Toxicological evaluation in silico and in vivo of secondary metabolites of Cissampelos sympodialis in Mus musculus mice following inhalation

The ethanolic extract of the leaves of Cissampelos sympodialis showed great pharmacological potential, with inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities, however, it showed some toxicological effects. Therefore, this study aims to verify the toxicological potential of alkaloids of the genus Cissampelos through in silico methodologies, to develop a method in LC-MS/MS verifying the presence of alkaloids in the infusion and to evaluate the toxicity of the infusion of the leaves of C. sympodialis when inhaled by Swiss mice. Results in silico showed that alkaloid 93 presented high toxicological potential along with the products of its metabolism. LC-MS/MS results showed that the infusion of the leaves of this plant contained the alkaloids warifteine and methylwarifteine. Finally, the in vivo toxicological analysis of the C. sympodialis infusion showed results, both in biochemistry, organ weights and histological analysis, that the infusion of C. sympodialis leaves presents a low toxicity.     

Bis[(2,3,4-Trimethoxy-Benzylidenepropylideneamino)Phenyl]Ether: Synthesis,Characterization and Crystal Structure

Abstract  

New Schiff base compound bis[(2,3,4-trimethoxy-benzylidenepropylideneamino)phenyl]-ether (1) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses (CHN), FT-IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The title compound 1 crystallizes in triclinic system, space group P-1, with a = 6.8255(4) Å, b = 10.4346(4) Å, c = 19.4166(8) Å, α = 86.588(3)°, β = 85.019(4)°, γ = 89.042(4)°, V = 1375.12(11) Å³ and Z = 2. It displays a trans configuration about the C=N double bonds.     

Biopolymer Synthesis Catalyzed by Tailored Lipases

Summary: Enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of biopolymers is a growing area of green chemistry because the exquisite selectivity and control of the polymer structure allowed by the enzymatic synthesis. In addition, the metal traces of chemical catalysts are avoided, being this feature particularly useful in biomedical applications. Lipases are remarkable catalysts and they are efficient in the synthesis of several kinds of biopolymers. However, one of the limitations of the industrial application of lipase-catalyzed polymerizations is the cost of commercial immobilized lipases. To overcome this drawback, in this work we present some cheap and simple strategies to produce and obtain immobilized lipases, as well as some examples of biopolymer synthesis using these tailored lipases.     

Solid-state NMR and EPR analysis of carbon-doped titanium dioxide photocatalysts (TiO2−xCx)

Carbon-doped TiO₂ have received attention recently because of their potential for environmental photocatalysis and solar hydrogen conversion applications. Three different carbon-doped TiO₂ nanoparticle materials were synthesized via sol–gel and hydrothermal procedures, and analyzed by ¹³C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) and other methods to characterize the environment of the doping species. UV/vis spectra and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the synthesized materials absorbed visible light and their crystal structures corresponded to anatase. ¹³C SSNMR analyses of TiO_2?xC_x displayed signals corresponding to carbonate-type or sp²-type carbon species. Variable contact CP-MAS and dipolar dephasing analyses gave evidence for the presence and proximity of H atoms near these carbonate species. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy showed that the thermally oxidized TiO_2?xC_x displayed a complex mixture of point defects, electron and hole trapping centers, all attributable to the incorporation of carbon, while the XPS data ruled out the presence of carbide species.     

Inversion of matrices with displacement structure

Inversion formulas and fast inversion algorithms for matrices the entries of which fulfil a difference equation are established. In that way the Gohberg/Semencul and Gohberg/Krupnik theorems and related results will be generalized.     

Organocatalytic Asymmetric 1,6‐Addition/1,4‐Addition Sequence to 2,4‐Dienals for the Synthesis of Chiral Chromans

A novel asymmetric organocatalytic 1,6‐addition/1,4‐addition sequence to 2,4‐dienals is described. Based on a 1,6‐Friedel–Crafts/1,4‐oxa‐Michael cascade, the organocatalyst directs the reaction of hydroxyarenes with a vinylogous iminium‐ion intermediate to give only one out of four possible regioisomers, thus providing optically active chromans in high yields and 94–99 % ee. Furthermore, several transformations are presented, including the formation of an optically active macrocyclic lactam. Finally, the mechanism for the novel reaction is discussed based on computational studies.     

