule of triethylamine was necessary for the formation of each complex.     

New thermochemical reference system expressing the relative energy of organic compounds

To facilitate the comparison of the energies of nonisomeric organic compounds, we introduce a new thermochemical reference system. The reference substances, instead of elements, are series of compounds: unbranched alkanes and their selected derivatives (halogenides, ethers, sulfides, and tertiary amines). The relative enthalpies calculated from the heats of formation directly reflect the relative energy of both isomeric and nonisomeric compounds, and they can be used in the calculation of the heats of reaction. The relative enthalpies of the elements (in kJ/mol) are C, –22.846; H₂, 43.426; O₂, 251.66; N₂, –178.62; S, –41.62; F₂, 396.12; C1₂, 94.22; Br₂, 8.16; and I₂, –107.64.     

Sub-millivolt amplitude potential oscillations observed in the noise of hydrogen evolution on Ag and Cu microelectrodes

A strange effect was observed while using the method of quasi-simultaneous determination of electrochemical voltage noise and impedance to obtain information on the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction on Ag and Cu microelectrodes. Beyond a certain polarizing current density we found microvolt-amplitude potential oscillations on both electrodes with a frequency in the 5 Hz–5 kHz range. The oscillations were observed in every single experiment with Ag and Cu, while no oscillatory behavior was observed during the control experiments with the Pt microelectrode. The presence of the oscillations indicates that the mechanism of hydrogen evolution is more complex compared to the original assumption.      

The Arg160Trp allele of melanocortin-1 receptor gene might protect against vitiligo

Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) and agouti signaling protein (ASIP) play pivotal roles in the regulation of human pigmentation. We aimed to study whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MC1R and ASIP genes contribute to the pathogenesis of the polygenic pigment skin disorder, vitiligo. The PCR-amplified, full-length MC1R gene was studied with sequence analysis, and the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) SNP of ASIP was detected using restriction fragment length polymorphism. The allele frequency of the ASIP SNP did not show any difference between the skin type, hair color and eye color-matched 97 vitiligo patients and the 59 healthy control individuals. As one of the MC1R polymorphisms showed significantly higher incidence among fair-skinned individuals (Fitzpatrick I+II, n=140) than among dark-skinned individuals (Fitzpatrick III+IV, n=90), both vitiligo patients and controls were divided into two groups and the frequency of the MC1R alleles was studied separately in fair-skinned and dark-skinned subgroups of diseased and healthy groups. C478T, one of the MC1R SNPs studied in 108 fair-skinned vitiligo patients and in 70 fair-skinned healthy control individuals, showed a significant difference (P=0.0262, odds ratio [95% confidence interval]=3.6 [0.0046-0.1003]) in allele frequency between the two groups: the allele frequency was higher in the control group, suggesting protection against vitiligo. Computer prediction of antigenicity has revealed that the Arg160Trp amino acid change caused by this SNP results in a decrease in antigenicity of the affected peptide epitope.     

Effect of phosphatidylglycerol depletion on the surface electric properties and the fluorescence emission of thylakoid membranes

To explore the possible effect of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) on the surface electric properties and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics we used electric light scattering technique and 77 K chlorophyll fluorescence of thylakoid membranes from a cyanobacterium, Synechocystis PCC6803 (wild type) and its pgsA mutant defective in PG synthesis. We found a strong decrease in the permanent and induced electric dipole moments of the mutant thylakoids, following long-term PG depletion parallel with a decrease of the emission peak from PSI and an increase of the emission peak from PSII. Partial recovery of the electric state of thylakoid membranes was observed at re-addition of PG to the mutant cells depleted of PG for 21days. This change in the electric dipole moments is probably due to a decrease in PG content and progressive structural alterations in the macroorganization of the photosynthetic complexes induced by PG deprivation.

Our results suggest that the depletion of a lipid, which carries a negative charge, despite its small contribution to the overall lipid content, significantly perturbs the surface charge of the membranes. These changes are related with the chlorophyll fluorescence emission ratios of two photosystems and may partly explain our earlier results concerning the PG requirement for the function and assembly of photosystems I and II reaction centers.