Infrared and Raman Spectra of Solid Guanine Derivatives. 7-METHYLGUANINE, 9-METHYLGUANINE, 9-ETHYLGUANINE, 1,7-DIMETHYLGUANINE,and 1,9-DIMETHYLGUANINE.

The infrared and Raman spectra of 7-methylguanine, 9-methylguanine, 9-ethylguanine, 1,7-dimethylguanine, and 1,9-dimethylguanine in the solid state have been reported and discussed. Hydrogen bonds in these solid guanine derivatives bring about strong perturbations which are discussed in terms of structural data given by X-ray diffraction methods. The spectra of guanine and 9-methylguanine are compared with the spectra of the monomers isolated in low-temperature matrices.     

Biochemical and Molecular Investigation of the Effect of Saponins and Terpenoids Derived from Leaves of Ilex aquifolium on Lipid Metabolism of Obese Zucker Rats

Ilex paraguariensis, the holly tree, is a plant with recognized biological properties, whose aqueous infusions are known as “Yerba mate”, that regulate lipid metabolism, reduce obesity, and improve brain stimulation. In the present study, the effect of standardized saponin and terpenoid fractions of a European taxon, Ilex aquifolium, on blood biochemical parameters in a rat model of metabolic disorder, (fa/fa) Zucker, are presented. The profiles of the volatile fractions of two species and six European varieties of Ilex were investigated. After selecting the best variety, the saponin and terpenoid fractions were isolated and standardized, and animals were fed 10 mg kg⁻¹ b.w. for 8 weeks. A statistically significant decrease in liver adiposity was observed, confirmed by histology and quantitative identification (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses of hepatic lipids. RT-qPCR analysis of gene expression in the aorta revealed that the administration of the terpenoid fraction downregulated LOX-1, suggesting a reduction in atherosclerotic stimuli. In addition, a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) in PPARγ for the saponin fraction was observed in the liver. The expression of the ACAT-1 gene in the liver, responsible for the formation of cholesterol esters, increased significantly in the group receiving the terpenoid fraction compared to the control, which was also confirmed by the analysis of individual blood biochemical parameters. The opposite effect was observed for saponins. Taking the above into account, it is shown for the first time that Ilex aquifolium can be a source of compounds that positively influence lipid metabolism.     

The Selection of the Optimal Impregnation Conditions of Vegetable Matrices with Iodine

This study aimed to determine the use of selected vegetables (pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot) as carriers of potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO₃) by determining changes in iodine content under various conditions of impregnation as the degree of hydration, impregnated sample temperature, and impregnation time. The influence of these conditions on iodine contents in vegetables after their fortification and storage (21 °C/230 days) was analyzed. The results showed that all selected vegetables could be efficient iodine carriers. However, the conditions of the impregnation process are crucial for fortification efficiency, particularly the degree of hydration and the temperature of the impregnated samples before drying. The results showed that the lowest iodine content was in samples fortified at 4 °C and 1:4 hydration. On the other hand, the highest reproducibility of iodine was for the following fortification conditions: temperature of −76 °C and hydration of 1:1. The studies confirmed the higher stability of iodine in KIO₃ form compared to KI. To increase recovery of the introduced iodine in the product after drying, using the conditioning step at 4 °C is not recommended. We recommend freezing vegetables immediately after the impregnation process     

Non-chromatographic speciation analysis of chromium in natural waters

The difference in toxicity between Cr(III) and Cr(VI) species is one of the main reasons for the recent developments in analytical procedures for their differentiate. Non-chromatographic methods offer highly convenient tools for this purpose and can be used as a fast and cheap alternative to the chromatographic processes. The present work overviews and discuss different non-chromatographic procedures for speciation of chromium in natural water samples such as coprecipitation, dialysis, solvent and solid phase extraction. This survey will attempt to cover the state of-the art from 2005 to 2010.     