Enhanced Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing Based on Tetraruthenated Porphyrins/Nafion/Glassy Carbon‐modified Electrodes via Incorporating of Carbon Nanotubes

The incorporation of carbon nanotubes to a Nafion/tetraruthenated cobalt porphyrin/ glassy carbon electrode (GC/Nf/CoTRP vs GC/Nf/CNTCoTRP) enhanced the amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide. Both electrodes produced a decrease in the overpotential required for the hydrogen peroxide oxidation in about 100 mV compared to glassy carbon under the same experimental conditions. Nevertheless, for GC/Nf/CNT/CoTRP, the increase in the current is remarkable. The GC/Nf/CoTRP modified electrode gave no significant analitycal signal for hydrogen peroxide reduction. Moreover, a great increase in current is observed with GC/Nf/CNT/CoTRP at ?150mV which suggests a significant increase in the sensitivity of the modified electrode. Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) revealed an enhancement in the electroactivity of the GC/Nf/CNT/CoTRP modified electrode. This fact has been explained in terms of enhanced homogeneity of the electrodic surface as a consecuence of better dispersibility of CNT‐CoTRP produced by a Nafion polyelectrolyte.     

In situ localization and structural analysis of the malaria pigment hemozoin

Raman microspectroscopy was applied for an in situ localization of the malaria pigment hemozoin in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. The Raman spectra (lambdaexc=633 nm) of hemozoin show very intense signals with a very good signal-to-noise ratio. These in situ Raman signals of hemozoin were compared to Raman spectra of extracted hemozoin, of the synthetic analogue beta-hematin, and of hematin and hemin. beta-Hematin was synthesized according to the acid-catalyzed dehydration of hematin and the anhydrous dehydrohalogenation of hemin which lead to good crystals with lengths of about 5-30 microm. The Raman spectra (lambdaexc=1064 nm) of hemozoin and beta-hematin show almost identical behaviors, while some low wavenumber modes might be used to distinguish between the morphology of differently synthesized beta-hematin samples. The intensity pattern of the resonance Raman spectra (lambdaexc=568 nm) of hemozoin and beta-hematin differ significantly from those of hematin and hemin. The most striking difference is an additional band at 1655 cm(-1) which was only observed in the spectra of hemozoin and beta-hematin and cannot be seen in the spectra of hematin and hemin. Raman spectra of the beta-hematin dimer were calculated ab initio (DFT) for the first time and used for an assignment of the experimentally derived Raman bands. The calculated atomic displacements provide valuable insight into the most important molecular vibrations of the hemozoin dimer. With help from these DFT calculations, it was possible to assign the Raman band at 1655 cm(-1) to a mode located at the propionic acid side chain, which links the hemozoin dimers to each other. The Raman band at 1568 cm(-1), which has been shown to be influenced by an attachment of the antimalarial drug chloroquine in an earlier study, could be assigned to a C=C stretching mode spread across one of the porphyrin rings and is therefore expected to be influenced by a pi-pi-stacking to the drug.     

Effect of Edible Onion (Allium cepa L.) Film on Quality,Sensory Properties and Shelf Life of Beef Burger Patties

The production of edible film from onion (Allium cepa L.) to be applied as packaging is attractive, due to its chemical properties and biodegradable characteristics. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that edible onion film can positively influence the sensory properties, quality and increasing shelf life of beef burgers patties. The experiment was designed in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, with two treatments (beef burgers patties with or without edible onion film) at an interval of four storage times (0, 3, 6 and 9 days) at 4 °C. The uncoated burger patties (control) suffered the most intense color modifications during the storage (p < 0.05). The luminosity index was higher (p < 0.05) in the control at all storage times, except at day 6, and redness, yellowness and chrome were higher (p < 0.05) in the edible onion film patties at all storage times. The pH of the beef burger patties was lower (p < 0.05) at all storage times when the edible onion film was applied. For the texture profile, only the chewiness was affected, as the inclusion of the edible onion film improved the chewing of the beef burgers patties over the storage time (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was an inhibition of the microbial growth of mesophiles and psychrophiles with the application of the edible onion film in beef burgers patties. The use of edible onion film improved the perception of panelists for the variables texture, color, flavor, odor and overall appearance, and increased the preference of panelists. The edible onion film is recommended for preserving beef burgers patties, as it delays the proliferation of unwanted microorganisms, stabilizes and improves the color parameters and sensory attributes, and increases the overall acceptance of the consumer.