Development and validation of a rapid RP‐HPLC method for analysis of (−)‐copalic acid in copaíba oleoresin

The Copaifera species (Leguminoseae) are popularly known as ‘copaíba’ or ‘copaíva’ and are grown in the states of Amazonas, Pará and Ceará in northern Brazil. The oleoresins obtained from these species have been extensively used owing to their pharmacological potential and their application in cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations. In the present study, the development and validation of a novel, rapid and efficient RP‐HPLC methodology for the analysis of the diterpene (?)‐copalic acid (CA), pointed out as the only chemical marker of the Copaifera genus, are described. The regression equation (Y = 26,707x ? 29,498) was obtained with good linearity (r² = 0.9993) and the limits of quantification and detection were 9.182 and 3.032 µg/mL, respectively. The precision and the accuracy of the method were adequate (lower than 4%). Finally, the validation parameters evaluated were satisfactorily met, so the developed method represents a suitable tool for application in the quality control of such natural products. Further studies aiming to develop analytical methodologies for each Copaifera species using a more representative number of chemical markers should be performed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emulsions of Heavy Crude Oils. II. Viscous Responses and Their Influence on Emulsion Stability Measurements

The stability of 30 heavy crude oil emulsions was studied in a parallel-plate laboratory coalescer (DC field). Particularly, viscous responses and their influence on the emulsion stability measurements were investigated. In addition to highlighting previous results from the same experimental setup and discussing these based on recent experience, new results at different temperatures and volume fractions of water were presented. A new semi-empirical model for the characteristic time of the destabilization process was presented. The electrical forces were modelled with a point-dipole approximation and the hydrodynamic resistance to droplet transport was modelled with an empirical term including the logarithmic viscosity of the oil phase. The new model clearly performed much better than the previous model, particularly for very viscous crude oils. Studies of the performance of industrial electrocoalescers have showed that simple electrostatic theory can potentially explain complex separation phenomena when the resistance to the coalescence step is reduced by an efficient demulsifier. The ultimate goal is to build a model for both the laboratory setup and the industrial coalescer so that laboratory experiments can be used to predict the behavior of the industrial process.     

Volatile organic compounds in an urban environment: a comparison among Belgium,Vietnam and Ethiopia

The effects of urban and indoor air pollution on human health are a major environmental concern for all, but not much has been researched in the developing world. Specifically, quantitative data on the occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – main contributors to air pollution – in Asia and Africa are scarce compared to the availability of data in the developed world. This paper presents one of the first studies focusing on the analysis and occurrence of VOCs in Vietnam and Ethiopia, which constitutes part of the novelty of this work. A spectrum of 34 VOCs was measured at eight different urban sites in Ghent (Belgium), Hanoi (Vietnam), Jimma and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) during three sampling campaigns from September 2008 to September 2010. Sampling was done in an active way by means of sorbent tubes filled with Tenax TA. The analysis was done by TD-GC-MS using internal standard calibration. Data were interpreted and compared in terms of (i) individual, subgroup and total VOCs concentration (TVOCs), (ii) indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) concentration ratios, (iii) source identification by diagnostic ratio and/or correlation coefficients, and (iv) ozone formation potential (OFP) at outdoor sites based on up-to-date maximum incremental reactivity (MIR). I/O concentration ratios varied between 0.2 and 30, with big differences noticed with respect to the type of VOC(s) considered and the type of outdoor sampling location. The highest TVOC concentrations were measured in street samples with maximum values of 54?µg/m³ in Ghent, 507?µg/m³ in Hanoi and 318?µg/m³ in Addis Ababa illustrating the large difference in ambient air quality levels. This is also reflected in the arithmetic mean OFP values (µg/m³) of 82, 1308 and 596 in Ghent, Hanoi and Addis Ababa, respectively. Results of this study could be helpful to support formulation of national policy with regard to ambient air quality.     

Electrochemical Behaviour and Square Wave Voltammetry of the Rice Herbicides Molinate,Bensulfuron-Methyl,Mefenacet and Thiobencarb

Abstract

Cyclic, differential pulse and square wave voltammetry were applied to develop an electroanalytical procedure for the determination of a group of herbicides used to treat rice crops: molinate, bensul-ruron-methyl, mefenacet and thiobencarb. The oxidation mechanism causes adsorption problems and consequent poisoning of the electrode surface by the products of the electrochemical reaction. Parameters such as pH, frequency and electrochemical electrode surface treatment were optimized. The analytical methodology developed using square wave voltammetry was applied to the determination of molinate and bensulfuron-methyl in simple or mixed commercial products.     

