New phosphine-imine and phosphine-amine ligands derived from d-gluco-, d-galacto- and d-allosamine in Pd-catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation

New phosphine-imine and phosphine-amine chiral ligands which were easily prepared from d-gluco-, d-galacto- and d-allosamine furnished a high level of enantiomeric excess (up to 99%) in the Pd(0)-catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation of racemic 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with malonates.     

One‐day pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis protocol for rapid determination of emetic Bacillus cereus isolates

Bacillus cereus, the Gram‐positive and spore‐forming ubiquitous bacterium, may cause emesis as the result of food intoxication with cereulide, a heat‐stable emetic toxin. Rapid determination of cereulide‐positive B. cereus isolates is of highest importance due to consequences of this intoxication for human health and life. Here we present a 1‐day pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis for emetic B. cereus isolates, which allows rapid and efficient determination of their genomic relatedness and helps determining the source of intoxication in case of outbreaks caused by these bacilli.     

Suzuki-Miyaura and Hiyama reactions catalyzed by orthopalladated triarylphosphite complexes

Orthometallated, dimeric, and monomeric palladium complexes with triphenylphoshito ligands and square-planar complexes of the type PdCl₂[P(OR)₃]₂ (where R=Ph, m-MeC₆H₄, o-MeC₆H₄, C₆H₃-2,4-^tBu₂) were applied in the Suzuki-Miyaura and the Hiyama reactions leading to the same product, 2-Mebiphenyl. The desired product was obtained in high yield in reactions performed in ethane-1,2-diol with Cs₂CO₃ as a base. The optimized procedure was also applied to the synthesis of other biphenyl derivatives, and in most cases the Suzuki-Miyaura procedure led to higher yields of the product.     

Effect of temperature on competitive adsorption of the solute and the organic solvent in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

In analysis of the temperature effect on chromatographic separations the influence of the adsorption of organic solvent on the retention properties of solute is generally not taken into account. In fact, adsorption behavior of solutes is strongly affected by competitive adsorption of organic solvents, which is temperature dependent. In this work changes of adsorption equilibrium of an organic solvent as well as a solute with temperature have been analyzed. Data of the excess adsorption of methanol from aqueous solutions on octadecyl-bonded silica have been acquired at different temperature. Experiments have been performed over a relatively narrow temperature range corresponding to typical chromatographic conditions, i.e., 10-50 degrees C. The competitive adsorption equilibria of model solutes (i.e., two homologous compounds: cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone) have been measured at different temperature and composition of the mobile phase. Temperature alterations to the retention properties were found to result from combined effects of changes in adsorption behavior of the organic solvent and of the solute. The influence of temperature on the separation selectivity has been considered.     

Dynamics of NF3 in a condensed film on Au(1 1 1) as studied by electron-stimulated desorption

We report a low-temperature dynamics study of condensed layers of NF₃ on Au(1 1 1) by time-of-flight electron-stimulated desorption ion angular distribution (TOF-ESDIAD), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM). Upon adsorption at 30 K, molecular NF₃ adsorption occurs first at the step edges and at minor terrace defect sites with the formation of 2D islands. Within the islands, NF₃ is adsorbed in an upright conformation via the nitrogen lone pair electrons projecting fluorine atoms away from the surface as judged by the presence of only a sharp F⁺ central beam in the ESDIAD pattern. At higher coverages, 3D islands start to populate the surface. Electron bombardment of a thick NF₃ (∼6 ML) layer adsorbed on the Au(1 1 1) surface leads to emission of F⁺, N⁺, NF⁺, and ions as observed in the TOF-ESD distribution. Upon heating to ∼37 K, a sudden decrease of the and ion yield, which is not related to thermal desorption, is observed which reflects the surface migration of NF₃ molecules, leading to local thinning of the film. The thinning process occurs at the temperature of onset of molecular rotations and self-diffusion in the bulk NF₃ crystal. In this process, some NF₃ molecules move closer to the surface which results in higher efficiency for ion neutralization by the underlying metal surface. In the TPD spectra, the monolayer desorption is observed to begin at ∼65 K, exhibiting zero-order kinetics with an activation energy of 21 kJ/mol.     