Thermal decomposition kinetics of palladium(II) 1‐allylimidazole complexes

Thermal dehydration and decomposition processes of a Pd(II) coordination compound, [PdL₄]Cl₂·3H₂O ( 1 ), (where L is 1‐allylimidazole) were studied by simultaneous TG/DSC techniques under constant heating rates condition. The released gas products were analyzed by online coupling a FTIR spectrometer to the TG equipment. The so obtained evolved gas analysis confirmed that only two ligand molecules were released and that a new 1‐allylimidazole Pd(II) complex, trans‐[PdL₂Cl₂] ( 2a ), was obtained. The same coordination compound was also prepared by heating 1 at 413.15 K in air atmosphere until a constant weight was reached 2b . Thermal decomposition mechanisms for the 2a and 2b complexes examined were proposed according to the three mass loss steps derived by TG data. Based on the model‐free isoconversional method described by Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), the dependencies of activation energy on the degree of conversion were determined. A model‐free “single point” method was also applied using the Kissinger equation, and derived results were compared to those of the former method. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 667–674, 2005     

Conformational studies by nuclear magnetic resonance. VII—The direct observation of rotational isomers in some enamino carbonyl compounds and their thione derivatives by carbon magnetic resonance

Carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectra of the s-cis and s-trans rotamers of enamino ketones and thiones of the general formula \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}${\rm X =}\mathop {\rm C}\limits^{\rm 1} {\rm (}\mathop {\rm R}\limits^{\rm 1} {\rm)}\mathop {\rm C}\limits^{\rm 2} {\rm H =}\mathop {\rm C}\limits^{\rm 3} {\rm HN}\mathop {{\rm R}_{\rm 2}}\limits^{\rm 4}$\end{document} (where × = O or S and R-1, R-4 = alkyl) have been obtained. With dimethylaminoacrolein and its thione analogue, restricted rotation could only be observed in the latter. The chemical shift differences between rotamers and homologues are attributed to changes in conjugation and to induced bond polarisation, both these factors resulting from steric strain. In particular, nonplanar deformations of the s-trans rotamers are deduced from their C-2 chemical shift values.     

Studies on the reactions of selenite ion with 1,2-dimercaptoethane or thioacetic acid

The reactions are reported between selenite and 1,2-dimercaptoethane (DME) or thioacetic acid (TAA) to form moderately stable derivatives having an enhanced absorptions in the 230–360 nm region in combining molar ratios 3:2 and 4:1, respectively. Both reactions invariably yield one product corresponding to the selenium-containing derivative of DME or TAA. The formation of products is a pH dependent process. The equilibrium constants of reactions between selenite and DME or TAA were measured.     

Degrees in a digraph whose nodes are graphs

By an f-graph we mean an unlabeled graph having no vertex of degree greater than f. Let D(n, f) denote the digraph whose node set is the set of f-graphs of order n and such that there is an arc from the node corresponding to graph H to the node corresponding to the graph K if and only if K is obtainable from H by the addition of a single edge. In earlier work, algorithms were developed which produce exact results about the structure of D(n, f), nevertheless many open problems remain. For example, the computation of the order and size of D(n, f) for a number of values of n and f have been obtained. Formulas for the order and size for f = 2 have also been derived. However, no closed form formulas have been determined for the order and size of D(n, f) for any value of f. Here we focus on questions concerning the degrees of the nodes in D(n,n − 1) and comment on related questions for D(n,f) for 2 f < n − 1.     

A chelate-forming resin prepared by the modification of anion-exchange resin amberlyst A-26 with thoron and its application

Summary A new chelate-forming resin was prepared from common anionexchanger Amberlyst A-26 and thoron. Thoron-loaded resin is stable and resistant to mineral acids. To differentiate the selectivity of thoron-loaded resin trien as competitive reagent was used. In the presence of trien thoron-loaded resin is almost selective for Fe(III) as a counter ion. The application of the resin to the analysis of iron in brass and the preconcentration and determination of iron in natural waters was described.