Laccase-Mediated Transformations of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Abolish Binding Affinities to Estrogen Receptors and Their Estrogenic Activity in Zebrafish

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are known to mainly affect aquatic organisms, producing negative effects in aquaculture. Transformation of the estrogenic compounds 17??-estradiol (E2), bisphenol-A (BPA), nonylphenol (NP), and triclosan (TCS) by laccase of Coriolopsis gallica was studied. Laccase is able to efficiently transform them into polymers. The estrogenic activity of the EDCs and their laccase transformation products was evaluated in vitro as their affinity for the human estrogen receptor alpha (hER??) and for the ligand binding domain of zebrafish (Danio rerio) estrogen receptor alpha (zfER??LBD). E2, BPA, NP, and TCS showed higher affinity for the zfER??LBD than for hER??. After laccase treatment, no affinity was found, except a marginal affinity of E2 products for the zfER??LBD. Endocrine disruption studies in vivo on zebrafish were performed using the induction of vitellogenin 1 as a biomarker (VTG1 mRNA levels). The use of enzymatic bioreactors, containing immobilized laccase, efficiently eliminates the endocrine activity of BPA and TCS, and significantly reduces the effects of E2. The potential use of enzymatic reactors to eliminate the endocrine activity of EDCs in supply water for aquaculture is discussed.     

A new phenanthrene-based bis-oxime chemosensor for Fe(III) and Cr(III) discrimination

The synthesis of two new 2,7-disubstituted phenanthrene-based bis oximes is described. The ability of these two compound for complexing heavy metal cations have been studied and complexation constants and complex stoichiometry for Cr³⁺ and Fe³⁺ complex have been determined. The fluorescent properties of ligand 2 make this compound able to act as a sensor able to discriminate between Cr³⁺ and Fe³⁺. Detection limits for these two cations have been evaluated.     

Reversible Clustering of Gold Nanoparticles under Confinement

A limiting factor of solvent‐induced nanoparticle self‐assembly is the need for constant sample dilution in assembly/disassembly cycles. Changes in the nanoparticle concentration alter the kinetics of the subsequent assembly process, limiting optical signal recovery. Herein, we show that upon confining hydrophobic nanoparticles in permeable silica nanocapsules, the number of nanoparticles participating in cyclic aggregation remains constant despite bulk changes in solution, leading to highly reproducible plasmon band shifts at different solvent compositions.     

Determination of Phenolic Compounds and the Antioxidant Capacity of Ximenia parviflora Benth. var. parviflora (Olacaceae) Fruit by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection

The total phenolic and flavonoid content, phenolic composition, and in vitro antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extracts of Ximenia parviflora Benth. var. parviflora fruits collected at Zinaparo, Michoacan (in central Mexico) were determined. Fruit extracts present a high scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] radicals (71.49?±?0.11% and 85.00?±?1.29% inhibition, respectively). The four phenolic compounds identified in fruit extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection were gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and quercetin. X. parviflora fruits may be used as a starting material for the extraction of high value antioxidant phenolic compounds with potential applications in the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries.     

Estimation and correction of matrix effects in gas chromatographic pesticide multiresidue analytical methods with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector

The assessment of matrix effects in the quantification of organophosphorus pesticides in fruit and vegetables by GC-NPD, were studied applying ANCOVA. Calibration curves prepared in solvent were compared with calibration curves prepared in a blank matrix extract for eight different commodities, establishing whether the matrix induces systematic or proportional errors in the quantification of the pesticides. In such cases correction functions were obtained and validated by quantifying spiked samples using solvent calibrations and applying the correction functions to the data obtained. The results were compared with those obtained by quantification using matrix-matching calibrations and with those from 100% recovery experiments. It was found that the matrix effects can be avoided using the correction functions. Finally the contribution of the correction functions to the uncertainty of the results was estimated as well as their stability during a four month period.     

Synthesis and Structure Elucidation of New Regioisomeric 2‐Alkylamino‐6‐aryl‐8,9‐dihydropyrimido[4,5‐b][1,4]diazepin‐4(7H)‐ones

Novel 2‐Alkylamino‐6‐aryl‐8,9‐dihydropyrimido[4,5‐b][1,4]diazepin‐4(7H)‐ones 5a , 5b , 5c , 5d , 5e , 5f , 5g , 5h , 5i , 5j , 5k , 5l , 5m , 5n , 5o were prepared regioselectively by the reaction of 2‐alkylamino‐5,6‐diaminopyrimidin‐4(3H)‐ones 3a , 3b , 3c and dimethylamino propiophenones (Mannich bases) 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f . The combination of conventional heating and microwave irradiation approaches provided the possibility of working with both stable and sensitive diaminopyrimidines by controlling parameters such as reaction rates, temperature, and power of irradiation. All products were fully characterized by detailed NMR measurements.     

Extraction of cesium from water into nitrobenzene using hydrogen dicarbollylcobaltate in the presence of p-nonylphenylnonaethylene glycol

The extraction of cesium by a nitrobenzene solution of hydrogen dicarbollylcobaltate (H⁺B^-) in the presence of Slovafol 909 (p-nonylphenylnonaethylene glycol, L) has been investigated. The equilibrium data have been explained assuming that the complexes HL⁺, HL₂ ⁺, CsL⁺ and CsL₂ ⁺ are extracted into the organic phase. The values of extraction and stability constants of the species in nitrobenzene saturated with water have been determined.     

Electron-pairing analysis from localization and delocalization indices in the framework of the atoms-in-molecules theory

This article presents an overview of recent advances in the study of electron pairing through the use of localization and delocalization indices obtained from double integration over atomic basins of the exchange–correlation density in the framework of the atoms-in-molecules theory. These localization and delocalization indices describe the intra- and interatomic distribution of the electron pairs in a molecule. The main results of the application of these second-order indices to the analysis of molecular structure and chemical reactivity are briefly reviewed. It is shown that localization and delocalization indices represent a powerful tool to describe the electron-pair structure of molecules, which, in turn, provides deeper insight into relevant chemical phenomena such as electron correlation effects and the formation of localized α, β electron pairs. Received: 8 April 2002 / Accepted: 26 June 2002 / Published online: 6 September 2002 Acknowledgements. Financial help was furnished by the Spanish DGES projects no. PB98-0457-C02-01 and BQU2002-04112-C02-02. J.P. thanks the Departament d'Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació de la Generalitat de Catalunya for benefiting from a doctoral fellowship, no. 2000FI-00582. M.S. is indebted to the Departament d'Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació of the Generalitat de Catalunya for financial support through the Distinguished University Research Promotion, 2001. We also thank the Centre de Supercomputació de Catalunya for providing us with computing facilities. Correspondence to: M. Solà e-mail: miquel.sola@udg.es     

Asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of N-metalated azomethine ylides to methyl (S)-2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)acrylate. Synthesis of optically pure 2,4,5-trisubstituted 2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrroles

The first 1,3-dipolar reaction of azomethine ylides with optically pure vinyl sulfoxide are reported. The presence of the sulfinyl group increase the reactivity of the acrylate moiety as a dipolarophile, and the reactions evolve with complete regio- and endo-selectivities. Nevertheless, mixtures of the two diastereoisomers 4 and 5 (75-88% de) resulting from the anti dipole/s-cis dipolarophile and syn dipole/s-trans dipolarophile approaches, respectively, are obtained. The stereoselectivity can be controlled by using THF or MeCN as solvents or by changing the reaction temperature in MeCN. After separation of the cycloadducts, optically pure 2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrroles are easily obtained by pyrolytic desulfinylation.