Linear Synthesis of The Methyl Glycosides of Tri-, Tetra-, and Pentasaccharide Fragments of The Shigella Flexneri Serotype 5A O-Antigen

ABSTRACT

The stepwise synthesis of methyl α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (EBC-OMe, 1), methyl α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (A(E)BC-OMe, 2), and methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (DA(E)BC-OMe, 3) is described. Compounds 1, 2 and 3 constitute the methyl glycosides of fragments of the O-specific polysaccharide of Shigella flexneri serotype 5a. Methyl 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-2,4-di-O-benzoyl-α-L-rhamnopyranoside was an appropriate BC precursor for the synthesis of 1. For the synthesis of the branched targets 2 and 3, a benzyl group was best suited at position 2 of rhamnose C. Thus, methyl 4-O-benzyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-2,4-di-O-benzyl-α-L-rhamnopyranoside was the key intermediate to the BC portion. In all cases, 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl fluoride was a convenient E precursor, when used in combination with titanium tetrafluoride. All along, attention was paid to steric hindrance as a factor of major impact on the condensation steps outcome. Therefore, based on previous experience, 2-O-acetyl-3,4-di-O-allyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate and 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-2-trichloroacetamido-α-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate were used as donors. Both suited all requirements when used as key precursors for residues A and D in the synthesis of 3, respectively.     

“Heteroglycals” As New Potential Glycosidase Inhibitors. Synthetic Approaches From D-Arabinose

Within the frame of an ongoing project on glycosidase inhibitors, we have been interested in the synthesis of “heteroglycals”, namely, glycal analogues with sulfur or nitrogen in the ring. Glycals² are well known for their applications in sugar chemistry in particular for glycosyl transfer.³ They are also known as glycosidase inhibitors through a slow chemical reaction with the enzyme. Recently exo-glycals emerged as a new class of glycals⁴ which showed interesting features as glycosidase inhibitors but also as precursors of glycomimetics such as C-glycosides.⁵ We have undertaken investigations on related heteroglycals: such compounds are of interest because they combine a planar geometry at the anomeric center and a possible charge site - both elements known to be important to mimic the transition state of the enzymatic glycoside hydrolysis process.⁶     

Synthesis and Properties of Surfactants derived from N‐Acetyl‐D‐Glucosamine

The synthesis of 2‐acetamido‐2‐deoxy‐6‐O‐octanoyl‐D‐glucono‐1,5‐lactone 9 and 2‐acetamido‐2‐deoxy‐6‐O‐octanoyl‐α‐D‐glucopyranose 7 from 2‐acetamido‐2‐deoxy‐α‐D‐glucopyranose is reported. For both targets, the key intermediate was allyl 2‐acetamido‐3,4‐di‐O‐benzyl‐2‐deoxy‐6‐O‐octanoyl‐α‐D‐glucopyranoside 5. Surface tension measurements (critical micellar concentration of 22.3 mM and 5 mM for 9 and 7, respectively) showed up the surface activity of both compounds, while enzyme inhibition assays indicated that 9 could inhibit bovine β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase (K_i=6.5 µM) but not Serratia marcescens chitobiase nor hen egg‐white lysozyme. Moreover, 7 was shown to induce chitinase production of S. marcescens and to be readily metabolized by these bacteria.      

Bioconjugation with Maleimides: A Useful Tool for Chemical Biology

Maleimide chemistry stands out in the bioconjugation toolbox by virtue of its synthetic accessibility, excellent reactivity, and practicability. The second-generation of clinically approved antibody–drug conjugates (ADC) and much of the current ADC pipeline in clinical trials contain the maleimide linkage. However, thiosuccinimide linkages are now known to be less robust than once thought, and ergo, are correlated with suboptimal pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and safety profiles in some ADC constructs. Rational design of novel generations of maleimides and maleimide-type reagents have been reported to address the shortcomings of classical maleimides, allowing for the formation of robust bioconjugate linkages. This review highlights the main strategies for rational reagent design that have allowed irreversible bioconjugations in cysteines, reversible labelling strategies and disulfide re-bridging.     

Thermodynamic study of complexation of Zn(II)/L (L− = acetate,indomethacin and diclofenac anions) by isothermal titration calorimetry

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this work, a thermodynamic study of the Zn(II)/L systems (L??=?acetate, AcO? or indomethacin anion, Indo? or...     

Thermal,spectral and biological characterisation of copper(II) complexes with isoniazid-based hydrazones

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A series of complexes [Cu(L)(CH3COO)2]·nH2O (L: isonicotinic acid 2-(2-hydroxy-8-substituted-tricyclo[7.3.1.02.7]tridec-13-ylidene)-hydrazones)...