Metal Complex Formation and Anticancer Activity of Cu(I) and Cu(II) Complexes with Metformin

Metformin has been used for decades in millions of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In this time, correlations between metformin use and the occurrence of other disorders have been noted, as well as unpredictable metformin side effects. Diabetes is a significant cancer risk factor, but unexpectedly, metformin-treated diabetic patients have lower cancer incidence. Here, we show that metformin forms stable complexes with copper (II) ions. Both copper(I)/metformin and copper(II)/metformin complexes form adducts with glutathione, the main intracellular antioxidative peptide, found at high levels in cancer cells. Metformin reduces cell number and viability in SW1222 and K562 cells, as well as in K562-200 multidrug-resistant cells. Notably, the antiproliferative effect of metformin is enhanced in the presence of copper ions.     

An Overview of the Analytical Methods for the Determination of Organic Ultraviolet Filters in Cosmetic Products and Human Samples

UV filters are a group of compounds commonly used in different cosmetic products to absorb UV radiation. They are classified into a variety of chemical groups, such as benzophenones, salicylates, benzotriazoles, cinnamates, p-aminobenzoates, triazines, camphor derivatives, etc. Different tests have shown that some of these chemicals are absorbed through the skin and metabolised or bioaccumulated. These processes can cause negative health effects, including mutagenic and cancerogenic ones. Due to the absence of official monitoring protocols, there is an increased number of analytical methods that enable the determination of those compounds in cosmetic samples to ensure user safety, as well as in biological fluids and tissues samples, to obtain more information regarding their behaviour in the human body. This review aimed to show and discuss the published studies concerning analytical methods for the determination of organic UV filters in cosmetic and biological samples. It focused on sample preparation, analytical techniques, and analytical performance (limit of detection, accuracy, and repeatability).     

Influence of (In,Ni, Al,Ga)-ions Substitution on the Magnetic Properties of ZnCr<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Magnetic properties of Zn_1-xM_xCr₂Se₄ (M=In, Ni, Al, Ga) in high magnetic field up to 14 T and at low temperatures are presented. ZnCr₂Se₄ belongs to the group of normal spinels with Zn²⁺ located at tetrahedral (A) sites and Cr³⁺ occupying (B) sites of the cubic close-packed array of selenium anions. Magnetic order in the compounds is connected with superexchange interactions, which are positive between the nearest neighbors and negative between the next-nearest neighbors. Substitution of one of the cations of spinel with another 3d metal causes essential changes in the cation distribution and physical properties.     

Phytochemical Fingerprinting and In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of the Aerial Parts of Thymus marschallianus Willd. and Thymus seravschanicus Klokov Growing Widely in Southern Kazakhstan

The chemical composition of the hydroethanolic extracts (60% v/v) from the aerial parts of Thymus marschallianus Willd (TM) and Thymus seravschanicus Klokov (TS) from Southern Kazakhstan flora was analyzed together with their hexane fractions. Determination of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities of both extracts was also performed. RP-HPLC/PDA and HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS showed that there were some differences between the composition of both extracts. The most characteristic components of TM were rosmarinic acid, protocatechuic acid, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, and apigenin 7-O-glucuronide, while protocatechuic acid, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-glucuronide, and eriodictyol predominated in TS. The content of polyplenols was higher in TS than in TM. The GC-MS analysis of the volatile fraction of both examined extracts revealed the presence of thymol and carvacrol. Additionally, sesquiterpenoids, fatty acids, and their ethyl esters were found in TM, and fatty acid methyl esters in TS. The antioxidant activity of both extracts was similar. The antibacterial activity of TS extract was somewhat higher than TM, while antifungal activity was the same. TS extract was the most active against Helicobacter pylori ATCC 43504 with MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) = 0.625 mg/mL, exerting a bactericidal effect. The obtained data provide novel information about the phytochemistry of both thyme species and suggest new potential application of TS as a source of bioactive compounds, especially with anti-H. pylori activity.